from discreet November 2000 - Autodeskme.autodesk.jp/support/system_support/document_pdf/backdraft55_s… · Kinetix, MaterialSpec, Mechanical Desktop, NAAUG, ObjectARX, PeopleTracker,

from discreet November 2000

© 2003 Autodesk Canada Inc./Autodesk, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose.

AUTODESK CANADA INC./AUTODESK INC. MAKES NO WARRANTY, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUTNOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE,REGARDING THESE MATERIALS AND MAKES SUCH MATERIALS AVAILABLE SOLELY ON AN “AS-IS” BASIS.

IN NO EVENT SHALL AUTODESK CANADA INC./AUTODESK, INC. BE LIABLE TO ANYONE FOR SPECIAL, COLLATERAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF PURCHASE OR USE OF THESE MATERIALS. THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE LIABILITY TO AUTODESK CANADA INC./AUTODESK, INC., REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, SHALL NOT EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE MATERIALS DESCRIBED HEREIN.

Autodesk Canada Inc./Autodesk, Inc. reserves the right to revise and improve its products as it sees fit. This publication describes the state of this product at the time of its publication, and may not reflect the product at all times in the future.

Autodesk, Inc. Trademarks

The following are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries: 3D Props, 3D Studio, 3D Studio MAX,3D Studio VIZ, 3DSurfer, ActiveShapes, ActiveShapes (logo), Actrix, ADI, AEC Authority (logo), AEC-X, Animator Pro, AnimatorStudio, ATC, AUGI, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD Map, Autodesk, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk (logo), Autodesk MapGuide,Autodesk University (logo), Autodesk View, Autodesk WalkThrough, Autodesk World, AutoLISP, AutoSketch, backdraft, Biped,bringing information down to earth, CAD Overlay, Character Studio, Cinepak, Cinepak (logo), Codec Central, Combustion, DesignYour World, Design Your World (logo), Discreet, EditDV, Education by Design, gmax, Heidi, HOOPS, Hyperwire, i-drop, Inside Track,Kinetix, MaterialSpec, Mechanical Desktop, NAAUG, ObjectARX, PeopleTracker, Physique, Planix, Powered with Autodesk Technology(logo), RadioRay, Revit, Softdesk, Texture Universe, The AEC Authority, The Auto Architect, VISION*, Visual, Visual Construction,Visual Drainage, Visual Hydro, Visual Landscape, Visual Roads, Visual Survey, Visual Toolbox, Visual TugBoat, Visual LISP, Volo,WHIP!, and WHIP! (logo).

The following are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries: 3ds max, AutoCAD Architectural Desktop,AutoCAD Learning Assistance, AutoCAD LT Learning Assistance, AutoCAD Simulator, AutoCAD SQL Extension, AutoCAD SQLInterface, Autodesk Map, Autodesk Streamline, AutoSnap, AutoTrack, Built with ObjectARX (logo), burn, Buzzsaw, Buzzsaw.com,Cinestream, Cleaner, Cleaner Central, ClearScale, Colour Warper, Content Explorer, Dancing Baby (image), DesignCenter, DesignDoctor, Designer's Toolkit, DesignProf, DesignServer, Design Web Format, DWF, DWG Linking, DXF, Extending the Design Team,GDX Driver, gmax (logo), gmax ready (logo), Heads-up Design, IntroDV, jobnet, lustre, ObjectDBX, onscreen onair online, Plans &Specs, Plasma, PolarSnap, ProjectPoint, Reactor, Real-time Roto, Render Queue, Visual Bridge, Visual Syllabus, and Where DesignConnects.

Autodesk Canada Inc. Trademarks

The following are registered trademarks of Autodesk Canada Inc. in the USA and/or Canada, and/or other countries: discreet, fire,flame, flint, flint RT, frost, glass, inferno, mountstone, riot, river, smoke, sparks, stone, stream, vapour, wire.

The following are trademarks of Autodesk Canada Inc., in the USA, Canada, and/or other countries: backburner, Multi-Master Editing.

THIRD-PARTY TRADEMARKS

All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

GOVERNMENT USE

The software and documentation is provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the United States Government or any agency, department or instrumentality thereof is subject to the restrictions set forth in the Commercial Computer Software—Restricted Rights clause at FAR 52.227-19 or the Commercial Computer Software—Licensing clause at NASA FAR Supplement 1852.227-86. Manufacturer is Autodesk Canada Inc./Autodesk, Inc., 10 Duke Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3C 2L7.

Images Courtesy of: Behaviour Communications Inc.

Title: backdraft 5.5 and Switchable Storage 1.1 Release Notes

Part Number: 900-70581

Document Version: 1

Date: December 5, 2003

contentsContents

iii

1 Release Information 1Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1About These Release Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Related Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Using the PDF Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3On www.discreet.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Discreet Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Discreet Resellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Fixed and Known Bugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Installing backdraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4IRIX Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5stone and wire Version. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Components for a Switchable Storage Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Switchable Storage Configuration Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Supported Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

mountstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2 What’s New in backdraft 5.5 9Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9New Startup Panel and Behaviour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Frame Depth Improvements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

10-bit Frame Depth Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Colourspace Conversion Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Burn-in Information Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Player Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Resize/Crop Marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Adjustable Frame Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12VTR Timecode Display Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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New Logger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Framestore Area Improvements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14New Clip Library Search Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Support for Unlinked Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Media Player: Source Info Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Unlink Information Displayed on Proxies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Project Management Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Field Dominance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Graphics Processing Bit Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Proxy Management Default Generation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Proxy Management Resize Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Import Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Movie Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Timecode Selection Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Archive/Restore Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Archiving Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Auto-Detection of Tape Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Maximum Size for File System Archives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Multiple Bit-Depth Archiving and Restoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Support for Larger Tapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Multi-tape Archiving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Archive Size Estimation Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Input, Output and Engineering Menu Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Display Settings in Input, Output and Engineering Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Input Clip Menu Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Output Clip Menu Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Engineering Menu Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

3 backdraft 5.2, 5.2.4, and 5.3 Software Changes 25Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Import Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Export Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Changing the Numbering Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Changing the Clip Name on Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Archive/Restore Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Estimating Archive Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Archive User Interface Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

VTR Emulator Improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Input and Output Clip Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Adding Live Video Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Contents:

v

Naming the Tape and Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Setting Aspect Ratio on Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Burn-in Information Added . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33List View Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Clip Information in List View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Media Player Improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Inter Framestore Panel Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Project Resolution of EDLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Onyx2—Improving Clip Input and Output Performance with HD . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4 Setting Up Video and Audio Hardware 41Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41About Tezro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Tezro —Video Hardware Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Tezro Slot Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Tezro—Wiring for SD and HD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Tezro—Wiring the Audio Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47About the Onyx 350 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Onyx 350 —Video Hardware Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Onyx 350 Slot Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Onyx 350—Wiring for SD and HD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Onyx 350—Wiring the Audio Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53About the Onyx 3200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Onyx 3200— IX-Brick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Balancing the Load for the IX-Brick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

5 Installing Switchable Storage 57Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57About Switchable Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Switchable Storage Installation Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Connecting the Patch Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Confirming Disk Array Availability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Obtaining a Switchable Storage License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Obtaining a Temporary License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Entering a Permanent Switchable Storage License Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Obtaining a wire License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Upgrading to IRIX 6.5.21f and Installing Java . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Installing the Java2 v1.4.1_02 Runtime Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Configuring the Switchable Storage Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

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Installing backdraft 5.5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Installing the Switchable Storage Subsystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Obtaining the Framestore Name and ID Number. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Configuring Framestores Using the Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Copying Projects and Clip Libraries to the NAS Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Assigning Compatible User IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Defining the Central Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Configuring the Hosts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Swapping Project Configuration Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Discreet Native Audio Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Dangling Filesystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

6 Configuring Switchable Storage 77Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Defining the Switchable Storage Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Connecting the Filesystems with Hosts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86Applying Your Configuration and Exiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Swapping Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Switchable Storage Volume Integrity Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Naming Filesystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Association of Batch Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Command Line Utilities (DL Tools) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Switch Panel Configuration Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

7 Troubleshooting 95Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

A Configuring the IP Address of Discreet x345 NAS 97Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Configuring the IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Using Visual Editor Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

1

Release Information

This chapter includes important information about the backdraft® 5.5

release. Please read this chapter before installing your software.

SummaryAbout These Release Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Related Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Discreet Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Fixed and Known Bugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Installing backdraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

IRIX Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

stone and wire Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Components for a Switchable Storage Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

mountstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Release Information1

2

About These Release NotesThese release notes include information about backdraft 5.5, including Switchable Storage.

Chapter 1: Release Information — Provides important information pertinent to backdraft 5.5.

Chapter 2: What’s New in backdraft 5.5 — Includes information about enhancements made to the software in backdraft 5.5.

Chapter 3: backdraft 5.2, 5.2.4, and 5.3 Software Changes — Includes information about enhancements made to the software in backdraft 5.2, 5.2.4, and 5.3.

Chapter 4: Setting Up Video and Audio Hardware — Contains information about setting up video and audio hardware for Tezro™, the Onyx® 350 and the Onyx 3200.

Chapter 5: Installing Switchable Storage — Provides an overview of the necessary procedures for configuring and installing the Switchable Storage functionality.

Chapter 6: Configuring Switchable Storage — Provides instructions for using the Switchable Storage panel to swap framestores between hosts.

Chapter 7: Troubleshooting — Provides some tips for diagnosing and resolving problems in your Switchable Storage configuration.

Appendix A: Configuring the IP Address of Discreet x345 NAS — Provides information for setting the IP address of the NAS (Network Attached Storage).

Intended AudienceSystem administration knowledge of UNIX and computer hardware in a professional video/film production environment is assumed throughout this document. Do not attempt to carry out the procedures outlined in this document if you are not familiar with UNIX and computer hardware issues.

WARNING: The SGI™ warranty requires that only SGI-certified technicians install hardware and

service the Origin™ 2000, Onyx2®, Onyx 3200 and Onyx 350. Failure to comply may void the

warranty. Contact SGI for more information. Installing hardware on and servicing the Octane®,

Octane2™ and Tezro platforms should only be carried out by an experienced person.

!

Related Documentation

3

Related DocumentationFor a complete list of related documentation, refer to the “Introduction” chapter in your Discreet® Editing or Effect’s application User’s Guide. For additional information, refer to the following documents:

• backdraft 5.5 Fixed and Known Bugs (available on www.discreet.com)

• stone and wire 2.3 Release Notes

• Discreet Filesystem and Networking User’s Guide, 4th edition

• Discreet Storage Configuration Guide, 6th edition (available on www.discreet.com)

Using the PDF DocumentationYou can view and print the PDF files on the application CD using Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™ on a PC, an SGI, or a Macintosh. All PDF files are located in a folder called documentation at the top level of the CD.

To access the PDF files from an SGI:

1. Place the application CD in the CD-ROM drive of your SGI machine.

2. Go to the documentation directory on the CD. In a UNIX shell, type:

cd /CDROM/documentation

3. Type ls to view the list of available documents.

4. To view one of the PDF files, type:

acroread <filename>

5. Press ENTER.

On www.discreet.comYou can also find the PDF files on the Discreet Web site, www.discreet.com. Go to the Discreet Technical Support page, click Documentation, then Documentation Library, and download any of the available files. The Documentation Library is a password protected area; you must register your installed version of your Discreet application to receive your user name and password.


4

Discreet Technical SupportIf you need more information, contact Discreet Technical Support at one of the following numbers. You can also send queries by e-mail.

Discreet ResellersTechnical support is available through your Discreet reseller. To find a reseller near you, consult the Discreet reseller look-up database at www.discreet.com/resellers.

Fixed and Known BugsFor a list of fixed and known bugs for backdraft 5.5, see the PDF file backdraft 5.5 Fixed and Known Bugs.

CompatibilityUsed in conjunction with stone® and wire® 2.3, backdraft 5.5 is compatible with fire® and smoke® 6.0, flint® and flame® 8.5, and inferno® 5.5. All inferno 5.3, flame 8.3, flint 8.3, smoke 5.3, fire 5.2, and backdraft 5.3 clips are read-only in backdraft 5.5. Additionally, you cannot write to backdraft 5.5 from inferno 5.3, flame 8.3, flint 8.3, smoke 5.3, fire 5.2, and backdraft 5.3.

Archives from previous versions are read-only. If you access a system that has partitions created in inferno 4.7.x, flame 7.7.x, flint 7.7.x, smoke 5.1.x, fire 5.1.x, or backdraft 5.0.x, the framestores will be read-only.

Installing backdraftFor instructions on installing backdraft see “Installing backdraft 5.5” on page 67.

North America: 1-800-925-6442

International: 514-954-7199 (Country code = 1)

Fax: 1-514-954-7254

E-mail: [email protected]

WWW: www.discreet.com/support

IRIX Version

5

IRIX Versionbackdraft 5.5 requires IRIX® 6.5.21f. If your platform is a Tezro, Onyx 3200 with IX-brick or an Onyx 350 and you are upgrading from backdraft 5.3 or later—following the normal upgrade path—IRIX 6.5.21f is already installed on your system. Otherwise you must upgrade your version of IRIX. For instructions, see the IRIX 6.5.21f Installation Guide.

Contact Discreet Technical Support if you have trouble upgrading or installing IRIX for this release. You can obtain an IRIX 6.5.21f upgrade by contacting [email protected] provided your SGI support is managed by Discreet; otherwise you can obtain the IRIX 6.5.21f upgrade package from SGI.

stone and wire Versionbackdraft 5.5 uses stone and wire 2.3, installed automatically with the application.

Components for a Switchable Storage ConfigurationInstallation of a Switchable Storage 1.1 configuration requires the following components:

• Switchable Storage 32-port patch panel, which includes the control software

• IBM® X345 Network Attached Storage (NAS) with the following minimum hardware: Pentium® Xeon Processor 2 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 4 x 73G-SCSI Ultra 160 drives, Red Hat® Linux® 8.0; also, it uses hardware RAID 5

• (1-GB only) SFP to DB9 cables (for HD on the Octane2, HSSDC to SFP cables are also necessary)

• (2-GB only) Cable fibre optic LC and SFP transceiver module LC

• 1- or 2-GB SFP to SFP cables from storage to the patch panel and from the patch panel to storage

• backdraft 5.5

• Java™ 2 v1.4.1_02 installed on the same machine where backdraft and swsd are installed (for more information on swsd, see “Configuring the Hosts” on page 72)

• stone and wire 2.3

• inferno 5.5, flame 8.5, flint 8.5, smoke 6.0, or fire 6.0


6

Switchable Storage Configuration LimitationsThe following limitations impact Switchable Storage configurations:

• Discreet Native Audio is the only type of audio supported when using Switchable Storage.

