Product specifications

MediaNetwork Architecture
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MEDIASwitch 16-4G and Fibre Channel Network
The Fibre Channel network is a high-bandwidth network that supports the
high throughput required for multiple MediaNetwork editing clients to share
video and audio files.
The MEDIASwitch 16-4G is the backbone for the Fibre Channel network. It
directs communications among the MediaNetwork clients, File Manager, and
MediaNetwork drive set.
File Manager and Backup File Manager
The File Manager or backup File Manager controls all data access to the
MediaNetwork drive set. It handles requests from MediaNetwork editing
clients by directing them to the appropriate file locations on the drive set. After
the File Manager provides a MediaNetwork editing client with a file location,
the actual data transfer occurs directly between the client and the storage.
MediaNetwork Drive Set
The MediaNetwork drive set consists of MEDIArray ZX drives enclosed in
one or more rack-mount MEDIArray ZX drive enclosures. You connect drive
enclosures to the MEDIASwitch 16-4G individually or you loop them in pairs
to reduce the number of connections they require to the switch.
The File Manager handles the MediaNetwork drive set as a single virtual unit,
which simplifies storage management. For details on the physical and logical
organization of the MediaNetwork drive set, see “MediaNetwork Storage
Overview” on page 32.
MediaNetwork Clients
To access data on the drive set, a MediaNetwork client passes a file request to
the File Manager. The File Manager returns the requested file’s location
information to the client, enabling the client to access the data directly from
the drive set. This process avoids a bottleneck at the File Manager while it
handles the file transfer, freeing the File Manager to handle file requests from
other clients.