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Avid NEXIS
Avid NEXIS
Copyright and Disclaimer
Copyright © 2019 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, photographing, and recording, for any purpose, without the express written permission of
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The media provided with this book, and any accompanying course material, is to be used only to complete the
exercises and projects contained herein. Rights are not granted to use the footage/sound materials in any
commercial or non-commercial production or video.
Product features, specifications, system requirements and availability are subject to change without notice.
Trademarks
Avid, the Avid Logo, Avid Everywhere, Interplay, ISIS, Avid NEXIS, Media Composer, Pro Tools and Sibelius,
and all related product names and logos, are registered or unregistered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in
the United States and/or other countries. The Interplay name is used with the permission of the Interplay
Entertainment Corp. which bears no responsibility for Avid products. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners. For a full list of Avid trademarks, see: http://www.avid.com/US/about-avid/legal-notices/
trademarks
Acknowledgments
Avid Worldwide Learning Services would like to thank all Avid Certified Instructors for their ongoing suggestions
and comments, based on their experience in the classroom and their professional expertise, which have resulted
in the continued improvement of Avid’s curriculum.
The sale or distribution of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchase this book without a cover,
you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as “unsold and destroyed.” Neither the author nor the
publisher has received payment for the sale of this “stripped” book.
NX216-NEXIS-v2019.4-June 2019
PN: 9329-65725-00 Rev. D
Table of Contents
ii
Media Pack Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Media Pack Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Disk Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Disk Status Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Foreign Drive Error. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
SSD Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Orphaned Media Packs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Module 5 Workspaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Storage Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Client Bandwidth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Storage Group Bandwidth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Workspace Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Allocating Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Adjusting Workspace Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Renaming a Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Workspace Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Engine Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Data Protection and Bandwidth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Redistributing Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Full Redistribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Suspend and Resume Redistribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Maintaining a Free Space Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Deleting a Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
iii
Replacing a Defective Storage Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Replacing a Defective Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Avid NEXIS Log Aggregator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
iv
Course Introduction
The Avid NEXIS System Administration course provides an
in depth understanding of how to administer and maintain
an Avid NEXIS system.
The course covers a range of administration topics as well
as basic maintenance and troubleshooting of the Avid
NEXIS | PRO, E2, E4 and E5 hardware.
This course prepares candidates for the Avid Certified
NEXIS System Administration certification exam, as well as
being the foundation of the program for candidates
pursuing the certification path to become an Avid Certified
Support Representative for Avid NEXIS.
Course Prerequisites
The student should be familiar with the Avid editing applications and terminology.
Learning Path
The following courses are also available to help you learn more about your Avid system. A complete
listing of Avid courses can be found at www.avid.com/education.
ii
Other Resources
Other Resources
Avid Technology, Inc. offers additional resources that you can use to enhance your understanding of
the product.
Course Outline
Day 1
Module Duration
(in minutes)
Course overview 5
Lunch
3 Avid NEXIS Management Console (Continued) 60
4 Media Packs 40
5 Workspaces 30
iii
iv
Module 1 Introduction to Avid NEXIS
In this module you will learn the basics of Avid NEXIS®,
including hardware and software, specifications and
limitations.
Objectives: In this module, you will learn about:
• Avid NEXIS
• Avid NEXIS Components
• Avid NEXIS Architecture
• Avid NEXIS Clients
• Avid NEXIS Capacity
Duration: 60 minutes
Module 1: Introduction to Avid NEXIS
Avid NEXIS
Avid NEXIS is the world’s first and only software-defined storage platform that enables true storage
virtualization for any media application, delivering unmatched flexibility, scalability, control, and
extensibility.
Avid NEXIS also reduces cost by having one set of storage devices for all the client systems rather
than each editor having individual storage hardware. The centralization of the storage hardware
allows it to be in a secure climate and controlled location, thus reducing potential system downtime.
NEXIS Benefits
Avid NEXIS is an Ethernet-based, shared storage network which allows multiple editing systems and
other clients to connect to one set of storage.
Avid NEXIS:
• Enables multiple clients to write to the same volume
• Allows multiple users to access the same media simultaneously
• Using Avid Media Composer; allows multiple users to access the same bins and projects
simultaneously
– Projects and bins don’t need to be copied from one system to another
– Multiple users can read and play from the same bin simultaneously
– Only one user has write access to a bin at one time to prevent conflicts
• Allows for up to 6.4PB (PetaBytes) of online storage
• Supports 1 or 2 Disk Protection to protect important media files
• Supports Engine Mirroring to protect data in the event of engine failure
• Uses an Ethernet network
• Can work in conjunction with local storage
• Makes it simple to add additional drive space to a project
2
Avid NEXIS Components
• Switch
Ethernet switches connect the various components of the Avid NEXIS system and allow
communication between each device. Several switch manufacturers and models are supported
providing a switch to meet every need.
3
Module 1: Introduction to Avid NEXIS
As shown in the diagram Avid NEXIS storage is the center of a larger installation which includes asset
management in Avid Interplay, craft editors in Avid Symphony, Media Composer and NewsCutter,
Journalist systems using Avid Instinct and other editors using Interplay Assist. Ingest and playout are
handled by Avid Airspeed controlled by Interplay Capture and iNEWS Command respectively.
Data may be archived using Interplay archive to a tape backup system not shown in the diagram.
The various computers in this large environment need not be physically located together though it
is common for Avid NEXIS, Interplay and Interplay Archive systems to share a machine room. Client
systems, particularly low bandwidth clients like those using proxy video resolutions, can be long
distances away from their storage. This is often accomplished through the use of remote Ethernet
switches which either extend the Avid NEXIS network or are part of the house Ethernet network.
4
Avid NEXIS Architecture
Media Packs
Each Avid NEXIS Engine contains a number of data drives organized into 10 drive Media Packs.
Media Packs are similar to virtual drives in that the 10 drives will be utilized as one large unit. The
smallest individually manageable unit of storage in Avid NEXIS is a single Media Pack.
Storage Groups
The Media Packs are then organized into Storage Groups. Storage Groups allow data to be stored
across multiple Media Packs aggregating the space and bandwidth of those Media Packs into one
usable whole.
Unlike local storage Avid NEXIS breaks each file into 512KB or 1024KB chunks, those chunks are then
assigned equally to all of the Media Packs in a Storage Group and within the Media Pack chunks are
distributed equally to each drive ensuring that each drive in each Media Pack has approximately the
same amount of data.
5
Module 1: Introduction to Avid NEXIS
Workspaces
Workspaces are virtual drives where users will store data. Each Workspace is and allocation of a
single Storage Group and the data in the Workspace is stored on all of the drives in the Media Packs
that make up the Storage Group. Data protection is configured at the workspace level.
Three methods of data protection are available:
• Two Disk data protection writes two parity chunks for every eight data chunks. Similar to RAID 6
ensuring that data will not be lost in the case of two simultaneous drive failures. This results in
20% of available disk space being used for data protection instead of actual data.
• One Disk data protection writes one parity chunk for every nine data chunks. Similar to RAID 5,
this protection method is safe against a single disk failure while utilizing 10% of available disk
space for data protection.
• Mirroring data protection writes a copy of each chunk to a Media Pack in a different physical
NEXIS Engine. Introduced in NEXIS v7.0, this protection type requires at least three identical
NEXIS Engines and requires simultaneous use of Two Disk data protection. Mirror data
protection in conjunction with Two Disk data protection allows for at least 5 simultaneous disk
failures anywhere in the NEXIS system.
Users can also choose to not protect their data at all. Similar to RAID 0 in the event of a disk failure
this data will be lost.
6
Avid NEXIS Capacity
Table 1
Embedded Embedded System System
System System Director Director
Director Director Appliance Appliance
PRO Enterprise Enterprise Enterprise
Media Packs 1-4 1-4 1-24 1-64
Files and Folders 3 Million 8 Million 20 Million 20 Million
Clients 24 40 165 330
Maximum 2,400MB/s 12,000MB/s 72,000MB/s 192,000MB/s
Bandwidth
Avid NEXIS|PRO
Avid NEXIS|PRO is designed for small productions. It utilizes its own NEXIS|PRO storage engine
which is also capable of acting as a System Director.
• 20 to 80TB, 1-4 Avid NEXIS|PRO Engines
• 3 Million Files and Folders
• 24 Active, 30 Connected Clients
• Maximum 2,400MB/s system bandwidth
Note: NEXIS PRO is not compatible with AVID NEXIS Enterprise
7
Module 1: Introduction to Avid NEXIS
NEXIS Cloud
NEXIS Cloud utilizes the NEXIS Management Console and Client Manager to manage and access
storage hosted on Microsoft Azure. This feature was added to v18.6 as nearline storage. As of v18.6
NEXIS Cloud storage does not support real time media playback. Administration of Avid NEXIS Cloud
is basically the same as an on-premise NEXIS with a few exceptions as noted in the Media Pack and
Workspace modules.