• A Switchable Storage configuration can be configured with both HD and SD systems; however, you cannot swap storage between HD and SD systems.

• 1-GB 2 or 4 loops and 2-GB 2 loops are supported but you can only swap between the same type (1-GB 2 loop, 1-GB 4 loop, 2-GB 2 loop). In other words, you cannot swap storage between 1-GB and 2-GB or between 2 loop and 4 loop.

• Before you determine the number of devices that you want in your configuration, consider the hardware limitation of 32 ports on the patch panel and the software limitation of 8 hosts.

• You must log on to each machine involved in the swap; however, do not start any software except for the machine running backdraft 5.5. By logging on to each machine, you will be able to follow the Switchable Storage swap in the console and therefore be able to troubleshoot problems more easily.

NOTE: Even if there are unused ports on the patch panel, you can only connect a maximum of

eight hosts.

WARNING: Do not use unused ports for purposes outside of Switchable Storage because each

time you perform a switch, the configuration will be wiped.

Supported ConfigurationsThe following are typical configurations:

• 8 hosts—each with 2-loop storage (occupying 16 ports)

• 8 hosts—4 with 4-loop storage and 4 with 2-loop storage (occupying 32 ports)

• 8 hosts—each with 4-loop storage (occupying 32 ports)

The following table lists many of the possible Switchable Storage configurations.

4-Loop Hosts

4-Loop Storage

2-Loop Hosts

2-Loop Storage

Dangling Framestores

Total Ports Used

0 0 8 8 0 32

1 1 6 6 0 32

2 2 4 4 0 32

3 3 2 2 0 32

4 4 0 0 0 32

3 3 2 2 1 (4 loop) 32

!

mountstone

7

For information on dangling framestores, see “Dangling Filesystems” on page 74.

mountstonemountstone® is not supported with backdraft 5.0.1 and later. If mountstone is already installed on your system, you must uninstall it. For instructions on uninstalling mountstone, refer to the section “Uninstalling mountstone 1.x” on page 129 of the Discreet Filesystem and Networking Guide, 3rd edition. This procedure applies for the removal of any version of mountstone.

0 0 7 7 2 (2 loop) 32

1 1 4 4 3 (1x4 loop, 2x2 loop)

32

4-Loop Hosts

4-Loop Storage

2-Loop Hosts

2-Loop Storage

Dangling Framestores

Total Ports Used


8

9

What’s New in backdraft 5.5

This chapter provides a summary of changes in backdraft 5.5.

SummaryNew Startup Panel and Behaviour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Frame Depth Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Burn-in Information Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Player Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

New Logger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Framestore Area Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

New Clip Library Search Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Support for Unlinked Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Project Management Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Import Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Archive/Restore Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Input, Output and Engineering Menu Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22


10

New Startup Panel and BehaviourIf no volume has been specified to open by default, backdraft now opens on the new Network panel rather than the Main panel. The Network panel contains the buttons and options from the Preference panel Volume tab, which has been removed. A new field has been added to the Network panel, indicating the destination volume. In addition, it is no longer necessary to explicitly open a volume. Exiting the Network panel will open all selected volumes automatically.

It is possible to specify what backdraft does when the Open button is pressed.

NOTE: If there is no current volume, the first volume you open becomes the current volume.

Frame Depth ImprovementsFrame depth improvements in backdraft 5.5 include 10-bit frame depth support and a simplified frame depth box.

10-bit Frame Depth Support

10-bit frame depth support has been added to all menus with resolution.

Colourspace Conversion Box

Select: To:

Set Current Volume

Open the selected volume and make it the current volume.

Set Destination Volume

Open the selected volume and make it the default destination volume for inter-framestore transfers.

No Action Open the volume and make it available for later selection. This is the same as selecting the volume and exiting from the Network panel.

Burn-in Information Improvements

11

Colourspace Conversion box — Displays the colourspace conversion method used by backdraft for both input and output. This box is present in the Preferences menu Video Emulator panel, Preferences menu VTR panel, and Engineering panel. It has been simplified. The labels used to change depending on the timing (NTSC or PAL, 1080x or 720x, or 1035x). Now they are constant. The underlying behaviour remains the same.

Burn-in Information Improvementsbackdraft 5.5 improves on backdraft 5.3 with the addition of a number of new burn-in options. For information on the burn-in capabilities of backdraft 5.3, see “Burn-in Information Added” on page 33.

Old Label New Label

Normal Full RGB 601Normal Full RGB 709Normal Full RGB 240M

YCbCr->RGB

Headroom RBG 601Headroom RBG 709Headroom RBG 240M

YCbCr->RBG+Headroom

Full YCrCb 601Full YCrCb 709Full YCrCb 240M

No Conversion

HeadRoom YCrCb 601HeadRoom YCrCb 709HeadRoom YCrCb 240M

No Conversion+Headroom

Text Colour box Resetbutton

Text field

Record Timecode button

Scan Mode box

Frame No. button

Background Colour box

Name button

Date/Time button Source Timecode button


12

Text Colour box — Determines the colour of the text burned in to each frame.

Background Colour box — Adds a colour background to the text.

Text field — Custom text for the burn-in. By default, this is the clip name.

Scan Mode box — Determines whether the burn-in information is progressive scan or interlaced. If you select interlaced, an asterisk appears. In backdraft 5.2.3, these were presented as frames/fields.

Reset button — Resets the burn-in information to its default.

Name button — Adds the clip name or user text.

Date/Time button — Adds the date and time.

Source TC button — Adds the source timecode.

Record TC button — Adds the record timecode.

Frame No. button — Adds the frame number.

Player Improvements

Resize/Crop MarksWhen importing, exporting or transferring clips between framestores, backdraft has always provided the ability to crop and resize the images. In earlier versions, the results of the crop or resize operation were visible in the full-screen player’s image preview area. With backdraft 5.5, results are displayed in the player itself, on all panels where the operations are permitted—the Import panel, Export panel and Inter Framestore panel. A red frame indicates the resulting image.

Adjustable Frame RateIn all players a new FPS (frames per second) field allows you to change the playback rate of the clip. Valid values are in the range 1-60. You enter the value by typing or using the field’s slider.

New Logger

13

VTR Timecode Display Options

When capturing 720p video from a VTR, backdraft 5.5 allows you to display the time format as if it were capturing a 30 frames per second interlaced format. 720p video is a 60 frames per second, non-interlaced format. Normally the frame counter would increment from 0–60. When set to the 30 frames per second display mode, the frame counter will increment from 0–30 instead. This simplifies specifying start and stop points for a capture from a VTR, since 720p 60 VTRs display timecodes in 30 frames per second interlaced format.

New LoggerLogging helps Discreet support staff when troubleshooting your application. Each time backdraft is started, a log file is automatically created for the purposes of recording messages from the application. It is created in the following location:

/usr/discreet/backdraftX.X.version/log/backdraft.log

When you restart backdraft, older versions of the log file are renamed: backdraft.log becomes backdraft.log.1, etc. The most recent file is always backdraft.log.

For background jobs, the log file is called execjob.log.

There are five levels of user logging (listed here in order of decreasing verboseness).

To override the default functionality, set the environment variable DL_MSG_LEVEL. The following example shows how to log all warnings, errors and user messages by setting the variable to warn:

setenv DL_MSG_LEVEL warn

NOTE: To make this the “default” behaviour, add the line above to your .cshrc file.

Severity Meaning

user Messages intended for the end-user as part of the normal workflow.

error Messages about recoverable errors, non-recoverable errors, and internal errors.

warn Messages that may affect the behavior of the program. The program should be able to continue with its normal flow of control.

notice Messages relating to program execution that do not indicate any erroneous condition. This is the default level.

debug This is the default level for beta releases.


14

Framestore Area ImprovementsAs a result of the following improvements, the look and feel of the backdraft is in line with the Discreet family of Editing and Effects products:

Colour Changes — The colours of various elements in the desktops, reels, source areas and record areas have been changed to provide visual feedback that is consistent with other Discreet products.

Desktops and Reels — Desktops and reels now display their child information: the number of reels inside the desktop and the number of clips inside the reel.

Proxy Resolution Information — Information is now displayed more clearly on the proxy. The information displayed depends on the settings in the Preferences menu Display panel. A typical proxy is shown below.

Audio Clip Proxies — Clips that contain just audio now have a generic waveform on their proxy, making it possible to identify them at a glance.

Number of video tracks

Number of audio tracks

Sourcetimecode

Resolution

Frame rateField dominance

Name

Bit-depth

Aspect ratio

Record timecode or frame number

Duration

New Clip Library Search Tool

15

New Clip Library Search Tool

The new search tool greatly simplifies finding a clip or set of clips in the current clip library.

In the backdraft Inter Framestore panel, there can be two clip management panels. Each has its own search facility, and you can carry out two independent searches.

Criteria Specifies Possible Arguments

Name A clip name Is Equal To; Is Not Equal To; Contains; Does Not Contain; Is Less Than; Is Greater Than; Matches Pattern

Source TC A source timecode

Is Equal To; Is Not Equal To; Is Less Than; Is Greater Than; Contains; Does Not Contain

Record TC A record timecode

Is Equal To; Is Not Equal To; Is Less Than; Is Greater Than; Contains; Does Not Contain

Date A date Is Equal To; Is Not Equal To; Is Earlier Than; Is Later Than

Duration A clip duration Is Equal To; Is Not Equal To; Is Greater Than; Is Less Than

Audio An audio clip Contains; Does Not Contain

Resolution A clip resolution Is Equal To; Is Not Equal To; Is Less Than; Is Greater Than; Is Less Or Equal; Is Greater Or Equal

Archive Date A date and time Is Equal To; Is Not Equal To; Is Earlier Than; Is Later Than

Tape A tape name or number

Is Equal To; Is Not Equal To; Contains; Does Not Contain; Is Less Than; Is Greater Than; Matches Pattern

Comment A comment Is Equal To; Is Not Equal To; Contains; Does Not Contain; Is Less Than; Is Greater Than; Matches Pattern

Search Criteria button

Arguments button


16

Support for Unlinked Media fire 6.0 and smoke 6.0 introduce the ability to break the link between a clip’s media and its metadata. This is useful when you want to make room on the framestore but do not want to delete your editing timeline, for example. backdraft 5.5 supports this feature by displaying the clip’s source information in the media player, and information on the unlinked clips themselves.

Media Player: Source Info Tabbackdraft now displays a clip’s source information, making it possible to re-acquire the media when the link has been broken, if necessary.

The Source Info tab is presented in the media player, behind the Clip Info tab. The information it displays is different for an input clip, file source, or VTR source. The following information is provided in the Source Info tab.

Unlink Information Displayed on ProxiesIf metadata has been unlinked from its source in fire or smoke, backdraft displays an appropriate label on the proxy.

Label Description

Type The kind of clip: File, Reel, or Unknown.

Reel Name Name of the source reel as specified when capturing the clip.

Source Path Original path of the file.

Files Number of files.

Resize True or false, depending on whether the clip was resized.

Resize Type Letter Box, Crop Edges, Fill, Crop Centered, Crop

Filter Rules Any filter applied to the clip when it was resized: Bicubic, Quality, Medium, Coarse.

Pan X,Y X and Y values associated with any pan applied when importing.

Lut LUT, if used.

Label Description

unlinked media All media has been unlinked. Only the metadata remains. Not playable.

unlinked hi-res The hi-res media has been unlinked. The proxies remain and can be played.

unlinked audio The audio has been unlinked. The hi-res frames remain and can be played.

Project Management Improvements

17

Project Management Improvements

Field Dominance

Project field dominance is used in Discreet Editing and Effects products. It dictates how interlaced video formats are captured from tape, sent to the broadcast monitor in-session and output to tape. Project field dominance also determines field-based processing when the option is selected. In earlier versions, you could not change project field dominance—field dominance was set automatically to field 1. In backdraft 5.5 it is now possible to set and change the field dominance for a project. You can select Field 1, Field 2, or Progressive.

Graphics Processing Bit Depth

You can set the project to process images at 8-bit or 12-bit precision. As a rule, if you are working with mixed resolutions and at least some of the clips are 12-bit (or 12-bit unpacked) frame depth, then you should select 12-bit graphics processing.

Even if you work only with 8-bit images, you can get better processed results with 12-bit graphics processing whenever transparencies, blending, and gradients are part of an effect. 12-bit graphics processing produces better results, but takes longer.

Also, if the output is ultimately an 8-bit format, having the best possible quality immediately prior to output produces the best results.

Field Dominance options

Bit Depth options


18

NOTE: The graphics processing bit depth is used by Discreet Editing and Effects products. It is not

used by backdraft.

Proxy Management Default Generation Options

You can set the default generation method for proxies:

Proxy Management Resize Options

In backdraft 5.3 and earlier, proxy options included the ability to set the size of proxies generated for the project by specifying their width. You now have a new option to set the size as a percentage of the original frame by choosing the Frame Percentage option and specifying the scale. Note the display-only Width field is updated automatically to reflect the scale setting.

Select: To:

Draft Get results in the least amount of processing time.

Coarse Get better results than Draft, in more processing time.

Medium Get moderate results. Processing time is increased in comparison to Coarse.

Quality Get very good quality images, but in slower processing time.

Bicubic Get the best results, but with the slowest processing time.

Import Improvements

19

Import Improvements

Movie Formats

In addition to importing images and audio, the Import Movie panel now supports the importing of QuickTime, Sgi Movie, AVI, and MPEG movie formats. The MPEG-01 setting imports both MPEG type 1 and MPEG type 2 formats. Movies are imported in their native resolution.

Format Codec

MPEG-1 N/A

MPEG-2 N/A

AVI Uncompressed Video

Jpeg

Apple Compact Video

Indeo Video

SGI Movie Uncompressed Video

MVC1

MVC2

Jpeg

RLE

RLE24

QuickTime Uncompressed Video

Apple Animation

Jpeg

Motion Jpeg A

Apple Compact Video (Cinepak)

Indeo Video

Apple Video


20

Timecode Selection Menu

The timecode toggle has been replaced with a timecode menu, offering the following selections.

Archive/Restore Improvements

Archiving SetupsPreviously, project setups could be archived to the file system only. They can now be archived to tape. When you select Setups from the Clips/Setups box in the Archive panel, you can select a tape device as the archive device from the Device box. Refer to the “Archiving” chapter in the backdraft 5.2 User’s Guide.

