Broadcast Beat Magazine 2017 BroadcastAsia Special Edition | Page 55

high-end head-mounted displays and 3D stereo-
scopic, finishing resolutions can be even higher.
The challenge lies not only in having fast enough
storage to support these large images, but also
in meeting the storage requirements of editing
and color grading VR 360°, which often differ
from the demands of VFX and animation.
Editing and grading require storage arrays
that provide unblinking sequential playback of
ordered frames on disk. Visual effects and ani-
mation can require both sequential and random
performance.
Fibre Channel storage area networks (SANs)
are favored for sequential playback of large
frames and files because SANs deliver determin-
istic, guaranteed bandwidth to each connected
workstation. For animation work, file reads and
writes are smaller, but occur randomly, and from
a greater number of connected workstations.
Random storage performance is most economi-
cal using an IP-based network attached storage
(NAS) system. The “best effort” nature of IP
protocols matches well with the iterative nature
of animation, which does not typically require
sequential playback of large files.
option is a hybrid array: a combination of SSDs
and HDDs. Intelligence in the array controllers
monitor the most readily used files and keep
them in the flash storage portion of the array. If
files are not used in a given time period, they are
demoted to the more economical HDDs in the
array.
Bridging the Editorial Divide
The efficiency gains from unified storage can
be a big boost to VR 360° post. Artists are hap-
pier and more productive because creative soft-
ware responds faster. They can create engaging
content on time and on budget. Facilities that
take advantage of this creative approach can
start with a small unified storage configuration
and then increase performance and capacity as
needed. With such a flexible, powerful storage
solution, content production companies can ful-
fill their viewers’ wildest visual dreams today and
be prepared for the next big technology to take
them even further in the future.
A Unified Approach
In practice, though, maintaining two different
storage systems can be expensive and lead
to costly duplication of large files. This is why
some post facilities are turning to unified stor-
age, a combination of SAN and NAS. By sup-
porting both IP and Fibre Channel connections
to the same shared storage infrastructure, this
approach allows post facilities to avoid the
time-consuming network-based transfer of files
between workflow stages. It both minimizes
down time and gives artists more time to create.
The random performance required for anima-
tion work can be further enhanced by solid state
drives (SSDs), which use flash memory instead
of spinning disk. Elimination of the time needed
for drive heads to find file bits means that SSDs
can deliver anywhere from 10 to 100 times more
random performance than hard disk drives
(HDDs).
All-flash arrays offer exceptional performance,
but they can be expensive. A more affordable
Broadcast Beat Magazine • www.broadcastbeat.com • 55