LTFS Transforms LTO tape into Nearline Storage: Accelerating 4K Media Workflows

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Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY
Doc Type: Conference Paper
Content Type: Original Research
Volume: 2014, No. 10, pp. 1–7
Abstract: Linear Tape-Open (LTO) has emerged as an economical, long-term storage medium for the increasing amounts of high resolution content in file-based workflows. LTO is a serial access storage medium where files cannot be directly accessed, and requiring files be restored prior to use. While this model has worked well for users of smaller file sizes, restoring large files from LTO to disk presents a new set of challenges. In addition to requiring complex and costly storage architectures, restoring immense amounts of high resolution content (2K, 4K, UHD) from LTO causes bottlenecks in file-based workflows and make it difficult and time consuming to repurpose content. Linear Tape File System (LTFS) technology has the potential to turn LTO tape into a direct access storage medium, much like disk. While LTFS alone does a good job of presenting a file system, it does little to alleviate the inherent serial access latencies of LTO tape. In most cases, when an LTFS file system is exposed to an application, unacceptable response times caused by tape latencies result in a poor end user experience. Direct access technology, DNA Evolution™ “Smart Access”, works together with LTFS to enable intelligent, selective caching of portions of files on LTO in a manner that allows third-party applications to have seamless access to LTFS-formatted LTO tapes. By combining “Smart Access” with LTFS, the LTO tape can become a nearline storage medium capable of supporting tasks such as: transcoding, shot selection, partial restore, remote transfers, and distribution, for faster and more cost-effective media pipelines.
Publication Date: 2014-10-01
DOI: 10.5594/M001577
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/M001577
Author(s): Tridib ChakravartyStorageDNA, 19900 MacArthur Blvd., Suite 1190, Irvine, CA 92612, tridib.chakravarty@storagedna.com , info@storagedna.com
Keyword(s): LTO, LTFS, File-Based Workflow, 4K, HDTV, Media Asset Management
Copyright: © 2014 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Inc.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

1 LTFS Format Specification ( http://www.trustlto.com/ ), March 11, 2011 EXTERNAL
2 SNIA TM Linear Tape File System (LTFS) Format Specification http://www.snia.org/tech_activities/standards/curr_standards/ltfs EXTERNAL
3 “The Structure of an MXF File: The Physical view,” Advanced Media Workflow Association White Paper, supplied courtesy of Omneon, Inc. EXTERNAL
4 QuickTime® File Format Specification , Apple® Developer Site EXTERNAL

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Tridib Chakravarty; LTFS Transforms LTO tape into Nearline Storage: Accelerating 4K Media Workflows, SMPTE Meetings and Conferences ( October 2014); SMPTE, 2014. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/M001577

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Tridib Chakravarty; LTFS Transforms LTO tape into Nearline Storage: Accelerating 4K Media Workflows, SMPTE Meetings and Conferences ( October 2014); SMPTE, 2014. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/M001577

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<span class="citation">Tridib Chakravarty; <cite>LTFS Transforms LTO tape into Nearline Storage: Accelerating 4K Media Workflows</cite>, SMPTE Meetings and Conferences ( October 2014); SMPTE, 2014. Available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5594/M001577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5594/M001577</a></span>

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Tridib Chakravarty; LTFS Transforms LTO tape into Nearline Storage: Accelerating 4K Media Workflows, SMPTE Meetings and Conferences ( October 2014); SMPTE, 2014
doi: 10.5594/M001577
url: https://doi.org/10.5594/M001577

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Tridib Chakravarty; <cite id="bib-10-5594-m001577">LTFS Transforms LTO tape into Nearline Storage: Accelerating 4K Media Workflows</cite>, SMPTE Meetings and Conferences ( October 2014); SMPTE, 2014
<span class="doi">10.5594/M001577</span>
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