Auto-Detection of Tape DevicesBy default backdraft probes for all tape devices during initialisation. You can prevent this default behavior by setting the environment variable before starting backdraft. In a shell, type:

setenv BD_DISABLE_AUTO_DETECTION 1

NOTE: To make this the “default” behaviour, add the line above to your .cshrc file.

With auto-detection disabled, you must manually add any tape devices you wish to use in the Archive tab of the Preferences panel. Refer to the “Setting Preferences” chapter in the backdraft 5.2 User’s Guide.

Maximum Size for File System ArchivesIn earlier versions, backdraft would assume the entire volume was available for the archive. It is now possible to specify a maximum size for an archive.

Select: To:

Manual Timecode Enter a start timecode manually

DPX Timecode Use the timecode in the DPX file’s header

File Timecode Set the timecode using the file name


21

Multiple Bit-Depth Archiving and RestoringIt is now possible to archive 10-bit clips to video tape, depending on the platform.

If a clip from a library is not archivable due to limitations of the video settings, it is grayed out and cannot be selected.

Take care when restoring an archive created on one platform to a different one. On platforms that restrict the desktop to 8 bits, conversion may be necessary. That is, if the selected clip cannot be restored to its original bit-depth, a message is issued warning that the bit-depth will be converted. You have the option of continuing with the operation or aborting. If you select clips with different bit-depths, all the clips will be converted to the same depth. If you want to preserve the bit depth of some clips, restore them individually.

NOTE: backdraft supports VTR archiving to 8 and 10 bits only. 12 bits is supported on file or data

tape only.

Support for Larger TapesSupport has been added for the following tapes of larger capacity:

• AIT-3 230m (100 GB)

• SDLT-320 (160 GB)

In addition, a missing entry for the 50 GB capacity AIT-2 230m tape has been added to the tape selection menu.

Platform Bit-Depth Possibilities

Octane MXE 8, 10 bits SD

Octane2 8, 10 bits SD8 bits HD

Tezro 8, 10 bits SD8, 10 bits HD

Onyx2 DIVO 8, 10 bits SD

Onyx2 XTHD 8, 10 bits HD

Onyx 350 8, 10 bits SD8, 10 bits HD

Onyx 3200 8, 10 bits SD8, 10 bits HD


22

Multi-tape ArchivingIf you select a clip or clips larger than your tape’s capacity, you are prompted to confirm multi-tape archiving. When the first tape is full, an interface appears allowing you to change the path to a different device, or load and format a new tape.

There are two choices for halting a multi-tape archive session while it is in process. You can abort the archive or abort the entire loading. If you abort the archive, you will be asked to insert its first tape so header information can be re-written. If you choose to abort the entire loading, no header information is rewritten. This is not the recommended method, however, since earlier archives can be lost.

To restore a multi-tape archive, you must insert the last tape in the set first, as prompted. This enables backdraft to read the header information and restore the files.

NOTE: It is not possible to perform a background archive or restore that spans multiple tapes. Only

single-volume jobs can be archived or restored in the background.

Archive Size Estimation ImprovementsWhen an archive is already open, you can now acquire a more accurate estimate of the media space needed to archive selected material. backdraft examines the archive header information to determine if any frames have already been archived. For example, archiving the same clip with a different effect will only require storing the metadata, not the frames. This allows a more accurate estimation of the space required.

Input, Output and Engineering Menu ChangesUser interface elements in the Input and Output Clip menus have been reorganized across Discreet Editing and Effects products and backdraft. This reorganization ensures consistent button naming and placement in the Input Clip and Output Clip menus throughout Discreet products. Now users that work with different Discreet products will feel more familiar with these menus when switching from one Discreet product to another. The changes also affect the Engineering menus.

The Input Clip, Output Clip and Engineering menus are fully explained in the “Inputting and Outputting Clips” chapter in the backdraft User’s Guide. The following section illustrates the new positions of the user interface elements and describes any new features in these menus. Functionality is not described for buttons that have simply been moved.

Input, Output and Engineering Menu Changes

23

Display Settings in Input, Output and Engineering MenusYou can now view the VTR colourspace, VTR timing, bit precision, VTR control mode (Local or Remote), audio sample rate, and audio input type from the Input, Output, and Engineering menus. You no longer need to enter the Engineering menu to verify these settings when working in the Input or Output Clip menu. In addition, the Display Settings window displays VTR status information, replacing most of the VTR status buttons on each of the menus, such as No Cassette, Record Inhibit, etc.

Input Clip Menu Changes

Aspect Ratio box and field — Determines the aspect ratio for the transferred clip, via presets or a field.

Frame Depth box — Provides the option of capturing clips at a frame depth of 8-, 10- or 12-bits per channel, depending on the VTR resolution and platform.

Field Dominance box — Select Field 1, Field 2, or Progressive to determine whether the clips that you input will be field 1 dominant, field 2 dominant, or progressive.

Display Settings — Displays the VTR colourspace, VTR timing, bit precision, VTR control mode (Local or Remote), audio sample rate, and audio input type. In addition, displays VTR status information. Replaces all status buttons in earlier versions of backdraft except Tape EE and Standby.

VTR Colourspace

Format andBit Depth

Audio Input/Output Type

VTR mode (Local or Remote)

Audio Sample Rate

VTR Status

Frame Depth Field Dominance

Aspect Ratio

Display Settings


24

Output Clip Menu Changes

Frame Depth box — Provides the option of capturing clips at a frame depth of 8-, 10- or 12-bits per channel.

Field Dominance box — Select Field 1, Field 2, or Progressive to determine whether the clips that you output will be field 1 dominant, field 2 dominant, or progressive.

Display Settings — Displays the VTR colourspace, VTR timing, bit precision, VTR control mode (Local or Remote), audio sample rate, and audio input type. In addition, displays VTR status information. Replaces all status buttons in earlier versions of backdraft except Tape EE and Standby.

Engineering Menu Changes

Colourspace Conversion box — Displays the colourspace conversion method used by backdraft for both input and output. This menu has been simplified. The labels used to change depending on the timing (NTSC or PAL, 1080x or 720x, or 1035x). Now they are constant. The underlying behaviour remains the same. See “Colourspace Conversion Box” on page 10.

Display Settings — Displays the VTR colourspace, VTR timing, bit precision, VTR control mode (Local or Remote), audio sample rate, and audio input type. In addition, displays VTR status information. Replaces all status buttons in earlier versions of backdraft except Tape EE and Standby. Adds a new variable, audio rate, to the display.

Display SettingsField Dominance

Display SettingsColourspace Conversion

25

backdraft 5.2, 5.2.4, and 5.3 Software Changes

This chapter provides a summary of changes in backdraft 5.2, backdraft

5.2.4, and backdraft 5.3.

SummaryImport Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Export Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Archive/Restore Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

VTR Emulator Improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Input and Output Clip Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Burn-in Information Added . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

List View Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Media Player Improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Inter Framestore Panel Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Project Resolution of EDLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Onyx2—Improving Clip Input and Output Performance with HD . . . . . . . . . 39

backdraft 5.2, 5.2.4, and 5.3 Software Changes3

26

Import ImprovementsThe following improvements were introduced in backdraft 5.2.4.

In the Import Image panel, you can now assign a clip name, tape name, and start timecode.

Load Method box — Displays the method to import images.

Channels box — Displays the channels you want to import. If the image has an alpha channel, you can load the alpha channel with the image, either as is or inverted.

Select: To import:

Load as One Clip All selected images as a single clip.

Cut Into Sequences All selected sequences and individual images as separate clips. Note that selected images in a sequence are imported as one clip.

Load as Single Frames All selected images as separate, single-frame clips.

Select: To import:

RGB The image files with no alpha channel.

RGB + Matte The image and its alpha channel. Two clips are created: the first clip contains the RGB image, and the second clip contains the greyscale alpha channel image. If the image does not contain an alpha channel, a single clip is created.

RGB + Invert Matte The image and its alpha channel (inverted). Two clips are created: the first clip contains the RGB image, and the second clip contains the greyscale inverted alpha channel image.

Matte The image’s alpha channel only.

Increment Name button

Timecode fieldLoad Method box

Channels box

Tape Name field

Clip Name field Clip Index field

Export Improvements

27

Tape Name field — Enter the tape name. This name will be assigned as the source name of the next import clip. Always do this before you import material so you can trace the clip back to its source.

Clip Name field — Enter a name for the clip to import. This name is given to the next clip imported.

Clip Index field — Append this index value to the clip name. For example, if the clip is called mountain, the resulting clip name will be mountain-0. Increment Name must be enabled.

Increment Name button — Append the value in the Clip Index field to the name of the next import. When enabled, the clip index number increments after each import.

Timecode field — Specify a start time and frame code mode for an imported clip.

Use DPX Timecode button — Appears when DPX format is selected and indicates that the source timecode of the imported clip will be set based on the timecode information in the DPX image file header. (This button was introduced in backdraft 5.3.)

NOTE: When you select the DPX (Spirit) format, Use DPX Timecode is enabled by default.

Export ImprovementsThe following improvements were introduced in backdraft 5.2.4, with the noted exception added in backdraft 5.3.

In the Export Image panel, you can now assign a custom numbering scheme and a name when you perform an export operation.

Frame/Clip boxStart Number field UNIX Format Specifier field

Clip Name field Clip Index field Increment Name button

Video Track Selection box


28

Frame/Clip box — Displays the method to export a clip.

Video Track Selection box — Displays the video track to export from a clip with multiple video tracks.

Stop Frame button — (This improvement was introduced in backdraft 5.3.) Enable to export frames in the selected clip up to and including the frame specified in the Stop Frame field. All frames after the specified number will not be exported. For example, if you have a 30-frame clip and you specify 10 in the Stop Frame field, only frames 1 to 10 will be exported.

Changing the Numbering FormatWhen you export a clip, the individual image files are numbered sequentially so that the order of frames in the clip can be maintained if you import the clip. You can specify the first number in the sequence using the Start Number field.

NOTE: When you export an entire clip, 1 appears in the Start Number field to indicate that the first

frame of the clip is being exported. When you export a range of frames in a clip, the frame number

of the first frame in the range appears.

You can also use the UNIX format specifier to add leading zeros before the number. These ensure that the images are listed and stored in the correct order. Since most UNIX tools and applications list files in alphabetical order, if you save images without leading zeroes, they will be listed in the following order: 1, 10, 11, 12,..., 18, 19, 2, 20, 21, and so on.

Select: To export:

Single Frame A clip composed of one frame.

Clip Offset A clip beginning with the frame specified in the Start Number field. For more information on the Start Number field, refer to the backdraft 5.2 User’s Guide.

Clip(# frames) A clip composed of several frames where the number of frames in the clip replaces #.

Stop Frame button Stop Frame field


29

For example, to add leading zeroes to the numbering format of a clip called testclip, you could use the UNIX format specifier .%04d. The resulting filenames would be:

testclip.0001

testclip.0002

testclip.0003

testclip.0004

and so on.

The “4” in the format specifier tells the UNIX operating system to use 4 digits in the numbering format. You could use another number but 4 digits is sufficient for most clips as it provides correct numbering in clips up to 9999 frames long.

The “0” in the format specifier tells the operating system to place leading zeroes before the file number when there are fewer than 4 digits in the sequence number.

Changing the Clip Name on ExportWhen you export a clip, the clip name is set automatically if the Clipname field is left blank when you select the clip. To override this, enter a clip name in the Clip Name field when you export a clip.

If multiple clips are selected, the name field will display <clip_name>. This name can be replaced, deleted, or appended to create the final clip name.

Archive/Restore ImprovementsThese improvements were introduced in backdraft 5.2.4 with the noted exceptions added in backdraft 5.3.

Estimating Archive SizeYou can display an estimate of the media space needed to archive selected material. The space required is displayed in units appropriate for the archiving device and takes header information into account. The space required for a tape or file archive is shown in MBs. The space required for a VTR archive is given as a duration of time (h:m:s:f).

NOTE: The VTR size estimate includes 1 minute each of pre-roll and post-roll. It reserves 5400

frames (3 NTSC minutes) for the header data and slates, as well as the gap between the header

data and the archive.


30

The space required to archive material varies by archiving device. The following options also influence the amount of space required for an archive:

• Include Audio

• Compact/Normal archive

To estimate archive size:

1. Select one or more clips in the clip library.

2. Click Size Estimate.

The estimate appears in the Archive Information field to the right of the Size Estimate button.

Archive User Interface ChangesThe following illustrations show the new layout of the Archive menu for file and VTR archives.

File Archive

VTR Archive

Tape Archive

VTR Emulator Improvement

31

Format File Archive

Format VTR Archive

Format Tape Archive

Close File Archive

NOTE: Close File Archive is illustrated but the buttons are the same for VTR and tape archives.

VTR Emulator ImprovementThis improvement was introduced in backdraft 5.2.4.

There is now a confidence window in the VTR Emulation panel.

Confidence window


32

Input and Output Clip ImprovementsThe following improvements were introduced in backdraft 5.2.4 with the noted exception added in backdraft 5.3.

Adding Live Video DeviceThis improvement was introduced in backdraft 5.3.

You can now use Live Video as a device type in the Input Clip panel. For Live Video to appear as an option in the VTR Device box, you must add a Live Video device on the VTR tab in the Preferences panel. For information on adding a VTR device and assigning engineering settings, refer to the “Setting Preferences” chapter in the backdraft 5.2 User’s Guide.

Naming the Tape and Clip Use the following fields to name the tape and clip prior to capture.

Use: To:

Tape field Enter the tape name. This name will be assigned as the source name of the next captured clip. Always do this before you capture material so you can trace the clip back to its source.

Clip Name field Enter a name for the clip to be captured from the VTR. This name is given to the next clip captured.

Clip Index field Append this index value to the clip name. For example, if the clip is called mountain, the resulting clip name will be mountain-0. Increment Name must be enabled.


Append the value in the Clip Index field to the name of the next captured clip. When enabled, the clip index is incremented after each capture.


Tape field Clip Index field

Clip Name field

Burn-in Information Added

33

Setting Aspect Ratio on InputIf the aspect ratio of the clips you are inputting differs from that of the project, set the correct aspect ratio for the clips to be captured in the Aspect Ratio field or Aspect Ratio presets. For example, if your project is NTSC with an aspect ratio of 4:3 (1.333), and the clips you are inputting are NTSC at 16:9, set the aspect ratio to 16:9.

NOTE: The Aspect Ratio field and presets now also appear in the VTR Emulation panel and in the

EDL Capture panel.

To use a preset, click one of the following buttons to the left of the Aspect Ratio field.

