Digital Virtual Libraries - DVL

Asaca's new line of digital virtual libraries combines high performance with a very good cost-benefit ratio thanks to the low cost of individual storage systems. Digital virtual libraries employ the latest DVD-RAM technology to provide quick access to any file within the data storage system, associated with the advanced robotics developed by Asaca/Shibasoku, capable of providing the highest storage density in the industry.

Digital virtual libraries can be easily configured internally for different types of multimedia equipment or television production systems. By using the software that is included in the virtual library system, the user of DVL ( Digital Virtual Libraries) resources can adapt their DVL to manage multiple virtual libraries in the same structure. The information is stored in DVD disc modules.

As we have commented in a review prior to this article that TV&Video made in its New Products section (TV&V Vol. 6, Ed. 6, August 2000, p. 8), it is possible to operate up to eight units in parallel, which can be integrated into any type of network, being able to be used by several users.

As we know, images and graphics demand a high consumption of memory resources, and if these are of great caliber, because their handling becomes very heavy to the detriment of the quality in their creation, reason that makes it impossible for the storage source to stay online. However, the low-cost storage systems currently offered have as storage support for the digital tape resource, too slow to have online access.

With a product like DVD-RAM libraries, you can solve this problem. These systems provide storage on a 750 DVD disc, more than 9.4 GB of information that can be read at a speed of 2.7 MB / sec, fast enough to run smoothly a compressed video under the MPEG2 format. When associated with the random access feature of DVD-RAM and a data time of 15 sec. for a 7TB system file, playback of your graphics or image files is virtually online.

But Asaca also provides flexibility according to the user's needs. The digital virtual library allows the user to configure multiple drives of these powerful tools making each DVL can use different multimedia equipment to optimize their storage needs, with the possibility of storing existing CD-ROM and CD-R, DVD-RAM and DVD-ROM media, all these formats operating within the same library. In the same way, it allows the migration of images from a CD-R to a DVD-RAM. This reduces the investment amount of a multimedia system by a 14.5:1 ratio, due to the fact that there is a higher density in DVD-RAM discs. Consequently, you can have more than 56TB (with the expansion of structures, towers or booths) of graphics and images available on your network, all accessible in 15 sec., at a cost comparable to a digital tape storage system, but without the typical problems of a tape-based system.

For the broadcasting industry, DVD libraries become an ideal mechanism for data and information storage operations. Each library could store on a 7TB stand the equivalent of 92 hours of D1 video, which can be easily moved to the RAID cache for playback. Alternatively, using DVD discs - RAM of 750 each of 9.4 GB, the user can play an MPEG2 video at a speed of 20 MB/sec. With this, around 777 hours of video can be stored, enough for 32 consecutive days of operation. Using a transfer rate of 2.78 MB/sec and 12 online drives, the digital virtual library allows a television station to program, edit and make digital data can be put into sequence. The user can also directly use DVD-RAM discs and mix program contents with advertising spotson DVD-RAM discs. The library provides a complete hardware solution for playback systems used in broadcasting that are not permanently served.

The library is also a formidable tool for massively storing information for internet and intranet applications. With a capacity of 7TB and with an average time access of 15 sec. anywhere in those 7TB, this DVD library provides fast storage at an affordable cost. With a similar investment as tape drives, the DVD library allows online random access at a lower cost than a hard drive-based system. Additionally, the system allows the creation of multiple libraries within the same cabinet. The library can contain a reference CD-ROM, a CD-R library and an on-line/near line DVD-RAM.

As an economical storage system for video editing, the AM750 DVD can store more than 90 hours of D1 material or more than 750 hours of MPEG2 content. And we already know that if we use multiple drives we can expand that capacity with the use of up to 12 online drives at the same time. Video files can be read and uploaded to a hard disk array for editing and returned back to the low-cost DVD-based storage system. With an optional DVD Raid configuration, the digital virtual library can access the information stored on 4 10GB discs at a rate of 10 Mb/sec. for high performance applications.