LaCie launch 48TB 8big Rack Thunderbolt 2 - can build arrays over 2 Petabytes!

LaCie 8big Rack

LaCie have always been at the forefront of technology and were one of the first manufacturers to support Thunderbolt 2. They have now released a new rack mounted 8 disc array with Thunderbolt 2 connectivity and up to 48TB of storage in a single unit

 LaCie's naming conventions are pretty easy to follow, so it is no surprise that the 8big Rack Thunderbolt 2 is a Rack mounted disk array with 8 disks and Thunderbolt 2 connections. What the name doesn't tell you is that it also has Hardware Raid controllers, dual hot-swappable power supplies and can be configured with up to 48TB of storage. (as LaCie are part of Seagate I think we may see a 64TB version in the not too distant future)

The 1U rack units have two Thunderbolt 2 connections so they can be daisy-chained off a Mac Pro to build an array with up to 1.7 PetaBytes of storage (That's 1,700 TB or 1,700,000 GB) using the existing 6 TB drives, so possibly over 2PB with the recently announced 8TB drives.

The throughput from the array is 1,330MB/s which is easily enough to stream 10bit 4K media in real time, making the combination of the new Mac Pro and the 8big rack an excellent platform for editors working on 4K projects in FCPX, Adobe Premiere or even Lightworks.

Check out the video here:

And here is the full press release from LaCie:

 Today LaCie, the premium brand from Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: STX), announced the availability of the LaCie™ 8big Rack Thunderbolt™ 2 in a 48 TB capacity. The LaCie 8big Rack is the fastest, highest–capacity Thunderbolt 2 storage solution on the market with speeds of up to 1330 MB/s* and eight Seagate® 6 TB 7200 RPM professional hard disks. Built to excel with 4K video workflows, it delivers ample bandwidth to support 10–bit, 4K footage. With this kind of performance, videographers can work directly from RAW files in Apple® Final Cut Pro® or Adobe® Premiere®, get maximum quality from footage and see edits in real time.

"The new LaCie 8big Rack is a stellar performer," said Dave Helmly, Adobe's Sr. Manager Strategic Development for Pro Video. "In fact, it has performed so well that I have replaced it as my primary storage on my OS X® 10.9 server. With a single Thunderbolt cable you can get 48 TB of storage. I have several partitions available for editing large projects in Adobe Premiere as well as general project backup. For small workgroups needing large amounts of secure and safe storage — you can add this one to the top of your list."

For 4K video workflows, the LaCie 8big Rack rivals 8Gb/s Fibre Channel DAS solutions by offering better speeds, significantly simpler connections, and none of the complexities associated with an expensive Fibre Channel setup. The LaCie 8big Rack delivers breakthrough data security and serviceability with full component redundancy, hardware RAID 5/6 for data redundancy, and dual Thunderbolt 2 ports that enables expansion potential of a single Mac Pro® to have up to 1.7 PB. Compact and stylish, the LaCie 8big Rack fits all of this plus much more into an impressive 1U casing that saves valuable space in server cabinets.

"Thunderbolt delivers unparalleled performance, flexibility and simplicity to 4K video workflows," said Jason Ziller, Intel's Director of Thunderbolt Marketing, "Products like the LaCie 8big Rack help highlight what Thunderbolt makes possible for video editors."

AVAILABILITY

Originally announced at the 2014 National Association of Broadcasters Convention, the LaCie 8big Rack 48 TB ($4,999.99) is available now through LaCie and its resellers. The product is also available in four–disk 12 TB ($1,699.99) or eight–disk 24 TB ($2,799.99) configurations. Thunderbolt 2 is compatible with the same cables and connectors as first–generation Thunderbolt. For more product information, visit www.lacie.com.