Small Tree Adds ZenStor Line of Shared Storage Systems

To meet demanding editing environments, Small Tree Communications, LLC is introducing ZenStor, a line of shared storage systems at NAB 2016.

ZenStor, expected to be available for purchase in late spring, provides advancements in performance, connectivity and reliability, and is capable of handling demanding 4K workflows.

An configurable, all-in-one solution, available in sizes ranging from five bays in a portable chassis to 12-, 16- or 24-bay rack mounted chassis. ZenStor integrates into the edit suite utilizing affordable 1Gb, 10Gb and 40Gb Ethernet connections. It can scale almost indefinitely – increasing storage space by adding additional chassis without requiring a RAID rebuild or data migration. Additionally, capable of multiple clients running different OS and application software using various bandwidths concurrently, ZenStor can be customized to the user’s specific requirements with the added ability to grow to meet future demand.

“When investing in technology, post-production facilities want solutions that can evolve with their company, which is why ZenStor is the ideal system,” said Corky Seeber, president, Small Tree. “Offering industry leading configurability, ZenStor will meet any company’s budget requirements today and for years to come, helping to maximize their ROI.“

ZenStor is built with performance components throughout – including enterprise SAS HDDs connected to 12Gb/s backplanes with built-in NVMe SSD support. Incorporating a browser-based GUI that is concise, extensive and flexible, it is easy to install – while system management is straightforward and can be done anywhere with an Internet connection. The system’s Docker technology is built into the OS, enabling the user to add applications to the configuration.

Platform and application software agnostic, ZenStor works across Windows, Linux and Mac OS based clients, while supporting Adobe Creative Suite, Apple Final Cut Pro 7, Apple Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer, Avid Pro Tools, and Black Magic DaVinci Resolve, in addition to other popular NLE systems. ZenStor requires no additional client or server licenses fees for operation.