Avid NEXIS v2019.4 introduced Avid NEXIS Cloudspaces, these cloud-based Workspaces can be used
as nearline storage along with an on-premises Avid NEXIS system. As with NEXIS Cloud, Cloudspaces
are optimized for data transfer not for media playback.
As of this writing NEXIS Cloud and Cloudspaces deployment is done exclusively by Avid.
NEXIS Cloud and Cloudspaces support up to 2PB of storage.
Summary
In this module you learned about:
• Avid NEXIS Components
• Avid NEXIS Architecture
• Avid NEXIS Clients
8
NEXIS Cloud
Review Questions
1 What are the three main Avid NEXIS hardware components? (See page 3)
2 What are the three types of data protection available in Avid NEXIS? (See page 5)
3 What is the maximum number of files on an Avid NEXIS system? (See page 7)
4 What client connection speeds are supported? (See page 6)
5 Name a limitation of Avid NEXIS Pro. (See page 7)
9
Module 1: Introduction to Avid NEXIS
10
Module 2 Avid NEXIS Hardware
In this module you will learn about the different hardware
components of Avid NEXIS. After completing the module,
you should be able to identify the differences between an
Avid NEXIS | PRO, E2, E2 SSD, E4, E5 and E5NL and describe
the System Director Appliance.
Objectives: In this module, you will learn about:
• Avid NEXIS Hardware Components
Duration: 70 minutes
Module 2: Avid NEXIS Hardware
The NEXIS|PRO v1 controller is installed in the top slot if the engine has 2TB drives and the bottom
slot if the engine has 4TB drives.
12
Avid NEXIS Hardware Components
Avid NEXIS | E2
Both Avid NEXIS | E2 and E4 can be used as both storage and System Director or in addition to a
System Director Appliance.
The Avid NEXIS | E2 Engine contains the following hardware:
• 2x 200GB or 400GB Metadata drives
• 1 Media Pack containing 10x 2TB, 6TB or 10TB drives
• 1 or 2 Storage Controllers
• 2x 764W Power Supply / Fan Modules
The Metadata drives are generally located in slots 0 and 1 in the upper left of the chassis with the
Media Pack drives filling slots 2 through 11.
13
Module 2: Avid NEXIS Hardware
Avid NEXIS | E4
The Avid NEXIS | E4 Engine contains the following hardware:
• 2x 200GB or 400GB Metadata drives
• 1 or 2 Media Pack(s) each containing 10x 2TB, 6TB or 10TB drives
• 1 or 2 Storage Controllers
• 4x 580W Power Supply / Fan Modules
14
Avid NEXIS Hardware Components
The Metadata drives are generally located in slots 0 and 1 in the upper left of the chassis with the
Media Pack drives filling slots 2 through 11 and 12 through 21. In a fully populated Avid NEXIS | E4
drive slots 22 and 23 will contain hot spare drives. If the Engine is half populated slots 12 and 13
may contain optional hot spare drives.
If spare drives are not present the slots will be covered with blank plates.
Note: Some earlier versions of Avid NEXIS will give a warning for every drive not present when an E4
engine was partially populated. This behavior was fixed in NEXIS v6.2.2. In later versions there will
still be an informational message if not all Media Packs are present.
The E4 Storage controller is labelled “Controller 20”
Note: Although they have different internal specs the E2 and E4 controllers are externally identical.
15
Module 2: Avid NEXIS Hardware
Avid NEXIS | E5
Avid NEXIS | E5 increased storage and bandwidth density. Unlike other Avid NEXIS hardware, the E5
requires a System Director Appliance.
The Avid NEXIS | E5 Engine contains the following hardware:
• 2x 800GB Metadata drives
• 4 to 8 Media Pack(s) each containing 10x 2TB, 6TB or 10TB drives
• 2 Spare drives
• 1 or 2 Storage Controllers
• 2x 2200W 220V Power Supplies
• 5x Fan Modules
The Metadata drives are generally located in the rear left-most slot of each drawer in the chassis
with the Media Pack drives filling the rest of the slots. A half populated NEXIS | E5 Engine has Media
Packs 0 and 1 in the upper drawer starting in the front row of the drawer and progressing to the rear
with a spare drive following the last Media Pack drive. Media Packs 2 and 3 are in the bottom drawer
starting from the front and progressing to the rear with a spare drive following the last Media Pack
drive. See the Installation module for more information on drive locations.
Each NEXIS | E5 Engine must contain at least 4 Media Packs, configurations of 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 Media
Packs are all supported. When installing Media Packs, start with the front of the upper drawer,
install half of the Media Packs, then install the rest of the drives in the lower drawer.
Unlike other Avid NEXIS Engines, the E5 requires a QSFP+ to connect to the Ethernet switch. Not all
Avid approved network switches contain QSFP+ slots, when planning for a NEXIS E5 engines be sure
your network has QSFP+ ports available to support the engines.
16
Avid NEXIS Hardware Components
The E5 Storage controller is labelled “Controller 80”
Note: Although visually similar to the E4/SDA Engine Controller, the E5 Engine controller can be easily
identified by its 40Gb QSFP ports.
17
Module 2: Avid NEXIS Hardware
18
Avid NEXIS Hardware Components
Physically the System Director Appliance is the same as an Avid NEXIS | E2 but it utilizes the same
Storage Controller card as the Avid NEXIS | E4. The System Director Appliance contains 2 400GB
Metadata drives and zero data drives. Each of the data drive slots is occupied with a blank plate
which is necessary for proper air flow.
The Avid NEXIS | System Director Appliance Engine controller meets the following specifications:
• 8 Core CPU
• 32GB RAM
• 10Gb SFP+ data interface
The SDA Storage controller is labelled “SDA Controller”
19
Module 2: Avid NEXIS Hardware
Network 10Gb SFP+ 10Gb SFP+ 40Gb QSFP+ 10Gb SFP+ 40Gb QSFP+ 10Gb SFP+
interface
Table 2 Minimum Metadata Drive size required for each NEXIS Engine
NEXIS|E2 200GB
NEXIS|E4 200GB
20
Avid NEXIS Hardware Components
Table 2 Minimum Metadata Drive size required for each NEXIS Engine
NEXIS|SDA 400GB
Clients
Avid NEXIS clients will each connect to an Ethernet switch via an Ethernet cable. A client utilizing a
single 1Gb connection is a 1Gb client. Two 1Gb connections makes for a 2Gb client. A 10Gb network
adapter card (NIC) can be added to a client computer to make a 10Gb client and two 10Gb
connections can be used to make a 20Gb client. For maximum bandwidth 40Gb clients are
supported. Both copper (RJ45) and optical fiber connections are supported.
All client connection types are supported with either copper or fiber cables. Copper Ethernet is
limited to 100 meters maximum, depending on the quality of fiber used Ethernet over fiber can
extend up to 300 meters.
Note: Connections slower than 1Gb are not supported and may cause issues in Avid NEXIS versions pre-
v7.1.1.
21
Module 2: Avid NEXIS Hardware
Note: Maximum client bandwidth is separate from Storage Group bandwidth. Be sure your Storage
Group has sufficient bandwidth before adding a client to it.
22
Avid NEXIS Hardware Components
Supported Cabling
Avid supports the following cable types for Avid NEXIS systems.
Supported Cables
Cable Connection Function Connector Style and Maximum Cable Length
Type
Ethernet network Connects: RJ45 connector
cable, 1Gb, 2Gb and 10Gb Avid 100 Meters; If using CAT5e the cable must be rated for
CAT5e, CAT6, NEXIS clients 350 MHz for maximum length.
CAT6a, or CAT7
The minimum Gig Ethernet cable length for Avid network
products is 6 feet or 2 meter.
Optical cables Connects: The maximum length for 10 Gb Ethernet cable is defined
NEXIS Engines to by the core diameter (measured in microns) and modal
Ethernet Switches bandwidth (in units of MHz*km).
Avid supports multi-mode fiber cable using 850 nm
transceivers (1000Base-SX, short distances).
10Gb and 10Gb Avid Specifications for these cables can be found in the ISO
NEXIS clients 11801 structured cabling document.
