XenData, the provider of cutting-edge data storage solutions, has announced the availability of three products that enhance LucidLink functionality: Backup for LucidLink, Archive for LucidLink and Cloud-Connect for LucidLink.

This suite of products will be demonstrated for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 19 to 22 on the XenData booth W2811.

All three products run on a Windows platform, typically a cloud-based virtual machine such as an EC2 instance from AWS.

"LucidLink is the leading provider of shared cloud storage for real-time collaborative video editing," said Dr Phil Storey, XenData CEO. "We are delighted to be offering enhancements that provide independent backup and archive plus Cloud-Connect, which makes it easy to integrate existing multi-tiered cloud archives with LucidLink."

Backup for LucidLink provides an enhanced disaster recovery strategy. While a LucidLink Filespace offers excellent redundancy and availability, XenData’s Backup for LucidLink synchronizes the content to an entirely different storage location. It supports backing up to any AWS, Azure, Seagate Lyve or Wasabi datacenter. Data integrity is ensured using end-to-end logical block protection and individual files may be downloaded independently of LucidLink.

XenData said that Archive for LucidLink is ideal for offloading finished projects. It allows an administrator to easily move files and folders from a LucidLink Filespace to standard object storage on one or multiple public clouds, including AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, Seagate Lyve and Wasabi object storage. Archive for LucidLink provides a web portal that displays previews of all video and image files written to the cloud archive, including files that are stored on inaccessible storage tiers such as AWS Glacier and the Azure Archive Tier. Furthermore, it allows users to rehydrate files to an accessible tier and then to download to their local Mac or PC.

Cloud-Connect for LucidLink allows files stored in existing AWS and Azure object storage, including on inaccessible tiers, to be easily added to a LucidLink Filespace. The software continuously indexes the object storage repository creating a file-folder structure that can be browsed via a Cloud-Connect web portal. Users can rehydrate selected files from inaccessible storage tiers such as AWS Glacier and the Azure Archive Tier and then connect them to a LucidLink Filespace.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.—XenData has unveiled the E-Series Object Storage Archive Appliance, an on-premise archive platform offering support for between 280 TB and 1.12 PB of storage that can be accessed via a Windows file system and as object storage with an S3 interface.

A media-focused platform, the E-Series supports partial file restoration, a technique that restores parts of large files to create clips without having to restore a complete file. E-Series also supports playing video directly from the appliance, the company said.

It is compatible with many Media Asset Management systems, including those from Aveco, Cinegy, Dalet, EditShare, eMAM, Facilis, IPV, Metus, Videomenthe and VSN. Used with a MAM, E-Series provides for centralized storage that promotes collaboration and enhances productivity, it said.

The base E-Series configuration has a single storage node, which delivers a usable capacity of 280 TB. As extra capacity is needed, the system can be expanded by adding up to three additional 280 TB nodes. The appliance provides fast archive and restore operations, optimized for large files. It is available with several network options, including dual 10/25 GbE ports, XenData said. 

The E-Series runs a Windows Server 2022 operating system. When accessed as a file system over a local network, it adheres to Microsoft security based on Active Directory. When using the S3 object storage interface, content stored on the appliance can be accessed from anywhere using secure HTTPS, it said.

The appliance supports three data protection options, each of which creates a second instance of the files/objects on a second-tier storage location. Support is included for the following options:

• Mirror to LTO data tape in an attached robotic library.
• Mirror to public cloud object storage, including to AWS, Azure, Seagate Lyve and Wasabi.
• Mirror to another E-Series appliance located in another physical location.

When one of the data protection options is implemented, the system supports deep archive of content. This is achieved by configuring the appliance with disk retention policies to convert files/objects to stubs. A stub takes minimal space on the appliance disk storage, and files/objects in deep archive are restored from the second-tier storage by simply reading the stub file.

An E-Series base configuration with one 280 TB node costs $64,800. The archive storage platform is available now.