Burn-in Information AddedThis addition was introduced in backdraft 5.3. (Note that further enhancements were made in backdraft 5.5. See “Burn-in Information Improvements” on page 11.)

You can now burn in timecode or frame numbers in the Clip Format panel. Click the Burn In button to change and preview burn-in information.

NOTE: Run backdraft in the foreground when using the burn-in options to ensure expected

results.

The following burn-in options are available.

Click: To:

Set w:h Select the preset where image ratio is width:height of the image. In this case, the pixels are square.

Set to 16:9 Select the frame ratio of 1.777, the default value for HDTV formats.

Set to 4:3 Select the frame ratio of 1.333, the default value for NTSC and PAL formats.

Custom Set a user-defined aspect ratio.

Aspect Ratio field

Aspect Ratio presets


34

NOTE: Click Clip Format to process the selected clip with the selected burn-in options.

Burn-In Type box — Determines whether timecode or frame numbers are burned onto the selected clip.

Font field — Determines the font of the burn-in information. When you click this field, the available fonts are listed in the file browser. Select the font you want to use and click Select. The selected font is applied to the burn-in information that appears on the clip.

Drop Shadow button — Adds a drop shadow to the burn-in information.

Horizontal Position box — Determines the horizontal position of the burn-in information. By default, the burn-in information is horizontally centred.

Horizontal Offset field — Changes the horizontal position of the burn-in information by the number of pixels specified. The burn-in information moves right when you increase the value and left when you decrease the value.

Vertical Position box — Determines the vertical position of the burn-in information. By default, the burn-in information is vertically centred.

Select: To:

H Centre Horizontally centre burn-in information.

Top Horizontally align burn-in information with the top of the clip.

Bottom Horizontally align burn-in information with the bottom of the clip.

Select: To:

V Centre Vertically centre burn-in information.

Top Vertically align burn-in information with the top of the clip.

Bottom Vertically align burn-in information with the bottom of the clip.

In Preview window

Burn In button Drop Shadow button

Field/Frame box

Font Size box

Font field Horizontal Position Box/Offset field

Vertical Position Box/Offset field

List View Improvements

35

Vertical Offset field — Changes the vertical position of the burn-in information by the number of pixels specified. The burn-in information moves up when you increase the value and down when you decrease the value.

Font Size field — Determines the font size of burn-in information.

Scan Mode box — Determines whether the burn-in information appears as frames or fields. If you select fields, an asterisk appears.

Burn In Preview window — Shows the changes you make to the burn-in information.

List View ImprovementsThe following improvements were added in backdraft 5.2.4.

List View mode now displays the resolution and the date the clip was archived. List View mode displays entries in the clip library as a list of clips. This list gives information about each clip, such as start and end timecodes, clip duration, archive flag, and tape name.

The paths of clips are shown in the Location column. You cannot perform drag and drop operations such as moving or copying entries.

NOTE: Place the cursor over a line dividing one column from another to adjust column widths.

When the cursor becomes an orange two-headed arrow, you can drag the column width.

Clip Information in List ViewThe following information is provided in List View.

Column Description

Location Path to the clip in the clip library.

Name Name of the clip.

In Start record timecode of the clip. If Frame Numbers is selected in the Preferences panel, frames are displayed.

Out End record timecode of the clip. If Frame Numbers is selected in the Preferences panel, frames are displayed.

Duration Duration of the clip.

Frames Number of frames referenced by a clip.

Resolution Archive Date


36

Media Player ImprovementThis improvement was introduced in backdraft 5.2.4.

There are three options for playing a clip in the small and full-screen Media Player. Select the options from the Playback option box.

Image courtesy of Behaviour Communications Inc.

V Number of video tracks.

A Number of audio tracks.

Width Pixel width.

Height Pixel height.

Aspect Aspect ratio.

Depth Bit depth.

Proxies Whether a proxy exists for the clip.

# The order in which clips were selected.

E Number of editing elements of the clip.

Created Creation date and time of the clip.

Archive Date Date the last time the clip was saved to an archive tape.

Tape Name of the associated tape. <N/A> indicates that the tape cannot be renamed.

Comment Comment for the selected clip.

Select: To:

Once Play through the clip one time.

Ping Pong Continuously play in a forward and backward cycle.

Column Description

Playback option box

Inter Framestore Panel Improvements

37

HINT: When you view HD clips using the Ping Pong or Repeat option, you can improve

performance by increasing the value of the Memory field to 200 or more in the Preferences panel.

For information on the Memory field, refer to the “Setting Preferences” chapter in the backdraft

5.2 User’s Guide.

Inter Framestore Panel ImprovementsThe following improvements were introduced in backdraft 5.2.4.

You can transfer entire clip libraries, desktops, reels, or individual clips from one project to another through the Inter Framestore panel. Projects can be on the local volume or on remote volumes.

When performing resize during transfers, increasing the number of CPUs will improve transfer speed.

To transfer material from one project to another:

1. In the Main panel, click Inter Framestore.

The Inter Framestore panel appears.

2. Select the volume that contains the material to be transferred from the Source Volume box.

3. Select the project that contains the material to be transferred from the Source Project box.

4. Select the volume to which you want to transfer the clips from the Destination Volume box.

5. Select the destination project for the transferred clips from the Destination Project box.

NOTE: You cannot select the same project as both source and destination.

6. To resize the material to a different resolution, enable Resize and set the appropriate Image Resize options.

7. Select the material to transfer from the Clip Management area.

You can select individual clips, reels, desktops, or entire clip libraries for transfer. If you select desktops, reels, or clips without selecting the parent clip library in the Clip Management area, only the selected items are transferred.

HINT: You can also make multiple selections using SHIFT or CTRL.

Repeat Play in a continuous loop.

Select: To:


38

8. Select the destination area for the transferred clips. Libraries, desktops, or reels are valid destinations.

9. Do one of the following:

• To transfer the selected material immediately, click Transfer.

• To execute the operation later, enable Rescan Library and then click Add to Job List.

NOTE: Upon job execution with Rescan Library enabled, backdraft looks for changes that have

been made to the clip library since the job was created, and includes any new clips or structural

changes to the library in the transfer operation.

Project Resolution of EDLsThis feature was introduced in backdraft 5.2.

A new button, the Override Project Resolution button, has been added in the EDL panel to make it possible to use either the project’s resolution (default setting) or the resolution of the first matched event in the EDL.

Override Project Resolution button — Enable to assemble pre-captured material of a different resolution than your project’s default resolution. The first matched event determines the resolution, and all other material on the reel must be of the same resolution for it to be marked as captured.

NOTE: If an EDL refers to a clip that has the same tape name and timecode but is of a different

resolution than the default resolution or that of the first matched event, the clip will not be

considered captured. For example, if you are assembling an NTSC EDL and the EDL refers to a

captured HD clip with the same tape name and timecode, the HD clip will not be considered

captured.

Override Project Resolution button

Onyx2—Improving Clip Input and Output Performance with HD

39

Onyx2—Improving Clip Input and Output Performance with HDThis feature was introduced in backdraft 5.2.

If you receive retry messages when performing HD input or output, performance may improve by using the sw_ptaskall utility. The sw_ptaskall utility distributes memory usage across all CPUs available in a configuration.

To improve performance when retry errors occur:

1. In a UNIX shell, log in as root by typing:

root

and enter the password.

2. Change to the sw directory by typing:

cd /usr/discreet/sw/

3. Use the sw_ptaskall utility by typing:

./sw_ptask all


40

41

Setting Up Video and Audio Hardware

This chapter explains how to set up the video and audio hardware for the

Tezro, Onyx 350 and Onyx 3200 platforms.

SummaryAbout Tezro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Tezro —Video Hardware Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Tezro Slot Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Tezro—Wiring for SD and HD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Tezro—Wiring the Audio Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

About the Onyx 350 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Onyx 350 —Video Hardware Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Onyx 350 Slot Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Onyx 350—Wiring for SD and HD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Onyx 350—Wiring the Audio Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

About the Onyx 3200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Onyx 3200— IX-Brick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Setting Up Video and Audio Hardware4

42

About TezroYou can use backdraft 5.5 on the Tezro SGI workstation. The Octane2 and Octane MXE workstations continue to be supported for backdraft 5.5.

Tezro —Video Hardware ComponentsThe video hardware components for the Tezro are described as follows.

V12 — Graphics board located in the lower-right corner of the Tezro. This board supports a 24-inch monitor (up to 1920 x 1200) and provides the connection for genlocking.

DMediaPro DM3 (DM3) — Video board located in the 4-2/XIO slot. Although the DM3 board fills the 4-2/XIO slot, it uses the DM3 connector, not the PCI connector. Therefore the PCI connector associated with the 4-2 slot is not available. A VBOB must be connected and the DMediaPro DM3 drivers and subsystems must be installed for the DM3 to function properly. Refer to your SGI DMediaPro DM2/DM3 Board Owner’s Guide.

Video Breakout Box (VBOB) — A box that converts between serial digital video signals and the LVDS format used by the DM2 or DM3.

Video hardware components depend on whether or not you are using the connection between the DM5 board on the VBOB and the DCD board on the V12. The explicit hardware link option for configuring graphics-to-video also requires the following components.

DMediaPro DM5 (DM5) — Graphics-to-video board located on the right side of the VBOB with 2 DVI-In and 1 DVI-Out connector. The DM5 drivers and subsystems must be installed for the DM5 to function properly.

NOTE: Wiring diagrams in the DM5 IRIX online (“Insight”) documentation suggest a different

broadcast monitor configuration. Although you may refer to this documentation for other

information about the DM5 board, make sure you connect the broadcast monitor using the wiring

instructions in this chapter.

DCD-2 — The DCD-2 (dual-channel display) board is an option installed on the V12 graphics board. It provides two DVI-I digital/analog outputs to supplement the built-in analog RGB output of V12 graphics. The V12 graphics board can output a digital graphics raster through the DCD-2 board to the DM5 board on the VBOB. The DM5 board converts the digital graphics raster to a video signal and outputs this signal to the broadcast monitor in real time.

Visit techpubs.sgi.com for further technical and installation information on the V12 graphics board, the DCD-2 board, the DM3, the DM5, and the VBOB.

Tezro Slot Configuration

43

Tezro Slot ConfigurationThe following illustration shows the supported Tezro slot configuration with bus and slot numbers. Boards that are optional are labelled as such. The order of the boards ensures a balanced load on each bus. Only Tezro configurations that comply with the illustrated guidelines are supported by Discreet.

Tezro Slot Configuration

Link A Link BIN

OUT

1-1

2-1

2-2

2-3

3-1

3-2

4-1

4-2/XIO

Bus-Slot

I/O 9 board

RAD Audio board

Serial Ports board

DM3 board

Optional PCI Dual Port 2 GB Fibre Channel boardOptional PCI Dual Port 2 GB Fibre Channel board(used in 4 storage enclosure configurations)

PCI Dual Port 2 GB Fibre Channel board

R L

DCD option

NoteThe DM3 board fills the 4-2 PCI slot but uses the DM3 connector, not the PCI connector. ThereforePCI connector 4-2 is not available.

Tezro

Optional Network board


44

Tezro—Wiring for SD and HDFollow these instructions in conjunction with the wiring diagram on page 46 to connect your VBOB, sync generator, broadcast monitor, and VTR to your Tezro for SD or HD work.

To configure the Tezro video hardware for SD or HD:

1. First power down and unplug the Tezro. Then power down and unplug the Video Breakout Box (VBOB) and other peripheral devices. Finally, unplug the disk arrays.

2. Connect LVDS A and LVDS B on the VBOB to LVDS A and LVDS B on the DM3 board of the Tezro using the two LVDS cables provided with the DM3 board.

3. Connect a BNC T connector with a 75Ω BNC terminator on one side to the Genlock input on the V12 board of the Octane2.

4. Connect the available end of the BNC T connector to the Timing OUT connector on the VBOB using a BNC cable.

5. Connect an HD OUT 1 on the VBOB to the IN 1 port on your HD VTR (or 4:4:4 Video Player/Recorder) with a BNC cable.

6. To enable an HD 4:4:4 signal transfer, connect an HD OUT 2 on the VBOB to the IN 2 port on your HD 4:4:4-capable recorder with a BNC cable.

7. Connect HD IN 1 on the VBOB to the OUT 1 port on your HD VTR (or 4:4:4 Video Player/Recorder) with a BNC cable.

8. To enable an HD 4:4:4 signal transfer, connect HD IN 2 on the VBOB to the OUT 2 port on your HD 4:4:4-capable player with a BNC cable.

9. Connect the left HD Genlock on the VBOB to the Genlock OUT on the HD sync generator with a BNC cable.

10. Connect a 75Ω BNC terminator to the right HD Genlock on the VBOB.

11. Connect the remaining HD OUT 1 on the VBOB to the IN port on your HD monitor with a BNC cable.

12. Connect an SD OUT 1 on the VBOB to the IN 1 port on your SD VTR (or 4:4:4 Video Player/Recorder) with a BNC cable.

Tezro—Wiring for SD and HD

45

13. To enable an SD 4:4:4 signal transfer, connect an SD OUT 2 on the VBOB to the IN 2 port on your HD 4:4:4-capable recorder with a BNC cable.

14. Connect SD IN 1 on the VBOB to the OUT 1 port on your HD VTR (or 4:4:4 Video Player/Recorder) with a BNC cable.

15. To enable an SD 4:4:4 signal transfer, connect SD IN 2 on the VBOB to the OUT 2 port on your SD 4:4:4-capable player with a BNC cable.

16. Connect the left SD Genlock on the VBOB to the Genlock OUT on the NTSC/PAL sync generator with a BNC cable.

17. Connect a 75Ω BNC terminator to the right SD Genlock on the VBOB.

18. Connect the remaining SD OUT 1 on the VBOB to the IN port on your SD monitor with a BNC cable.

19. Connect Serial Port 1 on the Tezro to the RS- 422 machine control on your SD or HD VTR (or 4:4:4 Video Player/Recorder) using an RS-422 cable.

NOTE: If your facility does not have a patch panel, you will have to swap the RS-422 Machine

Control cable between your SD and HD VTRs.

20. Connect the DVI R on the DCD-2 board on the Tezro to the DVI IN 0 on the VBOB using a DVI cable.

NOTE: You must use the short DVI cables provided with the hardware. Longer cables will cause

artefacts in the video output when the graphics-to-video connection is enabled.

