Specifications

Pro Tools Avid Unity MediaNetwork Guide2
Overview of a MediaNetwork
System
This guide describes how to configure and work
with a Pro Tools client within an Avid Media-
Network system. The MediaNetwork installa-
tions addressed in this guide typically comprise
the following components:
MediaNetwork System Entire set of components
within an individual MediaNetwork installa-
tion.
MEDIASwitch One or more central routers di-
recting communication between different com-
ponents within a MediaNetwork system.
PortServer or PortServer Pro (Optional) One or
more servers that let Avid workstations access
MediaNetwork workspaces through an Ethernet
connection (without a Fibre Channel connec-
tion).
Avid Unity Transfer Engine (Optional) Server that
lets Avid editing applications package elements
of an Avid sequence and transfer them to other
locations.
File Manager One or more servers (including a
backup server) that functions as the heart of the
Unity MediaNetwork file system by maintaining
location information for media stored on drives.
JBOD/IBOD Chassis that contains the drives that
store the actual data.
Avid Interplay Transcode and/or Avid DMS ProEn-
code (Optional) Engine that distributes proces-
sor-intensive tasks to network servers in order to
allow MediaNetwork clients (such as Avid and
Pro Tools workstations) to proceed without in-
terruption.
Avid Interplay Access or Avid Unity MediaManager
(Optional) Media asset management client appli-
cation that enables facility-wide searching, sort-
ing, cataloging, management, and retrieval of
media.
Avid Interplay Assist or Avid Unity MediaManager
Select (Optional) Client that allows real-time
logging and annotating of any media right at
the desktop.
Avid Interplay Engine or Avid Unity MediaManager
Server (Optional) Server that manages the meta-
data stored on the File Manager server.
Clients One or more Avid or Pro Tools worksta-
tions configured to be able to exchange data
with other clients attached to the MediaNet-
work system.
Avid Unity MediaNetwork system (solid lines represent
physical connections, while dotted lines represent
connections through the switch)
Port
Server
Distributed
Media
Services
(DMS)
JBOD/IBOD
chassis
Avid Unity
TransferEngine
File
Manager
Interplay
Server
Media
Composer
client
Pro Tools
client
Interplay
Access
client
Interplay
Assist
client
S W I T C H