Sharing sessions via network hard drive

[bootc]

Hi,
We're wanting to set up two PT systems (1. 003 + Mac Pro & 2. MBox2 Mini + iMac) and have them accessing the same hard drive(s) so that one can render or take on minor editing duties while the other perform as the main editing/mix system. The idea is that system 1 can finish a mix, then system 2 open the session and render so system 1 can move onto another job.

What's the Digidesign protocol for this kind of operation?

Thanks, Simon.

[Smithcok]

Couple things -

If you are talking about working simultaneously, it won't work.

Streaming tracks for a session off a network drive is going to be a stretch too. (Unless its something like a SAN setup or something to that effect).

Why not just have the computers networked and transfer the sessions between them, rather than sharing the drive?

[bootc]

Thanks,
No, we won't want to work simultaneously on a session.
I was hoping to minimize transfer times of having to copy sessions to another drive and creating duplicates (but that could be a good thing. . .) and just work from the same drive. What is a SAN setup? I guess you're right though, streaming tracks off a network drive would slow everything down.
Cheers, Simon.

[Craig F]

SAN
Storage
Area
Network

there are a few ways to use network storage search through the Post Surround section
in short it's not cheap to do

[Smithcok]

SAN can get complicated, can add latency to tracking, and other things (and its expensive)

I would just work off of two drives. Just be diligent in backing things up, and then (doing something like) moving sessions between drives rather than copying, which will help eliminate the "which session is which" headaches.