private cloud-based media workflow - Zift Solutions

PRIVATE CLOUD-BASED MEDIA WORKFLOW

StorNext 5 in the Cloud

CONTENTS Where the Cloud Promise Fails for Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 A Cloud Designed for Media Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 An Ecosystem of Integrated Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 How It Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 StorNext 5 Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Reach Engine for Production Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Adobe Anywhere for Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Telestream Vantage for Video Transcoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 A Complete Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Example Deployments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Benefits of StorNext in the Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Components of StorNext 5 Cloud Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Today’s modern media workflows are changing. The challenges of geographically distributed workgroups, shorter deadlines, and a greater number of ingest and delivery options are causing media production companies to re-evaluate their workflows. From broadcasters to postproduction facilities and in-house video producers, the demands of improving productivity and driving greater efficiency are overwhelming. This all must be done with the highest level of asset security and content integrity. In order to accomplish these goals, many companies are considering using cloud services delivered from a number of providers—some who are dedicated cloud providers, and others who offer the service as a component of their larger business.

...the demands of improving productivity and driving greater efficiency are overwhelming.

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Where the Cloud Promise Fails for Workflows While the promise of the cloud is great, a majority of media

The lack of integration and workflow knowledge may require

content creators find that public cloud offerings are very

the need for intermediate steps to be placed in the workflow to

incomplete with regards to media workflow, and often present

ensure content integrity and movement between the different

unacceptable security risks when putting assets and content

and often unconnected steps in compute and storage. In most

into unsecure public clouds. In addition, the service levels

cases, the assets will have to be exported from the common in-

(SLAs) are rarely guaranteed, nor compatible with deadline-

house workflow and moved to the cloud in unfamiliar formats

driven production.

with no tracking of changes in content format until the assets

Public cloud offerings were initially offered as development platforms for software vendors to build applications and services around, and are therefore designed to supply basic

are re-imported. While some asset managers can track that the content is no longer in the workflow and can mark it as such, the control over the content and assets is lost.

compute and storage functionality and have little, if any,

While the transport of assets and content between user

workflow integration. The majority of development has been

workflows and the public cloud are secure, once the assets

around SAAS for enterprise or application support, but not

make it to the cloud, the state of security of content is often

around complex multistage workflow that is common in media

unknown, leading to a security risk.

production. The compute and storage functions were not developed with media production applications in mind, and often require users to adopt new, unproven, and unfamiliar tools and applications in order to complete simple workflow functions. Without the ability to easily link steps together, the assets and content end up moving between stages of the public cloud, which may compromise security and require QA checks along the way. More often than not, the tools to manage these steps are either not available, or cumbersome.

While a few pioneers have successfully adopted a public cloud compute and storage model for media workflows, and entrepreneurs are offering single services in public clouds, the process has not been easy and involves such risk and ongoing complexity. For most facilities, the complexity and risks make the business decision to move to the cloud too difficult.

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A Cloud Designed for Media Workflows Fortunately, there is a better way. Quantum as a leader in workflow storage solutions for media production and archive has teamed up with some best-of-breed technology partners to deliver a complete, automated cloud workflow foundation called StorNext® in the Cloud. StorNext in the Cloud is a safe and efficient environment with all assets and contents protected throughout the workflow. Unlike public cloud offerings, the StorNext private cloud allows users to completely maintain control of their environments, while providing the geographically dispersed benefits of cloud storage. With StorNext in the Cloud, users have a true cloud-based end-to-end workflow answer that provides geographically dispersed teams the ability to work seamlessly on projects using the same tools and familiar workflow they are using today locally. All content and assets are tracked and managed, and the workflow can be automated from ingest through delivery and on to archive, providing a working inventory of content that can be accessed anywhere. For users in a StorNext or Xsan environment, the move to a cloud-based workflow will feel natural, offering the same experience as working locally with some added benefits and capabilities.

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An Ecosystem of Integrated Partners Our initial StorNext in the Cloud workflow has been developed with technology partners Adobe, Reach Engine from Levels Beyond, and Telestream to provide a complete, automated cloud workflow-enabled ingest, edit, finish, deliver, and archive in the cloud. Automated processing occurs at each step in process, and provides users and administrators with step-by-step control and feedback throughout the entire media lifecycle process. It can be deployed in several configuration options, allowing the user to choose and customize the deployment to meet his/her particular needs. This highly flexible workflow allows users to maintain local and cloud-based workflows, depending on the requirements of the particular job or end customer. In most cases, facilities can fully leverage their existing environments and add cloud services at a primary location that’s shared with other locations; or more commonly, host the private cloud at a co-location center such as a third-partymanaged data center. This extreme flexibility ensures maximum efficiency and can lead to greater productivity and lower TCO.

