Omneon, XenData Team Up for Archive System

Omneon and XenData have teamed up to create a managed archive solution uniquely designed to address the media production and distribution workflow which the companies say improves efficiency, reduces complexity and lowers media storage costs.

Omneon MediaGrid is integrated with digital video archives running XenData’s X64 Edition Archive Series software. The combined solution creates an active workflow in which video assets are archived to and restored from LTO data tape. Through the new combined platform, users can update files, restore whole files or clips from files on an individual basis, search the contents of rarely accessed data tapes, or even update metadata on archived material without the disruptive process of wholesale dataset restores and tedious file management. Furthermore, the archive provides strong data protection while automatically creating multiple copies of LTO cartridges written in the open standard tape format, assuring file access for decades to come.

“Omneon pioneered the concept of central shared storage for media production and distribution with the Omneon MediaGrid active storage system, enabling facilities to eliminate multiple pools of application-specific storage and benefit from a shared central repository,” says Dave Frederick, Senior Director, Solution Marketing of Omneon. “XenData recognized the advantage of this approach and was an early example of a MediaGrid-compatible application. The XenData Digital Archive product integrates seamlessly with the Omneon platform to create a storage space where content moves efficiently from active disk-based storage to removable, low-cost LTO data tapes and back again.”

An added advantage of Omneon and XenData joining forces is the preservation and use of metadata. Media professionals have long known that information about the media is as important as the content itself. The combination of the powerful metadata engine built into the Omneon Media Application Server, with the XenData Media Archive system’s unique three-tier storage model, provides users with the ability to archive content, search all locations, view proxies of online and offline material, retrieve required content in a media production application—all while maintaining the content’s metadata and maximizing the use of precious storage dollars.

“With the explosion in digital media and the introduction of higher-quality video formats with increased storage capacity requirements, production departments are struggling to contend with ever-expanding libraries of digital content. Balancing the need to access material with the cost of keeping that material on disk is an ongoing struggle,” adds Dr. Phil Storey, co-founder and CEO of XenData. “By working in partnership with Omneon we are able to deliver an intuitive archive solution that enables media professionals to save money on storage infrastructure, reduce the time associated with searching archives and retrieving material, improve content intelligence, simplify storage administration and assure file access for decades to come.”