Introducing EVO

EVO is a shared storage workflow server for professional video and audio applications. This system provides a high-performance environment for media sharing with project and asset management among many users. EVO is built specifically for online, real-time use with apps like Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer, Scratch, and Pro Tools.

The EVO suite — included with every new system — includes ShareBrowser, Nomad, and Slingshot. Editors around the world use these apps to power a modern, practical, on-premise and remote workflow solution. Unlimited licenses are included, so everyone on your media team can instantly work more effectively.

Physical layout

EVO has several form factors, and undergoes changes as hardware components evolve. As a result, the following photographs may not match your configuration exactly.

On the front, the 8 Bay and 16 Bay EVOs have drive bays arranged in four columns. For a 16 Bay EVO, each column will have four drives. These columns are referred to as “quads” and function as a unit in EVO. For an 8 Bay EVO, each column will have only two drives, but they are still referred to as quads in the EVO user interface. The expansion chassis looks the same from the front as the 16 Bay EVO base unit. There are four drive bays in the EVO Prodigy, which are referred to as a single quad.

The quads in the 8 Bay and 16 Bay EVOs are numbered from left to right as Quad-0 through Quad-3. If an expansion chassis is added, it houses Quad-4 through Quad-7, and this numbering scheme continues if additional chassis are added (to a 16 Bay EVO).

On the 16 Bay and 8 Bay models, Drive-0 is at the top, and Drive-1 is just below it. In a 16 Bay chassis, Drive-2 and Drive-3 are below Drive-1. Each drive has three LEDs on it. The green LED shows simply that there is a drive installed and that it is receiving power. Blue blinks to indicate the drive is seeing activity. There is also a red LED, which indicates that the controller is having a problem communicating with the drive. Not all types of disk failure will trigger this red LED, but if the LED lights up, there is some problem with that disk.

The back of your EVO will look somewhat different depending on which option cards you have ordered.

On the back of a 16 Bay EVO base unit, you will notice three hot-swappable power supplies on the left. A 16 Bay Nearline or expansion chassis will have two modules instead of three. An 8 Bay EVO may be configured with a single, non-modular power supply, or a power supply with two modules. During normal operation, all power supplies must be plugged in. If one of the modules on a redundant power supply should fail, the other module(s) will supply enough power to keep EVO operational. It is highly recommended to use an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) so that site-wide power fluctuations do not cause problems. See APC UPS configuration for more information.

The connectors on the back of your EVO may be arranged differently, but the ports should be physically and functionally the same. The USB ports may be used to connect a UPS battery backup and/or keyboard. The video output is not needed in normal operation, but may be helpful for troubleshooting or inital configuration. If present, the serial port is RS-232 using 8n1, 57600 baud, Xon/Xoff. EVO typically has two built-in Ethernet ports, numbered as shown. In addition to normal data transfer, an Ethernet port may also be available for IPMI access. Like serial and video ports, IPMI is primarily useful for troubleshooting by SNS support or IT monitoring. A connected keyboard and display is typically sufficient if Ethernet is unavailable, in order to configure Ethernet access for administration.

If present, the square port labeled “A” (without a plug in its port) can be used to connect an expansion chassis using an SFF-8644 cable.

Note

If the EVO panel has an HDMI port, note that HDMI output may not be produced unless the display is connected before EVO is powered.

Disk controller

In the 8 Bay and 16 Bay EVO models, a RAID controller drives the internal disks in the EVO head, and a port on the back can be used to connect one or more expansion chassis.

Warning

Ensure the head unit is powered off before connecting or disconnecting an expansion chassis.

The EVO expansion chassis is built into a similar type of rackmount case as the 16 Bay EVO base unit, but without most of the ports on the back. Your first expansion chassis will connect to the EVO RAID controller using its middle (SAS Exp. In) port. Any additional expansion chassis will connect from the first expansion’s rightmost “SAS Exp. Out” port to the next chassis’ “SAS Exp. In” port, and this configuration continues as chassis are added.

Note

Care must be taken that the expansion chassis SAS connector cables are inserted correctly. Each end of the SAS cable has only one correct orientation for each port. Look at each port and the corresponding cable end to confirm its alignment, and ensure the cable locks in place.

Note

EVO expansion chassis do not have a functional power switch. The chassis should always be powered if the head unit is powered.

Warning

If you ever move the EVO system, it is important that these chassis be reconnected in the same configuration.

The 8 Bay EVO can support one additional expansion chassis (24 disks total), while the 16 Bay can support four additional expansion chassis (80 disks total). Consult with SNS before expanding past two chassis to ensure hardware is considered for optimal configuration.