OM1 (62.5/125):
Ethernet Switches to • 1Gb Ethernet, 275 meters (SX)
other Ethernet Switches • 10Gb Ethernet, 22 meters (SR)
OM2 (50/125):
• 1Gb Ethernet 550 meters (SX)
• 10Gb Ethernet 82 meters (SR)
OM3 (50/125):
• 1Gb Ethernet 550 meters (SX)
• 10Gb Ethernet 300 meters (SR)
OM4 (50/125):
• 1Gb Ethernet 1000 meters (SX)
• 10Gb Ethernet 550 meters (SR)
Avid supports single-mode fiber cable using
1310 nm transceivers (long distances):
• SMF ITU G.652.A/B 9 micron cable up to 10 km
23
Module 2: Avid NEXIS Hardware
Supported Cables
Cable Connection Function Connector Style and Maximum Cable Length
Type
Twinax Connects third-party Cable 470-AAVJ-SFP+ to SFP+ 10Gb Copper Twinax
switches to the Avid Direct Attach, 3 m
NEXIS, or 10 Gb SFP+
port on switch to 10 Gb
SFP+ port on the Avid
NEXIS
Caution: When connecting to a 10 Gb port, it is important to follow two rules:
• Ensure that the cable has the required modal bandwidth for the distance of the run.
• Make sure that all multimode cables between an Avid NEXIS port and the other end of the cable run are
of the same diameter (for example, 50/125 um or 62.5/125 um).
Single mode transceivers are Class 1 laser product per IEC 60825-1 Amendment 2(2001) and IEC 60825-2
1997. Operating this product in a manner inconsistent with intended usage and specification may result in
hazardous radiation exposure.
Note: If you need to run your cable greater distances, call Avid Customer Support for supported cable and
accessory information.
Twinaxial
Twinaxial (or twinax) cables can be used instead of SFP+ adapters and fiber cable at considerable
cost savings. In most cases the cable distance from an Avid NEXIS Engine to a network switch is short
so twinax cables are acceptable. For longer runs, from the network switch to a client for example
fiber with SFP+ adapters will be required.
Avid has tested and sells 1 and 3 meter twinax cables. Twinax is limited to 10 meter cables which
may work in the Avid NEXIS environment but have not explicitly been tested.
Specific Twinax model numbers can be found in the Avid NEXIS Network and Switch Guide.
Note: Twinaxial cables are manufacturer specific. Dell twinax cables will only work with Dell switches,
Cisco twinax cables will only work with Cisco switches. Either manufacture cable will work to
connect to an Avid NEXIS engine.
24
Avid NEXIS Hardware Components
QSFP+
Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) is used to connect the Avid NEXIS | E5 to an Ethernet
switch. For specific models of QSFP cables consult the Avid NEXIS Network and Switch Guide.
25
Module 2: Avid NEXIS Hardware
Summary
In this module you learned about the hardware components of the Avid NEXIS system.
26
Avid NEXIS Hardware Components
Review Questions
1 What are the three major hardware components of an Avid NEXIS Engine? (See page 12)
2 What are the differences between an Avid NEXIS|E2 and Avid NEXIS PRO? (See page 13)
3 How many Media Packs are supported in an Avid NEXIS|E4? (See page 14)
4 Why would you utilize multiple third-party switches in an Avid NEXIS system? (See page 25)
27
Module 2: Avid NEXIS Hardware
28
Module 3 Avid NEXIS Management Console
In this module you will learn how to log into the Avid NEXIS
Management Console. We will discuss the layout of the
web page and how to quickly verify the health of the
system.
Objectives: In this module, you will learn about:
• Opening the Avid NEXIS Management Console
• Navigation Sidebar
• Filtering, Sorting, and Searching
• Guidelines for Names and Passwords
Duration: 2 hours
Module 3: Avid NEXIS Management Console
30
Opening the Avid NEXIS Management Console
31
Module 3: Avid NEXIS Management Console
Navigation Sidebar
The Navigation sidebar is divided into the following main sections: System, Storage, Monitoring,
Users, and Logs, each of which expands to display functions or objects related to that category.
System Section
The System Section Contains
• Dashboard (displayed by default when you log into a running, configured system)—Displays
overall health and status information about the system.
• Bandwidth Limits—Lets you create, edit, sort and manage bandwidth limits for clients.
• Installers—Provides links to the installers for the Avid NEXIS Toolbox, LDAP Sync Tool (on-
premise only), Avid NEXIS Client software, and Avid NEXIS software to install on other Engines
(on-premise only).
• System Setup—Displays information about the current configuration and lets you edit various
attributes and settings.
• Settings—Manages system preferences, the file system setup, and metadata.
• Snapshots—Lets you create a snapshot of the current state of the Avid NEXIS system.
Storage Section
The Storage section contains:
• Workspaces—Displays current Workspaces and lets you create, modify and delete Workspaces
and their attributes.
• Storage Groups—Displays current Storage Groups and lets you create, modify and delete
Storage Groups and their attributes.
32
Navigation Sidebar
• Engines (on-premise only)—Displays current Engines and lets you modify some Engine
attributes.
• Controllers (on-premise only)—Displays current Controller information and lets you modify
some Controller attributes.
• Media Packs—Displays current Media Pack information and lets you modify some Media Pack
attributes.
Monitoring Section
The Monitoring section contains:
• Client Bandwidth—Displays total system bandwidth use, and bandwidth consumption of each
connected system.
• Connection Status—Displays the users and other entities connected to (or logged into) the
system, including internal users such as the Storage Managers.
• Redistribution (on-premise only)—Displays information about any in-progress redistributions,
and which Media Packs are involved.
• Reservations—Displays any bandwidth reservations set inside the Client Manager.
Users Section
The Users section contains:
• Users—Lets you create, edit, sort and manage user accounts.
• User Groups—Lets you create, edit, sort and manage user groups.
• Notifications—Lets you configure an SMTP server for email notifications and filter which types
of system events are sent to the contacts you configure.
• External Authentication (on-premise only)—Lets you configure and manage external
authentication servers for LDAP.
• Administrator—Lets you change the administrator password.
Logs Section
The Logs section contains:
• Event History—Displays the past 5 days (96 hours) of system status information. You can
download the history as a zip file, and then send the file to Avid Customer Care upon request.
• System Logs—Lets you choose from various logs to display.
• Media Pack Logs—Displays log files for the Media Packs in the system.
33
Module 3: Avid NEXIS Management Console
Action Tools
Depending on which section is open in the System Navigation sidebar, various action tools are
displayed.
34
Filtering, Sorting, and Searching
Sorting Objects
The sort options depend on the type of objects displayed. To display all objects, click Refresh.
Updating Information
You can update onscreen information to reflect recent system changes by clicking Refresh. You can
also set the display to refresh continuously.
When Continuous Refresh is enabled the refresh icon turns green and rotates. Click the rotating icon
to disable continuous refresh
35
Module 3: Avid NEXIS Management Console
Logging Out
You can log out of the Avid NEXIS Management Console at any time by clicking the user name in the
in the top-right corner of the Management Console, in the drop down choose Log out.
• Do not use the following characters in any name fields:
Summary
In this module you learned how to log into the Avid NEXIS Management Console. You also got an
overview of the Action Tools. This will help you easily navigate the Management Console.
37
Module 3: Avid NEXIS Management Console
Review Questions
1 How do you access the Avid NEXIS Management Console? (See page 30)
2 What is the default Management Console password? (See page 32)
3 What can you modify in the Storage section of the Navigation Sidebar? (See page 32)
4 How long can User passwords beGuidelines for Names and Passwords? (See page 36)
38
Module 4 Media Packs
In this module you will learn how to bind Media Packs to
the File System, the various Media Pack and disk statuses
and how to deal with Orphaned Media Packs.
Objectives: In this module, you will learn about:
• Media Packs
• Media Pack Status
• Disk Status
• Orphaned Media Packs
Duration: 40 minutes
Module 4: Media Packs
Media Packs
In this module you will learn how to add Media Packs to the file system, thus beginning the process
of Avid NEXIS management.
40
Media Packs
SSD Performance
E2 SSD Media Packs use a special SSD performance type. The SSD performance type offers
3,000MB/s read and 2000MB/s write speeds. SSD Media Packs cannot be mixed in a Storage Group
with any other performance type. Configurations with greater than 4 Media Packs must always
include a System Director Appliance. Prior to v2018.4 E2 SSD configurations were limited, check the
Avid NEXIS Readme for your version of Avid NEXIS for more information.
NEXIS Cloud
Avid NEXIS Cloud storage utilizes Microsoft Azure storage. The Storage presents to the NEXIS
Management console as a single Media Pack of up to 2PB with its own Cloud performance type and
data protection. Other than binding the Media Pack to the File System no other actions need to be
taken to support the Media Pack.
Note: Avid NEXIS|E5 and E5NL Media Packs do not support High Performance and will auto-configure to
scale-out.
To remove a Media Pack from the File System select the Media Pack and click the Unbind button.
Note: To Unbind a Media Pack from the File System it cannot be part of a Storage Group. If the Media
Pack is part of a Storage Group the Unbind button will be unavailable.
41
Module 4: Media Packs
The following table lists and describes the information available when you first open the Media
Packs list:
Heading Description
Name Displays the name (created automatically) of each Media Pack
bound to the system.
