Does anyone have experience using a Dell server for local storage instead of one of the Avid servers?

Servers for local storage?

Instead of the Avid LAN Share system.

Will not work, been covered here many times.  Its more than just software with MediaNet.

Look into Terrablock if you dont want to go with unity. 

Thanks for the info. Even if the specs are matched between the Dell drives and the Unity drives it still doesn't work? The reason I am so interested is price. An 8 terrabyte server from Dell is going to cost us, I have 10 Avids at a High School, around $15,000 as opposed to a 4 terrabyte Unity for $30,000.

 I don't think you'll be able to create an allocation group with non-Avid drives.

Thank you for getting back again. What makes the Avid drive different from any other drive?

Avid drives have a firmware on them that allows programs like Avid's Storage Manager to diagnose them. I know someone else here can go into greater detail about that.  I remember that Avid use to use seagate, i think they are on to maxtor now.  I know i have maxtor drives in all of my chassis's. 

But, regardless, what makes unity work is the file structure and metadata.  Windows server will not even see the drives in a chassis that are in a lanshare or unity.  Disk managment will see them, but they just come up as data, with no drive letters, or paths.  The Medianet filemanager see's them, and all data that is written to them (sequentialy in a lanshare) is written in the Avid FS.  (file system)  ZX chassis, add on chassis's are written randomly. 

Do your research and poking around.  I realize that your an educator, and Avid does have educational deals.  You should talk with them about it.  Like i said before, unity, lanshare or terrablock.  NO MEDIA NET 5 (which is avid) or editshare!

Jay

MSG:

... What makes the Avid drive different from any other drive?

In terms of making them work with Unity? The manufacturer's name. Although Avid doesn't fabricate the drives, after applying their firmware the manufacturer's name will show as 'Avid'. The software is designed to look for that in order to make the drive join the allocation group.

Other than that, there isn't much to them. Avid used to turn the cashing off, but I don't think they do that anymore. Avid claims they are more tested and more reliable than run-of-the-mill variety and I have no reason to disbelieve that.

Andrei,

Thank you very much for your help.

Mike

Jay,

Thanks a lot for your help.

Mike

Hi, there.

I have been asking in the past around about the same thing more or less and I can confirm that indeed you should only work with avid equipment... others do not work (correctly) and if you have a problem no support... so just forget it.

Andrei wrote: Avid claims they are more tested and more reliable than run-of-the-mill variety and I have no reason to disbelieve that.

Well I DO DISBELIEVE THAT. This is nothing more then a marketing trick to sell you and me the same drives/hardware for three times the price. Avid does this for most of it's equipment. They use third party, intel, maxtor,3ware,supermicro, etc... equipment make a small name change in the firmware or whatever... I refuse to believe that avid has better knowledge to make hardware then the guys from supermicro, intel, maxtor,etc... Otherwise all servers in the world would have the avid logo on it... This is just a marketing strategy.

And for those that do not agree with me. If avid was really concerned about the quality of their products they would have never released Media networks 5 in the way it's out there now..

Better ask Doc Avid about that....

But still avid is a great product with good value for money.

Ask me about Unity 5?   That's like sticking the hockey stick into the hornets nest.    Did ya know that the parts mix for a Unity 5 server costs about $199 before the drives are in the mix?

Drives however, do have to have a certain level of performance, meaning they must have passed tests for longer then is normal for them to be used as Avid branded drives.  

Can you use non-Avid drives for Unity?  Sure, tho it depends on the Version.   I've seen Archion storage, I've seen Non-Avid Eurologic chassis,  and I've seen non-Avid clarion chassis attached to Unity,  and working.    Some of them have caused major problems with Unity that require more downtime, and more Tech Support costs.   Would I put a 24/7 must be up Network operation on that?  No way in Hell.   Would it work if you don't have broadcast-style delivery deadlines and have either someone on staff for support, or your support company/person is close by?  Sure.   I've made lots of money charging by the hour to get and keep non-Avid branded drives working on Unity.

 Does something like Terablock or Edit Share work for Shared storage?   Sure,  within the limitations of their products, and without the Project and Bin sharing of Unity. And also without the seamless cross-platform abilities (UNITY 5 EXCLUDED) Again,  I wouldn't put that into a broadcast deadline environment.   Being able to keep working with a drive down because of mirroring isn't the same as telling people "sorry, things will be slow due to this Raid-5 rebuild in process.  You should have half your clients stop work."  

There have been some misconceptions and some tangents in this thread.

Back to the OP-  Can you just use a Dell server and feed your Avids for storage?   No-  you can't.   Even if you get something mounted, you are talking about Dell servers which aren't designed to deliver the throughput needed for real-time delivery of Video.   Talk to an Avid salesperson about Educational pricing on Lanshare or UNITY 4.2-   Do NOT speak with a reseller.

Can you use non-Avid storage in Unity.  Yes.   

What is the difference between the physical drives that Avid sells, and the same brand of physical drives that other manufacturers sell.   Firmware.    The firmware is critical for Unity,  as a firmware image that doesn't precisely match the other drives in an allocation group makes the drive unable to be used for a disk recovery.   Replacing a single Avid drive with a non-Avid drive of the same type (like the Eurologic MediaArray II drives I mentioned earlier)  is asking for disaster.   Replacing, or starting with a complete non-Avid set of drives with a version of Unity that will accept them, Yes that will work,  just make sure you have cold spares of the exact same firmware version on the shelf...  you don't know if you'll be able to replace them with the same in the long run.

And is Unity 5 worth the money?   No-   Avid needs to really apply the "new thinking" to that Mess.

JDS

jveekeres:

Andrei wrote: Avid claims they are more tested and more reliable than run-of-the-mill variety and I have no reason to disbelieve that.

Well I DO DISBELIEVE THAT. This is nothing more then a marketing trick to sell you and me the same drives/hardware for three times the price.

Since this is doing outside of the original topic and there are better places to flame Avid than its own forum, I'll respectfully retire from further participation.

 Andrei. Indeed it's beyond the original topic. I also completely agree with your previous response to my adition to this topic.

But although the answer to the original topic: can I use a "dell" (or whatever other type) server is simply NO, the reason why many, including myself, ask these questions is due to avid's price policy on hardware making this within the original topic. Get me right: I love spending on good equipment but I can't understand that avid's hardware, which is not made by avid, has to be much more expensive than identical hardware (is firmware hard or software???) on the market.

In other words in another thread I suggested that avid just gives us the exact hardware specs for the supported servers like they do with the editing products: A limited amount of HP, IBM and Dell or Apple machines. I would not be suprised if avid bought terrablock soon and then triple the price and at the same time release Media networks 6 which is back to facilty class/broadcast standard but only compatible with those "terrablock" avid servers...