Everything needed in one package, ready to use with ease of setup and ultimate reliability built right in. Starting at $3999 for a 2TB system, including a CalDigit Controller Card. Each system holds up to 8 drive modules in a rack mount enclosure or tower. The CalDigit HDPro's unique architecture combines the best in value with the newest technology. The HDPro is compatible with MacPro, G5, Mac OS X Server, Windows, Linux workstations, and other platforms as well
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The CalDigit HDPro offers the best gigabyte-per-dollar ratio in the world for RAID storage. The HDPro is a high-performance storage solution with capacities from 2.0TB to 8.0TB. At under $2 per gigabyte including PCI-e Card and all accessories - it is a fraction of the cost compared to other products in its class.
Each HDPro holds up to 8 drive modules in a Tower or 2U affordable rack mount package. The swappable functionality of the HDPro allows users to upgrade the drive capacity as needed, while remaining very simple to configure and set up. There is no capacity limitation to any single chassis.
When you need large storage for your HD projects, large media files, database, photos, and/or images - the HDPro is your best storage solution. With single parity in RAID 5 mode, the HDPro features an advanced distributed parity algorithm. This accesses data and parity blocks across all drives in the disk array. To improve the write and read performance, RAID 5 removes the limitation that the dedicated parity drive represents in RAID 3. When configured in RAID 6 mode, fault tolerance is maintained by the world class CalDigit RAID engine ensuring that the parity information for any given block of data is placed on TWO drives separate from those used to store the data itself. Such double protection is to protect your valuable data even if two drives fail. Offering RAID 0, 1, 5, or 6, you will have a safe and reliable operation all in one package warranted for 3 years by CalDigit Inc.
With CalDigit's uniquely engineered Active Sustained Transfer Technology (ASTT?), the performance of your HDPro is always kept in check. Highs (or peaks) & lows (or drops) during the data transferring are equalized by ASTT. ASTT optimizes the best transfer size and timing between RAID controller cache and the host machine. This eliminates performance drops and maximizes the sustained data rate. ASTT technology also helps to maintain a continuously smooth transfer rate over the whole capacity of the RAID.
24 hours a day/ 7 days a week/ 365 days a year, the CalDigit HDPro is designed for nonstop operation with uninterrupted access to your critical data. All active components are modular design and can be replaced quickly with a minimum amount of downtime. The HDPro uses load-balancing power management to spread the workload between two power supplies for optimal power consumption. The load balancing method manages the selection of an appropriate power supply. This enables the HDPro to continue working in the event of one power supply failure. Redundant hot-swappable power supplies (Optional for HDPro Tower), fan, and drive modules enable the system to keep running even if one module fails. All active components are modular and designed to be switched in and out in seconds - No tools needed, no interruption of service.
Each HDPro uses an environment monitor processor to monitor and manage all aspects of the system including: hard drives, RAID set, controller, controller cache, fan, temperature, power supply, and enclosure conditions. In the event of a problem, the HDPro will send out an E-mail notification. The HDPro RAID Admin utility, RAID Shield, can build multiple RAID sets on the fly with variety of settings, cache sizes, capacities, slices, logical unit numbers, RAID levels...etc, enabling you to bring storage online with no waiting for initialization. Instantly, you can have RAID storage meeting your requirement. Since this utility is written entirely based on TCP/IP architecture, you can monitor and manage your RAID storage from anywhere on the Intranet. Once you've used this utility to set up your RAID sets, the RAID Admin utility provides at-a-glance status for monitoring subsystems for multiple local and remote HDPro systems.
Monitoring the activities of your HDPro is easy with CalDigit's intuitive LED visual feedback, which allows you to easily monitor your RAID's status with indicator lights on the front panel. There is an audible signal to signal any system, controller, and drive failure.
Unlike Fibre Channel, SCSI, FireWire and eSATA RAID storage, CalDigit HDPro is a native PCI Express using a direct connection to the computers bridge chip and memory system combined with high link speeds. This direct link eliminates latency introduced by the conversion of other interfaces to PCI Express and provides superior bandwidth, availability and deployment flexibility over earlier-generation SCSI and Fibre Channel technology. PCI Express includes error correction, and adapts to the speed of the slot automatically. CalDigit HDPro features PCIe x4 or x8 lane, 250MB/s per lane, bandwidth for ultrafast data transport between the storage system and the host computer. It also includes a high quality Molex* PCI Express cable and special electronics, to ensure a stable and high quality connection from the storage to the computer. This means you get both superb speeds and reliable bandwidth for high-speed data transfer.
Excessive heat is a source of problems for your computer and its performance. Each and every component that you add to your workstation tower, generates heat. These components share a limited space inside the workstation, which generates more heat. The heat increases the burden to your workstation, slowing down performance and causing potential premature failure issues with components. Unlike other RAID storage, CalDigit HDPro, an external RAID subsystem, is designed to minimize the heat inside your workstation. With no additional heat added in your computer, you'll experience more reliable operation and a longer lifespan for all of the components.
Many RAID solutions in the marketplace can only be used on your desktop workstation. Because the RAID processor is in the HDPro, the HDPro in combination with the ExpressCard frees you from your studio for editing on the go. This also means that the external RAID storage for your laptop is no longer limited to FireWire and USB connectivites. The CalDigit ExpressCard (eLane-1ex) easily plugs your HDPro into your MacBook Pro, or PC laptop, and enables you to edit ProRes 422, DVCProHD, DVCAM, HDV, uncompressed SD and up to 10 bit uncompressed HD.
HDPro's cable has a substantial connection for added strength and long-term protection against any potential object that might disrupt workflow. The secure latch will prevent it from coming off easily.
With multiple RAID levels support and an integrated Intel XScale? core to accelerate RAID performance, the CalDigit HDPro provides a simple solution for professionals looking to increase performance and add protection to storage.
Due to HDPro's sustained and high speed data transfer rate, the size of controller cache can act as a bottleneck. For example, the video playback does not keep up with your movements on the timeline, and lag behind. Larger cache size keeps up with you as you edit and buffer the video files. For the critical application, you can increase HDPro controller cache up to 2GB.
CalDigit HDPro RAID architecture diagram
HDPro is a flexible, open, remarkably scalable, and highly available RAID storage solution with virtually unlimited storage capabilities. It uses CalDigit's advanced PCI Express architecture that enables its 'pay-as-you-grow' scalability. As additional higher storage capacity becomes necessary with the growth of your media files; more HDPros can be attached and configured easily in the field without downtime. Simply done by adding a few key components - CalDigit PCIe switch and two-port PCIe card - these products will achieve your goals efficiently and cost effectively. Each switch can connect upto 7x HDPros, one host and one switch. Using hierarchical CalDigit PCI Express switch, you can have (in theory) unlimited storage pool across disk available to your media and database.**
Windows uses 32-bit block numbers in the lower storage stack. This effectively limits support for hardware RAID sets. To get storage unit sizes beyond 2TB, one had to combine multiple LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers) using the Windows Disk Management. This problem would give those users no other alternatives than to combine with software RAID and that would also defeat the purpose of using hardware RAID. CalDigit?s team of highly qualified engineers have worked tirelessly for to overcome this issue. Now one can utilize the full volume of HDPro storage in one single volume to store media files. This can be done through HDPro GUI - RAIDShield.
The HDPro and RAID utility were all designed and developed by CalDigit. Technical support for these products can be done with a single call.
*Ciprico 4440 is a trademark or registered trademark of CIPRICO Inc. *G-Speed is a trademark or registered trademark of G-Technology Inc. *Comparisons were based on manufacturers MSRP pricing, March 2007. **Operating system limitations apply.
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