SAN JOSE, CALIF.—Quantum Corp. has launched Xcellis, a new end-to-end shared workflow storage platform that allows users to manage production and archiving workflows across the range of Quantum storage systems. Xcellis consolidates media and metadata management, extending connectivity options for both Fibre Channel and Ethernet clients, and supports hosted applications, greatly enhancing productivity in collaborative media environments by integrating the most important components of workflow storage into a single, easy-to-manage, fully scalable hardware solution. Xcellis supports online work in process, ingest and delivery, and archiving through the company’s Lattus object storage, LTO tape and Q-Cloud services, all running on Quantum’s StorNext 5 media workflow platform.
Xcellis
Xcellis helps users desiring the highest levels of performance and collaboration in an easy-to-access archive by combining the power of SAN and the low-cost connectivity of NAS in a single, continuously scalable system, thereby simplifying the storage architecture and streamlining operations. With Xcellis, workflows are enhanced to boost user efficiency, productivity and creativity while also enabling long-term content archives using either private or public cloud infrastructure.
Xcellis enhances workflow storage by integrating real-time and “non-real-time” media production support elements in the same system. At the heart of the new solution, the Xcellis Workflow Director controls shared client access privileges and provides simultaneous client connectivity across all popular network types, including Fibre Channel and IP for SMB, CIFS, NFS and Quantum’s higher performing DLC (Distributed LAN Client) — while also supporting hosted applications. By bringing the functionality of multiple disparate components into a single system that occupies just 4RU of space, the Xcellis Workflow Director simplifies the overall storage architecture and streamlines operation and management. Optimized for modern workflows, Xcellis also recognizes that many operations do not require high-speed Fibre Channel and can instead take advantage of low-cost IP NAS connectivity. Xcellis improves productivity by eliminating the need for separate islands of storage and allowing all clients and workflow automation operations such as transcode, QA, and delivery to share storage with complete transparent access to all assets and content regardless of interface type or operating system.
Xcellis takes maximum advantage of Quantum’s StorNext 5 platform to offer:
- Industry-best streaming performance for ingest, transcoding and delivery, especially important for today’s high resolution and HDR enabled workflows.
- Optimized high-speed Fibre Channel SAN connectivity for which StorNext is known, along with cost-effective LAN, SMB and NFS sharing options, with IP connectivity for easy deployment and integration into all broadcast and postproduction environments.
- Intelligent, policy-driven file movement across LTO tape (LTO-6 and LTO-7), LTFS, object storage and cloud archive systems for an optimal balance of media access and storage TCO.
- High-speed collaboration across Mac OS X, Windows and Linux.
Xcellis users can start with the smallest possible system and scale smoothly to the largest possible system without having to invest in new hardware and without interruption. While nearly doubling the number of files that Quantum workflow storage can handle, Xcellis also enables users to:
- Scale capacity and bandwidth independently to realize the performance characteristics ideal for their operations, tuning performance to the roles of different individuals within the workflow.
- Protect and maximize their investment by paying only for what they require, and eliminating disruptive and costly hardware changes as their system grows.
- Independently and economically scaled performance and capacity, now up to 10 billion unmanaged files, or 1.4 billion managed files in up to 64 file system volumes.
Xcellis also features StorNext Connect, the company’s full-featured management tool that supports users in configuring, deploying and scaling the entire storage system and clients and also helps them to identify and resolve issues quickly for optimal performance and maximum uptime. Quantum is continually updating StorNext Connect, and Xcellis users will benefit from a newly enhanced customer self-install feature, as well as NAS (IP client) configuration within the StorNext Connect UI.
“Xcellis shared workflow storage consolidates client access control, client connectivity and hosted application capabilities into a single solution with extraordinary in-place scalability,” said Alex Grossman, vice president, media and entertainment for Quantum. “These advanced capabilities help users improve efficiency and productivity and meet ever-greater demands in high-resolution workflows. In addition, Xcellis offers flexible configuration and scalability options to reduce the cost and complexity of deployment while facilitating smart, simple and cost-effective growth.”