Performance Displays the performance type of the Media Pack, either Scale Out,
High Performance, or SSD
Status Time The last time the System Director logged the Media Pack’s status.
Uptime The length of time that the Media Pack has been running
continuously.
42
Media Packs
Heading Description
Engine Serial Number Displays the serial number of the Engine.
Storage Group The Storage Group, if any, to which the Media Pack is allocated.
A color-coded status icon precedes the name of each Media Pack, providing an indication of the
status of the component. The following table describes the color coding system used by the Avid
NEXIS Management Console.
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Module 4: Media Packs
Category Status
General • Disk failure (Error): The hard disk error threshold for a disk has been exceeded and the
Status Media Pack has set the disk offline. The default threshold is 25 hard errors.
• Disk Full (Error): One or more Media Packs in a Storage Group has reached its full capacity.
Even if some of the Media Packs still have available space, the Storage Group is considered
full as soon as one Media Pack is filled. As data is written and deleted, some Media Packs
are filled before others. During redistribution, the data is redistributed evenly among the
Media Packs.
• Network degraded (Error): One or more of the network connections on the Media Pack is
down or the Media Pack is experiencing at least a 10% received packet failures over the last
10 minutes, indicating a network communication problem.
• Rectifying files (Warning): Avid NEXIS is cleaning up deleted files and verifying existing
files. This occurs every time the Media Pack restarts and every 10 days thereafter, and also
when manually initiated. Each Media Pack staggers their process so that they do not run
simultaneously.
• Disk performance degraded (Warning): The Media Pack’s performance is below the
threshold for input/output functions and might impact the performance of the system.
• No connection (Warning): The System Director cannot communicate with the Media Pack.
This could be due to a networking infrastructure issue or Media Pack failure.
• Redistributing (Warning): Data is being redistributed to Media Pack in the Storage Group.
• Drive Missing: A drive is missing from the Media Pack
• Drive Rebuilding: The contents of a data drive are being rebuilt from the other drives in the
Media Pack (after you replace a failed drive)
• Missing Disks - unbound: The System Director starts a Storage Manager process for every
Media Pack that the Engine can support. If the Engine is not fully populated, the Storage
Managers report the missing Media Pack drives.
• Offline: A Media Pack was set offline by the system.
• Temperature above threshold: The Media Pack temperature exceeds 60°C (140°F).
• Missing Spare drive (Info): The spare drive is either missing or cannot be detected.
• Invalid drive (Info): The drive detected is not an Avid Qualified drive.
NEXIS • Cloud Account credential not valid: The cloud account and access key are not valid or
Cloud Only have not yet been entered to access the cloud provider and enable I/O to Avid NEXIS |
Cloudspaces
• Cloud BW Test In Progress: The cloud Media Pack is currently running a cloud bandwidth
test to determine current potential read/write bandwidth from the Avid NEXIS system to the
cloud provider
• Cloud communication issues: The cloud Media Pack is not currently able to communicate
with the cloud provider through the data center. The Avid NEXIS Cloudspace is not
accessible.
44
Media Packs
Category Status
Upgrade • Install failed
Status • Installing
Disk Status
Avid NEXIS allows you to see the status of each individual drive in the Media Pack, any spare drives
that might be present, and the status of the Metadata drives in the Avid NEXIS Engine. Individual
drives can be monitored from the Management Console. More detailed information on drive status
is available from within the NEXIS Agent for that Media Pack.
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Module 4: Media Packs
Disk Status
• Capacity Insufficient: The system drive is not the appropriate size for the Engine it is in.
Replace the drive with one of the minimum required size.
• Empty: (Applies to system drives only). The system requires two blank metadata (system)
drives. Insert another blank drive of the same capacity as the other one.
• Failed: The drive has failed and must be replaced. You cannot reuse it.
• Failing: The drive is failing. Although there is no way to tell how much time you have before
the drive fails, this status alerts you to obtain a replacement drive as soon as possible.
• Foreign: For Media Pack drives, the drive possibly came from a different Engine. To use it,
clear the foreign drive configuration;
• Incompatible: The Media Pack drives are not the right type for the Engine
• Initializing: The Engine is starting up (for example, after a reboot) and performing internal
housekeeping.
• Missing/Empty: A drive is missing or the slot is empty.
• Operational: The drive is functioning normally.
• Partition Unsupported: (Applies to system drives only). The drive is partitioned for a
different Engine than the one it is in, or some partitions are missing or the wrong size.
Remove the drive and insert a blank drive or one partitioned correctly for this Engine.
• Rebuilding: The data on the drive is being rebuilt from the other drives in the Media Pack, or
from the other system drive. This status occurs after you replace a failed drive.
• Spare: The drive is a spare.
• Invalid/Unsupported: The drive was not purchased from Avid and cannot be used in the
Engine.
46
Media Packs
47
Module 4: Media Packs
SSD Health
In all Engines and the System Director Appliance, the system drives are solid-state (SSDs). In Avid
NEXIS | E2 SSD Engines, Media Pack drives are also SSDs.
SSD health is reported as a percentage of SSD life remaining, starting at 100% (full drive life
remaining) and decreasing over time. SSD life can vary, but is generally expected to be about five
years, or at least as long as the life of the Engine. When an SSD reaches the Warning threshold, or
even the Critical threshold, you will have enough time to order and receive a replacement.
You can see the SSD drive health as follows:
• On the Engines page, click Advanced, then click Disks. SSD Health is a column in the Disks table.
• On the Media Packs page, click Advanced, then click Disks. SSD Health is a column in the Disks
table.
If an SSD has reached a Warning or Critical threshold the administrator is notified and the status is
displayed in the Management Console.
48
Media Packs
Summary
In this module you learned about how to create Media Packs, bind them to a Storage Group, create
Workspaces and finally grant permission to those Workspace by creating Avid NEXIS users. You
learned about how to track the health of the Avid NEXIS Engine and viewed messages you may see
in the Status tab.
49
Module 4: Media Packs
Review Questions
1 How do you find detailed information about a Media Pack? (See page 41)
2 What happens if you mix drive sizes in a Media Pack? (See page 40)
3 What is a foreign disk? (See page 47)
4 What is an Orphaned Media Pack? (See page 48)
50
Module 5 Workspaces
In this module you will learn how to create Workspaces and
manage them effectively.
Objectives: In this module, you will learn about:
• Storage Groups
• Workspace Strategies
• Allocating Workspaces
Duration: 30 minutes
Module 5: Workspaces
Storage Groups
A Storage Group is a number of Media Packs collected together to create a virtual volume. This
virtual volume is then divided into Workspaces. The number of Media Packs contained in the
Storage Group will determine both its maximum storage capacity and maximum bandwidth. Each
Storage Group must contain at least one Media Pack.
To maximize the usefulness of the Media Pack storage, Avid recommends putting all the Media
Packs into the same Storage Group. If you have Media Packs of different capacities, you can create
separate Storage Groups to segregate them. If any Media Pack in a Storage Group is smaller than
the others, then every Media Pack in the Storage Group is treated as the smallest size. Avid advises
that Media Packs of different sizes always be assigned to different Storage Groups.
With an embedded System Director, that is a System Director running on an Avid NEXIS Engine, a
maximum of 4 Media Packs are supported. Using a System Director Appliance up to 48 Media Packs
are supported.
Client Bandwidth
Each client connected to the Avid NEXIS system will require some of the system’s bandwidth. For
video playback clients the bandwidth required will be equal to the bandwidth of the video being
played multiplied by the number of streams being played simultaneously. Clients transferring data
to or from the Avid NEXIS system will be able to utilize higher bandwidth, in some cases up to the
limit of their network connection. Often this transfer of data is referred to as a “push-pull”
workflow.
52
Workspace Strategies
Workspace Strategies
Workspaces are virtual drives, which provide client access to the storage contained within the
Storage group. Because of the virtual nature of Workspaces they can be resized at any time. This
makes adding storage space to a project simple, as well as allowing for multiple Workspaces to help
manage your media. With support for up to 1,024 Workspaces with an embedded System Director
or 3072 with a System Director Appliance Avid NEXIS can meet any media management need.
Since Workspaces are easy to create, they are useful as a way of managing media. Some sites opt to
make a Workspace for each user of the system. That user then manages the Workspace in a manner
similar to local storage; he or she is responsible for ingesting and deleting media and keeping their
Workspace tidy.
Non-Interplay sites tend to have a larger number of smaller Workspaces allowing for control of data
through Workspace manipulation. When Avid Interplay is in use, a smaller number of larger
Workspaces is common. Control management responsibility is shifted to Interplay which can give
more granular control of files and file access.
Allocating Workspaces
Workspaces are virtual volumes that exist on Storage Groups and can be resized dynamically.
Workspaces allow you to segment your Storage Groups easily to accommodate projects and users.
