FCPX Video Company - Finally moving to NAS - Double Check my order please?

[Declan Casey]

Hi there,

We're a small video team in Ireland - 1-2 editors - 3 at a stretch. We also will soon have an editor working remotely (via a proxy workflow that I'm hoping FCPX 10.5 will make a lot easier!) in Canada.

I would like all of us to be able to work on our FCPX projects directly on the NAS. We will likely be moving to PostLab to handle checking in/out of FCPX libraries.

We've been using DAS for years but with multiple editors and/or remote it's no longer viable.

I would like a 'fast' system in the office. I had planned this to be Thunderbolt but reading Bob Z's various posts and handy FAQ it' seems like 10Gbe is the way to go for this.
I'm looking at the QNAP 872XT 16G (maybe upgrade the RAM?) for this 'fast' role. I was going to add M2s etc but again, Bob says no point in doing it.
The 872XT would be populated with 8x16TB Seagate EXOS drives in RAID 5 and a 2 port 10GBe card ( is there a favourite card for this?)

I would then like a second 'offsite' QNAP at my house that would be updated every evening with the changes on the 872XT (initial sync would be done locally).
There is a small chance that this will be used for editing. For this I've been eying the 873e OR the 'new' 873 - I know Bob, you recommend the 873e on your FAQ - just wondering if that is still your recommendation. I would be planning the same 8x16TB EXOS Seagates in RAID 5 for this.

Thirdly I would like to get a 'small' QNAP for my remote editor in Canada - this would likely sync the proxy versions of our 'Live Work' folder ( plus Post Lab for library management).
Looking at the announced but not shipped TS - 253D for this. with 2x 16tb EXOS in RAID 0?

Basically I was hoping people on here could take a look and confirm that this system is the correct one to go for and that I'm not missing something?

Thanks all (and.. Bob..)

Declan

[Bob Zelin]

This is why TinyArk in Dublin, Clockworks in Dublin, and Beasts of War have all used me to setup their QNAP's in Ireland.
The TVS-872XT is an excellent small system for 2 - 3 editors. Yes, you can have the main QNAP backup over the internet to your remote QNAP, but you are at the mercy of your internet connection upload speed.
You are not backing up 1TB of data over the internet. You do not need a 2 port 10GbE card - just get a small switch like a Netgear XS708T or QNAP QSW-1208-8C.

For your home system, I still recommend the TVS-872XT. If you get the TVS-873e, you still need to purchase a 10G card for this - so I don't see the point. The TVS-872XT will come with the 10G card, and 16 Gig of RAM.
The real expense is the drives, not the few hundred dollars savings on the QNAP.

If you have an editor in Canada, and he is a single user, I would never consider anything smaller than a TVS-472XT.

bobzelin@icloud.com

[Declan Casey]

Thanks for replying Bob.

Understood re: 2 port V's Switch on the TVS 872XT

For the home system, I'd just like to clarify. If this was *just* for remote backup/replication and is connected via 1Gbe to my local router there would be no need for the 10Gbe card. Would that be ok for the backup only use?

Assuming there are 2 QNAPS, would you be ok with RAID 5, I've seen some commentary that RAID6 should really be used for such large amounts of data/drives.

Do you think there anything outside of the QNAPs I'm forgetting?

Thanks again

Declan

[dolbyman]

Assuming there are 2 QNAPS, would you be ok with RAID 5, I've seen some commentary that RAID6 should really be used for such large amounts of data/drives.

How long will you downtime be if a drive fails on RAID5 rebuild ?

RAID has to be completely redone and then contents synced back from backups .. is it worth the extra one drive of space to go with RAID5 ?

[Bob Zelin]

2 port V's Switch on the TVS-872XT - sorry - I have no idea of what you are saying. BUY A SWITCH. Make your life easy
What is the point of a "backup system" - it's because your main system dies, or is stolen, or is destroyed in a flood / fire. Right ? Why else spend all that money. Wouldn't it be nice to just pick up the remote TVS-872XT, bring it into
the office, and go back to work.
I always do RAID 6. I have been in several situations where I do a RAID 5, a drive fails, and I start the rebuilt and then another drive fails. I can't take that aggrivation.

Are you forgetting anything ? YES - I am a huge fan of Slane Irish Whiskey, which is not a well known brand in the world. Feel free to have them send me some.
Bob Zelin

[Declan Casey]

Apologies, I meant 'I understand you on the 2x10 GBe PCI Card is a bad deal Versus getting a 10GBe switch.'

" What is the point of a "backup system" - it's because your main system dies, or is stolen, or is destroyed in a flood/fire. Right?
Why else spend all that money. Wouldn't it be nice to just pick up the remote TVS-872XT, bring it into the office, and go back to work? "

Ahh yes.. valid point. I hadn't considered the disaster recovery scenario. I understand the need for the second 872XT now

Re: RAID 6.. Yup. that's pretty much what I'd been reading.

Re: Slane Irish Whiskey, I'll see what I can do

Thanks again for your help and patience.

Declan

[Moogle Stiltzkin]

here is a good review by a video editor's perspective for a TVS-872XT. some insights how it performs for that function

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eX9wpWpBRM

The 872XT would be populated with 8x16TB Seagate EXOS drives in RAID 5 and a 2 port 10GBe card ( is there a favourite card for this?)

uh.... for that many hdds, also for that huge capacity size, usually you'd go for raid6 i thought?

yeah sure you get more usable space with raid5, but with that many hdds and that much capacity space at stake, i would reckon raid6 is more appropriate as the risks are greater

i use raid5 for 4 x 4tb hdds and haven't had a raid rebuild failure in many years. but my stakes are much lower so it works for me.

[Declan Casey]

here is a good review by a video editor's perspective for a TVS-872XT. some insights how it performs for that function

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eX9wpWpBRM

Yeah, I've watched Max's review of it several times actually!

Re: RAID 6 - yeah, I'm going to go with that.

Thanks

Declan

[qrusher]

I understand the need for the second 872XT now

Declan

think you dont need for backups purpose performance of production system model
so you may grab 832x for example

cheers

[P3R]

think you dont need for backups purpose performance of production system model so you may grab 832x for example

That would most likely be enough for a home user doing video editing as a hobby but in a business, with a customer deadline approaching and with idling staff that is a cost no matter if they can work or not, the restore time of 96 TB may be costly for the company. Even at full blast 10 Gbit/s we're talking close to 24 hours.

As Bob mentioned, an identical or at least similar unit wouldn't only be a backup destination but could also work as a drop-in replacement for the whole editing system in case any other hardware than the disks have failed in the NAS or if one of the usual threats (fire, flooding, theft) have hit.

[Bob Zelin]

let me know if you need help. This is what I do.

bobzelin@icloud.com

[Declan Casey]

Thanks Bob. Absolutely will do.

The quotes I've got from Span.com have jumped 15%-30% in the last few days and all our work (like most in the video work I would say) has pretty much stopped, so think I'll hold off on this CapEx until things return to some sort of normality here!

Thanks

Declan

[dolbyman]

check other ones

newegg..cdw..etc

I found many items varying between online retailers

[Declan Casey]

US based ones are cheaper but you get hammered when you import. Span seems to be one of the best (they set up and configure too). Open to suggestions for EU based alternatives though!