server Video editing server

[MechNoxer]

Hey, so at my company we curently have 3 editors working with 4k and 8k footage. And we are expanding to more editors and are running into issus with are current nas setup.

We had a local company suggest we get 3 synolagy nas's 2 are hdd base one local and one ofsite and the third server is ssd based.
Our internal network is 10gb ethernet running to all our editing machines.

Editor machines are:

- Imac pro
- macbook pro with 10gb adapter
- windows 10 desktop 1gb but is gonna change

The problem is that we edit directly from the nas wich works fine but when one of the editors starts a render all the editors slow down hard. even the 1gb connection brings down everything.
They all want smooth timeline scrubbing.

What i was thinking was building a render server and following what linus dit with his workflow.

Starting with a ingeststation witch uploads the files to the render server where media encoder wloud transcode them and one copy going to a hdd based server.
Then the editors wloud acces a share on the render server en edit on that server.
Once done with the porject they wloud send it tought media encoder again on the render server to get the final files.
And after that the project wloud be moved to the hdd based server as storage.

Next to that we also have writers that wloud work directly on the hdd server.
The hdd server wloud be backupt ofsite every weekend.


If anyone has some suggestion on what to do best and cloud help me to part together a render server.

[manikyath]

the 'solution' to this sort of problem, is literally just to throw more SSD's at the problem.

 

i'd say something like this, which in itself is roughly based on LTT's setup and own experience:

- an ingest station which either pushes straight to redundant storage, or has it's own redundant storage. you want data off the camera's cards ASAP. (or if you work off footage being sent in, same situation. if you work off data sent in over the internet, have a dedicated station for managing data transfers)

- a "fast storage" that's entirely SSD, and built for nothing but raw speed, where editing is done. depending on the size and number of projects, instead of scaling one server up, you may be better to have multiple to spread the load over. if a single project is big enough, it would not be insane to have project-sized servers that get recycled towards a new project after the last one was finished.

- a "shadow" for the above server that synchronizes changes, and handles an actually properly redundant array.

- a slower "vault" that stores inactive projects, other company data, etc.

- an offsite backup server, or tape rotation system. i might be old fashioned, but i like the idea of offsite backup tapes. it's a very manual process, but if handled properly it's also a very reassuring process.

 

on that note.. depending on the scale and budget.. i do really recommend partnering with someone that builds this kind of solutions professionally, given your business relies on it.

 

yes, having an IT partner come in, lay out a project, have them implement it (with HP ProLiants and a nimble cluster) wil be more expensive, but that cost is well worth the peace of mind that it *will* work as intended, with no surprises.