To allocate Workspaces based on user and project needs, you'll need to determine how much
storage each Workspace requires and allocate space accordingly. For instance, this might be a
function of project size or the number of clients. The size of the project is a function of duration and
media resolution. You should also consider whether access restrictions are required and whether
protection for data integrity is necessary for each Workspace.
The Workspaces list displays all Workspaces, the Storage Groups on which they reside, and details
about each Workspace. The colored dot to the left of the workspace name indicates the status of
the workspace.
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Module 5: Workspaces
The following table lists and describes the information that displays in the Workspaces pane.
Heading Description
Name Names of all Workspaces in the selected Storage Groups.
Storage Group Displays the Storage Group that contains the Workspace.
Performance Displays the Performance mode of the Media Packs in the Storage
Group
Media Pack Protection Displays the protection mode applied to the Workspaces.
Mode
Used Amount of storage space in gigabytes (GB) that currently has data
written on it in each Workspace.
Space on Disk Lists the amount of disk space actually used by the data in the
Workspace, accounting for the Workspace protection mode and
some overhead.
Files Total number of files stored on the network for each Workspace.
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Allocating Workspaces
3 In the Name field, type a name for the Workspace.
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Module 5: Workspaces
4 Click the Storage Group menu, and select the Storage Group in which you want to create the
Workspace.
Note: Once a Storage Group has been selected it cannot be changed
5 Click the Engine Protection menu and (if available) select the available Engine protection option:
• Mirrored - Data is written simultaneously to two different Avid NEXIS Engines
• Unprotected - Data is written to only one Avid NEXIS Engine, protection only occurs at the
Media Pack level
Note: Once a workspace is created its Protection Mode cannot be changed.
6 Click the Media Pack Protection menu and select the available Workspace protection option:
• Two Disk Protection — Workspace data can tolerate the failure of two drives in the same Media
Pack at the same time. Offers the best protection but requires the most space in the Storage
Group.
• One Disk Protection — Workspace data can tolerate the failure of one drive in the Media Pack.
Offers some protection, but requires timely replacement of failed drives.
• Unprotected — Workspace data is lost if a single drive in the Media Pack backing the Workspace
fails. Uses the least space in the Storage Group.
Note: Once a workspace is created its Protection Mode cannot be changed.
7 In the Capacity text box type a size for the Workspace. The minimum size is listed in the Capacity
text box, and the maximum size is listed to the right of the Capacity text box.
8 In the User Access area, select the User and User Group access privileges.
9 Click Apply to create a new Workspace containing the selected Storage Group and users.
10 Click Close to close the Create Workspace dialog box to return to the Workspaces tool.
Note: An Avid NEXIS system can contain no more than 3072 Workspaces if it has an SDA or 1024 with an
embedded System director. Any attempt to create more Workspaces that allowed will result in the
error “The Maximum Number of Workspaces Already Exist.”
There are occasions when you must change
the size of Workspaces. For example, you may
need to enlarge the Workspace to create
room for a capture procedure planned for
later in the day or for some new media files.
Alternatively, you might need to make a
Workspace smaller to create space for other
Workspaces or to reserve storage for future
use.
To resize a Workspace, do one of the following:
• Click the Resize slider in the Workspace size bar graph, drag and release.
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Allocating Workspaces
• Double-click on a Workspace name or click and choose details to enter the detail pane, there
type a new number into the Capacity box and press apply. In either case the workspace resize is
applied immediately.
The Workspace size bar graph is a logarithmic representation of the Workspace, each line indicates
double the size of the previous. This allows the graph to indicate a large amount of data in a
relatively small space but also can make it difficult to accurately set the size of a Workspace. Most
users will probably prefer to change workspace size by entering a new value in the detail pane.
Renaming a Workspace
You can rename a Workspace at any time including when it is being used by client workstations and
mapped to a local drive or by letterless mapping (to a Universal Naming Convention path) on the
client system. The only effect on users is that the Workspace name will be different the next time
they access it.
Note: It is not recommended to rename the Workspace because client systems may have difficulty using
the renamed Workspace. After a mapped Workspace has been renamed it must be remapped on
each client system.
If the site has Interplay, the Media Indexer must be manually reconfigured with the new Workspace
name. The Interplay Database will also require an update to reflect this new information.
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Module 5: Workspaces
Workspace Protection
To ensure protection of your files Avid NEXIS provides three levels of data protection; One Disk
Protection and Two Disk Protection. Two Disk Protection uses two chunks of parity information for
eight chunks of actual data. When using Two Disk Protection the Workspace will utilize 20% more
space than an Unprotected Workspace.
One Disk Protection uses a single parity chunk for every nine chunks of actual data, this results in a
Workspace that occupies 10% more space than an Unprotected Workspace.
Unprotected Workspaces utilize no parity data and thus have no protection against disk failure, in
the event of a disk failure all data on the workspace will be lost.
Engine Protection
Avid NEXIS Engine protection mirrors data by writing it to two different NEXIS Engines at the same
time. This type of data protection requires a Storage Group containing at least three identical NEXIS
Engines. Mirrored data protection protects data against NEXIS Engine failure but costs half of the
free space available on the system. Mirrored data protection requires the simultaneous use of One
Disk or Two Disk Media Pack protection. One Disk Protection utilizes 10% of disk space along with
the 50% Mirroring requires meaning 55% of storage space is utilized for protection. Two Disk
protection utilizes 20% of disk space along with the 50% Mirroring data requires utilizes a total of
60% of free space while providing maximum data protection.
Avid states that Mirroring plus Two Disk Protection protects against “Any 5 disk failures” across the
system while Mirroring plus One Disk Protection protects from “Any 3 disk failures”.
Redistributing Data
Data redistribution is an operation that ensures all stored files on a Workspace are distributed
evenly across the Media Packs in the Storage Group to provide optimal file system performance.
Operations that involve an automatic redistribution of data are:
• Adding or removing a Media Pack to or from a Storage Group.
• Deleting a Workspace which contains data.
58
Allocating Workspaces
To determine the duration of the redistribution for adding or removing a Media Pack to or from a
Storage Group first determine the amount of data to be moved. For example if removing a Media
Pack which contains 10TB of data 10TB of data will be moved. If adding a Media Pack to a Storage
Group which contains 30TB of data each Media Pack will end up with 25% of 30TB so 7.5TB will be
moved to the new Media Pack.
Once you know how much data will be moved determine the rate of movement.This will be limited
by a single engine being added or removed. Reads are completed at full Media Pack bandwidth,
Scale-Out is 400MB/s, High Performance is 600MB/s and SSD is 3,000MB/s. Media Pack write
performance is detailed in the following table.
Finally deduct the impact of client activity from the speed of the system and divide the amount of
data to be moved by the rate of movement. For example to add a single Media Pack to a Storage
Group containing a single Media Pack with 10TB of data each Media Pack will end up with 5TB or
5,000GB. If all Workspaces were Two Disk Protection and zero clients are active the rate is 320MB/
s or 19.2GB/m or about 1.1TB/hr. Thus to move 5TB will take just over 4.5 hours.
With only two Media Packs removal time would be the same since the process is limited by the
write speed of a single engine. If the Storage Group contained 3 Media Packs with 15TB of data and
one Media Pack was removed the amount of data to be removed is still 5TB but now the write
bandwidth of the two Media Packs remaining is 640MB/s (320*2) so the read speed of the Media
Pack being removed (400MB/s) is the limiting factor. 400MB/s is 24GB/min or about 1.4TB/hr so this
redistribution would complete in just under 4 hours.
Prior to NEXIS version 7.5 adding a Media Pack two or from a Storage Group containing mirrored
workspaces could not be completed while the system was in use or “under load”. The NEXIS system
would stop all client activities, process the Redistribution, then resume client activities. In NEXIS
version 7.5 and later Redistribution under load is supported in all cases.
Deleting a Workspace is a special kind of redistribution which is processed in the background. It is
effectively instantaneous although there may be a short delay before the space is available for use.
Full Redistribution
When you add or remove one or more Media Packs from a Storage Group, the system performs an
incremental redistribution of the affected Workspace(s) in order to have minimal impact on system
performance. Each incremental redistribution is considered a configuration change.
You can view the number of configuration changes that have been applied to a Workspace in the
Details area of the Workspaces tool.
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Module 5: Workspaces
After twenty configuration changes, the system prompts you to perform a full redistribution. You
can manually initiate a full redistribution at any time using the Workspaces tool in the Management
Console. If you do not initiate full redistribution, the system continues to function, but the affected
Workspaces, and System at a Glance general status will both remain at Warning until a full
redistribution is performed.
After 30 configuration changes without a full redistribution, the system will perform a Full
Redistribution automatically. This could significantly reduce system performance until the
redistribution operation has completed.
