WHEN FUJI
TV WANTED IMPROVED
DATA STORAGE, HP PROVIDED
THE PICTURE PERFECT SOLUTION
“With archiving applications that save data over
the long term, there’s a big advantage with tape. If
stored properly, it’s clearly more secure than storing
on an optical disk or hard disk. There’s a proven
record with tape for long-term storage of video.”
Kiyoshi Arai
Department manager for the Technology Development Office
Development Business Centre and Facilities Operation Department
Fuji Television Network, Inc.
LASTING
INNOVATION
Objective
Business benefits
Tape, as easy to use as a hard disk
Needed to refresh its existing tape archiving
• More efficient work flow with designers
Fuji TV began searching for a solution, but was
solution to take advantage of new efficiencies,
now able to perform backup and restore determined to stick with tape.
product simplification and increase the
operations themselves, freeing up system volume of data storage
engineers for other projects
Approach
• Significantly reduced time taken to complete
Reviewed existing products in the marketplace
and decided to continue with tape archiving,
choosing a HP LTO-5 Ultrium 3000 SAS Tape
Drive with Linear Tape File System (LTFS)
functionality
IT improvements
•Enabled designers to archive and retrieve
computer graphic files to and from a single
LTO-5 cartridge through simple drag and
drop, improving efficiency
•Stored on the desktop, computer graphic files
appear in the same way as a disk directory
listing, providing faster access to data
• Expanded individual tape storage capacity 650 per cent from 200 GB to 1.5 TB
• Increased data transfer speed 247 per cent
from 144 GB/hour to 500 GB/hour
• Realised an environment in which designers can directly access archived work
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archiving, improving business productivity
• High capacity tapes enable the storage of multiple projects, reducing cost by using
fewer tapes
Fuji Television Network Inc. (Fuji TV) is Japan’s
leading TV broadcaster. Formed in 1959, it
is based in Tokyo but operates through 28
regional affiliates. It also broadcasts Japanese
entertainment, news and sports content in
Europe and North America.
HP customer “With archiving applications that save data
case study: over the long term, there’s a big advantage
Japanese with tape,” says Kiyoshi Arai, department
broadcaster manager of the Technology Development
builds an archive Office Development Business Centre and
environment Facilities Operation Department, Fuji Television
with a HP LTO-5 Network, Inc. “If stored properly, it’s clearly
Ultrium 3000 SAS more secure than storing on an optical disk
Tape Drive and or hard disk. There’s a proven record with
LTFS functionality tape for long-term storage of video.”
HP LTO-5
ULTRIUM
3000 SAS
TAPE DRIVE
Building an archive environment
“During the demo and after the simple
operation explanation from HP, we felt
comfortable with it in just a few hours,” says
Kentaro Toyama, computer graphics system
engineer, Fuji TV. “Operation is very easy
with no need for special training. We felt
confident it would be a good fit.”
Industry:
Media,
Broadcasting
At this point, HP introduced its HP LTO-5
Ultrium 3000 SAS Tape Drive, incorporating
Linear Tape File System (LTFS) functionality.
It was apparent that this solution could be
A major challenge in the broadcasting industry
operated without the need for a specialist
is the digitising and archiving of video content.
engineer; Fuji TV asked for a demo.
Fuji TV has led the industry in this area.
Previously it had used a LTO-2 tape library to
LTO-5, the fifth generation of LTO, supports new
archive not just broadcast material, but raw
dual partition functionality. HP LTFS uses this
footage and animation data. Unfortunately,
functionality, to divide LTO-5 tape media into an
with data levels rising by a factor of six over the
index area for recording file names, data size
space of a couple of years, the system had
and storage location and a data storage area.
become increasingly unwieldy. LTO-2 tape
HP LTFS makes tape self describing, file-based,
media has a storage capacity of only 200 GB,
and easy-to-use providing users with the ability
making it difficult to fit one project on one tape.
to use standard file operations on tape media
Archiving processes had become complex with
for accessing, managing and sharing files with
human error impacting the system’s efficiency.
an interface that behaves just like a hard disk.
Before introduction
Previously, a system engineer would receive
a request to backup to, or retrieve from, a
tape device. The file would be copied from
a file server to a backup server, and from there,
dedicated software would be used to write
or restore the file to/from a tape.
Under the new system, the designers
themselves are able to perform backup and
restore operations.
It is now possible to drag and drop files directly
to a tape from a file server. Fuji TV has made
the system even easier by customising user
icons on the desktop, making it possible for
anyone to mount, unmount and format a
Also, with LTO-5, tape storage capacity is
tape cartridge without the need for special
significantly expanded to up to 1.5 TB of
training. By copying files directly to the tape
uncompressed data. The uncompressed data
drive, designers are able to perform archiving
transfer speed is also accelerated from LTO-2’s
operations on their own, freeing system
144 GB/hour to LTO-5’s 500 GB/hour.
engineers from the burden of archiving.
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“When archiving or retrieving data, users
aren’t conscious of the tape drive at all. This is
the biggest change. I think the designers also
feel a little less stress too. I’ve heard them say
that things have become more convenient and
easier,” says Yosuke Nakayama, computer
graphics system engineer, Fuji TV.
It has significantly reduced the time taken to
complete archiving operations and reduced
the strain on IT resources. Arai says that since
LTO-5 handles a large capacity, the time
wasted by designers adjusting data volumes
has decreased dramatically: “Despite our busy
schedules, we had to select the data to save
to be able to fit within the LTO-2 capacity.
There were times when a whole day would
be used up by this work. With LTO-5, we
just quickly remove the unnecessary data.”
This demonstrably increases productivity.
Also, with the high capacity LTO-5 tape,
it is possible to store multiple projects together,
meaning fewer tapes are used. “From the
producer’s perspective, cost is the top concern.
Introduction of the HP LTO-5 Ultrium 3000
SAS Tape Drive will make producers happy
too,” says Arai. He is now looking at
expanding the archiving operation.
“We manage a dedicated system for
modifying and processing location shoots
so going forward we may be able to use the
HP LTO-5 for archiving this data as well.”
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© Copyright 2012 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for
HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such
products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.
HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
4AA3-8564EEE Produced in January 20124AA1-7524ENW, Created May 2011
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LASTING
INNOVATION