Working from Internal Storage SSD

[Justin Quinn]

Wanted to get some opinions on working in Resolve from internal SSD storage...

With SSD now large enough to hold hundreds of GBs, and being as fast as they are, is it still necessary to work from external storage? If so, why?

I've been working on a Mac Pro from my internal SSD (512GB x2 Samsung 840 Pro) for the past year with no problems. However, my OS and apps are on a third SSD bay (160GB Samsung 840 Pro), so this doesn't really count. I often do smaller jobs from my RMBP though, in which case I move all my assets to the internal SSD.

The reason I'm asking is because with the new Mac Pro coming out, featuring 1TB internal SSD, I don't see why I shouldn't just work directly off the internal 1TB after I conform my projects. I usually do 15/30/60 sec spots, so after I trim and/or move the selects, my project files are usually less than 100GB. I also use Time Machine and have my Resolve preferences set to autosave every 5 minutes. I often do daily manual backups as well.

So why not just keep it internal? Is it a speed issue or security issue, or something else?

 

[Brad Allen]

I think in the past, the size of normal PC/Mac Enclosures prohibited doing large RAID arrays that were necessary to get both enough storage and speed from mechanical based drives. If you have enough internal storage and it's fast enough then really there is no problem from a performance perspective. For example, I'm just about to build a new workstation that's in a double width enclosure so I have enough room to load up 16 or so HDD's in a RAID config - I expect that will yield me pretty decent results for the one-man shop that I run.

When it comes to SSD's the amount of storage you have is really going to be your major concern. A 1TB SSD really isn't that much when conforming back to RAW media. At least with RedCode, you're dealing with compressed files, but if you start dealing with 4K DPX files, that storage is going to run out very quickly.

Another advantage of shared external storage solutions is that they can work better in a collaborative environment, which is often the case when it comes to post-production work. Managing large pools and storage volumes can also rely on skill sets that are out of the abilities of many designers/editors etc and so moving all that storage to one central location which can be managed by someone with specific skills in that area can often make for a smoother experience for all involved. This can also simplify backup and security procedures too

Not really a clear answer, I know, but hopefully it gives some food for thought