With StorNext in the Cloud, facilities can continue to create and deliver content as usual while adding cloud services without disruption.

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Hundreds of hours of custom development by Quantum and

While this initial deployment meets a number of user

technology partners have resulted in a virtually seamless

requirements, Quantum is dedicated to delivering further

cloud workflow experience that delivers reasonable

configurations as they are developed. And Quantum technical

performance and capabilities, even when using standard

and professional services can assess the best deployment

Internet connectivity and no changes to the existing workflow

strategy and assist in deploying your StorNext in the Cloud

environment—all based on open systems technology and

solution, whether it’s based on this initial workflow or includes

using common applications and tools.

other StorNext ecosystem partners.

With StorNext in the Cloud, facilities can continue to create

For facilities, this means not only improving efficiency,

and deliver content as usual while adding cloud services

but also providing the ability to meet spontaneous growth

without disruption.

needs and the ability to quickly adapt to new acquisition and delivery requirements.

An Ecosystem of Integrated Partners

How it Works The workflow is based around StorNext 5—the leading open system collaboration platform with the largest technology partner ecosystem—and leverages Reach Engine, Adobe Anywhere, Telestream, and Quantum Lattus™ object storage. StorNext 5 powers high-speed file sharing and asset movement with proven performance and reliability in media environments from post-production for episodic TV, feature films, broadcast, sports, and news production. Unmatched in performance and rich capabilities, StorNext scales from small to very large networks, supporting Mac OS X through Xsan, Windows, and Linux over Fibre Channel and IP networks. For local workflows, StorNext Appliances provide the on-line storage that features high throughput, low latency, extreme scalability, and reliable, highly available operation. Through an integration with StorNext 5, Quantum Lattus supplies the cloud workflow with long-term storage that’s highly durable, nearly infinitely scalable long-term storage built on object storage technology. The entire StorNext technology partner ecosystem is available to StorNext 5 cloud users, and many variations of the workflow can be configured in order to match individual user requirements.

...many variations of the workflow can be configured in order to match individual user requirements.

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A StorNext 5 in the cloud workflow using Adobe Anywhere, Reach Engine, and Telestream Vantage.

Mobile Clients

Quantum Lattus-M

Customers & Downstream Providers

Remote clients edit directly on Adobe Anywhere

Adobe Anywhere and Reach Engine Production Automation

Viewer Platforms

How it Works

StorNext 5 Workflows StorNext 5 workflows offer many advantages over standard cloud-based compute and storage offerings. With a design based on StorNext 5, the transition to a cloud-based workflow is virtually seamless as every user continues to work the way they are used to. StorNext manages collaborative access and provides high-speed storage for ingest. Quantum Lattus Object Storage provides the highly redundant media repository for work in process and longterm archive, and also transcodes temporary storage and workflow operations such as delivery. Telestream handles all transcode generation and formats for delivery. Adobe Anywhere is the edit and finishing application that ensures users work in real-time resolution regardless of location, and Levels Beyond Reach Engine is highly integrated into StorNext and Storage Manager, providing production automation and media asset management while providing a single asset inventory viewable to users based on user privilege. The entire StorNext technology partner ecosystem is available to StorNext 5 cloud users, and many variations of the workflow can be configured in order to match individual user requirements.

Making cloud workflow virtually seamless to users and manageable by administrators.

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Reach Engine

for Production Automation Tightly integrated into StorNext, Reach Engine from Levels Beyond manages every aspect of media production throughout the media lifecycle from ingest through archive for small to large enterprise installations. Reach Engine was designed and built for content creators and content owners who want to automate and track the creative cycle’s workflow, as well as store and access vast amounts of digital media assets. For example, in an ingest workflow, Reach Engine can register metadata, write house mezzanine files, create proxies, and write the proxy and asset to shared storage for collaborative teams to access through StorNext 5.

...manages every aspect of media production throughout the media lifecycle...

Technology Partners

Adobe Anywhere for Collaboration

Adobe Anywhere and Adobe Premiere are the preferred editing platform for StorNext in the Cloud, due to sophisticated remote editing capabilities and tight integration with Reach Engine and StorNext. Adobe Anywhere enables production teams to collaborate from virtually any location where there is network connectivity. With Adobe Anywhere, editors, visual effects artists, and other video professionals can use local or remote networks to simultaneously access, stream, and work with remotely stored media. Adobe Anywhere operates across the standard network and eliminates the need for heavy file transfers, duplicate media, or proxy files.

...use local or remote networks to simultaneously access, stream, and work with remotely stored media.

