X-SAN question for Digi Support

[Mark Reis]

Hi Digidesign-

It is my understanding that X-SAN, Apple's new Fibre based Storage Area Network, is incombatible with Pro Tools due to the way that Digidesign access files. Our current Fibre solution is a Mac only solution that has volume lockout and the cross platform nature and file lockout system that X-SAN employs is much more appealing.

Will you be working with Apple to make Pro Tools and X-SAN compatible?

[CLee]

Digi?

[David McCarthy]

DIGI!?

[Tiago Silva]

Maybe it's because your current solution has volume-based locking that your ProTools can work with it. To implement file-based locking, Apple had to resort to a file system specially developed for that kind of application, but let's see if the part that plugs into the Disk Management system in OSX allows programs to use it as an HFS disk: personally, I doubt Apple will be able to do it.

As for cross-platform, the program Apple is advising for Windows access to X-SAN is VERY expensive, because it's usually sold for servers. So, it's cross platform at a price.

Our SAN only requires that we install MacDrive on the Windows clients; that's less that 50 bucks.

[the dude]

what is the incentive for Digidesign to justify the R&D
for the max 1-2% of the PT users who would use it.
and we already have all these other options
((( http://www.commandsoft.com/compariso...tware_v101.pdf )))
that perform well

[surroundguy]

Not mention the Avid Unity products...

[Chief Technician]

Unity does not run on Mac OS X.