21. Connect the DVI L on the DCD-2 board on the Tezro to the DVI IN 1 on the VBOB using a DVI cable.

22. Connect the graphics monitor port to the graphics monitor.


46

Tezro Video Hardware for SD or HD

L

Present

HDGenlock

Timing Out

HD Out HD In

1

2

1

2

Present

SDGenlock

SD In

1

2

1

2

RS-232

RS-422

A B

C D

1

2

GP I/O

In In

Out Out

IN

HD Monitor

75Ohm Terminator

Video Breakout Box (VBOB)

Generic HD VTR or 4:4:4 Video Player/Recorder

I0

IN

SD Monitor

Syn

c G

en

NTSC/PAL SyncGenlock Out

NTSC/PAL Sync Generator

In In

Out Out

Generic SD VTR or 4:4:4 Video Player/Recorder

To mouse

L1 console port (Not a regular serial port)-May be used for laptop or external controller

To keyboard

Tostorage

BNC T Connector

To network

RS-422Machine Control

SD Out

DVI IN 1 DVI IN 0 DVI OUT

LVDS A LVDS B

Tablet

RS-422Machine Control

RAD board

Serial ports

DM3 board with LVDScommunicarion ports

PCI Dual Port 2 GB Fibre Channel boards

DM5

Link A Link BIN

OUT

Tezro

R LIN

Graphics Monitor

DCD optionwith Right(R)and Left (L)Connectors

Syn

c G

en

HD SyncGenlock Out

HD Sync Generator

75OhmTermin-ators

To tapedevice or CXFS

SerialPort 1

SerialPort 2

Genlockinput

Tezro—Wiring the Audio Hardware

47

Tezro—Wiring the Audio HardwareThe configuration for Discreet Native Audio requires connections to the serial ports and RAD board on Tezro.

Tezro Discreet Native Audio Setup

In

Out

Word Clock

110

S/P DIF

Analog Inputs

AES/EBU Out Analog Outputs3-4

1-2

1-25-67-8

3-45-67-8

12345678

12345678

AES/EBU In

MIDI

In Out/Thru

ADATSYNC

In Out

ADAT OpticalIn Out

ADAT Converter

IN IN

OUT OUT

IN IN

OUT OUT

IN IN

OUT OUT

IN IN

OUT OUT

LegendAnalog only

Video Ref In(Black connector)

House Sync

Digital VTR

Black Burst Out

To VTR

Digital only

Analog VTR

To VBOB DVI IN 1To VBOB DVI IN 0

Genlock

To VBOB Timing Out

BNC T Connector

L1 console port(Not a regular serial port)-May be used for laptop or external controller

To mouse

To keyboard

To storage

To network

Tablet

Link A Link BIN

OUT

Tezro

RAD board

Serial ports

DM3 board with LVDS connectors

PCI Dual Port 2 GB Fibre Channel boards

R L

DCD optionwith Right(R)and Left (L)Connectors

To graphicsmonitor

75Ohm Terminator(Green cable)

AES/EBU Coaxial digital out(Blue cable)

AES/EBU Coaxial digital in(Red cable)

To tape deviceor CXFS


48

About the Onyx 350You can use backdraft 5.5 on the Onyx 350 SGI workstation. The Onyx 3200 (with or without the IX-brick) and the Onyx2 continue to be supported for backdraft 5.5.

Onyx 350 —Video Hardware ComponentsThe Onyx 350 includes the DMediaPro DM3 video board. The Onyx 350 also includes the DG5-2-TVO (for SD and HD monitoring) board. This section describes these boards and the video breakout box (VBOB) that is used in conjunction with them.

DG5-2-TVO — Display generator board located in the right-most slot of the G-brick on the Onyx 350. This board supports SD and HD monitoring. The DG5-2-TVO board supports SMPTE-259M SDI and SMPTE-292M HD SDI, in single link and dual link configurations. The term HDGVO is used when referring to the DG5-2-TVO and the VBOB at the same time.

DMediaPro DM3 — Video board located in the upper-middle of the Expansion Compute module on the Onyx 350. This board supports both SD and HD video formats. A VBOB must be connected and the DMediaPro DM3 drivers and subsystems must be installed for the DM3 to function properly. Refer to your SGI DMediaPro DM2/DM3 Board Owner’s Guide.

Video Breakout Box (VBOB) — A box that converts between serial digital video signals and the LVDS format used by the DMediaPro DM3, as well as the DVI/TMDS format used by the DG5-2-TVO.

Visit techpubs.sgi.com for further technical and installation information on the DG5-2-TVO display generator board, the DMediaPro DM3 video board, and the VBOB.

Onyx 350 Slot Configuration

49

Onyx 350 Slot ConfigurationThe following illustration shows the supported Onyx 350 slot configuration with bus and slot numbers. Boards that are optional are labelled as such. The order of the boards ensures a balanced load on each bus. Only Onyx 350 configurations that comply with the illustrated guidelines are supported by Discreet.

Onyx 350 Slot Configuration

I0

TMDS TMDS A TMDS BMDS B

LVDS AVDS A LVDS BVDS BPresentPresent

HDHDGenloenlockck

Timing Outiming Out

HD OutHD Out HD InHD In

1

2

1

2

PresentPresent

SDSDGenloenlockck

SD OutSD OutSD InSD In

1

2

1

2

RS-232RS-232

RS-422RS-422

A B

C D

1

2

GP I/OGP I/O

Onyx 350VBOB

I/O 9 board

RAD Audio board

Empty slot

Optional Network board

DM3 board



Empty slot

Empty slotA B

0

1 2 3

Keyboard (left) and Mouse (right) portsSerial ports

Console port

DG5-2/TVO board

GE16 board

KTOWN 2 board

Bus-Slot

2-22-11-21-1

Slot 1-11 (Numbered left to right)

2-22-11-21-1


50

Onyx 350—Wiring for SD and HDConfigure video hardware on the Onyx 350 using the DG5-2-TVO (HDGVO option). The HDGVO graphics-to-video option provides real-time SD and HD graphics-to-video output to a broadcast monitor. Any video-sized region displayed on the graphics monitor is simultaneously displayed on the SD or HD broadcast monitor, depending on the current setting.

Follow these instructions in conjunction with the wiring diagram on page 52 to connect your VBOB, sync generator, broadcast monitor, and VTR to your Onyx 350 for SD or HD work.

To configure the Onyx 350 with the HDGVO option:

1. First power down and unplug the Onyx 350. Then power down and unplug the Video Breakout Box (VBOB) and other peripheral devices.

2. On the Onyx 350, connect LVDS A and B on the DM3 to LVDS A and B on the VBOB using LVDS cables. The LVDS cables are provided with the DM3 board.

3. Connect the Genlock IN on the DG5-2-TVO board on the Onyx 350 to Timing OUT on the VBOB using a BNC cable.

4. Connect a 75Ω BNC terminator to the Genlock Loop Through connector on the DG5-2-TVO.

5. Connect TMDS A and B on the DG5-2-TVO board on the Onyx 350 to TMDS A and B on the VBOB using TMDS cables. The TMDS cables are provided with the HDGVO hardware.

6. Connect an SD OUT 1 on the VBOB to the IN 1 port on your SD VTR (or 4:4:4 Video Player/Recorder) using a BNC cable.

7. To enable an SD 4:4:4 signal transfer, also connect an SD OUT 2 on the VBOB to the IN 2 port on your SD 4:4:4-capable recorder using a BNC cable.

8. Connect the SD IN 1 on the VBOB to the OUT 1 port on your SD VTR (or 4:4:4 Video Player/Recorder) using a BNC cable.

9. To enable an SD 4:4:4 signal transfer, connect the SD IN 2 on the VBOB to the OUT 2 port on your SD 4:4:4-capable player using a BNC cable.

Onyx 350—Wiring for SD and HD

51

10. Connect an HD OUT 1 on the VBOB to the IN 1 port on your HD VTR (or 4:4:4 Video Player/Recorder) using a BNC cable.

11. To enable an HD 4:4:4 signal transfer, connect an HD OUT 2 on the VBOB to the IN 2 port on your HD 4:4:4-capable recorder using a BNC cable.

12. Connect the HD IN 1 on the VBOB to the OUT 1 port on your HD VTR (or 4:4:4 Video Player/Recorder) using a BNC cable.

13. To enable an HD 4:4:4 signal transfer, connect the HD IN 2 on the VBOB to the OUT 2 port on your HD 4:4:4-capable player using a BNC cable.

14. Connect the VTR control serial port on the Onyx 350 to the RS-422 machine control port on either the SD or HD Video Player/Recorder with an RS-422 cable.

15. Your sync connection depends on the format you are working in:

• For NTSC and PAL formats, connect the left SD Genlock on the VBOB to the NTSC/PAL Sync Genlock OUT on your NTSC/PAL Sync Generator using a BNC cable. Also, connect a 75Ω BNC terminator to the right SD Genlock on the VBOB.

• For all HD formats, connect the left HD Genlock to the Sync Genlock OUT on the NTSC/PAL or HD Tri-Level Sync Generator using a BNC cable. Also connect a 75Ω BNC terminator to the right HD Genlock on the VBOB.

16. Connect the HD OUT 1 on the VBOB to the IN port on your HD monitor using a BNC cable.

17. Connect the SD OUT 1 on the VBOB to the IN port on your SD monitor using a BNC cable.

18. Connect Channel 0 on the DG5-2-TVO board to the IN port on your graphics monitor.


52

Onyx 350 with the HDGVO Option

I0

TMDS TMDS A TMDS BMDS B

LVDS AVDS A LVDS BVDS BPresentPresent

HDHDGenloenlockck

Timing Outiming Out

HD OutHD Out HD InHD In

1

2

1

2

PresentPresent

SDSDGenloenlockck

SD OutSD OutSD InSD In

1

2

1

2

RS-232RS-232

RS-422RS-422

A B

C D

1

2

GP I/OGP I/O

Onyx 350VBOB

A B

0

1 2 3

IN IN

OUT OUTIN

Syn

c G

en

Syn

c G

en

IN

IN IN

OUT OUT

IN

Syn

c G

en

Syn

c G

en

HD Monitor

LVDS A

TMDS A

To Serial Port

Terminators

Channel 0

DG5-2-TVOBoard

NTSC/PAL SyncGenerator

LegendOnly for 4:4:4 SD or HD

TMDS B

SD Monitor

LVDS B

TMDS A

TMDS B

NTSC/PAL or HD Tri-Level Sync Genlock Out

NTSC/PAL Sync Genlock Out

NTSC/PAL or HD Tri-Level Sync Generator

Channel 1

Genlock In

Terminator(Genlock Loop Through)

To RS-422 on VTR

LVDS A

DM3 Video Board

LVDS B

Generic SD VTR or 4:4:4Video Player/Recorder

Generic HD VTR or 4:4:4Video Player/Recorder

Graphics Monitor

To Wacom tablet

To RS-422 to Midi Converter

To Dongle

Onyx 350— Wiring the Audio Hardware

53

Onyx 350— Wiring the Audio HardwareThe recommended configuration for setting up Discreet Native Audio with the Onyx 350 routes the house sync directly to the word clock input of the RAD card. This configuration can be used with digital and analog audio.

Refer to the following wiring diagram to configure Discreet Native Audio hardware with an Onyx 350.

Onyx 350 Discreet Native Audio Setup (Digital and/or Analog)

A B

0

1 2 3

In

Out

Word Clock

110

S/P DIF

Analog Inputs

AES/EBU Out Analog Outputs3-4

1-2

1-25-67-8

3-45-67-8

12345678

12345678

AES/EBU In

MIDI

In Out/Thru

ADATSYNC

In Out

ADAT OpticalIn Out

ADAT Converter

IN IN

OUT OUT

IN IN

OUT OUT

IN IN

OUT OUT

IN IN

OUT OUT

LegendAnalog only

RAD board

Video Ref In(Black connector)

House Sync

Digital VTR

To VTR RS-422control

Black Burst Out

Digital only

Analog VTR

AES I/O

Onyx 350-Two Modules

ExpansionCompute Module

BaseCompute Module


54

About the Onyx 3200You can use backdraft 5.5 on the Onyx 3200 SGI workstation with either the I-brick or the IX-brick. The Onyx2 continues to be supported for backdraft 5.5.

Onyx 3200— IX-BrickIf you are running backdraft on an Onyx 3200, the Onyx 3200 has either an I-brick or an IX-brick. The main difference between the I- and IX-bricks is that the IX-brick contains more PCI slots than the I-brick.

The increased number of PCI slots on the IX-brick means that a greater number of optional boards is supported. The IX-brick contains six PCI-X buses with two slots per bus for a total of 12 PCI slots. The I-brick contains 2 PCI buses and a total of 5 PCI slots. The contents of these slots will vary depending on the specific needs of your organization.

I-Brick and IX-Brick Comparison

Balancing the Load for the IX-BrickWhen determining the contents of the slots that you can fill with optional boards on the IX-brick, ensure that you maintain a balanced load on each bus. All the boards on a given bus must have the same rate of data transmission. If the rates differ between boards, all boards will operate at the slowest rate of transmission. For example, if you have two boards on a bus and one board has a transmission rate of 33 MHz and another has a rate of 133 MHz, both boards will operate at 33 MHz.

NOTE: Slot assignments that do no follow those recommended by Discreet may lead to

performance problems. Discreet only supports the recommended configurations.

The following illustration shows the order of the IX-brick slots and buses.

0 1X10 X10

IX-BrickI-Brick

VTR Control

Onyx 3200— IX-Brick

55

IX-Brick Slot and Bus Configuration

0 1X10 X10

1-1 1-2 2-1 2-2 3-1 3-2 4-1 4-2 5-1 5-2 6-1 6-2Bus-Slot

IO 9

Serial COM(66 MHz PCI)

USB(66 MHz PCI)

Serial COM(66 MHz PCI)

Numa Link

Numa Link

PCI Dual Port 2 GB Fibre Channelboard

PCI Dual Port 2 GB Fibre Channelboard

Optionalboard

RAD

Optionalboard

Optionalboard

Optionalboard

Optionalboard


56

57

Installing Switchable Storage

This chapter provides the workflow and steps required to set up your

Switchable Storage configuration.

SummaryAbout Switchable Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Switchable Storage Installation Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Connecting the Patch Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Confirming Disk Array Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Obtaining a Switchable Storage License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Upgrading to IRIX 6.5.21f and Installing Java . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Configuring the Switchable Storage Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Installing backdraft 5.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Obtaining the Framestore Name and ID Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Configuring Framestores Using the Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Copying Projects and Clip Libraries to the NAS Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Assigning Compatible User IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Defining the Central Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Configuring the Hosts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Swapping Project Configuration Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Discreet Native Audio Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Dangling Filesystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Installing Switchable Storage5

58

About Switchable Storagebackdraft 5.5 features Switchable Storage functionality, which allows you to share data in real time across multiple systems and between multiple artists. You can work collaboratively and eliminate time-consuming media transfers.

