Ascent Media Group is using SGI server, storage and networking technology as the heart of a new state-of-the-art facility in Burbank, CA.
The SGI hardware and software is part of AMG’s data-centric production network solution, known as ProdNet, which offers studio clients secure methods for accommodating a large variety of deliverables.
AMG’s 100,000sq ft building was gutted to the walls and rebuilt to be one of the world’s most modern, most secure, all-digital facilities. SGI Professional Services worked with AMG to design and integrate the ProdNet system, which is dedicated to manufacturing, repurposing, and distributing large media assets.
Ascent Media Group’s deliverables include digital intermediates in high definition, 2K or 4K resolution for Hollywood blockbusters, post-production and satellite delivery of television programming, digital cinema masters, multilanguage versions for home video, DVD, and a variety of entertainment content for wireless mobile devices.
The SGI InfiniteStorage CXFS shared file system was a major component for AMG, particularly in the telecine department, where each frame must be handled as an individual file as opposed to a portion of a larger file. File sizes range from moderate to large, depending on whether they are high definition, 2K or 4K resolution. Moreover, the process requires not only opening and closing a lot of files consistently, the files have to be on time.
At the core of AMG’s ProdNet are three SGI metadata servers based on SGI Origin 350 technology, each with eight CPUs, acting as the SGI InfiniteStorage CXFS servers for the storage system. AMG has 20 SGI Origin 350 servers.
ProdNet was fully functional in September with one SGI InfiniteStorage TP9500 storage system. A second SGI InfiniteStorage TP9500 and a TP9300 storage system will be online shortly, giving AMG a total 100TB of enterprise class storage in addition to 80TB in local caches around the facility.
For more information, visit www.sgi.com.
