Where do all these different storage vendors fit and why you should be talking about them?
For those of you who know me, I have primarily focused on NDI production and camera workflow for some time now. Many resellers are in a similar space or close to it. More recently I have begun learning about storage and our enterprise business, which definitely took me out of my comfort zone. I get the impression that some of our resellers are in the same boat. They are unfamiliar with storage, so they don’t bring it up or it is always an afterthought. Here at JB&A, we want to get you thinking about the entire solution from beginning to end, and the end is storage. If someone is recording or streaming it is very likely they will need a way to store it, so why not provide them with the means to do so? After learning a few key concepts, I am confident you will be able to guide the storage conversation, heck if I could learn it so can you.
I am going to do my best to explain the storage technologies as simply and easily as possible. These technologies are usually broken up into tiers to better organize where they fit in a workflow. There may be some slight overlap and crossing between tiers for where a product will fit and as you become more familiar with storage you’ll start to understand why.
Tier 1: Primary Storage, Direct-Attached Storage (DAS)
This is the beginning of the storage hierarchy and where I guarantee all of you have a little bit of knowledge of (unless you have never used a computer, then I am not sure why you would be here if that was the case). I say this because this tier includes devices your computer needs to function like solid-state drives (SSDs) and random-access memory (RAM). This tier also includes Direct-Attached Storage or DAS. All of these are usually cost-effective and offer high-speed connectivity. However, they lack scalability and sharing capabilities, limiting use to individual users or small teams.
Who fits here: Seagate, SNS
Tier 2: Secondary Storage, Network-Attached Storage (NAS)
Tier 2 storage includes devices such as hard disk drives (HDDs) and network-attached storage (NAS). This tier of storage provides a balance between performance, capacity, and cost. It offers larger storage capacities at a lower cost per unit but with slower access speeds compared to primary storage. Common uses are for storing less frequently accessed data and backup purposes.
Who fits here: SNS, Quantum
Tier 3: Nearline Storage, Storage Area Network (SAN), Object storage
In this tier things start to get much bigger. Nearline Storage, Storage Area Network (SAN), and Object storage have some differences in deployment, software, and technology, but they have a lot of similarities and the same overall goal. These are perfect if you want to have your data stored for the long term but still have it easily accessible for when you need it. Tier 3 solutions often offer great performance, scalability, and data protection mechanisms, making them suitable for large-scale media and enterprise environments.
Who fits here: Datacore – Perifery, Quantum, Dell, Seagate
Tier 4+: Offline Storage, Cloud storage
Last but not least, we have offline storage and cloud storage. Offline storage typically refers to tape cartridges or optical discs and most of you have probably heard of cloud storage before. This tier can be more difficult to access so the best use case is disaster recovery or an infrequent backup. These technologies provide the highest capacity at the lowest cost but accessing the data isn’t always easy.
Who fits here: Quantum, Backblaze, Datacore – Perifery, Dell, Seagate
With the above tier’s breakdown, I noted which technologies and products fit within each of them. Don’t take this as an end all be all list because companies are releasing new software and hardware all the time that may change what they can provide. I hope this article gave you a better understanding of storage and where it fits. As I said before, everyone in video needs storage so there is no reason to not bring it into your conversations. If you need help or have questions, reach out to our enterprise team at [email protected].
