Re: DVRs & Proprietary Add-on Storage - The Norm?

["Roland More" <NoSpamroland@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>add on storage arrays
>make the compatibility a proprietary  interface

There are many ways to use storage for video. You are not mentioning what
type of DVR you are using, but it is unlikely that a simple DVR manufacturer
would R&D his own complete storage solution. Have you looked at places like
http://www.infortrend.com/main/index.asp or http://www.nexsan.com/ or even
http://www.emc.com/ for some direct attached solutions? You may find the
clone of what you think is proprietary gear. Unfortunately many of these
solutions are not available to anyone without special training or other
arrangements with the manufacturer. If you are talking about an iSCSI
solution, instead of direct attached storage, there is a problem there with
many units due to the number of LUNs available. Typically every video inputs
from an IP address (like an IP camera or video encoder) gets its own LUN.
Many manufacturers create iSCSI arrays geared to work with a single server
or smaller group of servers. Therefore you might find an iSCSI device with
enough total storage capacity to meet your retention time needs, but lacking
the LUN capacity to handle the number of inputs you plan to deploy. However,
if you keep looking I think you might find the actual storage manufacturer.
Getting a unit like that configured and working and keeping it working
without factory tech support might make you wish you hadn't found it.
.

"tbl" <hate@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:raeee3lg2cc9hoh8j28noronnffqveltlg@xxxxxxxxxx
> Is it the norm for makers of DVRs to advertise the feature
> of being able to add on storage arrays, and then, without
> stating such up front, make the compatibility a proprietary
> interface, so you can only use thier devices?
>
> --
> Thanks
> tbl