There are three types of stone disk arrays that support Switchable Storage: IR-series, R-series, and D-series. For information about these types of disk arrays, refer to the Discreet Storage Configuration Guide, 6th edition, available on www.discreet.com.

In the Switchable Storage configuration, you can assign any stone disk array to any system. stone disk arrays can be switched instantly between Discreet SGI-based systems connected to your Switchable Storage configuration.

By sharing data between systems, you avoid unnecessary data replication and reduce your storage requirements. You can also optimize data storage and management by performing video I/O tasks on less costly machines with little impact on artistic and editorial work.

Switchable Storage Installation WorkflowThis section provides an overview of the necessary procedures for configuring and installing the Switchable Storage functionality. The following steps may provide sufficient information for an experienced system administrator to install and configure the Switchable Storage functionality. The remaining sections in this chapter provide complete details of all necessary steps and are intended to clarify the finer points of the configuration and installation process.

1. Before you start configuring Switchable Storage, archive all material. For information on archiving, refer to the “Archiving” chapter in your backdraft 5.5 User’s Guide.

2. Power down SGIs and then power down the stone disk arrays.

3. Connect the hosts and framestores to the patch panel. See “Connecting the Patch Panel” on page 60.

4. Power up all disk arrays, wait about 60 seconds (90 seconds for Hardware RAID) for the drives to spin up, and then power up the SGIs.

5. Confirm that your disk arrays are available. See “Confirming Disk Array Availability” on page 62.

6. Obtain a Switchable Storage license. See “Obtaining a Switchable Storage License” on page 62.

7. Install IRIX 6.5.21f including Java2 v1.4.1_02. See “Upgrading to IRIX 6.5.21f and Installing Java” on page 64.

Switchable Storage Installation Workflow

59

8. Install compatible Discreet Editing and Effects products on all machines in the Switchable Storage configuration (inferno 5.5, flame 8.5, flint 8.5, fire 6.0 and smoke 6.0 or later). Refer to the “Installing” chapter in the inferno 5.0, flame 8.0, flint 8.0, smoke 6.0, or fire

6.0 Installation Guide.

NOTE: stone and wire 2.3 is installed during this process.

9. Install backdraft 5.5 including the Switchable Storage subsystem. See “Installing backdraft 5.5” on page 67.

NOTE: stone and wire 2.3 is installed during this process.

10. Configure the Switchable Storage server daemon (swsd) on the system running backdraft. See “Configuring the Switchable Storage Server” on page 65.

11. Configure the NAS. See “Configuring the IP Address of Discreet x345 NAS” on page 97.

12. Configure framestores using the NAS server or host machine. See “Configuring Framestores Using the Host” on page 68.

13. If applicable, copy existing projects and clip libraries to the NAS directory. See “Copying Projects and Clip Libraries to the NAS Directory” on page 69.

14. Set the user IDs for each Discreet application on each machine in the configuration. See “Assigning Compatible User IDs” on page 70.

15. Define the central path on every system in the network. The central path is where the projects and clip libraries will be stored. See “Defining the Central Path” on page 71.

16. Configure all the host machines in the Switchable Storage configuration, whether connected directly or over the network. See “Configuring the Hosts” on page 72.

NOTE: A machine that you connect to the patch panel is directly connected whereas a machine that is connected via wire to the machines on the patch panel is connected over the network.

17. Make necessary adjustments to the VideoPreviewWindow section of the init.cfg file on each host machine. Refer to the inferno 5.5, flame 8.5, and flint 8.5 Release Notes or the smoke

6.0 or fire 6.0 Installation Guide.

18. Perform the following tasks in backdraft:

• Use the switch panel in the Switchable Storage panel to configure the switch panel, hosts, and filesystems. You can also use this panel to check your configuration.

• Use the Filesystem Configuration panel in the Switchable Storage panel to connect hosts to filesystems.

• Exit from all systems that you defined in your Switchable Storage configuration except for the system running backdraft.


60

• Apply and save the changes. See “Swapping Project Configuration Files” on page 73.

• Use the Filesystem Configuration panel to swap filesystems of two different hosts in the Switchable Storage configuration. See “Swapping Storage” on page 87.

Connecting the Patch PanelAfter you determine the number of hosts and filesystems in your configuration, you can connect the hosts and framestores to the patch panel.

R L

INOUT

2 1

GenLock

Swap

Ready

LINK A

LINK B

IN

OU

T

DIGITAL

P2P1

Ch

ann

el 0

Lin

k U

pLi

nk

Up

Ch

ann

el 1

R L

INOUT

2 1

GenLock

Swap

Ready

LINK A

LINK B

IN

OU

T

DIGITAL

P2P1

Ch

ann

el 0

Lin

k U

pLi

nk

Up

Ch

ann

el 1

JBOD

IN OUT IN OUT

JBOD

IN OUT IN OUT

JBOD

IN OUT IN OUT

R L

INOUT

2 1

GenLock

Swap

Ready

LINK A

LINK B

IN

OU

T

DIGITAL

P2P1

R L

INOUT

2 1

GenLock

Swap

Ready

LINK A

LINK B

IN

OU

T

DIGITAL

P2P1

JBOD

IN OUT IN OUT

JBOD

IN OUT IN OUT

JBOD

IN OUT IN OUT

NoteThe same general principles applyfor all supported configurations.

Sample Patch Panel Configuration Shown-Two Octane2 SD-IR-series Unit Setup (1 JBOD, 1 GB)-Two Octane2 HD-IR-series Unit Setup (2 JBOD, 1 GB)

Connecting the Patch Panel

61

To connect the patch panel:

1. Power down and unplug the SGIs and then power down and unplug the stone disk arrays.

NOTE: For hardware RAID configurations, power down your configurations in the following

order:

• SGI

• RAID (2 power supplies per RAID)

• JBODs (2 power supplies per JBOD)

2. Disconnect the fibre channel cables from the stone disk arrays and SGIs.

NOTE: You will not need these cables for the Switchable Storage configuration.

3. Connect the hosts and framestores to the patch panel. Connect the hosts to the top row of ports (numbers 17-32) and the framestore to the bottom row (numbers 1-16).

NOTE: Be sure to connect matching host and stone disk array connectors one-to-one on the

patch panel. Connect them in the same way that they were connected physically when you set

up your configuration for the first time.

The cables that you use to configure the storage are as follows:

• For all configurations (except for HD on the Octane2 and Onyx 3200), use the DB9 to SFP cables to make the host connections. The SFP end of the cable is always connected to the patch panel.

• For HD on the Octane2 and Onyx 3200, there are four host connections. Two of the host connections are made with DB9 to SFP cables (connections with the SGI XIO fibre channel board) and two are made with HSSDC to SFP cables (connections made to the PCI Fibre Channel ports).

• All the connections made to the stone disk arrays are made with 1- or 2-GB SFP to SFP cables.

4. Power up all disk arrays, wait about 60 seconds (90 seconds for Hardware RAID) for the drives to spin up, and then power up the SGIs.


62

Confirming Disk Array AvailabilityYou confirm that disk arrays are available by checking if the filesystems on the disk arrays are mounted.

To confirm that your disk arrays are available:

1. In a UNIX shell, switch directories by typing:

cd /usr/discreet/sw

2. Check to see that the filesystems are mounted by typing:

sw_df

You receive numeric values representing the total and free space on your filesystems if the filesystems are mounted. Refer to the Discreet Filesystem and Networking Guide, 4th edition for further information on the sw_df utility.

Obtaining a Switchable Storage LicenseTo license Switchable Storage, you obtain a temporary license while waiting for your permanent license.

NOTE: You must restart swsd after you install the license. For more information on restarting the

swsd daemon, see the man pages on these topics. For example, type man swsd at the prompt.

Obtaining a Temporary LicenseTo run Switchable Storage, you must have the license code. You can request a software license code by registering Switchable Storage with the Discreet Licensing Department by e-mail, fax, or telephone.

To request a license code, you must have your backdraft 5.5 SGI workstation’s unique host ID number. The host ID number is the number of your SGI workstation, as set by SGI, used to authenticate your registration.

All registration procedures provide a temporary license that you use until your permanent license is confirmed and delivered.

To get your host ID number:

1. On your backdraft 5.5 SGI workstation, log in and open a UNIX shell.

2. Type lmhostid

A message indicating your host ID appears:

lmhostid — Copyright © 1989-1998 Globetrotter Software, Inc.

Obtaining a Switchable Storage License

63

The FLEXlm host ID of this machine is “<host ID>”

The host ID differs from platform to platform.

This host ID number is required for your Switchable Storage license code.

Obtaining a License Code by Telephone, E-mail, or Fax

To obtain a license code for Switchable Storage, provide your host ID to a Discreet licensing representative using one of the following methods.

You will receive a 30-day license code within 8 business hours.

Entering a Permanent Switchable Storage License CodeOnce you have the required license code for Switchable Storage, you can enter this code in the DL_license.dat file.

To enter the license code in the DL_license.dat file:

1. Log in as root and enter the root password.

2. Edit the DL_license.dat file by typing:

cd /usr/local/flexlm/licenses

nedit DL_license.dat

Add the license code provided by Discreet.

3. Save and exit the DL_license.dat file.

You can begin your session.

The host ID for an: Begins with:

Octane 69

Octane2 69

Onyx2 b00

Onyx 3200 c10 or c20

Tezro 1000

Onyx 350 d200

To obtain the license by: Use:

Telephone 1-800-925-6442

E-mail [email protected]

Fax 1-514-954-7491


64

Obtaining a wire LicenseIf you want machines in your Switchable Storage configuration to communicate via wire and you do not already have a wire license, refer to “Setting Up wire” in the Discreet Filesystem and Networking Guide, 4th edition for information on licensing wire.

Upgrading to IRIX 6.5.21f and Installing Javabackdraft 5.5 requires IRIX 6.5.21f and the Java 2 v1.4.1_02 runtime environment. Begin by verifying whether the Java2 v1.4.1_02 runtime environment is installed.

To verify whether the Java2 v1.4.1_02 runtime environment is installed:

In a UNIX shell, type:

versions -bn | grep java2

Your output should be similar to the following:

I java2_eoe 1279253020 Java2 v1.4.1_02 Execution

Environment (Sun JRE v1.4.1_02)

I java2_plugin 1278918520 Java2(tm) Plug-in for Irix,

v1.4.1

If the Java version number is not v1.4.1_02, proceed with “Installing the Java2 v1.4.1_02 Runtime Environment” on page 64.

NOTE: If you are swapping storage between systems with hardware RAID (IR36-HR or IR73-HR),

you need to install Java2v1.4.1_02 and the DSM software on each host machine that will be

connected to the hardware RAID storage, whether initially or after a swap. Refer to both the

Discreet Storage Manager Release Notes and the Discreet Storage Manager Installation and User’s

Guide, which come with your Discreet disk arrays.

Installing the Java2 v1.4.1_02 Runtime EnvironmentYou can install the Java2 v1.4.1_02 runtime environment from the SGI Web site.

To install the Java2. v1.4.1_02 runtime environment:

1. Launch a Web browser.

2. Go to the Software Evaluation area of the SGI Web site at:

http://www.sgi.com/products/evaluation/

3. Scroll to and click the following entry:

Java™2 Software Development Kit v1.4.1_02 (SDK v1.4.1_02)

Configuring the Switchable Storage Server

65

4. If you are not a Surf Zone member, you must register. Click register and follow the instructions.

5. Click Install.

6. After reading the license agreement, click Accept License.

7. Under the java2_eoe entry (step 2 on the SGI Web site), click Install.

8. If you are not already logged in as root, enter the root password when prompted.

9. Click Start to start the install.

If software conflicts arise with java2_dev, you have two options:

• Remove java2_dev.

• Install the new version of java2_dev from the SGI Web site by following step 7 and onwards. (In step 7 choose java2_dev rather than java2_eoe.)

10. When the installation is complete, click Exit.

11. Click either Save this distribution or Remove this distribution. If you click Save this distribution, java2 is saved by default in the /usr/dist directory and the installation is complete. If you click Remove this distribution, the installation is complete.

Configuring the Switchable Storage ServerThe Switchable Storage server daemon (swsd) runs on the backdraft system. It monitors the status of hosts and framestores on the network, reconfigures the patch panel, and reconfigures the hosts.

NOTE: You can only configure one machine as the Switchable Storage server.

To configure the Switchable Storage server:

1. Power down all Discreet applications running on the backdraft system.

2. Log in as root.

3. Type:

cd /usr/discreet/sw/cfg/


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4. In a text editor, modify the sws.cfg [GENERAL] keyword section, if required.

5. Save and close the sws.cfg file.

6. Activate Switchable Storage functionality (which is off by default) by typing:

chkconfig -f dl_sws on

7. To verify that it has been activated, type:

chkconfig

The dl_sws entry should be listed as on.

8. Restart stone and wire by typing:

/etc/init.d/stone+wire restart

The backdraft system now acts as the swsd server.

NOTE: For more information on the swsd daemon and the sws.cfg configuration file, see the

man pages on these topics. For example, type man swsd or man sws.cfg at the

prompt.

9. Verify that the contents of the sw_framestore_map file are correct on each host by logging in as root and then typing:

cd /usr/discreet/sw/cfg

nedit sw_framestore_map

Only the local framestore should be listed. Delete all other framestores from the list. This is necessary for the SelfDiscovery option to work correctly.

Keyword Description

ProbePort TCP port number used to communicate with the sw_probed servers. The default value is 7001. This port number is defined in the [GENERAL] section of sw_probed.cfg. You may need to match this value in step 7 of “Configuring the Hosts” on page 72.

swsdPort TCP port number used to communicate with the swsd server. The default value is 7458. This port number is defined in sws.cfg. Make sure that the value in the [SWS] section of sw_probed.cfg matches. You may need to match this value in step 8 of “Configuring the Hosts” on page 72.

Installing backdraft 5.5

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Installing backdraft 5.5You must select the Switchable Storage subsystems when you are installing backdraft 5.5 to install the Switchable Storage functionality.

Installing the Switchable Storage Subsystemsstone and wire 2.3 is installed as part of the install procedure for backdraft 5.5. However, to obtain Switchable Storage functionality, you must also install the Switchable Storage subsystems.

