MediaGrid Overview

Omneon CONFIDENTIAL

Omneon proprietary - do not duplicate or distribute

MediaGrid Overview
What is a MediaGrid?
Active Disk Storage System High Performance Shared Storage Designed for large file storage and access

Typical Usage

RealReal-Time Servers
Ingest
SDI

FileFile-Based Content Library

Playout
SDI

Archive

Browse

Edit

High Performance real-time (isochronous)

High Performance asynchronous file access over IP

MediaGrid Hardware Components

MediaGrid Hardware Components
ContentDirector ContentServer ContentBridge Network Switches SystemManager

MediaGrid Hardware Components - ContentDirector

ContentDirector
Metadata Controller for the MediaGrid File System Keeps track of the metadata First point of contact for accessing MG Provide clients with pointers to the data residing on the ContentServers Manages the system security
ContentDirectors

ContentServers

GigE Network

MediaGrid Hardware Components - ContentServer

ContentServer
Intelligent storage device Stores Slices Handles the replication of slices Adding more ContentServers increases the access bandwidth of the system
ContentServers ContentDirectors

GigE Network

MediaGrid Hardware Components - ContentBridge

ContentBridge
Provides data access to the MediaGrid via open protocols Facilitates active transfers
Clients
ContentDirectors

Spectrum ContentServers

MAC Client

ContentBridge Linux

MediaGrid Hardware Components - Network Switches

Network Switches
Gigabit Ethernet Switches are used to interconnect system components:
- ContentServers - ContentDirectors - ContentBridge - SystemManager

MediaGrid Hardware Components - System Manager

SystemManager
Hardware platform is a 1RU Windows PC SystemManager application is the software component that runs on the SystemManager Platform or any supported Windows PC running XP
10GbE Switch 1GbE Switch 1 1GbE Switch 2 ContentDirector ContentDirector ContentDirector SystemManager ContentBridge ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer Keyboard/Mouse/Monitor ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer ContentServer Omneon Content Library Rack

MediaGrid Software Components

MediaGrid Software Components
SystemManager GUI ContentManager GUI Filesystem Driver ContentBridge
MAC Client Windows Client

ContentDirectors SystemManager

ContentServers
Linux Client

ContentBridge

ContentManager

MediaGrid Software Components

SystemManager
Web-based GUI for configuring and monitoring: - ContentServers
Windows Client

ContentDirectors

SystemManager

- ContentDirectors - ContentBridges Configure Replication factor at the file system level.

Linux Client

ContentServers

ContentBridge

MAC Client

ContentManager

MediaGrid Software Components

ContentManager
Windows-based GUI application Used for setting, reviewing, changing - Replication factor - Access Control List (ACL) - Directory Quota - Directory Reservations
ContentBridge ContentServers
Linux Client Windows Client

ContentDirectors SystemManager

MAC Client

ContentManager

MediaGrid Software Components

Filesystem Driver
The Filesystem driver is installed on the clients computer Allows a client to communicate directly to the MediaGrid
Windows Client

ContentDirectors SystemManager

ContentServers
Linux Client

ContentBridge

MAC Client

ContentManager

MediaGrid Software Components

ContentBridge
Clients that do not have the FSD installed, communicate with the MediaGrid via the ContentBridge Supported open protocols:
Windows Client

ContentDirectors SystemManager

- FTP - CIFS - AFP - NFS

(File Transfer Protocol) (Common Internet Filesystem) (Apple Filing Protocol) (Network File System)
MAC Client Linux Client

ContentServers

ContentBridge

ContentManager

Write Operation
Clients
Metadata

ContentDirectors define ContentDirectors (File System) namespace and provide clients with pointers to the actual data, which typically resides on several ContentServers

GigE Network
2 5 1 4

ContentServers

Commodity storage chassis for data storage.

Content File 1

Content is chopped into slices and stored across multiple ContentServers. Slices are replicated on more than one ContentServer for protection. No RAID.

Read Operation
Clients
Metadata

ContentDirectors define ContentDirectors (File System) namespace and provide clients with pointers to the actual data, which typically resides on several ContentServers

2 5

GigE Network
2 5

1 4 1 3 4

ContentServers

Commodity storage chassis for data storage.

