ToolsOnAir offers a NAS called just:store which is optimized for our applications. We have also been testing other configurations using standard internal disks and various systems from different vendors using directly attached Thunderbolt and eSATA based RAID controllers, network attached storage and SAN systems. Usually these storage systems work flawlessly together with our playout products as soon as they have been recognised by the operating system. For some codecs, Just Out offers an internal buffer which can be configured to accommodate issues in data throughput of the playout storage for a short period of time.
Nonetheless we recommend that the minimum data rate the storage can provide is at least four times higher than the data rate of the used Video + the data rate needed by any graphic elements + the maximum data rate new files can be copied to the storage.
When the playout is on air we strongly recommend avoiding any unnecessary load on the storage system (like heavy file access from other machines or processes).
The storage system used for playout has to be able to deliver the data rate needed for continuous playback under all circumstances.
Do not use an Apple Fusion Drive for storing playout data.
Please contact your local TOA partner or contact us directly in case you require any guidance or assistance on your storage platform.