To install backdraft 5.5 with Switchable Storage:

1. Log in as root to the workstation on which you want to install backdraft.

2. Insert the backdraft 5.5 CD in the CD-ROM drive.

3. Go to the CDROM directory by typing:

cd /CDROM/backdraft55 (all platforms except Tezro)

cd /CDROM/backdraft55_tezro (Tezro only)

4. To access the installation options, type:

./INSTALL

5. To start the backdraft 5.5 installation, type:

5

6. To ignore the installation startup script, type:

2

The install script detects whether the system is running stone. If the system is running stone, the stone and wire software is automatically installed. The following question appears:

Do you want to install Switchable storage? (y/n) [n]

7. Install Switchable Storage by typing:

y

The installation process begins.

8. When the following message is displayed, press ENTER:

Distribution script completed, press ENTER to continue.

9. Click Reboot to reboot the system and finalize the installation.

You can now start backdraft.

For further information on installing or upgrading stone and wire, refer to the Discreet Filesystem and Networking Guide, 4th edition.


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Obtaining the Framestore Name and ID NumberIf you need to obtain the ID and framestore number after the installation of stone and wire, use the sw_framestore_dump utility.

To obtain the framestore name and ID number:

1. In a UNIX shell, switch to the tools directory by typing:

cd /usr/discreet/sw/tools

2. View the framestore names and corresponding ID numbers by typing:

sw_framestore_dump

Framestores and their IDs are listed.

NOTE: For information on the sw_framestore_dump utility, refer to the stone and wire 2.3

Release Notes or type man sw_framestore_dump.

Configuring Framestores Using the Host The NAS is the central repository for application metadata (clips and projects). It shares data between all hosts on the Switchable Storage network. You configure the NAS from the host machine.

To configure the framestores using the host machines:

1. Enable NIS (Network Information Service) or create users equivalent to the existing user base. Refer to Discreet IBM x345 NAS On-Site Configuration.

NOTE: Your system administrator should perform this step.

2. On a host machine, create the framestore directories on the NAS. Type:

mkdir /hosts/<nas hostname>/data/<framestore id>

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each framestore ID number on each host machine.

Copying Projects and Clip Libraries to the NAS Directory

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Copying Projects and Clip Libraries to the NAS DirectoryAfter configuring the NAS, you can copy existing projects and clip libraries to the NAS directory you created. This procedure is only necessary if you want to keep your existing material on a framestore in the Switchable Storage configuration.

To copy projects and clip libraries to the NAS directory:

1. Copy all projects and clip libraries to the NAS directory. First type:

cd /usr/discreet

Then type:

cp -rp clip project /hosts/<nas hostname>/data/<new framestore

id>

NOTE: This process may take an extended period of time if your projects or clips are large.

2. Remove or rename the original directories in /usr/discreet/ by typing

root and entering the root password.

3. Type:

cd /usr/discreet

Then type:

mv <directory> <directory moved>

Where <directory> is the original directory and <directory moved> is the destination directory.

NOTE: It is recommended that you rename, rather than remove, the directories so that they are

available as backups.

4. If you are transferring material from projects created in versions earlier than inferno 5.3, flame 8.3, flint 8.3, smoke 5.3, or fire 5.3, edit the projects.rdb file in /usr/discreet/project/<name of project>/ by changing all “Setup Dir” values to the NAS path:/hosts/<nas hostname>/data/<new framestore id>

5. Repeat steps 1-3 for each framestore ID number.


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Assigning Compatible User IDsAssign the same user ID to all like software on all machines in your Switchable Storage configuration. For example, on each machine in your configuration where flame 8.5 is installed, flame 8.5 should have the same user ID. This user ID numbering system will help you track users in the Switchable Storage network because you can easily identify who is reading or writing material with the user ID.

You can alter user IDs using the following procedure or using VI (Virtual Interface) commands described in “Using Visual Editor Commands” on page 100.

To assign user IDs to software:

1. Log in as root on a system in your Switchable Storage configuration by typing:

root

and entering the root password.

2. Change to the etc directory by typing:

cd /etc

3. In case you incorrectly modify the passwd file, create a backup by typing:

cp passwd passwd_backup

4. Open the passwd file for editing by typing:

nedit passwd

Lines similar to the following identify the user IDs of the Discreet products installed on the system:

backdraft5_5::100:20:backdraft 5.5:/usr/discreet/backdraft_5.5:/bin/tcsh

smoke6_0::101:20:smoke 6.0:/usr/discreet/smoke_6.0:/bin/tcsh

flame8_5::102:20:flame 8.5:/usr/discreet/flame_8.5:/bin/tcsh

where 100, 101, and 102 are the user IDs for backdraft 5.5, smoke 6.0, and flame 8.5 respectively.

5. Change the user IDs on each machine. In the previous example, you could change the IDs as follows:

backdraft5_5::53100:20:backdraft 5.5:/usr/discreet/backdraft_5.5:/bin/tcsh

smoke6_0::53101:20:smoke 6.0:/usr/discreet/smoke_6.0:/bin/tcsh

flame8_5::53102:20:flame 8.5:/usr/discreet/flame_8.5:/bin/tcsh

Defining the Central Path

71

Although the user IDs that you assign may vary from the ones shown, it is beneficial to create a numbering scheme that identifies the software version in the user ID.

6. Follow the same procedure on each machine in the Switchable Storage configuration. Following the example in step 5, you assign the user ID of 53102 to flame 8.5 on each machine in the Switchable Storage configuration.

Defining the Central PathThe central path tells each host where the projects and clip libraries are located. The central path is defined with the centralPath.cfg configuration file. You must define it on every system connected to your network, regardless of whether or not the host is running Switchable Storage functionality.

Libraries can either be stored on the NAS for hosts that are using SWS (see “Configuring the Hosts” on page 72 for further information on SWS) or locally in /usr/discreet/.

To define the central path:

1. Log in as root.

2. Type:

cd /usr/discreet/cfg/

NOTE: Create this directory if it does not exist; type: mkdir /usr/discreet/cfg

3. In a text editor, open centralPath.cfg. On line 1, enter the required keyword.

You can use either CENTRAL or LOCAL if the host machine is connected by the network to the Switchable Storage configuration.

4. On line 2, enter the path to the clip libraries on the NAS.

/hosts/<nas hostname>/data

The path is necessary if you want to access the centralized clip libraries.

Type: To:

CENTRAL Specify that projects and clip libraries are located on the NAS, using the path specified. You must use CENTRAL if the host machine is connected directly to the Switchable Storage configuration.

LOCAL Specify that projects and clip libraries are located on the host, in/usr/discreet/.


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Configuring the Hostsstone and wire 2.3 uses three components to manage your system: sw_probed, swsd, and backdraft. The sw_probed daemon is installed with stone and wire on each host. It receives queries from the Switchable Storage server where backdraft with Switchable Storage capabilities is supported (swsd) and executes the reconfiguration commands. backdraft uses a GUI-based tool to configure and activate storage switches. swsd monitors the status of hosts and storage on your network, and it triggers the configuration of the patch panel and hosts. sw_probed executes reconfiguration commands from swsd.

The sw_probed daemon is configurable in the sw_probed.cfg configuration file. To use Switchable Storage functionality, you must define the [SWS] keyword section in this file on each host. Use the [SWS] keyword to indicate the machine and port on which the Switchable Storage server is running. The sw_probed.cfg file already exists if you are configuring Switchable Storage functionality on an existing stone and wire installation. However, you must define the keywords indicated in the following procedure to run Switchable Storage functionality.

Refer to the stone and wire 2.3 Release Notes for important changes to sw_probed.cfg. Changes to the SelfDiscovery option are particularly pertinent to Switchable Storage. Also note that sw_framestore_map now only contains local hosts.

To configure the host machines and the server:

1. Exit all Discreet applications.

2. Log in as root.

3. Set up the centralPath.cfg configuration file. See “Swapping Project Configuration Files” on page 73.

4. Type:

cd /usr/discreet/sw/cfg/

5. Open the sw_probed.cfg file in a text editor.

6. Make sure that SelfDiscovery=yes. Refer to the stone and wire 2.3 Release Notes for more information on the SelfDiscovery option.

7. Ensure that the correct information appears in the [SWS] keyword section of the sw_probed.cfg file. If the [SWS] keyword does not appear by default, go to step 8. If the [SWS] keyword section appears by default, do the following:

• Under the [SWS] heading, uncomment Server= and specify the IP address of the Switchable Storage server (the backdraft system):

Server=<host IP address or name>

Swapping Project Configuration Files

73

• Under the [SWS] heading, uncomment Port=<port number>. If necessary, modify the default value of the Port keyword to correspond to the TCP port number used to communicate with the Switchable Storage server. Usually this value is 7458. It must be the same as that defined in the [GENERAL] keyword section of the sws.cfg configuration file. See “Swapping Project Configuration Files” on page 73.

8. If the [SWS] keyword section does not appear by default in your sw_probed.cfg file, do the following:

• Add an [SWS] keyword section to the file by typing:

[SWS]

• Add the following line under [SWS] to specify the IP address of the Switchable Storage server (the backdraft system):

Server=<Switchable Storage server IP address or name>

• Add the following line to specify the TCP port number used to communicate with the Switchable Storage server. It must be the same as that defined in the [GENERAL] keyword section of the sws.cfg configuration file. See “Swapping Project Configuration Files” on page 73.

Port=<port number>

9. Restart stone and wire by typing:

/etc/init.d/stone+wire restart

10. Verify the contents of the sw_framestore_map file by logging in as root and then typing:

cd /usr/discreet/sw/cfg

nedit sw_framestore_map

Only the local framestore should be listed. Delete all other framestores from the list. This is necessary for the SelfDiscovery option to work correctly.

11. Repeat steps 1-10 for each host on the Switchable Storage network.

Swapping Project Configuration FilesFor information on changing the init.cfg file, refer to the “Initialisation Configure File” section on page 11 of the inferno 5.5, flame 8.5, and flint 8.5 Release Notes or the “Configuration Files” chapter of the smoke 6.0 or fire 6.0 Installation Guide.

Discreet Native Audio SupportDiscreet Native Audio is the only type of audio supported when using Switchable Storage. You can still use Switchable Storage on systems without Discreet Native Audio but audio is not swapped.


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Dangling FilesystemsIn Switchable Storage configurations, you can have a framestore connected to the patch panel without a host. The filesystems on this framestore are referred to as dangling filesystems.

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Dangling Framestore

Sample Dangling Framestore Configuration

ShownThree Octane2 SD-IR-series Unit Setup (1 JBOD, 1 GB)NoteThe same generalprinciples apply forall supported dangling framestore configurations.

Dangling Filesystems

75

A dangling filesystem is particularly useful when you are swapping filesystems for video input and output. The following is a potential workflow:

1. Load data onto host A from filesystem A.

2. Swap filesystem A so that it is a dangling filesystem.

3. Swap filesystem B onto host A.

4. Load data onto host A from filesystem B.

5. Swap filesystem A so that it is a dangling filesystem.

6. Swap filesystem A back onto host A.


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77

Configuring Switchable Storage

This chapter explains how to define your Switchable Storage

configuration and then swap your storage using the Switchable Storage

panel in backdraft 5.5. The information in this chapter was introduced

with Switchable Storage 1.0.

SummaryDefining the Switchable Storage Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Swapping Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Switchable Storage Volume Integrity Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Naming Filesystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Association of Batch Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Command Line Utilities (DL Tools) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Switch Panel Configuration Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Defining the Switchable Storage ConfigurationCreate a default Switchable Storage configuration in the Switchable Storage panel that reflects the way in which hosts and framestores are connected to the patch panel. Many of these steps are automated. Once you define the default configuration, you can then use the Switchable Storage panel to quickly swap hosts and framestores on the Switchable Storage network.

Some user interface elements in Switchable Storage are not used during the automated process. For a description of these elements, see “Switch Panel Configuration Tab” on page 90.

Configuring Switchable Storage6

78

WARNING: The software configuration must exactly represent the way in which the filesystems

and hosts are physically connected to the patch panel or you will not be able to successfully swap

framestores.

To define the Switchable Storage configuration (overview):

1. Exit from all Discreet applications running on all hosts that will be affected.

2. Log in as super-user on the backdraft 5.5 system by typing:

su

3. Enter the root password.

4. Launch backdraft by typing:

backdraft

5. In the Main panel, click Switchable Storage.

The Switchable Storage panel appears.

6. Configure the switch panel. See “To configure the switch panel:” on page 79.

7. Configure the hosts, filesystems and JBODs. See “To configure the hosts, filesystems, and JBODs:” on page 81.

8. Connect the filesystems. See “To connect the filesystems:” on page 86.

9. Apply the configuration. See “Applying Your Configuration and Exiting” on page 87.

The software is now configured to match the physical hardware configuration.

!

Switchable Storage button

Defining the Switchable Storage Configuration

79

To configure the switch panel:

1. Click the Switch Panel Configuration tab.

2. Click the New Switch icon to define the switch panel.

The New Switch Properties dialog appears. The General panel displays the type of switch panel connected and the number of ports available.

Switch Panel Configuration tab

General tab Network tab


80

3. If your patch panel already has an IP address, enter the IP address in the Network Address field and go to 5. If your patch panel does not have an IP address, go to step 4.

4. Click Configure Address to configure the IP address, subnet, and gateway address of the patch panel. Enter the value in the corresponding numeric field.

You will require either the current IP address or the MAC address of the patch panel. The MAC address may be located on the back of the patch panel. For new configurations, there is a sticker on the back of your Switchable Storage patch panel that states “Ethernet Address” followed by either a hyphen (-) or a colon (:). This should be entered as the MAC address. If you do not know the IP or MAC address values, contact your system administrator. Further information about these fields is also available in the information box at the top of the General tab.

NOTE: When configuring the MAC or Current IP address, enable the corresponding radio button.

5. In the Patch Panel Network Configuration dialog, click OK.


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6. In the New Switch dialog, click OK.

A graphic representing the patch panel appears.

NOTE: To save your configuration settings without applying them, click Save. If you click Exit Switch Config without saving, configurations that you defined are lost.

To configure the hosts, filesystems, and JBODs:

1. On the Switch Panel Configuration panel, click the New Host icon to define the first host machine on the network.

The New Host dialog appears.

2. On the General tab, enter the name of the host in the Hostname field. The name of the host must be resolvable. Check in a UNIX shell if the host is resolvable by typing:

ping -c 1 <hostname>

General tab Fibre Channel tab Advanced tab


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3. On the FibreChannel tab, click Detect.

You are prompted to add the framestore.

4. Click Yes to add the framestore to the Switchable Storage configuration.

You are prompted to add all the detected JBODs.

