Introduction to Storage Networking
Storage Networking Applications
Audio/Video Applications
• Audio/video applications:
– Production and editing
– Distribution and broadcast
• Key benefits of SAN:
– High-bandwidth, low-latency transmission
– Compatibility with existing A/V standards
• Fibre Channel Audio Video (FC-AV)
protocol maps digital A/V formats onto
Fibre Channel:
– Includes those used for broadcast television
Audio/video applications were also among the first uses for SANs:
Media production, editing, distribution, and broadcast are bandwidth-
intensive applications.
Latency is not well-tolerated by consumers, who are accustomed to the
de-facto “standard” of analogue transmission.
Because the broadcast and cable television industries already use
specialized protocols for transmitting audio/video data, the FC-AV
protocol was developed to allow these protocols to run over Fibre
Channel SANs.