Shared storage is a great tool for people who need to manage a lot of files in a collaborative environment or to manage people who need to access shared files from multiple workstations.
Just like many other products available today, there are multiple tiers of shared storage available for video work groups who need a way to efficiently share files among themselves.
Basic Shared Storage
Let's start with a lower tier. These are going to be your QNAP and Synology devices. These are basic storage devices that are going to be able to work within a lot of different applications. So whether it's a home theater something you're going to be sharing some local files on these are great systems for that. However, they're not focused on video production and lack the video specific performance tuning that will provide you the performance you need.
Video Shared Storage Tier
This is where we step into our second tier. That's going to be your mid-level video storage system for professional video teams, just like we sell here at ProMAX. These systems are going to have some type of media management software layer on top of them, allowing you to manage your files within that ecosystem and not have to bring in third party storage software. These are high-performance, high-powered machines that are tuned for video specifically so that way you're going to get the high-end video performance that you really need.
Enterprise Shared Storage
Third we're going to go to your Enterprise server Storage Solutions. These are companies like Avid that really dominate Hollywood. They have a large ecosystem of products and their shared storage systems are very powerful with lots of software features built on top of them. These systems are great for Hollywood Studios or large companies that are going to be doing a lot of files and a lot of intricate detail built into the feature set that they have. These systems are great if you can't afford any down time as these vendors can execute enterprise SLA's.
Which Shared Storage should you use?
These systems are available for any video team. However, if you're just trying to manage a relatively small number of files or a small team, you probably don't need a large enterprise system. On the other end, if you're a Hollywood studio, you're not going to want to use a lower end shared storage system that isn't built with video in mind.
Conclusion
Here's a couple things to consider when you're looking at the different different shared storage options available.
If you’re looking for something small and simple. You're probably going to want to go with the lower tier storage product. If you're working specifically in video, but you don't need the enterprise capability and large feature set of a Hollywood studio then stick with the mid-range tier. If you're working in Hollywood or some kind of large production environment where you need a lot of different features and a really high-performance ecosystem that you're going to be able to manage every aspect of your business from.
Ultimately, go with the shared storage that's going to be the best solution for you and you're video team. You are going to get the best bang for your buck, which is what we really care about here.