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Telestream Vantage for Video Transcoding

Telestream’s live and on-demand products allow content creators to easily create, ingest, transcode, caption, and deliver any type of video. When editing is complete—even if done by a remote workgroup—Telestream transcode servers can render it directly, further accelerating its delivery to multiple targets. Telestream Vantage Cloud Services provide elastic production capacity to meet the ebb and flow of demand to give content owners a global reach for delivering content while simplifying operations through 15-minute provisioning.

...easily create, ingest, transcode, caption, and deliver any type of video.

Technology Partners

A Complete Solution While all deployments differ in particular workflow dynamics, modern workflows share many common processes. The cloud-based workflow is designed to maximize usability across all common workflow practices, including: • Ingest anywhere and move content to the secure Lattus-based cloud with Reach Engine • Edit and finish any content from any location with Adobe Anywhere • Accelerated delivery to multiple targets directly from the cloud using Telestream Vantage All workflow actions are automated from a common platform with full reporting to: • Maintain file coherency across many locations • Provide controlled access to share assets and content with individuals without StorNext access • Build proxies, transcode, and deliver in multiple formats directly from the cloud • Provide durable long-term content and asset protection (archive) without the need for many multiple copies • Geographically disperse content and assets as needed for disaster recovery and business continuance

The cloud-based workflow is designed to maximize usability across all common workflow practices.

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A StorNext 5 in the cloud workflow using Adobe Anywhere, Reach Engine, and Telestream Vantage.

Mobile Clients

Quantum Lattus-M

Customers & Downstream Providers

Remote clients edit directly on Adobe Anywhere

Adobe Anywhere and Reach Engine Production Automation

Viewer Platforms

• StorNext manages collaborative access and provides high-speed storage for ingest. • Reach Engine provides production automation and media asset management through a single asset inventory viewable to users based on user privilege. • Adobe Anywhere is the edit and finishing application that ensures users work in realtime resolution regardless of location. • Telestream handles all transcode generation and formats for delivery. • Quantum Lattus provides a highly redundant, object storage-based media repository for work in process and long-term archive, as well as temporary storage for transcode and workflow operations such as delivery.

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Hosted data center for production and delivery

OPTIONS:

OPTIONS:

QX-1200 48TB Expansion


Unlimited Xsan clients via Xsan


M440 Metadata Storage Expansion


M441D Metadata Appliance QX-1200 48TB RAID System


Windows/Linux StorNext Clients for transcode, playout, asset management


AEL500 Archive System


Secondary production facility with StorNext collaboration


OPTIONS:







Primary production facility with StorNext collaboration

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Data Center Hosted Private Cloud Organizations with multiple facilities looking to centralize production and provide regulated access to all content can deploy a private cloud workflow at a hosted data center. This deployment provides greater bandwidth and capabilities from a single location sharing to one or more external sites. This deployment of private cloud-based workflows leverages existing StorNext collaborative storage solutions, and enables a StorNext workflow in the cloud without the risk of public cloud environments or placing additional load on any production facility. By utilizing Lattus, content and assets are safe and protected with erasure-code-based object storage. Lattus provides optimized automated workflow operations from ingest to delivery. Reach Engine, Adobe Anywhere and Adobe Premiere Pro, and Telestream Vantage round out the entire private cloud workflow. This configuration also provides the ability to grow into multiple private cloud locations with fully redundant content repositories for even greater protection and capabilities either in third-partyhosted environments or by utilizing in-house data centers.

• Ingest locally

Benefits

• Automation in the cloud • Edit and finish locally • Deliver from cloud location

Example Deployments


Xsan Clients

M662XL

IP Gateway

OPTIONS:

OPTIONS:


Windows/Linux Preview Clients


Transcode

Fibrechannel Switch M440 Metadata Storage Expansion

QX1200 RAID M441D Metadata Appliance QX-1200 48TB RAID System


Windows Clients

QX1200 Expansion

AEL500

Lattus


Primary facility with private cloud at in-house data center


OPTIONS:








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Data Center Hosted with Local Lattus for Geo Spread Organizations wishing to take full advantage of remotely hosted facilities with large bandwidth and maximum uptime potential often choose a remote hosting facility for their private cloud deployments. With StorNext in the Cloud, this configuration provides a complete workflow in the cloud with all operations automated and protected in a remote location. With the addition of an in-house data center, facilities can leverage existing StorNext collaborative storage solutions, and provide additional content protection while ensuring that production operations continue in the event of a failure in the primary hosted data center. The content and assets will be Geo-Spread across the two (or more) locations, providing seamless availability of important assets and content. Just as with a single data center or facility deployment, by utilizing Lattus, content and assets are safe and protected with erasure-code-based object storage. Lattus provides optimized automated workflow operations from ingest through delivery. Reach Engine, Adobe Anywhere and Adobe Premiere Pro, and Telestream Vantage round out the entire private cloud workflow.

