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  • Tech Specs
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HD Optimized Performance

Whether you’re editing a project on your own or running a facility with multiple edit stations, if you’re working in HD, you need fast and reliable storage. Sonnet’s Fusion™ R800RAID storage systems meet your needs with breakthrough performance and data safety, provided in affordable, direct attached disk arrays for the desktop or rack. The award-winning Fusion R800RAID 2U rackmount system are designed for work environments where performance and fault tolerance are critical. Fusion 800RAID storage systems are fast enough to easily handle uncompressed HD while protecting the data at the same time, yet flexible enough to be configured for any workflow.

Under real world use (drives 85% filled and fragmented) with its drives formatted as a RAID 5 group (eight 1TB drives striped with parity across all group members), a Fusion 800RAID system is capable of single-stream 2K (2048 x 1556) LOG RGB capture and playback. A Fusion 800RAID system can achieve up to 690MB/sec (AJA Kona 1080HD test), fast enough to handle a single stream of uncompressed 10-bit 1080 4:4:4 HD, or multiple streams of ProRes 422, uncompressed 8-bit 1080 HD, DV, HDV, and DVCPRO video.

With drives formatted as a RAID 4, RAID 5, RAID 6, or DVRAID group, Fusion 800RAID systems offer protection in the event of a drive failure. You can set up your system to provide visual and audible alerts, including e-mail notification. A drive can be swapped out and the RAID group rebuilt in a few hours, or you can continue to work at reduced bandwidth while the RAID group rebuilds in the background.

Built-In Flexibility

Do you need pure, unadulterated speed, ultimate redundancy, or something in between? It’s your choice—Fusion 800RAID systems support RAID 0 for pure, unadulterated speed; RAID 1 for ultimate redundancy; and RAID 4 (DV RAID), 5, 6, and 10 for balanced performance and protection; JBOD support is available, too. Fusion 800RAID systems even support hot spares—a designated hot spare drive waits unused in the background to automatically replace a failed drive without you having to lift a finger. All this flexibility is accomplished without switches—a simple to use configuration utility enables you to optimize your setup for specific workflow requirements.

Brains and Brawn

The heart of a Fusion 800RAID storage system is the Sonnet PCI Express® RAID controller. This powerhouse is based on the latest-generation Intel® IOP348 RAID processor, which can handle the throughput from all the drives with plenty of overhead. The Sonnet RAID controller is configured with 256MB of ECC-protected RAM, especially important to maintain data stream writes as the disk array nears capacity.

 

Key Features

Complete storage system includes enclosure, RAID controller card, drive modules, cables, and software

8TB, 16TB, or 24TB(1) configurations

Up to 690 MB/sec read, 677 MB/sec write data transfers (configured as RAID 5)

Overcomes volume size limit in Windows XP Pro 32-bit to fully support volumes up to 16TB

Universal 100–240V, 50/60Hz power supply

Drive Activity, Drive Presence, and Power LED indicators

Quiet fans

RoHS compliant

Shadow

Filmmaking Central Podcast

Producer/Director David Basulto interviews Sonnet Technologies' CEO Robert Farnsworth about Sonnet's Fusion RAID storage systems.

FMC Podcast Episode 11, 2008. Running time: 11:36 mins. Subscribe to this Podcast on iTunes®.

Driving Force

Fusion storage systems employ Enterprise/RAID Edition hard drives or select, Sonnet certified desktop drives(2) that have been selected for their superior performance, error handling, and reliability characteristics, especially when used in RAID groups. These drives are subjected to hours of additional, stringent testing to check for soft errors, vibration, and other reliability predictors. Just the sturdiest drives pass these tests and are prepared with special RAID-optimized firmware to become the building blocks of a super-reliable Fusion storage system.

Versatile Performance

These systems are ideal for use in mixed environments—various operating systems, editing applications and output demands requiring the flexibility and interoperability that Fusion 800RAID storage systems provide. Fusion 800RAID systems support Mac OS® X, Windows®, and Linux operating systems. They are compatible with capture cards from AJA, Blackmagic Design, Matrox, and Bluefish444, and work with all mainstream video editing applications including Apple® Final Cut Pro®, and Adobe® Premiere® Pro CS4.