Clients ask ContentDirectors for pointers, then interact directly with ContentServers to access file slices. No NAS head involved in data transferno bottlenecks All interconnect via Ethernetno SAN complexity

How Omneon MediaGrid Provide High Access Bandwidth

Clients
Metadata

ContentDirectors define ContentDirectors (File System) namespace and provide clients with pointers to the actual data, which typically resides on several ContentServers

2 5

GigE Network
2 5

1 4 1 3 4

ContentServers

Commodity storage chassis for data storage.

Access bandwidth scales with number of ContentServers and replication factor Simultaneous file operations are distributed across all ContentServers which have relevant content Each ContentServer operates independently and directly with clients to satisfy access requirements

Recovery in the event of component loss

Clients
Metadata

ContentDirectors define ContentDirectors (File System) namespace and provide clients with pointers to the actual data, which typically resides on several ContentServers

3 3

2 5

GigE Network
2 5

1 4 1 3 4 2

ContentServers

Commodity storage chassis for data storage.

Lost drives or ContentServers do not necessitate a volume rebuild, as in RAID The ContentDirector initiates creation of additional copies of missing file segments in parallel across all ContentServers When a ContentServer or drive is replaced, it appears as new storage to be utilized in the system

File Replication: Protection

Replication factor > 1, Any One ContentServer Can Fail

ContentServer 1
3-Slice file 1st Copy 3Same 3-Slice file 2nd Copy

ContentServer 2

ContentServer 3

Copy 1, Slice 1 Copy 2, Slice 2

Copy 1, Slice 2 Copy 2, Slice 3

Copy 1, Slice 3 Copy 2, Slice 1

If ContentServer 1 fails, get slice 1 from ContentServer 3, slices 2 & 3 from ContentServer 2 If ContentServer 2 fails, get slices 1 & 2 from ContentServer 1, slice 3 from ContentServer 3 If ContentServer 3 fails, get slices 1 & 2 from ContentServer 1, slice 3 from ContentServer 2.

Load Balancing
Simultaneous Requests 2 Clients Request Same File
Client 1 gets slices 1 & 2 from ContentServer 1

ContentServer 1
3-Slice file 1st Copy Same 3-Slice file 32nd Copy

ContentServer 2

ContentServer 3

Copy 1, Slice 1

Copy 1, Slice 2

Copy 1, Slice 3

Copy 2, Slice 2

Copy 2, Slice 3

Copy 2, Slice 1

Client 2 gets slice 2 from ContentServer 2 & slice 1 from ContentServer 3

Cluster, Volume, Group, Replication Factor

Omneon proprietary - do not duplicate or distribute

Cluster, Volume, Group

A MediaGrid Cluster refers to a collection of one Volume and their associated ContentDirectors and ContentServers within an Omneon MediaGrid. Volumes can be considered the same as filesystems One or more ContentServers create a group. One or more groups create a volume.

Cluster, Volume, Group

Grouping ContentServers is a simple yet powerful way to orchestrate the placement of replicated images of slices across ContentServers and to align slices with the physical characteristics of the Cluster. Allocation of replicate slices is across groups whenever possible and never within the same ContentServer. Groups should only consist of ContentServers in the same physical enclosure (rack). This implementation provides the ability to access a replicated slice even in the case of an entire lost/failed enclosure (rack).

Cluster, Volume, Group

Avoid making more than one Group per rack (applicable only to 1RU CSS) in a Cluster unless needed. There are some cases where you may be tempted to use multiple Groups:
Power supply isolation of ContentServers: If ContentServers are on separate power strips, then create a Group for each power strip. Do not create too many Groups. Network isolation of ContentServers. If ContentServers are on separate network switches, then create a Group for each network switch. Do not create too many Groups.

Cluster, Volume, Group

The suggested maximum number of Groups is less than nine. Once you have more than two racks of ContentServers, Omneon suggests limiting a Group to a whole rack, instead of multiple Groups within a rack. The number of Groups should be equal to or slightly higher than the expected replication factor. More Groups do not help.

About Replication Factor

Omneon recommends the following:
Set the replication factor to less than or equal to the number of Groups within a Cluster. Do not set the replication factor to 1 or 0. Factors of 1 or 0 mean no replication will take place.

Note that the default replication factor is 3 which means 3 copies of the file will be created.

The End

Omneon proprietary - do not duplicate or distribute