Unique fibre-channel multi-user write functionality enhances collaborative workflow

Facilis Technology, a leader in shared media storage technology for post-production and content creation, today announced the immediate availability of TerraBlock 4.0, featuring the Facilis Shared File System. The Facilis Shared File System enables write access for multiple clients on the TerraBlock Virtual Volume 8Gbit fibre channel SAN.
“TerraBlock delivers fully collaborative workflow without sacrificing performance,” explains Francis Albert, founder and president of Facilis Technology. “Users at Windows workstations can share multi-user write volumes, while elsewhere in the facility OSX and Linux clients can access data from the same volumes. This gives managers the flexibility to maintain investments in technology and move to new or alternate hardware without concern over SAN support.”
TerraBlock 4.0 offers post-production facilities the greatest flexibility in project management by allowing both file-level and volume-level sharing on the same network. Users can designate their virtual volumes as multi-user write (file-level) or single-user write (volume-level) for the optimal combination of performance and workflow. The initial release of the Facilis Shared File System supports Windows clients (Windows XP32/64; Vista 64; Server 2003/2008), with Apple OS X planned for later this year.

“We bought our first TerraBlock in 2006 and have expanded since then,” says Brian Mackewich, vice president of Gizmo Enterprises in New York. “This release greatly improves workflow efficiency and still maintains the simplicity TerraBlock is known for. We have been very happy with the price point and customer support. With Facilis Shared File System, now there’s really no reason look elsewhere.”

By using traditional volume-level data sharing, high-bandwidth formats like HD 4:4:4 and 2K DPX are fully supported on all platforms. In the first release of Facilis Shared File System, up to 220Mbit HD and uncompressed SD capture is supported on a file-level Windows volume. Unlike most other SAN systems, TerraBlock 4.0 requires no IT networking and there is no per-seat license fee. Version 4.0 and the Facilis Shared File System upgrade are available for every TerraBlock system and new systems will receive the first year of Shared File System free of charge.