More information is available on the company’s website.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.—Data storage provider XenData has announced the CX-10 Plus, a cloud archive appliance with local backup to LTO data tape. 

The appliance connects to a local network and provides a fast gateway to unlimited cloud object storage, the company explained. Content written to the cloud is mirrored to LTO data cartridges creating a local backup copy for greatly enhanced data protection. This saves money as it is an alternative to paying for geo-replication from the cloud provider. And if there is a need to move to a different cloud provider, files can be restored from the LTO backup, avoiding expensive egress fees.

“The CX-10 Plus has two key benefits,” explained Dr. Phil Storey, XenData CEO. “Creating a local synchronized copy of every file written to the cloud gives peace of mind. And the Appliance easily pays for itself by minimizing cloud storage fees.”

The appliance is optimized for media archives allowing users to play video files directly from the cloud. Furthermore, it has proven integration with many complementary media applications including media asset management systems. It provides a fast connection to cloud object storage by using multi-threaded archive and restore operations, even when transferring a single large video file, the company said. 

The CX-10 Plus supports multiple clouds including Amazon Web Services S3, Azure blob storage, Wasabi S3 and Seagate Lyve object storage. It supports multiple cloud storage tiers including AWS Glacier Flexible Retrieval and Deep Glacier and Azure Hot, Cool and Archive tiers.

Content written to the cloud is mirrored to LTO data cartridges creating a local backup copy. The Appliance manages up to two external LTO drives or an LTO autoloader and it includes a 14 TB disk cache which is used to implement the LTO backup, as follows: 

• All archived files are first written to the CX-10 Plus internal 14 TB disk cache from where they are immediately uploaded to the designated cloud storage.
• The archived files are retained on the cache for a defined retention period, typically a day.
• Every few hours the files are synchronized to LTO creating a mirror copy of the file-folder structure that has been archived to the cloud.

The CX-10 Plus will be available in September 2022.  Prices start at $11,950, excluding the managed LTO drive or autoloader.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.—XenData today announced availability of its X100 active archive for management of one or more enterprise-class LTO or Optical Disc Archive (ODA) libraries that can be scaled to hundreds of petabytes in a configuration based on a Windows Server 2022 cluster with no single point of failure.

The X100 supports robotic libraries from HPE, IBM, Oracle, Qualstar, Quantum, Sony and Spectra Logic. It is well-suited for creative video, medical imaging, video surveillance and other applications with high volumes of large files, the company said.

XenData Archive Series software powers the X100. The latest version of the XenData software is optimized for high-performance servers with multiple Xeon processors, it said.

The archive system includes a fully redundant RAID from Infortrend. The RAID is used as a cache for all files written to the archive and is available with a capacity up to 280TB.

The solution writes LTO cartridges using LTFS and writes to ODA cartridges using the Sony interchange standard. It fully supports the Microsoft security model based on Active Directory, making it easy to install in an existing Windows domain, the company said.

Functions include automatic LTO cartridge replication, file version control, automatic migration of files to the latest generation of LTO or ODA and management of an unlimited number of external cartridges, it said.

When used with two LTO libraries, the system may be configured to mirror archived content across the libraries. This provides strong data protection which goes well beyond a simple backup file repository as file restores are load balanced between the two libraries, it said.

The X100 is available with three interfaces that can be used at the same time, including the file-folder interface, object storage interface and XML API.

Multiple X100 systems can be synchronized using XenData’s Multi-Site Sync service, which links multiple archives in different locations, creating a single global file system accessible from anywhere. As soon as a file is archived to LTO or ODA at one location, it becomes available as a stub file within the global file system.

When a user makes a change by writing, overwriting or deleting a file, that change is propagated to all locations. This provides a consistent up-to-date set of files across the entire distributed organization, it said.

More information is available on the company’s website. 

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.—Data storage solution provider has launched an object storage S3 interface for its entire range of on-premise active archives that provide long-term secure storage on LTO data tape cartridges. 

