TIXstream Product Description
Functionality • Interfaces • Specifications
WAN Transfer Acceleration
Index
1 – Functionality... 3
2 – Integration... 3
3 – Interfaces... 4
3.1 Physical Interfaces... 5
3.1.1 Ethernet Network...5
3.1.2 Fibre Channel... 5
3.1.3 Digital Video... 5
3.2 Logical Interfaces... 5
3.2.1 Storage... 5
3.2.2 Control... 5
3.2.3 Video... 5
3.2.4 Data/IP WAN... 5
4 – Block Diagram... 6
5 – Technical Specifications... 6
5.1 Product Line... 6
5.2 Software Specifications...6
5.3 Hardware Specifications...7
1 – Functionality
TIXstream implements file transfer with highest data rates. Data is read from the file system on the sender side, transmitted via IP WAN to the receiver side and written back to the file
systems. Highly optimized code is used for storage access. TIXstream transmits files, directories (flat and recursive).
Besides moving all kinds of files for generic transfer, backups and synchronization TIXstream is also capable to remotely playback uncompressed SD, HD, and 2K DPX files for movie and video production applications.
2 – Integration
A typical application scenario is depicted in the following figure. Bulk data is stored on SAN storage connected via Fibre Channel. A shared file system is accessed by workstations e.g. for processing or viewing. The TIXstream box is just another node with access to this file system adding the path to the wide area network. A similar setup can be found at a second site. Of course multiple sites can be connected in the same way.
Site B Site A
WAN
LAN LAN
Storage FC Switch Storage
TIXstream
FC Switch
Workstations
TIXstream
Workstations
3 – Interfaces
TIXstream uses industry standard interfaces to access network, storage, and video equipment.
IP WAN
Internet, private network
Control GUI, SOAP, CLI VideoSD, HD, 2K
Storage NAS, SAN, DAS
1 GE 10 GE
FC
SDI
TIXstream
Physical interfaces like Ethernet NICs may be used for different logical connections, e.g.
connecting NAS storage as well as controlling TIXstream.
3.1 Physical Interfaces
As TIXstream is implemented on a LINUX system and runs on regular x64 architecture server hardware, physical interfaces may be customized to the individual demands of the end user's application.
3.1.1 Ethernet Network
10 Gigabit Ethernet (GE) and 1 GE network interface cards are used for connecting local and wide area networks. These are used for data transfer, control and storage access to NAS systems. Depending on the appliance hardware multiple 10 GE and 1 GE are available.
Typically different interfaces are used for LAN and WAN but the minimum is one single 1 GE or 10 GE connection.
3.1.2 Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces support 8, 4, 2 gigabits per second. Depending on appliance hardware, multi-channel FC HBAs are available.
3.1.3 Digital Video
Single and Dual-Link HD-SDI connections are used for real-time playback of digital video.
3.2 Logical Interfaces
3.2.1 Storage
Storage Area Networks (SANs) and Direct Attached Storage (DAS) systems can be connected via Fibre Channel. TIXstream supports SAN file systems like StorNext® and CXFS™ as well as XFS, ext3, and ext2 for local storage (DAS).
Network Attached Storage (NAS) is supported via Network File System (NFS).
3.2.2 Control
A platform independent, intuitive web-based GUI is available as well as an industry standard SOAP interface for SOA integration. TIXstream can also be controlled via a command line interface (CLI) e.g. for use with SSH.
Control interfaces are accessed via 1 GE or 10 GE interfaces connected to LAN or WAN.
3.2.3 Video
Standard single or dual link HDSDI is used for remote real-time video playback of DPX frames.
3.2.4 Data/IP WAN
For IP WAN connection 1 GE and 10 GE are supported on standard IP layer. High performance (10 GE) connections require standard Ethernet Jumbo frame support of the underlying network components.
4 – Block Diagram
A TIXstream appliance consists of hardware and software. The hardware part contains of a standard server system plus interface cards, e.g. for 10 GE, or Fibre Channel. The software part is made of a standard Linux operating system, the TIXstream software package plus optional modules e.g. for file system access. On each side of the WAN one TIXstream box has to be installed.
TIXstream Appliance TIXstream Software Fibre
Channel Storage (SAN, NAS)
(Dual) Fibre Channel
HBA (2, 4, 8 Gb) HD SDI
Devices
Single or Dual Link HD SDI I/O
SDI device driver
IP/Ethernet Storage
(NAS)
1GE or 10GE NIC
(LAN, storage)
LAN 1GE NIC
(LAN, control)
file system driver (cvfs, cxfs, xfs)
file system driver (NFS)
TIXstream DPX I/O
TIXstream encryption (optional)
TIXstream RWTP engine
1GE or 10GE NIC
(WAN) WAN remote
TIXstream Appliance
TIXstream file I/O
5 – Technical Specifications
5.1 Product Line
The TIXstream product line covers applications in general IT as well as for movie production.
While F stands for file transfer V supports video output. VF combines both functions.
TIXstream-F1 1 GE 900 Megabits/s SAN+NAS integration
TIXstream-F2 10 GE 1700 Megabits/s SAN+NAS integration
TIXstream-F10 10 GE 5000 Megabits/s SAN+NAS integration
TIXstream-V2 10 GE 1700 Megabits/s HD-SDI output
TIXstream-VF2 10 GE 1700 Megabits/s SAN+NAS, HD-SDI output
S Security Option (AES-256 Encryption)
TIXstream is a software solution. However because of its application in high-end environments it is always bundled with specific hardware.
5.2 Software Specifications
TIXstream-F1 TIXstream-F2 TIXstream-F10 TIXstream-V TIXstream-VF
TIXstream-F1 TIXstream-F2 TIXstream-F10 TIXstream-V TIXstream-VF maximum allowed round
trip time (RTTmax) [ms]1 200 200 200 200 200
maximum allowed network packet loss rate
[%]2
0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1
maximum number of
parallel transfers 2 2 5 1 1
transfer rate adjustable
during active transfer ○ ○ ● ○ ○
video formats supported N/A N/A N/A see extra table
real time video streaming
file format N/A N/A N/A DPX
AES-256 encryption optional optional ● optional optional
operating system SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server (SLES), Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
SAN file systems StorNext®, CXFS™ supported
DAS file systems XFS, ext2, ext3, ext4
NAS file systems NFS
control channel ports one TCP port (configurable)
data channel ports two UDP ports (configurable)
command line interface ●
web service interface ● (SOAP)
5.3 Hardware Specifications
Hardware specifications are subject to change. Individual configurations available.
TIXstream-F1 TIXstream-F2 TIXstream-F10 TIXstream-V TIXstream-VF
1 GE ● ● ● ● ●
10 GE ○ ● ● ● ●
WAN connection 1 GE 10 GE 10 GE 10 GE 10 GE
HD-SDI out ○ ○ ○ ● ●
Fibre Channel HBA ● ● ● ○ ●
CPU Intel® Xeon® Intel® Xeon® 2 Intel® Xeon® Intel® Xeon® Intel® Xeon®
design rack-mount, 2 units
All information presented in this document is subject to change without notice.
