Ci’s Storage Management Policies are powerful tools that let you manage your storage costs and keep your Team Workspaces nice and tidy. This article will outline some examples of how storage management policies can be utilized to achieve various objectives.
Example Use Case: Production company using Ci for original camera file transfer and dailies review
Ci is used regularly to allow remote productions to get content back to their facility as quickly as possible. Ci’s built-in high speed Aspera transfers are a great alternative to shipping hard drives.
Once the files are uploaded to Ci, proxies are automatically created to support dailies and rush reviews. At the same time, the original footage is automatically downloaded to the Post facility where the editorial process is happening.
This is an ideal scenario for an Archive Policy. Since the content is being immediately downloaded, there is no reason to keep it on active storage. Setting a Storage Management Policy to archive after 7 days of upload can save you over 80% on your storage costs. And the best part is, all of the proxies remain active so you can still send MediaBoxes, search, preview and collaborate with VideoReview and ImageReview.
Example Use Case: Proxy first workflow
When considering the urgency of getting content to air in a timely manner, a proxy-first workflow is very powerful. Capabilities such as the SONY Camera to Cloud on various model cameras or via the CBK-WA100 wireless/WiFi adapter can help streamline getting proxy file content in the hands of those who need it for review and fast turnaround for editorial to support broadcasts throughout the day. In this scenario, proxies are uploaded first and then, as time and bandwidth allow, original camera files are uploaded into a separate Workspace where they can be accessed for a high quality conform and saved for permanent archive. In this workflow, the proxy files have a short life span compared to the higher resolution original camera files and, as such, are a perfect candidate for Trash and Delete policies. A Trash Policy can be configured to automatically move files to the Trash after 7 days and a Delete Policy can be configured to permanently delete the files in the trash 7 days after that. The frequencies are up to you but the end result is the same - storage costs are reduced and the Workspace is kept clean and organized while the original camera files are securely archived in another Workspace.
Example Use Case: Trailer & Promo Editing
There are many post production workflows where Ci can be hugely beneficial. One such example is the creation of trailer & promo's for feature film releases, where many different hi resolution files are often utilized in those editorial creations and reviews. Since there can be a significant amount of content uploaded, shared and downloaded as the final cuts are made, the use of a Trash & Delete combination of policies can allow for the often duplicated content to be trashed at a much later point in time when no activity has occurred with the files. Files with no activity could be trashed after 6 months. Then, another policy can be used to delete those files after another 6 months of having been in the Trash. The final content is often already stored in their determined location and the extraneous copies are not necessary any longer. This will cut down on administrators or members of Team Workspaces having to remember to go back and remove that content. The savings on the overall storage will constantly cycle through without any overhead at the user level. The result is a cost savings in active storage as well as resources being able to focus on their workflows.
For more information on how to use the Ci Storage Management Policies, please see the Company Network Admin Guide: Storage Management Policies.
For any additional questions, please reach out to the Ci Customer Success Team by submitting a request here in the Help Center.