The launch transforms the XenData archive systems into private cloud data repositories that compete with public cloud storage services such as AWS Glacier and the Archive Tier of Azure object storage. The S3 interface is enabled by a simple software upgrade.

Dr Phil Storey, XenData CEO, explained that “our new private cloud solutions keep the attractive aspects of LTO on-premises archives which include cost effective scalability and adds the ease of distributed access which has traditionally been associated with public cloud storage.”

For active archives with capacities above 100 TB, storage systems based on LTO data tape libraries have an attractive total cost of ownership that is significantly lower than public cloud object storage, XenData reported.  

An S3 enabled XenData LTO archive provides restore times of around 2 minutes which is suitable for most infrequently accessed data repositories. And when compared to AWS Glacier or Azure Archive Tier object storage, the XenData private cloud solution provides higher performance at a lower cost, free of any egress charges, the company reported. 

The new S3 interface allows remote access to a XenData LTO archive from anywhere worldwide using secure HTTPS. It also supports replication of one LTO archive to a second LTO system at another location which can even be on a different continent. 

In addition to the S3 interface, XenData launches Global Sync, a synchronization service that links multiple S3 enabled LTO archives, creating a single global file system accessible anywhere worldwide. 

As soon as a file is archived to LTO at one location, it becomes available as a stub file within the global file system. When a user makes a change by writing, overwriting or deleting a file, that change is propagated to all locations. This provides a consistent up-to-date set of files across the entire distributed organization. 

When files are restored from another location, they are transferred directly using peer to peer multi-threaded HTTPS which delivers secure fast file transfers. The Global Sync service uses a cloud database, but the files themselves are never stored in public cloud object storage, avoiding cloud storage and egress fees. Furthermore, because the new service only synchronizes file system metadata, it requires minimal Internet bandwidth, XenData reported. 

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.—XenData has launched the X20 and X40 Appliances, a pair of new products that manage a robotic LTO library and provide from 300TB to multiple petabytes of network storage.

Designed to manage LTO libraries from a wide range of manufacturers, including Dell, HPE, IBM, Overland Storage, Qualstar, Quantum and Spectra Logic, the appliances allow file-based applications to archive seamlessly to LTO cartridges, the company said.

Both are well-suited to video content archiving and support partial file restore, automatic LTO cartridge replication and several other features optimized for use in media, it said.

“These new appliances combine rich functionality optimized for creative media applications and excellent value for money,” said XenData CEO Phil Storey. “For example, a complete system that provides 540 TB of near-line storage costs less than $27,000. This includes the X20 appliance, a 48 slot LTO library and the LTO-8 cartridges.”

The X20 Appliance is a 1RU rack-mounted unit that supports LTO libraries with up to 50 slots and two internal LTO drives. When 12 TB LTO-8 cartridges in a 50-slot library are used, the system has near-line capacity of 600 TB, the company said.

The system, which uses the Windows 10 Professional operating system and connects to a local network via 1GbE or 1GbE, can manage an unlimited number of externalized cartridges. It includes a 14 to 28 TB disk cache that allows files that are frequently accessed to be retained online, XenData said.

The X40 Appliance is a 2 RU rack-mounted unit supporting LTO libraries of unlimited size with up to four internal LTO drives. It runs the Windows Server 2019 operating system, connects to a local network via 1 GbE, 25/100 GbE or 100 GbE and includes a 50 TB RAID cache for frequently accessed files, it said.

Both support automatic LTO cartridge replication, even when managing an LTO library with only one LTO drive. They write to rewritable LTO cartridges using the LTFS interchange format and to unalterable WORM cartridges using the open-standard TAR format. A built-in repack function allows seamless migration of files from one generation of LTO to another, XenData said.

The appliances are cloud-enabled and integration modules are available for Avid Interplay, axle MAM, CatDV, Marquis Parking, Metus MAM, Vizrt’s Viz One and VSN MAM.

