Introduction to Storage Networking Storage Networking Applications
Audio/Video Applications
• Audio/video applications: – Production and editing – Distribution and broadcast
• Key benefits of SAN: – High-bandwidth, low-latency transmission – Compatibility with existing A/V standards
• Fibre Channel Audio Video (FC-AV) protocol maps digital A/V formats onto Fibre Channel: – Includes those used for broadcast television
Audio/video applications were also among the first uses for SANs: Media production, editing, distribution, and broadcast are bandwidth- intensive applications. Latency is not well-tolerated by consumers, who are accustomed to the de-facto “standard” of analogue transmission. Because the broadcast and cable television industries already use specialized protocols for transmitting audio/video data, the FC-AV protocol was developed to allow these protocols to run over Fibre Channel SANs.