SAN vs. NAS in a video or post production environment.

The distinction between choosing a SAN (storage area network) or a NAS for (network attached storage/server) storage has become somewhat blurred because of the increased performance now possible over Ethernet. These two technologies for shared storage each have their pros and cons.

Fiber Channel (FC) is a point-to-point express lane compared to Ethernet, a topology that most of us are familiar with. The packaging of data over FC contains much less of a requirement than a standard Ethernet data packet which is based on a protocol called TCP IP or IP (Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol). As the speed capabilities of Ethernet LANs increase, so do the possibilities of supporting video.

An analysis of your streaming requirements will be based on the codecs you are using today along with how many concurrent playback streams you will need. This number will lead to establishing a base requirement for your data rate.

In addition to the above, a review of your current workflow, infrastructure and budget will help to establish a plan moving forward for what’s best, SAN or NAS. It’s our pleasure to help you plan for what you need to meet your requirements today as well as provide a road map for evolving your shop to accommodate future growth. Your success is our goal.

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