Due to the nature of NEXIS Full Redistribution will be infrequent, many sites will never need a Full
Redistribution.
Note: Performing a full redistribution while one or more Media Packs are reporting a non-OK status can
result in errors or data loss. When you try to initiate a full redistribution when one or more Media
Packs are not reporting an OK (green) status. Be sure to check the health of all your Media Packs
before performing a Full Redistribution.
60
Allocating Workspaces
To assure that your Storage Group is not 100% used, create a new Workspace in this Storage Group,
label it “Freespace” and do not give anyone access to this Workspace. This Workspace can be any
size you want although anything over 5% is probably excessive.
Deleting a Workspace
You can delete Workspaces that are not currently accessed by any clients. You can also delete
Workspaces whether or not they have media files stored on them. You can delete multiple
Workspaces at one time. If you need to delete a Workspace, make sure that its media is no longer
needed, is moved, or is backed up. You then can safely delete the Workspace.
The delete workspace icon is always at the right of the workspace entry. If the browser window isn’t
large enough to show all of the workspace information at once you may have to scroll to the right
to find the delete icon.
Note: Once a Workspace has been deleted the data is GONE. There is no method for recovering the data.
Use caution in deleting workspaces.
Summary
In this module you learned about how to create and manage Workspaces.You also learned the
causes of Redistribution and reserving free space on an Avid NEXIS.
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Module 5: Workspaces
Review Questions
1 What is a Workspace? (See page 53)
2 What is the maximum number of Workspaces? (See page 53)
3 What actions trigger data redistribution? (See page 58)
4 How much free space does Avid NEXIS require? (See page 60)
62
Module 6 Users and Groups
In this module you will learn how to manage Avid NEXIS
Users and Groups.
Objectives: In this module, you will learn about:
• Maintaining Avid NEXIS Users
• Working with Avid NEXIS User Groups
• Using Bandwidth Limits
Duration: 20 minutes
Module 6: Users and Groups
64
Maintaining Avid NEXIS Users
The following table lists and describes the information you can view about your Avid NEXIS users:
User Flag Can Resize Enables or disables user privilege for resizing Workspaces.
Remote LDAP Enables or disables user LDAP authentication and group
User privileges.
Disable User Disables the user.
Note: User passwords may contain up to 127 characters.
To create a user:
1 Click + at the top of the dialog.
If + is inaccessible the new user dialog is probably already open.
The Create User dialog box opens.
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Module 6: Users and Groups
2 Enter the Name, Password and Verify the password.
Note: For security the password displays as a series of asterisks * in the Password and Verify fields. When
the password has been set the password field displays as an empty field.
3 Select the appropriate User Flags (see table below).
4 (Optional) Grant your user Group Membership.
5 Grant your user proper Read or Read/Write access to Workspaces.
6 Click Apply.
2 Click Yes.
The user is deleted from the system.
66
Maintaining Avid NEXIS Users
Note: Editing clients do not require the Windows logon match the Avid NEXIS client logon but doing so
allows the Client Manager to auto connect on login simplifying workflow.
3 Right-click in an open space and choose New User.
4 Enter the Username and desired information.
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Module 6: Users and Groups
68
Working with Avid NEXIS User Groups
69
Module 6: Users and Groups
70
Working with Avid NEXIS User Groups
3 Configure your Group information.
The following table lists and describes the information available in the Details section.
Membership Count User’s membership status for each user group (member or
nonmember)
4 Click Apply to create the new group and Close to close the dialog box.
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Module 6: Users and Groups
Like Users, you can define the maximum bandwidth for a Device. Unlike Users Device Bandwidth is
specific to a particular client computer.
Device bandwidth is a limitation; the maximum bandwidth that device can ever use. You can use
the Device bandwidth setting to limit the bandwidth a client system may access preventing
accidental overload of your system.
72
Using Bandwidth Limits
Summary
In this module you learned about creating users and granting user access to Workspaces. You also
learned ow to use groups to manage a number of users and using devices to manage client system
bandwidth.
73
Module 6: Users and Groups
Review Questions
1 Why would you want to match the Avid NEXIS user account with a Windows user account? (See page
67)
2 Why would you check “Remote LDAP User”? (See page 68)
3 How many groups can a user be a member of in Avid NEXIS? (See page 69)
4 How would you set a bandwidth limitation? (See page 72)
74
Using Bandwidth Limits
75
Module 6: Users and Groups
76
Module 7 Replacing Defective Hardware
This module presents procedures to successfully replace
defective Avid NEXIS hardware.
Objectives: In this module, you will learn about:
• Replacing a Defective Drive
• Replacing a Defective Storage Controller
• Replacing a Defective Power Supply
• Avid NEXIS Log Aggregator
Duration: 2 hours
Module 7: Replacing Defective Hardware
In NEXIS|PRO, E2, E4 and SDA the last five digits of each drive’s serial number are included on the
drive label located on the front of each drive carrier. Also included is the size and type of drive.
Above left: 2TB, 7200rpm media drive with serial number ending 01AV4
Above right: 400GB, Solid State metadata drive with serial number ending 014KR
78
Replacing a Defective Drive
Avid NEXIS|E5 drive numbering starts with drive zero at the left front of the top drawer proceeding
left to right from the front of the drawer to the rear ending with drive 41. Drive 42 is the front left
of the bottom drawer, drive 83 is the right rear.
Avid will request the Serial Number of the defective drive before a replacement can be sent.This
information can be found from the disks pane for that Media Pack in the Management Console.
As noted above the last five digits of the drive serial number are located on the front of the drive
carrier.
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Module 7: Replacing Defective Hardware
80
Replacing a Defective Drive
6TB 42 Hours
2TB 14 Hours
6TB 30 Hours
2TB 10 Hours
19.2TB 6 Hours
Note: Improper use of “Clear Foreign Config” can result in data loss. If you have any doubts about issuing
this command contact Avid Support.
To Clear Foreign Config first log into the Media Pack via the Management Console. In the details
pane for the Media Pack double click the IP address of the Media Pack which will open the NEXIS
Agent. Go to the Advanced Tab in the Media Pack, click on “All Disks” at the bottom left. Find the
foreign disk in the list and check the box next to it. Then click “Clear Foreign Config”, type “Destroy
My Data” and click OK. With its foreign config cleared the drive will now become a spare.
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Module 7: Replacing Defective Hardware
82
Avid NEXIS Log Aggregator
Click the check box to the left of the System Director, this will cause all of the boxes in the tree to
also be checked.
Choose an Output Directory on your computer for the logs to be saved to.
Click the green start button.
The logs will be saved into the Output Directory, a compressed file containing all of the logs
(aggregator_results.zip) will be saved in the top level of that directory. Provide that file to Avid
Customer Care when requesting replacement hardware.
Summary
In this module you learned how to successfully replace failed Avid NEXIS hardware. You also learned
about obtaining logs for Avid Customer Care. This information will help you better prepare for, and
maintain your Avid NEXIS environment.
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Module 7: Replacing Defective Hardware
Review Questions
1 How do you know which drive to replace? (See page 78)
2 How do you find the Serial Number for the defective drive? (See page 79)
3 Should you shut down your NEXIS Engine when replacing hardware? (See page 82)
4 How do you obtain NEXIS logs? (See page 83)
84
Module 8 Avid NEXIS Clients
In this module you will learn about Avid NEXIS Clients,
client hardware and the Avid NEXIS Client Manager. You
will understand how to mount Workspaces and configure
user preferences like auto mounting.
Objectives: In this module, you will learn about:
• Avid NEXIS Client Hardware
• Avid NEXIS Client Manager Version Considerations
• Installing Avid NEXIS Client Software
• The Avid NEXIS Shared Storage Network Connection
• Mounting and Unmounting Workspaces
• Client Manager Preferences
• Using PathDiag
Duration: 90 minutes
Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
Jumbo Frames
Normal Ethernet packets (frames) are 1500 bytes, any packet larger than 1500 bytes is a Jumbo
Frame. Ideally jumbo frames allow a larger amount of data to be transmitted by a given number of
packets. Unfortunately there isn’t a real standard for what jumbo frames means and various
manufacturers of switches, network cards and operating systems each implement their own idea
packet size. When attempting jumbo frames it is important that all devices in the data path from the
client to the Avid NEXIS system support at least the packet size being transmitted, otherwise packets
could be dropped.
Avid NEXIS does NOT support jumbo frames. On Windows clients and Macintosh 1Gb clients this is
normally not a problem as jumbo frames are disabled by default. Macintosh 10Gb clients generally
have jumbo frames ENABLED by default. The Avid NEXIS client should disable jumbo frames
automatically but occasionally that doesn’t work out.
Clients with jumbo frames enabled will be able to read from the Avid NEXIS but not write to it.
