nership put it this way, “The safe, cheap, simple storage and retrieval of file-based video assets is the single greatest need of any producer heading into the tapeless future.” 1 A storage platform must deliver some basic requirements if it is to meet the needs of digital broadcast workflows. First, the storage platform should be file-based. Production teams generate content in files and post teams and editors work with files, but paradoxically many IT-oriented storage providers sell block storage (a proverbial round peg in a square hole problem). HIGH PERFORMANCE FOR MIXED WORKLOADS Storage solutions for digital broadcast need to deliver the best available performance and the flexibility to add capacity as needs grow. Beware of products where perfor- mance slows down as capacity is added. The best solution will scale both perfor- mance and capacity linearly. Scaling perfor- mance means being able to offer the same fast delivery of files (in raw, in post, or in distribution) regardless of whether thou- sands of files are in active use or just a few dozen and whether the files are enormous terabyte-size monsters or small but equally important metadata files. Metadata for digital assets is one of the new concepts emerging with tapeless work- flows. Metadata is typically used to mark up and describe video footage so that the right content can be easily found, especially important in a large archive. Relative to video files, metadata files tend to be small and put additional demands on the storage solution. This makes hybrid SSD/SATA-based systems a good choice if the SSD storage can be used to speed small file access. RELIABILITY The right storage solution will have a reli- ably effective method of protecting digital content. Avoid storage arrays based on legacy hardware RAID designs as these protect data at the block level and tend to be slow and risky in the event of a hard drive failure. Instead, look for more sophis- ticated content and asset protection. The optimal storage solution should also be capable of “banking” completed and catalogued programs, serving as an archive of footage available for reuse and content for sale. Storing older, less frequently used material is commonly referred to as “disk archiving” in the IT world and it requires the storage solu- tion to scale capacity to terabytes or even petabytes. A storage solution that is easy to manage should also be a requirement. A simple, intuitive management interface means no wasted time setting up, tuning, or fixing the foundation of the workflow. Finally, the ideal storage platform will be a springboard for fast content delivery. ACCELERATING DIGITAL WORKFLOWS FOR MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT VERTICAL BRIEF: MEDIA POST PRODUCTION PROCESSING | VIDEO/CGI/3D EFFECTS | NON-LINEAR EDITING | RENDER FARM READY 1.888.PANASAS | www.panasas.com THE CHANGING FACE OF MEDIA The modern world of Media and Enter- tainment is rapidly moving to tapeless digital workflows. Unlocking creativity, im- proving production quality, obtaining bet- ter control of digital assets, and surpassing viewer expectations without attendant cost increases are some of the reasons for that move. HD and 3D are now required capabilities along with delivering content in DVD and mobile formats. Many variables must be considered care- fully to optimize a tapeless digital workflow in order to leverage the best possible imple- mentation. But after the production plan- ning and the workflow design are done, after the cameras and codecs and edit tools have been selected, after the workflow is documented, and after file naming and metadata conventions have been deter- mined, what then? CHOOSING THE RIGHT STORAGE One of the most important decisions left to make is choosing the right storage plat- form. The right platform will set the stage for fast, efficient delivery of high quality programming. The Digital Production Part-