5. Click Yes to add all the detected JBODs to the Switchable Storage configuration.

All the fibre channel ports are detected and listed on the FibreChannel tab.


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NOTE: The JBODs are also added automatically in the Switch Panel Configuration tab and are

already connected to the filesystem.

6. In a UNIX shell, verify that the fibre channel adapters listed in the FibreChannel tab are indeed fibre channel adapters in the Switchable Storage configuration by typing:

su

and entering the root password. Then type:

disk_summary

Only fibre channel adapters that correspond to storage devices should be listed in the FibreChannel tab. If an adapter is not a fibre channel adapter corresponding to a storage device, it is not listed as either DISCREET or STON+WIR in the disk summary. You must delete any such fibre channel adapter from the list in the New Host Properties dialog. Select the corresponding number and click Remove.


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7. Repeat steps 1-6 for each host in your Switchable Storage configuration.

8. Click one of the host graphics and drag to the appropriate port number on the switch panel to connect the first fibre channel controller to the switch panel.

9. Repeat step 8 for each fibre channel controller on each host connected to the patch panel. The number of loops appears below the name of the host.

NOTE: To remove a line connecting two elements, click a line and select Remove. You must

click directly on the line or the appropriate menu will not appear.

The host is now connected to the switch panel.

10. Click the first JBOD icon and drag to the appropriate port number on the switch panel to connect it to the switch panel.

The filesystem is now connected to the switch panel.


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NOTE: If a filesystem is not associated with a host, the filesystem is said to be “dangling”. See

“Dangling Filesystems” on page 74.

11. Repeat step 10 for each JBOD.

NOTE: To save your configuration settings without applying them, click Save. If you click Exit

Switch Config without saving, configurations that you defined are lost.


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Connecting the Filesystems with HostsOnce you define how the switch, hosts, and filesystems are physically connected, you can define which hosts are virtually connected to which filesystems.

To connect the filesystems:

1. In the Switchable Storage Configuration dialog, click the Filesystem Configuration tab.The hosts and filesystems that you defined in the Switch Panel Configuration panel appear.

2. Click a host icon and drag to the filesystem to which you want to connect it. This can be any filesystem on the network; it does not need to be the same filesystem that it is connected to on the patch panel.

Swapping Storage

87

The host is now connected to this filesystem.

3. Repeat step 2 for each host and filesystem.

Applying Your Configuration and ExitingWhen you create a Switchable Storage setup, you can save, or save and apply the configuration.

Swapping StorageSwap stone disk arrays as required using the Switchable Storage panel in backdraft. There is no need to physically rewire hosts and stone disk arrays.

To swap storage:

1. Close all Discreet applications running on all hosts that will be affected.

2. Launch backdraft.

3. Click Switchable Storage.

The Switchable Storage Configuration dialog appears.

4. Click the Filesystem Configuration tab.

Select: To:

Save Save your configuration without applying it. Your configuration will be saved automatically and loaded the next time you enter the Switchable Storage panel.

Apply & Save Stop stone and wire on each host. The Switchable Storage server reconfigures the Switchable Storage panel to correspond with the configuration you created. The fibre channel adapters on each host are rescanned and stone and wire is automatically restarted.The progress bar indicates the status of the operation. After about 1 minute, the following message appears in the message bar:Interface Configuration Successfully Saved

Exit Switch Config Exit Switchable Storage. If you click Exit and then click Yes without saving, any configurations that you have defined are lost.


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The current configuration of your filesystem appears.

5. Click the icon of the first host whose configuration you want to change and drag to the new framestore. This can be any framestore on the network; it does not need to be the same framestore that it is connected to on the patch panel.

The host is now connected to the new framestore, and the framestore is disconnected from the host to which it was previously linked.

6. Repeat step 5 for each host.

7. Click Apply & Save.

stone and wire is automatically stopped on each host and the Switchable Storage server reconfigures the Switchable Storage patch panel to swap storage paths to correspond with the new settings. The fibre channel adapters on each host are then rescanned and stone and wire is automatically restarted.

The following message indicates that changes were successfully applied:

Switchable Storage Volume Integrity Check

89

Interface Configuration Successfully Saved

8. Restart Discreet applications on the affected hosts, as required.

Switchable Storage Volume Integrity CheckWhen you perform a switch, a volume integrity check is performed on each volume involved in the switch. This volume integrity check is a scaled down version of the volume integrity check performed on start-up in Discreet Editing and Effects products or from the Preferences panel in backdraft.

The purpose of the volume integrity check in the context of Switchable Storage is to verify that all volumes that are being swapped are available (not being accessed) for the switch.

Naming FilesystemsWhen naming filesystems, keep filesystem names distinct from host names. When you swap filesystems between hosts, you will be less likely to confuse the contents of filesystems if you maintain distinct names that reflect the contents of the filesystem. For example, you may have a host called tunisia with a filesystem called filmfs and another host called eritrea with a filesystem called editingfs.

NOTE: Filesystem names must be unique and have no spaces.


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Association of Batch SetupsBatch setups stay with the framestore. Therefore, if you save Batch setups on framestore1 associated with the host Tunisia and then you swap framestore2 from the host Eritrea, the setups that you saved will be swapped with framestore1 to Eritrea. If you want to access these setups, you will have to use the host Eritrea.

Command Line Utilities (DL Tools)If you used command line utilities (DL tools) after you performed a switch, the utilities will affect the files and clips on the current framestore of the host. In other words, DL tools stay associated with the host.

Switch Panel Configuration TabThe user interface elements in the Switch Panel Configuration tab are described as follows.

ButtonsThere are four buttons in the upper-left corner of the Switchable Storage panel.

host button — Click to create and configure a new host icon.

JBOD button — Click to create and configure a new JBOD icon.

stone fs button — Represents all filesystems on a given machine. Click to create and configure a new stone filesystem.

Switch Panel button — Click to create and configure a new switch panel.

Switch Panel button

JBOD button

host button

stone fs button

Switch Panel Configuration Tab

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DialogsWhen you click the Host, JBOD or stone fs icon, the associated dialog appears.

New Host Properties dialog

Use the New Host Properties dialog to configure hosts. This dialog includes the following three tabs.

General tab — Use to enter the name of the host in the Hostname field.

Fibre Channel tab — Use to add fibre channel adapters. Do one of the following on the Fibre Channel tab:

• Click Detect to detect all fibre channel adapters and the throughput of the adapters.

• Enter a value in the Adapter field for each adapter. After entering each value, click Add.

General tab

Fibre Channel tab


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Advanced tab — If you added your fibre channels manually (using the Add button), switch to the Advanced tab to enter the throughput of the adapters.

New Filesystem Properties dialog

Use the New Filesystem Properties dialog to enter a filesystem name in the Filesystem Name field and enter the ID number in the Filesystem ID field. See “Naming Filesystems” on page 89.

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New JBOD Properties dialog

Use the New JBOD Properties dialog to set the throughput of the JBOD fibre channel adapter. Select either 1- or 2-GB.

NOTE: All JBODs that make up a filesystem must have the same value.

IconsWhen you click OK in the New Host Properties, New Filesystem Properties, or New JBOD Properties dialog, an icon appears on the Switch Panel Configuration panel to represent the host, filesystem, or JBOD.

NOTE: Remove icons by right-clicking the icon and choosing Remove. View properties of the icon

by right-clicking and choosing Properties.

host icon — Represents the host SGI machine such as an Octane2 or Onyx 3200.

JBOD icon — Represents each connection to the storage from the host.


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Filesystem icon — Represents a filesystem.

NOTE: All volumes in the same filesystem are represented as one filesystem where a volume could

be stonefs, stonefs1, or stonefs2.

Switch Panel icon — Represents the Switchable Storage patch panel.

NOTE: Drag from an icon to a number or a number to an icon on the patch panel to connect the

patch panel to the icon.

Switch Panel icon

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Troubleshooting

This chapter proposes possible resolutions to problems that you may

encounter when working with Switchable Storage.

SummaryTroubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

TroubleshootingUse the following table to troubleshoot common Switchable Storage configuration problems.

Problem Cause and Resolution

I receive the following error message: The configuration utility is currently in use by <hostname>.

The likely cause of this error message is that a host is accessing the storage that is involved in the switch via stone and wire. To resolve this problem, close the connection to the storage before performing the switch.

I receive the following error message: <filesystem name> supports 2Gb, however, <filesystem name> supports 1Gb. Mixed speeds are not yet supported.

The likely cause of this error message is that you are trying to swap storage between incompatible storage. For example, you can only swap a 1-GB two-loop with a 1-GB two-loop storage.

I cannot successfully swap two-loop storage with four-loop storage.

You can only mount and therefore swap framestores with the same number of FibreChannel connections.

Troubleshooting7

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I receive the following error message: <hostname> is in use.

When you perform the switch, certain machines in the configuration are still running. Close all applications and/or run the vic utility. Refer to the “Utilities” chapter in your Discreet Effects or Editing User’s Guide or the “Command Line Utilities” chapter of the backdraft 5.2 User’s Guide.

I am unsure of the storage associated with the various hosts in my configuration.

You can verify the number of controllers and drives per controller for each host by typing:hinvYou can verify the type of drives that are attached to the machine by typing:cd /usr/discreet/sw/disk_summaryYou can verify which framestore is mounted on your host by typing:cd /usr/discreet/sw/toolssw_framestore_dump-local

I want to configure my storage differently.

Use the Configuration utility. For complete information on the Configuration utility, refer to the Discreet Filesystem and Networking Guide, 4th Edition.

I realized after I had initiated the switch, that my configuration was not set up correctly to support Switchable Storage.

When you perform a switch, errors in the configuration are automatically detected by the system. The system will not attempt to perform the switch. The configuration will revert (roll back) to the settings before the switch was attempted.

I receive seemingly unexplainable .ref.lock errors.

Reference locks are placed on all machines in the Switchable Storage configuration when you swap storage to prevent access of framestores in the configuration—until the swap is complete.One of the machines in your Switchable Storage configuration may have had an abnormal termination. In this case you may receive .ref.lock errors. To reset the lock on all the host machines in your Switchable Storage configuration, you need to exit and re-enter the Switchable Storage panel in backdraft 5.5.

Problem Cause and Resolution

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Configuring the IP Address of Discreet x345 NAS

The x345 NAS is shipped pre-configured with Linux Red Hat 8.0. A system

administrator needs to configure the IP address using Visual Editor (VI)

commands, as described in this appendix.

SummaryConfiguring the IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Using Visual Editor Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Configuring the IP AddressPerform the following procedure after you have set up and powered on your NAS. Refer to the documentation that accompanies your x345 NAS for information on setting up and powering on. In this procedure, you will need to change values using Visual Editor (VI) commands. For all VI commands that you need to complete this procedure, see “Using Visual Editor Commands” on page 100.

NOTE: The procedures described in this appendix should be performed by the system

administrator.

To configure the IP address of the Discreet x345 NAS:

1. When the NAS system is ready, the Red Hat log-in screen appears. At the prompt, log in as root by typing:

root and entering password as the password.

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2. Change the IP address and hostname of the NAS by typing:

cd /etcvi hosts

The following information appears:# Please do not remove the localhost entry

127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost

192.168.1.10 tunisia.yourcompany.com tunisia

where 192.168.1.10 is the IP Address and tunisia.yourcompany.com tunisia is the host address.

Change the values to match your configuration.

3. Change the hostname and gateway value in the /etc/sysconfig file by typing:

cd /etc/sysconfig/vi network

The following information appears:NETWORKING=yes

HOSTNAME=tunisia.yourcompany.com

GATEWAY=192.168.1.1

where tunisia.yourcompany.com is the host name (and also the fully qualified domain name) and 192.168.1.1 is the gateway number.


4. Change the IP address and netmask value in the /etc/basp/team-gec file by typing:

cd /etc/basp/vi /team-gec

5. Use the Down Arrow key to scroll to the following information:

# 1st virtual interface in the team

TEAM_VA0_NAME=sw0

TEAM_VA0_VLAN=0

TEAM_VA0_IP=192.168.1.10 --- Modify the IP address

TEAM_VA0_NETMASK=255.255.255.0 ---- Modify the netmask value if necessary

where 192.168.1.10 is the IP Address and 255.255.255.0 is the gateway number.


Configuring the IP Address

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6. If your network can support jumbo frames, ensure that the ONBOOT= parameter is set to YES and add the MTU line to both the ifcfg-eth0 and ifcfg-eth1 files by typing:

cd /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/vi /ifcfg-eth[#]

The following information appears:ONBOOT=YES

Add the following line:

MTU=9000


7. Add a name server in the /etc/resolv.conf file by typing:

cd /etcvi /resolv.conf

Add the following line:

nameserver 192.168.1.2

8. Add the NIS (Network Information Service) server if necessary by typing:

setup

NOTE: You need to know the domain and NIS server name to complete steps 12 and 14.

9. Choose Authentication Configuration and press ENTER.

10. Press TAB until you reach the Use NIS tab, then press the SPACEBAR to select it.

11. Press TAB until you reach the Domain field.

12. Enter the domain name in the Domain field and press ENTER.

13. Press TAB until you reach the Server field.

14. Enter the NIS server name in the Server field and press ENTER.

15. Press TAB until you reach the Next field and press ENTER.

16. Press TAB until you reach the Ok field and press ENTER.

You are returned to the shell.

17. If the NIS server is not used, add a user ID, group ID, and user name for each user that will be writing data on the NAS (Network Attached Storage) by typing:

useradd -u [user ID number] -g [group ID number] [user name]

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For example if flame 8.0 is used to write data on the NAS, you can create a local user called flame8_0OCT2 with a user ID 106 and a group ID 20 by typing:

useradd -u 106 -g 20 flame8_0OCT2

NOTE: Obtain further information from the man page about the useradd command by typing:

man useradd

18. Reboot the NAS by typing:

reboot

Using Visual Editor CommandsTo configure the IP address of the x345 NAS (NAS), use Visual Editor (VI) commands to change values in files.

As a precaution, make a copy of the file you want to edit by typing:

cp [file name] [file copy name]

For example, copy a file called network by typing:

cp network network_copy

To edit files using VI commands:

1. Use the DOWN ARROW and RIGHT ARROW to scroll to the end of the value that you want to change.

2. To insert the cursor, press I (lower case L).

3. To delete the values that you want to replace, press BACKSPACE.

4. Type the new value.

5. To save changes to the values, press ESC, press : (colon) and then press W (lowercase W).

6. To return to the prompt, press : (colon), press Q (lowercase Q), and then press !.

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