Limited Refurbished Product Availability
Discontinued
Hardware  
Warranty 5-year
External Connectors Enclosure: Two mini-SAS
Card: Two Infiniband multilane
Drives Supported Up-to-date compatible hard drives listed on our Certified Hard Drive Compatibility Chart
Data Transfer Speed Up to 700 MB/s, depending on interface used and configuration
Supported Drive Configurations Hardware-based JBOD; RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, 6, and 10
Supported Video Formats 2K (2048 x 1556) LOG RGB, 10-bit 1080 4:4:4 HD, uncompressed 8-bit 1080i HD, ProRes 422, DV, HDV, DVCPRO, and uncompressed SD
Power Supplies 300W, 100-240V, 50/60Hz Universal
Operating Temperature +32º F to +95º F (0º C to +35º C)
Dimensions (D800RAID) WxDxH: 5.9 x 17.9 x 12.9 in (14.9 x 45.4 x 32.7 cm)
Dimensions (R800RAID) WxDxH: 17.0 x 16.5 x 3.5 in (43.8 x 41.9 x 8.8 cm)
Weight (D800RAID)

29.7 lbs (13.5kg)

Weight (R800RAID) 36 lbs (16.3kg)
Noise

Fusion D800RAID: 41 dBA
Fusion R800RAID: 41 dBA
(Ambient Office: 40-50 dBA)

Package Contents
  • Disk enclosure
  • Sonnet RAID controller
  • (2) Multilane cables
  • Eight 3.5" drive modules
  • Power cord
  • Software CD
  • User’s Guides

 

 

 

 

 

OS Compatibility

Mac OS X Version 10.4.8-10.8.5

Windows 7, Vista®, Server 2008, Server 2003, and XP Pro

Linux (RedHat ES 3, 4; Suse RedHat ES 3, 4; Suse Linux 9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 10, 10.1 and the following architectures: i386; x86_64 (AMD64, Intel EM64T)


Hardware Compatibility

Mac, Windows, or Linux computer with available x8 or x4 PCI Express (PCIe) slot


Technical Notes

  1. Although hard drive manufacturers and Mac OS X 10.6 define 1 gigabyte as 1,000,000,000 byte, many other computer operating systems calculate a gigabyte by dividing the bytes by 1,073,741,824 (). This distinction may be a cause of confusion, as a hard disk with a manufacturer rating of 1000GB may have its capacity reported by the operating system as 915GB.

Specifications subject to change without notice.


Mac OS LogoWindows Logo Linux LogoroHS Logo

Fusion D800RAID and Fusion R800RAID Benchmarks


CONFIGURATION:
Fusion D800RAID (or R800RAID) with eight 1TB drives configured as a RAID set, connected to Sonnet Tempo RAID controller installed in Quad 2.66 GHz Mac Pro with 3GB of RAM and an AJA Kona3 capture card.

VIDEO FORMATS

STREAMS

RAID 4/5

RAID 0

DV
(1 stream=3.6 MB/s)

16

16

DV50
(1 stream=7.2 MB/s)

16

16

DVCPRO HD 720p 59.94
(1 stream=14.4 MB/s)

13

14

DVCPRO HD 1080i 29.97
(1 stream=16 MB/s)

13

14

HDV 720p
(1 stream=2.4 MB/s)

10

10

HDV 1080i 29.97
(1 stream=3.1 MB/s)

10

10

ProRes 422 NTSC SD
(1 strm=5.25 MB/s)

16

16

ProRes 422 HQ NTSC SD
(1 stream=7.875 MB/s)

TBD

TBD

ProRes 422 720p 59.94
(1 stream=18.375 MB/s)

7

10

ProRes 422 HQ 720p 59.94
(1 stream=27.5 MB/s)

5

10

ProRes 422 1080i 29.97
(1 stream=18.375 MB/s)

8

10

ProRes 422 HQ 1080i 29.97
(1 stream=27.5 MB/s)

5

10

Uncompressed 8-bit NTSC
(1 stream=21.0 MB/s)

11

12

Uncompressed 10-bit NTSC
(1 stream=28.0 MB/s)

9

12

Uncompressed 8-bit 720 HD
(1 stream=55.2 MB/s)

2

2

Uncompressed 10-bit 720 HD
(1 stream=73.6 MB/s)

1

2

Uncompressed 8-bit 1080i HD
(1 stream=124.3 MB/s)

2

2

Uncompressed 10-bit 1080 HD
(1 stream=165.7 MB/s)

1

1

2K (2048 X 1556) LOG RGB
(1 stream=309.0 MB/s)

1

1

Blackmagic Design Disk Speed Test for Fusion D800RAID/RAID 5 (and Fusion R800RAID/RAID 5)

Blackmagic Disk Speed Test for Fusion D800RAID/RAID 5 (and Fusion R800RAID /RAID 5)

Blackmagic Design Speed Test performed with 500GB hard drives.




