TV Inspiration Network Selected Sonnet RAIDs

Sonnet Technologies, Inc. announced that INSP – The Inspiration Network, a television network dedicated
to family-friendly and inspirational programming, is the latest client to use
Sonnet’s Fusion DX800RAID high-performance, eight-drive RAID SATA storage
system and Fusion D400QR5 desktop four-drive RAID storage appliance.

Both
systems provide locally attached storage for the
network’s video editing and production teams. 

The four-drive Fusion D400QR5 features internal RAID 5
support to deliver data protection in the event of a drive failure. The system
offers a quad interface for flexible connectivity, and delivers data transfers
up to 220 MB/sec read and 210 MB/sec write when connected via eSATA and with
its drives configured as a RAID 5 set. INSP chose the D400QR5 for its rough-cut
editing suites to support multistream video editing, before the video is sent
to a Final Cut Pro finishing station. 

Like the D400QR5, the eight-drive DX800RAID offers RAID 5
support but uses an included high-performance RAID controller card for greater
performance and protection. With its eight drives formatted as a RAID 5 group,
the DX800RAID yields read and write file transfer speeds of up to
870 MB/sec and 850 MB/sec, respectively. At INSP, the DX800RAID systems are
attached to the network’s Final Cut Pro edit finishing stations, where they
provide powerful local storage for final editing of video to be aired on INSP
networks.

"We evaluated several products, but the field was limited
by our requirement that the system provide at least 12TB of storage," said
Jonathan Sprague, senior network engineer for INSP. "The Fusion D400QR5
not only meets this requirement, but it provides all of the speed, reliability,
and security our rough-cut editors need. Likewise, the Fusion DX800RAID offered
the perfect solution for our final editing stations with its breakthrough
performance and proven data safety."

"The stacking ability of both units will allow us to
expand beyond our initial single-unit setup easily. As our editors need
additional local edit space, now all they have to do is plug in another drive
bay, and connectivity to the new disk remains at editing-level speeds."

INSP, whose broadcast facility is located in Charlotte, N.C., is one
of America’s
fastest growing cable networks. With the expansion of digital content for their
ever-increasing lineup of programs, the network was looking to find adequate
disk space to accommodate multiple terabytes of RAW footage that was coming in
from on-location shoots and other projects. As a solution, INSP sought to equip
its Final Cut Pro editing stations with high-capacity and reliable storage
capabilities. Both the Fusion DX800RAID and D400QR5 integrate a quiet
Vantec Stealth fan, which is 80-percent quieter than a standard case fan,
making the systems well-suited to INSP’s noise-sensitive production
environment. 

"The Fusion DX800RAID and D400QR5 have met, and
exceeded, all of our requirements for storage size, spindle count,
connectivity, and reliability," added Sprague. "Giving our editors
the ability to manage content from a single location instead of multiple
USB/FireWire HD systems is game changing, and the ability to expand disk
storage easily as needed is a huge success factor – especially as our HD
content assets continue to grow." 

"INSP’s use of both the DX800RAID and D400QR5 shows the
great versatility of our product family, and our strategy to deliver a storage
solution that is appropriate for every stage of video production and post-production,"
said Greg LaPorte, vice president of sales and marketing at Sonnet
Technologies. "We’re pleased that our leading-edge RAID storage systems
are playing such an integral role in helping INSP deliver its inspirational
programming to global audiences."