Both are immediately available. The X20 Appliance starts at $9,800, and the X40 is priced from $18,200.

More information is available on the company’s website. 

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.—Data storage solutions provider XenData has introduced the Multi-Site Sync Service for cloud object storage, which is expected to be released later this spring. Multi-Site Sync will create a global file system that can be accessed worldwide via XenData Cloud File Gateways.

The XenData gateways are optimized for video files, supporting partial file restore and streaming. Each gateway manages a local disk volume that caches frequently accessed files. The XenData service can scale to 2 billion files and has unlimited cloud storage and up to 256 TB of local disk cache at each location. The service allows for global file sharing across multiple facilities.

A synchronized gateway runs on a physical or virtual Windows machine and allows the global file system to be accessed on each local network as a standard share using SMB, NFS and FTP network protocols. When a file is created on one gateway, it appears as a stub file within all other gateways.

Multi-Site Sync supports Amazon Web Services S3, Hot and Cool tiers of Azure Blob Storage and Wasabi S3 cloud object storage services. It also allows for simultaneous use of multiple cloud storage providers within the global file system. Each gateway uses multipart HTTPS with checksum verification for secure connection to the cloud storage.

XenData will also offer two edge appliances with the gateway software: the CX-10, a 1RU rack-mount appliance and the X1 compact unit.

XenData plans to release Multi-Site Sync in May at a price of $150 per month.

For more information, visit www.xendata.com.  

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.—XenData has begun shipping its new X1 Archive Appliance that connects to a network and makes it possible for file-based applications to archive to LTO external drives, Sony Optical Disc Archive (ODA) drives or cloud object storage.

The appliance, which runs under Windows 10 Pro, is powered by XenData Archive Series and FS Mirror software, the company said.

The X1 appliance appears as a single logical drive called the X: drive. A variety of methods can be used to write to and restore files from the appliance, including:

• sharing the X: drive over a network and writing to it and restoring from it like any disk-based share;
• using FS Mirror to synchronize one or more locally accessible file systems or file shares to the LTO archive;
• using FS Mirror to create archive drop-boxes on the network that automatically move files to the archive; or
• using third-party applications that integrate with XenData’s XML API.

Three models of the X1 are available, one each for LTO external drives, ODA external drives and the cloud. Each relies on Intel NUC (next unit of computing) hardware and has a high-endurance 1.92TB SSD cache or enhanced performance, XenData said.

Connecting the X1 to an LTO external drive is done via Thunderbolt 3 or USB connection. For LTO drives with SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) connection, it is possible to connect via a Thunderbolt-to-SAS converter. The device can manage an unlimited number of LTO cartridges and up to 2 billion files. File transfers spanning across cartridges are supported. When using two or more attached LTO drives, the appliance supports automatic cartridge replication.

The X1 for ODA supports Gen 1, 2 and 3 drives with cartridge capacities up to 5.5TB. Connection is accomplished via USB 3. As with LTO, the X1 for ODA manages an unlimited number of cartridges. It supports file transfers using the 1.92TB cache to span cartridges.

The cloud storage model supports multiple clouds, including AWS S3, Azure and Wasabi S3. This X1 model can be configured to replicate files to different locations and cloud providers.

The LTO and ODA X1 models are priced at $5,950, and the cloud model starts at $2,495.

More information is available on the XenData website.

WALNUT CREEK, CALIF.—XenData today announced a new service to migrate files stored on LTO tape cartridges to cloud storage.

The service sidesteps the need to maintain older generations of tape drives and systems by moving files to cloud storage, the company said.

“When you are keeping archived files for a decade or more, migration is a fact of life. Our new service takes the pain out of that process, allowing files to be indexed, analyzed and shared,” said XenData CEO Phil Storey.

Archive storage systems from XenData have migration capabilities built in that make it easy to move files from older generations of LTO to the newest LTO version or the cloud.

