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A Guide to Sonnet RAID Technology

Sonnet's storage systems are designed for digital media professionals. They are very fast and dependable and can be used in parallel in the studio and on location. Sonnet Technology's systems are flexible and can grow with your needs.

 

 

Low-cost storage for video editors, audio professionals & content creators
Ideal for audio, graphics, effects and compressed HD video.
  • Capacity: 2TB - 24TB
>See the range
Portable raid storage systems
Portable, tough RAID devices that can handle multiple streams of compressed HD.
  • Capacity: 1TB - 4TB
>See the range
High performance storage systems for TV & film studios
Systems to handle very heavy workloads including multiple streams of full quality 10-bit HD, even uncompressed.
  • Capacity: upto 48TB
>See the range
Ultimate workgroup storage for collaborative video editors
Ultra-powerful multi-user collaborative editing storage systems, supporting Avid, Adobe and Apple editing environments.
  • Capacity: upto 384TB
>See the range





Understanding Connectors and Interfaces

eSATA - designed for external connectivity - it's very fast at 6Gbps - similar in real world performance to USB 3.0. eSata is about 4x faster than USB 2.0 or Firewire 400.

Quad interface - devices with four connectors: eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 & USB 2.0

Internal SAS expander - enables connection of multiple additional RAID storage units

SAS RAID Controller - powerhouse interface with RAID processor to handle the throughput from all drives





Low-cost storage for HD video editors, audio professionals & content creators

Desktop 4-drive storage system Multi-use 5-drive storage system Rackmount 4-drive storage system
Fusion D400QR5 Fusion D500P Fusion R400P
  • eSata, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, or USB2 connections
  • RAID Options: R5
  • Available in configurations from 2 to 12TB
  • Also available as a rackmount system - Fusion R400QR5
  • eSata connection
  • RAID Options: 0, 1, 10, or JBOD
  • Available in configurations up-to 12TB
  • Also available as an affordable 8-drive system (Fusion D800DP) in configurations up to 24TB
  • eSATA connection
  • Available in configurations up-to 12TB
  • RAID Options: JBOD, 0, 1





Portable raid storage systems

Portable 2-drive storage system Small mobile 2-drive storage system
Fusion F3 Fusion F2
  • 3TB or 4TB configurations
  • eSATA, FireWire 800/400 & USB connectors
  • RAID Options: 0, 1 & JBOD
  • RAID Options: 1, 2
  • eSATA Connector
  • 1TB or 1.5TB configurations





Very fast storage systems for TV & film studios

Versatile 8-drive rackmount storage system Expandable 8-drive desktop storage systems with internal SAS expander Super-fast rackmount 16-drive storage system with internal SAS expander
Fusion R800 Fusion DX800 Fusion RX1600
  • SAS RAID Controller included
  • Available in configurations up to 24TB
  • RAID Options: JBOD, 0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 10
  • SAS RAID Controller included
  • Up-to 16 additional units can be connected
  • Available in configurations up to 24TB
  • RAID Options: JBOD, 0, 1, 4 , 5, 6, 10
  • SAS RAID Controller included
  • Up-to 8 additional units can be connected
  • Available in configurations up to 48TB
  • RAID Options: JBOD, 0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 10





Ultimate performance storage for video editing workgroups

High performance collaborative editing SAN server 16-Drive RAID Shared Fibre Channel Storage
Fusion RX1600 Vfibre Fusion RX1600FIBRE
  • Supports 4K workflows
  • 1600MB/sec to up to 12 users directly-connected over fibre
  • Includes Tiger Technology® metaSAN server software
  • Configurations up-to 384TB
  • Optional Tiger Technology® metaSAN to support 4 concurrent editors
  • Max 1030 MB/sec read speed
  • RAID Options: 4, 5, 6, 50
  • Fibre Channel connection
  • Typical configuration: 48TB





RAID, a quick guide

RAID 0 - Superb performance but high risk. Any disk failure destroys the whole array - this is a high speed, high risk game. Minimum 2 disks.

RAID 1 - A safety first option, with no speed gain over a single disk. It uses disk mirroring where data is written simultaneously on multiple disks so if one drive fails, there is another with a copy of the data; information isn't lost. Minimum 2 disks.

RAID 5 - Delivers good speed and security by writing the data across a number of disks but also writing extra information (parity data) across multiple drives. If a single drive fails, data is not lost. However, it does result in reduced performance of the array until the drive has been replaced and the data rebuilt. Minimum 3 disks.

RAID 6 - Delivers good speed and enhanced security by writing the data across a number of disks but also writing double parity data, distributed across the multiple drives. If any two drives in an array fails, data is not lost. Minimum 4 disks.

RAID 10 - Secure disk mirroring with very fast performance: data is written simultaneously on multiple disks for security grouped in striped sets for speed gains. This is complex and requires a greater investment in disk drives. Minimum 4 disks.

RAID 50 - High performance, low risk, efficient use of disk space. RAID 50 operates by striping (RAID 0) data across multiple RAID 5 sets. Used only where multiple (over 12) - disks are used.

JBOD - "Just a Bunch Of Drives" - either presented as a single drive or presented as separate disks.

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