Quantum NVMe storage array supports dense media production
Quantum claims the F-Series, its NVMe storage array, will simplify and speed up workflow and improve end-to-end storage capabilities for media production environments.
Quantum hopes its newly unveiled F-Series NVMe storage array will accommodate the high server and storage performance demands of modern media production, and that this new line of non-volatile memory express storage arrays will maximize streaming performance, enhance collaboration and improve overall end-to-end storage capabilities.
The power and significance of the Quantum NVMe storage array line lies in the amalgamation of hardware and software architecture. Using NVMe flash drives for up to five-times-faster performance than a traditional SSD appliance and Remote Direct Memory Access for direct access between workstations and NVMe devices, the F-Series increases users' access to files and production processes, according to Quantum. Additionally, the F-Series is the first Quantum product to be powered by Quantum's Cloud Storage Platform, designed to support video-like data and tightly integrated with the StorNext file system.
The first Quantum NVMe storage array product in the F-Series line is the F2000 array, a 2U, dual-node storage server, with 24 dual-ported NVMe drives. It has two hot-swappable compute canisters that can each access all 24 drives. The F2000 is available in three capacities: 46 TB, 92 TB and 184 TB.
Quantum also claimed its line of NVMe storage arrays will accelerate workflow, particularly in media environments like 4K and 8K content post-production, multiple-camera sports video processing, and visual effect and animation rendering.
The F-Series comes with a starting price tag of $307,000; NVMe storage has typically been viewed as a pricey storage option when compared with HDD or SSD. Quantum asserted that the F-Series' value comes from the total cost of ownership, with its cost-efficient Ethernet IP-based infrastructure and smaller footprint compared against Fibre Channel infrastructures and storage data centers, respectively.
The F-Series is the latest development in Quantum's involvement with NVMe technology. In September of 2018, Quantum experimented using Excelero's NVMe-over-fabrics server SAN implementation, NVMesh, with version 6.2 of StorNext, which nearly doubled its speed. Quantum plans to introduce more products in the coming months that build off of the F2000 and cloud storage technology.