AJA Disk Speed Test for Fusion D800RAID (and Fusion R800RAID)

AJA Disk Speed Test for Fusion D800RAID (and Fusion R800RAID)


About stream count testing:
We've conducted in-depth, real-world testing to provide you with realistic results. Testing was conducted after weeks of use, during which time projects were captured, parts deleted, more parts captured, rendered, and so on, leaving the drives 85% full and fragmented. The stream counts we present here reflect the reduced performance that results from day-in, day-out use. Many storage systems work well the day you get them, but the true test is whether one will continue to serve you when you push the envelope. Fusion storage systems won't let you down.

Product image Product Name Part No. Description
Fusion RAID Drive Module Fusion 500GB RAID Drive Module FUS-RM-0500GB Spare drive module for Fusion D800RAID and R800RAID
Fusion 750GB RAID Drive Module FUS-RM-0750GB Spare drive module for Fusion D800RAID and R800RAID
Fusion 1TB RAID Drive Module FUS-RM-1000GB Spare drive module for Fusion D800RAID and R800RAID
Fusion 1.5TB RAID Drive Module FUS-RM-1500GB Spare drive module for Fusion D800RAID and R800RAID
Fusion 2TB RAID Drive Module FUS-RM-2000GB Spare drive module for Fusion D800RAID and R800RAID
Fusion 3TB RAID Drive Module FUS-RM-3000GB Spare drive module for Fusion D800RAID and R800RAID
Fusion Quiet Fan Module Fusion Quiet Fan Mocule FUS-XFAN Spare fan module for Fusion D800RAID
Fusion Rack Slide Set Rack Slide Set (17.5-21") FUS-RSS-P Rack Mount Sliding Rail Kit (17.5-21" rack)
Rack Slide Set (23-26.5") FUS-RSS-S Rack Mount Sliding Rail Kit (23-26.5" rack)
Rack Slide Set (27-30.5") FUS-RSS Rack Mount Sliding Rail Kit (27-30.5" rack)
Rack Slide Set (29-32.5") FUS-RSS-L Rack Mount Sliding Rail Kit (29-32.5" rack)
Locking eSATA cable Infiniband to Multilane SAS 1m cable TCB-NSAS-1M  
Infiniband to Multilane SAS 2m cable TCB-NSAS-2M  

Reviews
HD Magazine Rating

Sonnet Fusion D800RAID vs CalDigit HDPro
"The Sonnet Fusion D800RAID takes a different approach to its interface to the Mac, but is otherwise pretty similar to the CalDigit. Instead of a direct PCI Express connection, the Sonnet comes with an ATTO PCI Express to SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) RAID controller card. This has two cables to the rack of discs – again with very sturdy, locking connectors. The cable length is a little shorter than that of the CalDigit, though, on the plus side, its fan is a lot quieter – I’d be looking for places to muffle the CalDigit but I’d be happy to have the Sonnet next to the desk…"

MacVideo Rating

The Sonnet D800RAID: Speed and Safety
"Business has been extremely busy so I decided to look into a higher capacity RAID…Enter a local reseller and the Sonnet Fusion D800RAID. A neighborhood guy, John Ladle of HD-Sales, brought it to my attention as we were talking about the AJA IO HD over lunch. He told me about a SATA RAID that was fast, reliable and relatively low cost. It sounded a tale too fantastic to be true, but he was insistent.

I told him that there was no way I would touch an unprotected SATA RAID as the last time I worked with one was 'ulcerific.' He then informed me that the D800 RAID had RAID 0,1,4 and 5 (among others) and it came bundled with an ATTO card. Wow, he had my ear…

Right out of the box the D800RAID looked to be a winner…It has the speed and reliability that is crucial to my business and at a price that won’t break the bank."

Videography Rating

In Review: Sonnet Fusion R800
"I began by digitizing a lot of 1080/60i clips from a Sony PWM-EX1's SDI output for a documentary project I'm working on, using the ProRes 422 HQ codec. That proved to be no stress on the system whatsoever, needless to say. In edit mode, I stacked up 4 HD layers for a composite and threw a title on top, and still all played in sync with the stereo soundtrack with no rendering. Even adding a few more stereo audio layers didn't bog down the RAID. A RAID 0 configuration yields about 50 to 60 percent better performance, but at the potential cost of losing everything if a drive goes down…

Sonnet's Fusion R800 RAID is solidly built of Enterprise-grade materials and drives, backed by a [five]-year limited warranty. The system is easy to install, configure, use, and maintain, and performs to high standards of fast transfer rates whether full or empty or somewhere in between. "

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Awards & Case Studies
Quote BubbleSee what reviewers and customers have to say about other Sonnet products in our News section under Product Reviews and Case Studies.