The company is now offering a service that uses these migration technologies to move content from LTO to the cloud. LTFS, Cache-A TAR, XenData TAR and Front Porch DIVA formats are supported. The service also provides for content to be re-organized and categorized before being migrated to AWS, Microsoft Azure or Wasabi public clouds.

Migrating content to the latest LTO formats, including 6 TB LTO-7 and 12 TB LTO-8 cartridges, is also available.

WALNUT CREEK, CALIF.—XenData and Microsoft Azure have put its heads together and come up with a hybrid cloud service that combines XenData’s Cloud File Gateway and Microsoft Azure’s Storage. The combined system allows existing file-based applications to use cloud storage without the need for modification.

The complete hybrid storage system is configured by XenData, including setup of the Azure storage subscription. XenData serves as the single point of contact to give technical support for the complete hybrid storage system that covers both the XenData Cloud File Gateway and the Azure storage service.

Benefits of the XenData – Azure storage system include the ability to be scaled to multiple petabytes; tailored local and cloud storage policies; scheduled time windows so applications can write to local disk while scheduling the upload copy being made to Azure; Partial File Restore support; standard file sharing and security.

XenData will demonstrate the hybrid storage system at IBC 2017.

WALNUT CREEK, CALIF.—XenData is providing consumers with a storage system that manages files both on-premises and in the cloud with the launch of its CX-10 Appliance. The hybrid file appliance manages a single system across two storage tiers: 10TB of on-premises RAID and unlimited Microsoft Azure blob storage.

The CX-10 features configurable RAID retention policies that determine what files are written to the cloud, local RAID or both, allowing users to set policy rules for different types of files and folders. RAID retention policies keep frequently accessed files on local storage. When a project is completed, retention policies may be updated to replace the project files held on disk with sparse files, freeing up local disk storage while maintaining immediate access to the content from the cloud.

XenData Cloud File Gateway software is run on a Windows 10 operating system for the CX-10. The system is presented as a logical drive letter that can be accessed locally or as one or more Windows network shares. It also includes certified integration options for a range of media applications and supports partial file restore. Additional features include scalability, file sharing and security, and internet bandwidth optimization.

The 1U rack mount unit comes with two mirrored enterprise class 10TB disks for the on-premises storage and a solid-state boot volume and two USB 3.0 ports. The base model has two 1 GbE network ports, with options available for additional 10 GbE ports.

XenData is offering the CX-10 for $6,950, including 12 months of onsite support and subscription for the XenData Cloud File Gateway. XenData will showcase the CX-10 at IBC 2017.

LAS VEGAS—At the 2017 NAB Show, Xendata will debut the new FX-Series, which combines shared disk storage and archive on a single server. The all-in-one server simplifies collaborative media production workflows by avoiding storage boundaries associated with multiple shared disk or archive storage volumes.

The FX-Series offers two independent storage volumes suitable for 4K or greater workflows, and an archive volume that supports an attached LTO library, optical disc archive library, or Microsoft Azure cloud storage. Presented as a single standard NTFS volume, the shared disk storage comes available with 120TB, 180TB or 240TB of usable capacity, and the 120TB or 180TB volumes are upgradeable. The archive volume is presented as a single file system that’s expandable to multiple petabytes.

Since the shared disk storage and archive are local to a single FX server, high data transfer speeds can be achieved when moving content between the two volumes, while avoiding the typical loss of performance when transferring over a network.

With the API-driven data mover that allows file transfer between the shared disk and the archive volumes from the user interface of third-party applications, content creators can easily capitalize on the faster transfer speeds between the volumes. CatDV from Squarebox Systems, MXFserver from Film Partners, asset management systems from CISTECH and axle Video’s MAM are among the third-party products that already support Xendata’s API.

