a href="http://www.editshare.com/" target="_blank">EditShare has introduced Ark 2.0, new media file protection for broadcast and post-production that provides digital and tape-based options for creating backups and archives. The new software offers tighter integration with Flow, the company’s production asset management software.
The updated software offers integration between the Ark and Flow software suites to ensure that all archived clips now have a record in the Flow database prior to being copied to Ark. Flow scans all clips to ensure that proxy files have been created. Ark updates the Flow database to keep a record of exactly where each archived is located. Flow users can then search and browse all clips stored on Ark.
Having a record in the Flow database of all archived or backed clips makes restoration of files from Ark easier. It is now possible to search or browse for clips even though high-resolution versions are “offline” and stored only on Ark. Through Flow Browse, users can play low-resolution proxy versions, incorporate them into sequences, and then restore the desired high-resolution versions to any EditShare Media Space. From within Flow Browse, authorized editors are able to set up Restore jobs to occur instantly or at a later, scheduled time.
Ark 2.0 supports a wide range of tape loaders and tape libraries. Autoloaders and libraries with multiple tape drives can now be used. A new activation feature allows users to utilize their Ark Disk system as a rapid failover should one of their main storage systems fail. The new Ark user interface now graphically shows which tapes are currently loaded into a tape library and in exactly which slot they can be found.