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Jumbo Frames
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
Client Licensing
Each client that connects to the Avid NEXIS system must be included in the System Director license
count for your system. It is not necessary to order special licenses for each client.The type of System
Director File System controls the number of clients allowed on that Avid NEXIS system.
• Avid NEXIS|PRO - 24 Active, 30 Connected
• Avid NEXIS|FS Foundation (embedded System Director) - 40 Clients
• Avid NEXIS|FS Extended (System Director Appliance) - 165 Clients
• Avid NEXIS|FS Advanced (System Director Appliance plus license) - 330 Clients
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Installing Avid NEXIS Client Software
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
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The Avid NEXIS Shared Storage Network Connection
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
Icon Status
(Black) Client Manager is running, but there are no active NEXIS connections.
(Blue) Client is connected to one or more NEXIS systems, but there are no
mounted Workspaces.
(Green) Client is connected to one or more NEXIS systems, and there are one
or more mounted Workspaces.
Tip: Hover over the tray icon to display a tooltip.
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The Avid NEXIS Shared Storage Network Connection
4 Type your existing password in the Old Password text box.
5 Type your new password in the New Password text box.
6 For confirmation, type the password again in the New Password (again) text box.
7 Click OK.
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
Note: The Avid NEXIS Management Console display might differ according to your user account’s access
privileges and the version of Avid NEXIS used on your system.
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Mounting and Unmounting Workspaces
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
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Mounting and Unmounting Workspaces
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
Note: The dialog box will differ according to the NEXIS version. The example above shows NEXIS 3.5.
4 Click Select drive letter and select the drive letter you want to use for mounting Workspaces.
Option Description
Next available drive (letter:) Mounts the Workspace to the next available drive letter,
working backward from drive Z:
Select drive letter Mounts the Workspace to the selected available drive letter.
UNC (\\path) Uses a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path for the
mounted Workspace instead of a drive letter.
5 Click OK.
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Client Manager Preferences
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
To configure the Client Manager settings for Windows Vista or Windows 7 network profiles:
1 Verify which network connection profile(s) are used to connect to your NEXIS system by doing the
following:
a Click Start > Control Panel.
The Windows Control Panel opens.
b Click Network and Internet.
The Network and Internet window opens.
c Click Network and Sharing Center.
The Network and Sharing Center window opens.
The Network and Sharing Center window lists the network connections present on your system and
which network profile has been applied to them. You can find this information in the View your
active networks section.
The three possible network profiles are the following:
• Domain network
• Public network
• Private network
When you have determined which network profile has been applied to the connection(s) to your
NEXIS system, you can go to the next step.
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Client Manager Preferences
2 Start Client Manager software and click the General Preferences button.
The General Preferences window opens.
3 In the Profiles section, select the applicable network profile types to enable Firewall configuration.
Note: You need to enable Firewall configuration for only the network profiles that are connected to your
NEXIS system.
4 Click Apply.
5 Click Close.
6 Restart your Windows Vista system for the Firewall configuration to take effect.
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
Remote Hosts
If your system connects to the Avid NEXIS media network as a routed client, you need to add the
server name of your System Director in order for the Client Manager to connect to it. If your system
does not use a DNS server to configure your network connections, you can also type the IP
addresses of the remote host, but you cannot use the virtual server name or virtual IP addresses.
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Client Manager Preferences
3 Make sure your NEXIS Ethernet network connection is selected.
4 Click the Protocols button and verify that all available options are checked.21
5 Click the green check mark to apply the changes or click the red X to close the dialog box without
any changes.
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
Using PathDiag
Avid PathDiag is a diagnostic utility that allows you to validate your Avid NEXIS Storage Group by
quantifying the throughput of Windows or Macintosh editing applications accessing Avid NEXIS
Workspaces. The Avid PathDiag tool can also test the throughput from local Storage Elements and
any other shared storage to which a client has access.
Although the Avid NEXIS Benchmark Utility provides many of the same tools as PathDiag many users
find its interface cumbersome and difficult to use. The benefit in the Benchmark Utility is its ability
to test the network speed of many clients from one workstation which is most useful when first
building an Avid NEXIS system. PathDiag’s simplicity is advantageous when testing a single system
for example when you are troubleshooting why that system is dropping frames.
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Using PathDiag
q w e r t
y u
1 Settings area
2 Messages area
3 Results area
4 Control area
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
Settings Area
The Settings area in the main window displays the name of the currently selected test, the test
duration, and the path to the storage that will be tested.
The Setup button allows you to change the test settings.
Control Area
The Control area in the main window has Start and Stop buttons along with test timing information.
Messages Area
The Messages area provides test progress and diagnostic information about the operation of the
utility. If you need to troubleshoot, the detailed text information in these messages might be
helpful.
Results Area
The Results area provides the following numerical test results:
Item Displays
IOs The current number of I/O operations that have been completed during the
test
Current Rate The calculated throughput or bandwidth (in megabytes per second [MB/s]) for
(MB/s) recent I/O operations that have been completed
Average Rate The average throughput or bandwidth (in megabytes per second) for the
(MB/s) duration of the test
Errors The number of errors encountered during testing. This is the total of all errors
generated for both read and write operations and can include errors related to
the following:
• Opening or closing data files
• Validity of the specified file system path
• User access privileges
• Read or write operations
Text indicators on the left of the Results area show the file access protocol used and the operation
performed in the current phase of testing.
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Using PathDiag
Item Description
Average Read or The average throughput or bandwidth (in megabytes per second), plotted
Average Write over time
Recent Read or The calculated throughput or bandwidth (in megabytes per second) for recent
Recent Write I/O operations, plotted over time
Peak Read or The peak latency for individual I/O operations (either reads or writes) that
Peak Write MS/ have been completed over a short period of time. A high measurement
100 indicates a longer period of time was needed for the operation to complete.
Because only the highest (peak) measurement over a short period of time is
displayed, a single high peak could be accompanied by many low-latency
operations that do not appear in the graph.
Note: When you run the Network Connectivity test, the Test Results graph is replaced with a table of
results generated by the test.
Diagnostic Tests
The Settings area of the PathDiag tool displays the currently specified test parameters. Before
running the test, you must mount at least one Workspace to which you have read/write access in
the Avid NEXIS Client Manager.
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2 Adjust the custom test parameters described in the following table, as required:
Parameter Description
File Access PathDiag tool supports more than one interface or protocol for accessing data.
Method This option allows you to control which interface is used. This setting should
remain on “Automatically Select”
Reads versus PathDiag tool supports testing that focuses on Reads or Writes, or that alternates
Writes between Reads and Writes. Select a testing mode:
• Writes, then Reads: The utility alternates between Write and Read tests.
Approximately half of the test duration is allocated to reading, and the other half
is allocated to writing.
• Writes Only: The utility writes test data files and measures the throughput
obtained during Write operations.
• Reads Only: The utility reads test data files and measures the throughput
obtained during Read operations.
Note: One or more test data files are written as sample data for testing
however, the Writes required to set up the test are not included in the
throughput measurements.
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Using PathDiag
Transfer Rate The utility can attempt to perform I/O at a variety of fixed transfer rates. This is
(KB/S) useful for simulating the behavior of applications that have a known data rate.
A special unlimited transfer rate setting is also available. When you select the
unlimited transfer rate, the PathDiag tool performs I/O operations as fast as
possible while being affected by all aspects of the total system being exercised.
Max File Size This option controls the maximum size of test data files created for Reads or
(MB) Writes. This option might affect throughput measurements. For example, at any
given data rate, a smaller file is opened and closed more often than a larger file,
creating more overhead. The default file size is 100 MB.
Use named This option changes the way that the Path to Test parameter is used, and the
common file option is intended for advanced users only. When you select this option, the Path
for Reads to Test parameter must specify a full path, including a file name. The test utility
uses the named file for its Read tests.
The utility creates the file if it does not exist and deletes it at the end of testing. For
this reason, the named file should not already exist unless you want it to be
deleted when the test is completed. With this option selected, you can run
PathDiag tool on multiple clients simultaneously and supply the same file name.
This allows PathDiag tool applications running on multiple clients to read a
common file. (The file is created as needed, and the last PathDiag tool application
to stop deletes the file.)
3 Adjust the custom test parameters as shown in the following table:
Reads vs. Writes Reads only, then Writes only Reads only, then Writes only
(perform the tests separately) (perform the tests separately)
4 Click OK.
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
Test Results
This section provides information to help you interpret test results displayed in the PathDiag tool
main window.
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Using PathDiag
Performance Graph
The graph of results over time can help experienced users obtain information about system
performance.
The following are a few items to observe:
• Trends: Does the system perform at a consistent rate over time? Is there an upward or
downward trend in performance measured over time?
If you notice a trend, it might be helpful to perform testing over a longer period of time to
determine if the trend continues over longer durations or if a recurring pattern emerges.
