Workflow Options / Fusion-io 2014 Collaboration – The Time Machine for Graphics Professionals:
Using multiple Fusion-io flash controllers in a RAID Configuration we managed to demonstrate Server to Apple Mac Pro workflow with transfer speeds in excess of 674Megabytes per sec when opening large Photoshop files directly off the server.
As most sites presently set up with Macs opening files off a central server running on a gigabit network will be seeing around 50-65Mb per sec the above represents an improvement in real world production terms of 10 times quicker, that’s an order of magnitude faster!
This saving will be realised across every operator, every client-server process, from copying to the server, opening, saving, printing, making changes and even archiving and will benefit every different client-side application. All in all this translates into huge potential savings for the entire production workflow.
Hi-end graphics based businesses who are regularly working with large hi-res files could easily realise savings of 2-3 hours per day, which equates to an extremely quick ROI model making this next gen server technology advance a realistic proposition for any graphics, repro house, printer or publisher looking to upgrade any 1000bT based fileserver and network in that department.
Server specification was high end 24Core CPU running a single VM/W2012R2 with Extreme Z-IP 9.0 configured to share 6Terrabytes of mac data via multiple 10GbE Cards (10,000bT) through a native 10GbE switch. Apple Macs were 3 x older style MacPro Towers with Fusion-ioFX client card & 10GbE network controller.
Server side we were able to copy / move files at rates over 2Gigabytes per sec!
Since our testing Fusion-io have now released next Generation products supporting faster PCIe Bus speeds so we can reasonably expect throughput to have further increased and transfer rates higher than those recorded above. In fact the ceiling for this next generation technology is set at around 1.2Gb per sec transfers rates to and from a server which with next generation Mac Pro and Thunderbolt 2 could be achievable.
Albeit the theoretical max of a 10GbE investment to the desktop, the honest truth is real-world performance anywhere near those speeds will mean blisteringly quick copying, opening, saving, processing, making alterations, proofing and printing at around x 20 to 25 times faster than what most reprographic studios are working with today.
Call us if you are interested to see a proof of concept demo of our io-TimeMachine collaboration at Fusion-io premises.
What you will do – with all the time saved – is the only problem left to solve!
