GB Labs Teams With Sohonet

Sohonet Ltd announced storage infrastructure as a service solution, Media Storage, has been developed specifically for the media and entertainment sectors.

Now, in an integration agreement with network storage specialist GB Labs, Media Storage functionality has been built into the OS of its latest RAID storage for an integrated private cloud experience for offsite backup, short-term archive or as an alternative to LTO backup.

The combined cloud solution promises a new level of collaborative content creation, data security and the fast transfer of files from production into post. It will was demonstrated for the first time at IBC.

Space tier 1 and Space Echo tier 2 storage solutions will be pre-configured to exchange files with the Sohonet Media Storage service. Furthermore, because Space is an IP device, data management and file transfers are set up, managed and automated via any web browser: no control computer or additional software is required.

“The technology partnership takes all the complexities out of file transfers and backup. Field camera crews that ingest media onto portable Mini systems can automatically upload files to the cloud for processing by technicians at the facility or broadcast station. London-based editors can securely backup files to Sohonet Media Storage and share projects with international offices at the click of a button. It’s as straight-forward and versatile as the cloud should be,” says Ben Pearce, sales and marketing director, GB Labs.

With a media network supporting data rates of up-to 10Gb/s, Sohonet can facilitate the transfer of data at high speed.

Ben Dair, Sohonet’s product director, remarks: “The emphasis of our Sohonet Media Storage service is security, reliability, flexibility and scalability. If users require additional storage for a project, it is instantly available whenever needed. Having Sohonet Media Storage directly interface with GB Labs’ Space products enables customers to have a secure offsite backup of their files using production proven Openstack Swift Object storage technology transferred via the Sohonet Media Network.”

The Space line of storage are Ethernet-connected, with each unit running the Core 3 OS. This platform administrates the array and also provides media sharing, tracking, replication and transfer tools. With virtually no configuration required, the new features manage and automate the exchange of data with Media Storage.

Core 3, however, goes further, as Pearce explains: “Increasingly, facilities and broadcasters need to copy files between sites, either for data security or collaborative editing. So we have now also included built-in tools so that users can utilise Sohonet’s fast data network to transfer files between remote storage units or automatically mirror entire volumes in separate locations.”