Feature requests.

[MK]

Hi,

and thanks for opening up a forum on Xsanity. I just wanted to share few feature requests and feedback that I have received from our customers:

1. We have customers that don't have their own IT/technical staff that could manage the Presstore completely, so we manage it for them. They would still like to perform daily operations themselves, such as adding and removing tapes from Presstore/tape library. Currently this requires full admin rights, which we wouldn't like to give them (and they don't want to have those). So if there would be user level that is not full admin but only able to import, export and label imported tapes it would help a lot.

2. The same customers have asked to remove the ability to be able to try label cleaning tape. This has happened few times by our customers, and generally Presstore and the tape library haven't been happy with it. =)

3. Many customers would like to use Presstore for simple backup operation of production media (video files from digital cameras), such as backing up video footage shot on field and in studio. They generally copy the shot data to two or three indentical hard drive copies, and additionally they would like to make 1-2 LTO tape copies from these hard drives for secure storing of the raw material. This would require simple interface with maybe drag-and-drop ability. At the moment these customers are using other software for this, such as Tolis BRU PE, but it would make a lot of sense to do this with Archiware, since then they could also import these tapes made on the field in to their facility's tape library running on Presstore without any need to copy the data off the tape and then to new tape within library.

4. In addition to the features described above, the ability to clone existing tapes afterwards would be nice. Then production company could easily produce extra copies of the shot raw material of TV series or feature film for example.

Just my two cents, keep up the good work!


-MK

[morphenine]

I second that request (on points 3 & 4)

Presstore works with Xsan. Xsan works with Final Cut, and Final Cut is for Video. Many post houses are using Final Cut, Xsan, and backing up to LTO-4 tapes because LTO-4s are the only thing around right now that could hold a whole show for a long period of time.
It would be great to have a dual purpose backup system...sort of a disaster recovery with quick retrospect-like capabilities. That way smaller houses could use their existing hardware continuously for everything they need.

[itannir]

Hello,

Thanks for your feedback.

> 1. We have customers that don't have their own IT/technical
> staff that could manage the Presstore completely, so we manage
> it for them. They would still like to perform daily operations
> themselves, such as adding and removing tapes from
> Presstore/tape library. Currently this requires full admin
> rights, which we wouldn't like to give them (and they don't
> want to have those). So if there would be user level that is
> not full admin but only able to import, export and label
> imported tapes it would help a lot.

On Mac, Linux or Solaris you can create a groups named "psadmin" and add such customers to this group. The members of "psadmin" have rights limited to exactly that what you are looking for.

> 2. The same customers have asked to remove the ability to be
> able to try label cleaning tape. This has happened few times
> by our customers, and generally Presstore and the tape library
> haven't been happy with it. =)

Thanks for the hint. I will put this on our correction list.

> 3. Many customers would like to use Presstore for simple
> backup operation of production media (video files from digital
> cameras), such as backing up video footage shot on field and
> in studio. They generally copy the shot data to two or three
> indentical hard drive copies, and additionally they would like
> to make 1-2 LTO tape copies from these hard drives for secure
> storing of the raw material. This would require simple
> interface with maybe drag-and-drop ability. At the moment
> these customers are using other software for this, such as
> Tolis BRU PE, but it would make a lot of sense to do this with
> Archiware, since then they could also import these tapes made
> on the field in to their facility's tape library running on
> Presstore without any need to copy the data off the tape and
> then to new tape within library.

Drop folders are supported by PresSTORE Archive for automatic archiving. I think you request fits into the model Archive offers.

> 4. In addition to the features described above, the ability to
> clone existing tapes afterwards would be nice. Then production
> company could easily produce extra copies of the shot raw
> material of TV series or feature film for example.

I will add this to our wish list.

> Just my two cents, keep up the good work!

Thanks again for your feedback.

Ibrahim