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XPansion - Storage Management Software

Archive / Storage / Distribution

XPansion provides the power to move video data, files, from anywhere to anywhere. XPansion combines unlimited expandability with simplicity which equates to power. With interfaces to a wide variety of video servers, and a wide variety of storage media, such as hard drive, tape, disk, etc, XPansion can be used as simple storage or as a center of a distribution model. XPansion interfaces can be run manually or automatically, as the control or as the slave. 3rd party interfaces allow XPansion to be used both by NVerzion Automation and foreign automation systems. In addition XPansion has been interfaced to other 3rd party Asset Management companies.

NOTE NVerzion interfaces to a number of devices and Sells a hard drive based solution called TeraStore. For information on the most up to date version of TeraStore click the link.

Download the XPansion Datasheet.

The following graphic provides a brief overview of the XPansion architecture.

The above might look confusing but it really is not. The XPansion architecture is comprised of only three different types of modules, Datamovers (of which 6 are showing above), XPlorers and the 'Brain', which we call XPansion. The Datamovers connect to the storage devices and video servers. XPlorers give you a view into the media available on each device, the ability to manually start transfers and status information. XPansion is the 'Brains' of the operation.

Datamovers do the work. At run time a Datamover will connect to its device and retrieve a list of the assets, media, that is available on it. It then connects to the XPansion 'Brain' and passes all of its information off to the 'Brain'. When data needs to be moved the 'Brain' makes the decision and issues to the correct datamover what media is to be moved from where to where. The Datamover implements the request and provides status to the 'Brain'. There is always one Datamover for each device which could be a video server, a hard drive array, a tape based archive, a Disk based archive, etc. Datamovers can be located anywhere in the world and there is no limitation as to the number of Datamovers you can have. Datamovers simply move data and can therefore be used for storage or distribution.
	XPlorers provide a view into the system, provide manual control of transfers and provide status on transfers. At run time XPlorers connect to the XPansion 'Brain' and retrieve a complete list of what the 'Brain' knows. The display on the upper left shows all the currently attached Datamovers. Adjacent to it is a list of the assets available on the currently selected Datamover. The bottom view shows what transfers are pending and their status. An XPlorer can initiate transfers, delete material and change priorities of transfers.
The XPansion module is the 'Brain' of the entire operation. All Datamovers connect to the 'Brain' and provide all their information. XPlorers connect to the 'Brain' and retrieve the information. 3rd party interfaces are written into the 'Brain' providing them full access, and control, of the system. Since the 'Brain' knows everything, it makes all the decisions. When a storage command is requested the 'Brain' uses a user configured set of rules to determine where the media is to be stored. Likewise, when assets need to be returned the 'Brain' makes the decision and issues the order to the correct Datamover. Status is retrieved from the Datamovers and passed on to the controlling, or requesting, device.

Storage Applications

XPansion software is ideal for applications such as:

Broadcast Storage
News and Program Content Distribution
Automation Vendors
Production Facilities
Distribution Companies
Government Services
Educational Facilities
Medical Facilities
Corporate Training Applications
Security Applications
Verification Software
Marketing Firms
Centralcast Solutions
Asset Management

Key Features:

Standardized interface and protocol between any number of digital storage devices
Peer to peer design
One XPansion module per device
XPansion modules translate device's native transmissions such as fibre channel, SCSI, and Gigabit Ethernet
Supports major video server vendors
Supports major storage vendors using RAID, Data Tape, and Optical media
XPansion protocol is firewall friendly
Devices can be setup on LAN, WAN, or WWW
Flexible and configurable file migration management