With a network attached storage (NAS) architecture, the FX-Series runs on a Windows Server 2012 R2 operating system, which is compliant with the Microsoft security model, making it easier to integrate into a Windows domain or workgroup. It also comes with 10 GbE copper or SFP+ optical network ports that can be bonded for increased performance.

The 2017 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 24-27. Xendatawill be in boothSL14213. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

WALNUT CREEK, CALIF.—The SXL-8500 series, a range of scalable LTO archive systems, are now available from XenData. The base model offers a 6U robotic library with two LTO-7 drives and 77 LTO cartridge slots that provide 462 TB of near-line LTO capacity. The unit can handle the addition of up to six 80 slot expansion modules to accommodate 557 LTO-7 catridges for a near-line LTO capacity of 3,342 TB, or can be configured with up to 10 LTO-7 drives.

The SXL-8500 systems run on a Windows Server 2012 R2 operating system but are ready for an upgrade to Windows Server 2016. The units can connect to a network via 1 GbE or 10 GbE ports for a network attached storage architecture configured with a network share. A system also features a standard file-folder interface to archive and restore files.

Cartridge interchange is capable by the system writing to LTO using the LTFS format. This offers functionality that includes seamless spanning of files and folders across LTO cartridges, partial file restores, automatic replication of LTO cartridges and management of an unlimited number of offline externalized cartridges.

SXL-8500 series models are compatible with a range of media asset management systems. They are also able to support XenData VS functionality, which includes the ability to retain files on LTO for a defined retention period, after which the content is deleted and the LTO cartridges are reformatted and ready for re-use.

XenData is offering the SXL-8500 series 462 TB model for $51,800.

LAS VEGAS—XenData will debut its new DX-240 near-line disk array system with continuous back up to LTO-7cartridges at the 2016 NAB Show. With its network attached storage (NAS) architecture, the DX-240 stores files on high-performance RAID arrays, while simultaneously writing files to a direct-attached LTO-7 library.

Compatible with most media asset management systems, the DX-240 consists of a 2RU archive server, a 4RU disk enclosure and a 1RU robotic LTO-7 library, which holds up to seven 6TB LTO-7 cartridges. It’s available in 120 TB, 180 TB and 240 TBs of usable near-line disk, with 44 6TB SAS disks in a RAID 60 configuration.

The DX-240 issues email alerts and on-screen messages when operator intervention is required, such as to replace full cartridges. Following export, full cartridges can be retained in an offsite location for optimal data protection. Network connection options include copper and optical 10Gb Ethernet, and it can connect to a SAN via 8 Gb/s fibre channel.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. XenDatawill be in booth SL13013. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

WALNUT CREEK, CALIF.—Video archive technology provider XenData has announced its new SXL-8 archive system is now available for shipping. The SXL-8 is based on XenData’s SX-250 archive server and an LTO-7 autoloader that can hold up to seven cartridges. It attaches to a network via 1GbE or 10GbE and manages digital content across three tiers of storage: 6TB of disk within the server; 42 TB of near-line LTO; and unlimited capacity of offline LTO cartridges.

SXL-8 diagram

With the LTO-7 autoloader, the system automatically initializes and loads blank cartridges when needed as the archive grows. If automatic LTO cartridge replication is selected, the system can be scheduled to update replica cartridges overnight. The system also issues alerts and on-screen messages when operator intervention is required to exchange full LTO tapes for blank cartridges, or to import an offline cartridge for file restores.

Files are presented in a standard file/folder structure that is shared over the network, resulting in the archive appearing just like a disk drive. Files are transferred using either the standard Windows network protocol or FTP file transfers. The system also provides an object storage interface using an XML API. Software modules are available to deliver a tight integration with specific applications. Video files may be archived and restored manually to a file-folder structure using Windows Explorer or FTP utilities.

The SXL-8 writes to either 6 TB LTO-7 or 2.5 TB LTO-6 cartridges usinig the LTFS exchange format or the open standard TAR format.

XenData’s SXL-8 is available at a starting price fo $15,880.