Data ProtectionInfrastructure

Broadcast archive retrieval cut from 8 hours to 15 minutes. No interruption to air.

A leading media and entertainment company in Kerala. Their archived TV content lived on a robotic tape library. When broadcast deadlines shortened, the hardware could no longer keep pace.

~90%

Faster content retrieval

1PB

Total storage across both sites

10 Yrs

Still an active client

The problem

Six to eight hours to retrieve 100GB. The archive couldn't keep pace with broadcast

The client's archive of TV programme content lived on a robotic tape library that had passed end-of-life. Retrieving 100GB of footage for broadcast took between six and eight hours. As content needed to go live on air faster, the tape-based retrieval process became the bottleneck. The hardware had no viable path forward on its own.

The solution

Two sites, one petabyte, automatic sync. Content on demand in minutes.

Dell referred the client to Uniware for deployment. Uniware installed Dell PowerScale (then sold as Dell Isilon) at the primary data centre and a matching setup at a separate on-premises DR site, with automatic live replication running between the two continuously, not a scheduled backup. Total capacity was approximately 1PB across both sites, running as a single unified volume.

1
Assess
Reviewed the tape library retrieval process and confirmed that slow restore times were the primary risk to broadcast continuity
2
Design
Specified a Dell PowerScale deployment across two sites, primary data centre and a DR site in a separate building, with automatic live replication rather than scheduled backups.
3
Deploy
Installed approximately 1PB of Dell PowerScale capacity, configured as a single unified volume rather than the roughly 64TB-per-volume ceiling typical of storage at the time
4
Replicate
Configured automatic live sync between both sites so disaster recovery ran continuously, with no manual restore process required

Technologies used

Powerscale

Before and after

From tape to on-demand.

Metric	Before	After
Archive storage	Robotic tape library (end-of-life)	Dell PowerScale, two-site deployment
Retrieval time (100GB)	6 to 8 hours	10 to 15 minutes
DR setup	Single site, manual restore	Two sites, automatic live replication
Volume size limit	~64TB per volume	Single unified volume across 1PB

The results

Decades of archive. On air in minutes

Archive retrieval cut from 6 to 8 hours to 10 to 15 minutes for 100GB of content
Approximately 1PB deployed across two fully synchronised sites
Broadcast content available on demand, no manual restore process
Disaster recovery running continuously, not on a schedule
Still an active Uniware client, approximately 10 years on

What's next. Still an active client. Uniware is currently consulting with them on hardware and warranty renewal as the original PowerScale hardware approaches end-of-life again.

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