Few things travel as far and as fast as media. When creative teams work together over distances, the cloud is what connects them. However, media content continues to explode in size with 4K and 8K resolutions, and purely cloud-based storage is often too expensive and may not always be fully optimized for editorial workflows. And while cloud solutions can be very secure, storing data offline adds even more security by eliminating remote threats.
It’s in this space where a hybrid cloud environment shines the brightest. It’s called hybrid because it’s a mixture between on-premise storage and cloud storage. It offers all the speed and flexibility of the cloud without having to replace existing tech or buy new infrastructure.
Why Consider the Hybrid Cloud?
Having the best of cloud and on-premise storage means that organizations can choose what content belongs where, and they can scale cloud resources up or down whenever they need to. Beyond this scalability, a hybrid cloud solution can also have a real impact on the bottom line by cutting costs by up to 80% for perpetual storage.
iconik is built for the cloud. Users can bring their own cloud buckets and sync them all to iconik to be indexed and searchable. But this is only half of the combo. Linking with on-premise storage like FreeNAS will deliver the full promise of the hybrid cloud.
Here are some of the biggest benefits in a hybrid cloud solution:
| Cloud | On-Premise |
| Efficiently carry out to-day-day tasks to meet demands | Keep existing infrastructure without fully moving to the cloud |
| Disaster recovery is managed by the provider, and can cost much less if needed. | Private infrastructure offers fast, local accessibility (disaster recovery requires additional planning) |
| Make shareable content shareable with anyone | Keep private content private |
| Scale cloud resources as needed | Spend less on perpetual storage |
Hybrid Cloud for Media and Entertainment Organizations
Speed is one of the key benefits in a hybrid cloud environment, as well as a pivotal factor in media workflows. The joint solution from iconik and FreeNAS can address many of the common needs encountered by production teams.
1. I need a quick repository for storing files onsite at a large event.
👍 Solution: Upload locally to the compact FreeNAS Mini using SMB/NFS/AFP, and proxies will be generated locally and pushed to iconik when you are connected to a network.
2. I need to quickly send media from onsite to a remote editor.
👍 Solution: Once your FreeNAS machine with new files is connected to a network, proxy data will begin to fill iconik. From there, your editors can use proxy versions to build their project. Hi-res versions of your media can be reconnected during the final render.
3. I need a high-performance, all-flash system with 100 GbE of bandwidth.
👍 Solution: The all-flash FreeNAS Certified systems deliver up to 8K performance, while iconik will keep doing what it does best— adding proxies and indexing it all in the cloud.
4. I need a digital archive with 99.999% availability and 24/7 support for our mission-critical workflows?
👍 Solution: TrueNAS will do all this while iconik stores your proxy data in the cloud for easy sharing and collaborative editorial work. TrueNAS is ideal for perpetual storage and is often only ⅕ the cost of renting cloud storage at scale.
The combination of global availability through iconik’s cloud-based platform and FreeNAS’ ability to deploy storage anywhere is perfect for cross-site users and film production crews
Hybrid Cloud Made Easy
Making the change to hybrid cloud can be really simple. On FreeNAS, the iconik storage gateway runs natively as a plugin so it can act as a repository for iconik. Once this is setup, it allows for easy, immediate access to shared files in your FreeNAS from the cloud.
iconik will streamline media management by making local and cloud-based assets discoverable from a single interface. Whatever digital content is uploaded to your FreeNAS will be ingested, and archived in iconik.
The new iconik storage gateway plugin allows our users to not only protect and share their media files, but to now manage them easily as well. The iconik smart media platform is a perfect addition, helping turn FreeNAS storage into a comprehensive multimedia management solution.
Get Started with the Hybrid Cloud
For new iconik users, there is a limited time code with a free 300 credits available via this link.
For any questions or inquiries feel free to contact iXsystems or our team here at iconik.
### About iXsystems
Through decades of expertise in system design and development of Open Source software (FreeNAS, FreeBSD, OpenZFS and TrueOS), iXsystems has become an innovation leader in a global marketplace that relies on Open Source solutions, high availability storage and servers, technology partnerships, and expert support. Since its founding in 2002, thousands of companies, universities, and government organizations have come to rely on iXsystems’ enterprise servers, TrueNAS Unified Storage, and consultative approach to building IT infrastructure and Private Clouds with Open Source economics. Millions of tech-savvy users also download and deploy our Open Source software each year. More information can be found at www.iXsystems.com.
Back to Blog