Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Server Question

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Posted by John Rizzo (Member # 1289) on 03-28-2013, 06:11 AM:

The standard format for a dcp is EXT2, I was told that most servers can see a Windows formatted Drive is this correct?

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 03-28-2013, 06:39 AM:

Yes, that is true. Every server can read FAT/FAT32 (standard USB sticks), but that it limited to max 4GB file size, so, use only for trailers, KDMs, logs, etc..
But most servers will also read NTFS, some (Doremi) even HFS+ (Mac).

However, if you want to distribute a DCP to cinemas, I wouldn't count on that and stay with EXT2/3.

- Carsten

Posted by Bajsic Bojan (Member # 4928) on 03-28-2013, 05:58 PM:

And other doremis won't read an HFS. If you are in distribution, as Carsten pointed out, just stay on EXT2.

Having said that, about 85% of DCPs we get here are NTFS and USB3 only.

Posted by Jock Blakley (Member # 6552) on 03-28-2013, 10:17 PM:

I've also had trouble with our Doremi Showvault accepting 99% of NTFS drives, but rejecting two - both 1 TB RAID 1 arrays connected via USB.

Posted by John Roddy (Member # 7348) on 03-28-2013, 10:23 PM:

I tried a hard drive with both an ext2 and ntfs partition in our GDC servers not too long ago. It read both partitions without any trouble at all. Of course, the feature I was ingesting was on the ext2 part, so I wasn't able to test actually loading stuff from ntfs.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-28-2013, 11:08 PM:

The weird thing about this is that there is, to my knowledge, no official standard anywhere for filesystem type. The idea of ext3 filesystems delivered on SATA disks in CRU carriers is a de facto standard, but not defined anywhere.

Note that, while servers may be able to _read_ NTFS filesystems, they will likely not be able to _write_ to them. This is a nonissue for distributors, but an issue for theatres that want to move content from their servers to drives.

For whatever it is worth, another no-no is firewire drives. I have received a few of these for reasons unknown. I have yet to find a server that accepts a firewire connection. To whoever is sending these out: please stop. It creates extra work to transfer the content to another drive before the files can be loaded into the server.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 03-29-2013, 12:07 AM:

Not to derail things, but couldn't you use a cable/adapter that goes from firewire to usb? I've seen 4 and 6 pin firewire versions.

Posted by Bajsic Bojan (Member # 4928) on 03-29-2013, 03:11 AM:

True, but they have trouble transmitting the right amount of power to run the drive and if the firewire drive is not equipped with a power inlet and cord, you're pretty much on your own.