• Patterns: Is there a momentary drop in performance that occurs at consistent or varied
intervals?
Patterns can emerge as a result of implementation details and the configuration of a particular
system (for example, caching strategies or physical memory), or they might indicate a load on a
system that is occurring periodically.
• Changes in performance as load varies: What occurs when a subsystem is placed under a load
by other users (or PathDiag tool is running on another client)?
It might be easier to observe these interactions by inspecting the plot of performance results
over time.
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
Measurement Strategy
Throughput measurements are plotted periodically (every n seconds) and represent a snapshot of
performance at the time of the plot. This is done to limit the amount of data that is plotted, which
otherwise could include a very large number of data points. As a result, the performance graph
could miss a momentary drop or increase or a peak in performance that occurs between plot points.
The average rate calculation reflects the impact of such a dip or spike, even if the actual size of a
momentary variation does not appear in the graph.
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Using PathDiag
Summary
In this module you learned about:
• Avid NEXIS Client Hardware
• Avid NEXIS Client Manager Version Considerations
• Installing Avid NEXIS Client Software
• Mounting and Unmounting Workspaces
• Using PathDiag
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Module 8: Avid NEXIS Clients
Review Questions
1 What color icon indicates a problem mounting Workspaces? (See page 92)
2 When should you label a client “Ultra high resolution”? (See page 99)
3 How do your change your NEXIS client password? (See page 93)
4 What tool do you use to test the speed of a client connection? (See page 104)
5 Why would you mount Workspaces with a UNC on Windows clients instead of a drive letter? (See
page 97)
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Module 9 Advanced NEXIS Software
In this module you will learn about advanced Avid NEXIS
troubleshooting tools. These tools will compliment those
shown in the previous module.
Objectives: In this module, you will learn about:
• Monitoring Redistribution
• Using the Notification Service
• System Administration Tools
• NEXIS Agent
Duration: 60 minutes
Module 9: Advanced NEXIS Software
Monitoring Redistribution
You can display detailed information about the progress of redistributions in the Redistribution
Monitor tool.
The Redistribution Monitor tool displays a table listing the status of redistributions, the rate and
remaining time of the redistribution, and other information.
The Redistribution monitor is most useful for getting an idea how long a redistribution will take to
complete. It will also show if a Media Pack has gotten stuck in its redistribution. If you find a Media
Pack stuck during a redistribution contact Avid support.
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Using the Notification Service
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Module 9: Advanced NEXIS Software
5 Repeat these steps for each new contact.
To remove a contact:
1 Next to the contact you want to remove from the Contact list click Delete.
A dialog box opens, prompting you to confirm that you want to delete the contact.
2 Click OK.
You can configure the NEXIS to send notification emails for one or more error types and what
severity level on which to be notified. For more information see the Avid NEXIS Administration
Guide.
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System Administration Tools
System Logging
The Logging section of the NEXIS Management Console provides access to view the various logs
kept on an NEXIS system, including active Media Packs, System Directors, and clients.
System Logs
The System Logs page provides a complete view of the system-generated events. You can filter the
log reports to display messages in a particular category (WARNING vs INFO), by date, by the
subsystem or Storage Controller that generated the event, or by words in the messages themselves.
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Module 9: Advanced NEXIS Software
The logs provide detailed status information that is especially useful to Avid Customer Support
personnel for monitoring system status during prolonged operations.
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System Administration Tools
The following information is collected in an Avid NEXIS Snapshot:
• General information, such as the System Director (Storage Controller) name and the date the
snapshot was collected, and the name of the zip file containing the snapshot.
• The system component information (in .csv and .zip files), including any current warnings or
errors and their details.
• System Director status and metadata.
• All currently configured system preferences.
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Module 9: Advanced NEXIS Software
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System Administration Tools
NEXIS Toolbox
The Avid NEXIS Toolbox is a collection of tools you can use to monitor and perform diagnostic
operations on all your Avid NEXIS hardware. The Avid NEXIS Toolbox is included in the Avid NEXIS
software kit, but is not installed automatically. You can install it from the Management Console
Installers link.
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Module 9: Advanced NEXIS Software
The Connection Analyzer displays connection status in a grid, using the following icons to denote
the status of each Media Pack:
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System Administration Tools
Disk Analyzer
The Disk Analyzer runs the following basic disk performance tests on your Media Packs, which you
can run in either Sequential or in Random access mode:
• Read Test
• Write Test
• Read/Write Test
• Erase Test
You can also use the Disk Analyzer to collect statistics on the status of Media Packs and network use
and redistribution actions, including the statistics generated by Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and
Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) and by local Media Pack processes — for example, statistics on
Long Command Times (LCT).
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Module 9: Advanced NEXIS Software
LDAP Administration
LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is an Internet protocol that some applications use to
look up information — such as account information, user names, and groups — from a server. The
LDAP Sync tool allows Avid NEXIS administrators to synchronize Avid NEXIS user accounts with
existing LDAP user accounts and to create or modify a large number of users and groups within the
Avid NEXIS system.
Note: Avid NEXIS currently supports only Microsoft Active Directory, and might not be compatible with
other LDAP implementations.
The LDAP Sync tool lets you:
• Display user accounts available within a given LDAP service but not in the Avid NEXIS system,
and vice versa.
• Add new groups and users to the Avid NEXIS system.
• Grant user memberships to groups.
• Remove user membership from a group in Avid NEXIS if the user no longer belongs to that
group on the LDAP server.
Users synchronized by the LDAP Sync tool will automatically be added as “Remote” users for
authentication to the LDAP server.
The LDAP Sync Tool lets you search for groups and their users on an LDAP server, synchronize users
and groups accounts by adding or removing users and groups from Avid NEXIS, generate a report of
the account actions, and see a history of the synchronization activity. Configure a connection by
entering the LDAP server’s fully qualified name, port, and user distinguished name and password
for authentication.
Note: Users imported by the LDAP Sync Tool cannot log into the Avid NEXIS until it is configured for
external authentication.
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LDAP Administration
If the tool has been used before on this computer, the main window opens.
The Account Synchronizer is the main window of the Avid NEXIS LDAP Sync Tool. Use the Account
Synchronizer to search the LDAP user accounts, synchronize (reconcile) user accounts by adding or
removing users from the Avid NEXIS users list, generate a report of the account actions, and see a
history of the accounts. You can also modify the display of the Account Synchronizer to filter out
unneeded account information.
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Module 9: Advanced NEXIS Software
When you first connect to the Avid NEXIS and the LDAP server, the Account Synchronizer checks the
users in the selected LDAP groups against the Avid NEXIS database and builds a set of actions to
reconcile the two. The main window displays the complete set of groups, using buttons with colors
and icons to indicate the reconciliation status of each group.
Click any button to see detailed information about the actions you can perform on users in each
group.
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LDAP Administration
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Module 9: Advanced NEXIS Software
NEXIS Agent
For most day-to-day operations and system monitoring, use the Management Console. To perform
more advanced operations, such as changing the logging properties or the network configuration,
or to see more detailed information about system components, use the Avid NEXIS Agent. Not all
of the Agent functionality is described here; some is for Customer Care use only, or with their
guidance.
Note: While the NEXIS Agent page still exists in 2018.5 and later its functionality has been replaced in the
Management Console. This listing is mostly for reference.
To open the NEXIS Agent double-click on the IP address listed in that Media Pack’s details in the
Management Console.
System
The System page will show basic Media Pack information and also allow changes to the system
configuration that was made when the Avid NEXIS Engine was initially configured.
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NEXIS Agent
Statistics
The Media Pack statistics can be useful for troubleshooting different problems with the Media Pack,
particularly Network Degraded statuses.
To troubleshoot Network Degraded consult the network statistics for the affected Media Pack.
Check to see if any IP addresses are listed in the “Top 16 IP addresses in Receive Error” since
Network Degraded is caused by the Media Pack receiving bad packets this statistic might point to a
client or other network device as causing the problem.
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Module 9: Advanced NEXIS Software
Advanced
The Advanced page offers a couple important abilities, the first being able to shut the NEXIS Engine
off.
Note: When shutting down an Avid NEXIS Engine the toggle switches on the power supplies will still be
switched to ON. To restart the engine you must set the switches to OFF and then ON again.
The advanced page also allows you to “Clear Foreign Config” and to toggle the LED on each drive.
Remember that once a drive’s LED has been toggled it will continue to blink until toggled off.
Note: Use caution with “Clear Foreign Config” it has the potential to lose data.
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NEXIS Agent
Summary
In this module you learned about:
• Using the Notification Service
• System Administration Tools
• NEXIS Agent
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Module 9: Advanced NEXIS Software
Review Questions
1 What information is required for the notification service? (See page 117)
2 What tools are in the NEXIS Toolbox? (See page 123)
3 How do you monitor Redistribution? (See page 116)
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