• Ingest any location

Benefits

• Automation in the cloud • Provide business continuance and disaster recovery • Edit and finish locally • Deliver from cloud location

Example Deployments


Xsan Clients

M662XL

IP Gateway

OPTIONS:

Xsan Clients

M662XL


Transcode

Fibrechannel Switch

Fibrechannel Switch

QX1200 RAID

QX1200 RAID

QX1200 Expansion

AEL500

Lattus

Windows Clients


QX1200 Expansion

AEL500

Lattus

Secondary facility with private cloud at in-house data center

Xsan Clients

M662XL

IP Gateway

OPTIONS:


Transcode

Fibrechannel Switch

QX1200 RAID

Windows Clients

QX1200 Expansion

AEL500

Lattus

Secondary facility with private cloud at in-house data center

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OPTIONS:


Transcode

Windows Clients

IP Gateway

Data Center Hosted with Local Lattus in All Locations By spreading important assets across multiple owned facilities and an outsourced hosting location, StorNext in the Cloud can provide the ultimate protection for assets and content, assuring continued production operation even in the event of a disaster. This configuration provides not only true private cloud workflow using StorNext, but also seamless replication of content to multiple facilities and the hosted cloud environment with no interruption in production. Facilities with multiple data center locations can leverage existing StorNext collaborative storage solutions and provide maximum content protection. In the event of a failure in any facility of the hosted data center, the content that has been replicated or spread among the remaining facilities provides complete and local access to maintain production operations. Just as with a single or multiple facility deployment, utilizing Lattus, content and assets are safe and protected with erasure-code-based object storage. Lattus provides optimized automated workflow operations from ingest to delivery. Reach Engine, Adobe Anywhere and Adobe Premiere Pro, and Telestream Vantage round out the entire private cloud workflow.

• Ingest any location

Benefits

• Automation in the cloud • Provide business continuance and disaster recovery • Edit and finish locally • Deliver from cloud location

Example Deployments

OPTIONS:

OPTIONS:















Xsan Clients

M662XL

IP Gateway

OPTIONS:


Transcode

Fibrechannel Switch

QX1200 RAID

Windows Clients

QX1200 Expansion

AEL500

Lattus


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In-House Data Center Hosted Private Cloud Organizations that already have in-house data center capabilities within their facility can take full advantage of private cloud-based workflows leveraging existing StorNext collaborative storage solutions and building on general data center efficiency. By utilizing Lattus, their content and assets are safe and protected with erasure-code-based object storage. Lattus provides optimized automated workflow operations from ingest through delivery. Reach Engine, Adobe Anywhere and Adobe Premiere Pro, and Telestream Vantage round out the entire private cloud workflow. This configuration also provides the ability to grow into multiple private cloud locations with fully redundant content repositories for even greater protection and capabilities either in additional in-house data centers or in third-party-hosted environments.

• Ingest locally at any location

Benefits

• Move to cloud • Edit and finish locally • Deliver from cloud location

Example Deployments

Benefits of StorNext in the Cloud • A complete cloud-based workflow for post, broadcast, and in-house video production • Private cloud workflow and archive solution • Centralized and secure asset long-term repository • Multiple sites access same content and assets for full editing and finishing • Deliver content from a single cloud location • Remote users can take advantage of full facility workflow • On-premise and remote data center configurations

For more information, visit: www.stornext.com Or call 1-800-677-6268 to speak with a Quantum representative

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Components of the StorNext 5 Cloud Workflow Primary Facility

Secondary Facilities

StorNext M662XL Metadata Appliance

StorNext M441D Metadata Appliance

StorNext QXS Storage

StorNext QXS Storage

Adobe Creative Cloud


Adobe Anywhere clients

Adobe Anywhere clients

Levels Beyond Reach Engine Studio


Private Cloud Location

On-Premise or Remote Data Center

Independent Users

StorNext M662XL Metadata Appliance


Quantum Lattus-M Object Storage

Adobe Anywhere client


Reach Engine

Telestream Vantage

Telestream

ABOUT QUANTUM Quantum is a leading expert in scale-out storage, archive, and data protection. Its StorNext® 5 solutions power modern workflows, enabling high-performance, real-time collaboration, and keeping content readily accessible for future use and re-monetization. More than 100,000 customers have trusted Quantum to address their most demanding content workflow needs, including top studios, major broadcasters, and new, cutting-edge content creators. With Quantum, customers can Be Certain™ they have the end-to-end storage platform to manage assets from ingest through finishing, and into delivery and long-term preservation. See how at www.stornext.com.

www.quantum.com • 1.800.677.6268 ©2015 Quantum Corporation. All rights reserved. Quantum, the Quantum logo, Lattus and StorNext are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Quantum Corporation and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

ST01397A-v02 Jan 2015