Avid Technology NEXIS PRO 20TB Operating manual

Avid NEXIS®
Setup and Maintenance Guide
December 2019

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Legal Notices
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BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR
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liability for all losses incurred through the use of this document. Product specifications are subject to change without notice.
Copyright © 2019 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The following disclaimer is required by Apple Computer, Inc.:
APPLE COMPUTER, INC. MAKES NO WARRANTIES WHATSOEVER, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THIS PRODUCT, INCLUDING
WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO ITS MERCHANTABILITY OR ITS FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED
WARRANTIES IS NOT PERMITTED BY SOME STATES. THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY PROVIDES YOU WITH
SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS. THERE MAY BE OTHER RIGHTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.
The following disclaimer is required by Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics, Inc. for the use of their TIFF library:
Copyright © 1988–1997 Sam Leffler
Copyright © 1991–1997 Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software [i.e., the TIFF library] and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that
(i) the above copyright notices and this permission notice appear in all copies of the software and related documentation, and (ii) the names of Sam Leffler and Silicon
Graphics may not be used in any advertising or publicity relating to the software without the specific, prior written permission of Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS-IS” AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
IN NO EVENT SHALL SAM LEFFLER OR SILICON GRAPHICS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER OR NOT ADVISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE, AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF
THIS SOFTWARE.
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This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.
This Software may contain components licensed under the following conditions:
Copyright (c) 1989 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms are permitted provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are duplicated in all such forms and that any
documentation, advertising materials, and other materials related to such distribution and use acknowledge that the software was developed by the University of California,
Berkeley. The name of the University may not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission. THIS
SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 by Jef Poskanzer.
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright
notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. This software is provided "as is" without
express or implied warranty.
Copyright 1995, Trinity College Computing Center. Written by David Chappell.
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright
notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. This software is provided "as is" without
express or implied warranty.
Copyright 1996 Daniel Dardailler.
Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all
copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the name of Daniel Dardailler not be used in advertising
or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without specific, written prior permission. Daniel Dardailler makes no representations about the suitability of this
software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.
Modifications Copyright 1999 Matt Koss, under the same license as above.
Copyright (c) 1991 by AT&T.

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Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any purpose without fee is hereby granted, provided that this entire notice is included in all copies of any
software which is or includes a copy or modification of this software and in all copies of the supporting documentation for such software.
THIS SOFTWARE IS BEING PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY. IN PARTICULAR, NEITHER THE AUTHOR NOR
AT&T MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND CONCERNING THE MERCHANTABILITY OF THIS SOFTWARE OR ITS FITNESS
FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
This product includes software developed by the University of California, Berkeley and its contributors.
The following disclaimer is required by Paradigm Matrix:
Portions of this software licensed from Paradigm Matrix.
The following disclaimer is required by Ray Sauers Associates, Inc.:
“Install-It” is licensed from Ray Sauers Associates, Inc. End-User is prohibited from taking any action to derive a source code equivalent of “Install-It,” including by
reverse assembly or reverse compilation, Ray Sauers Associates, Inc. shall in no event be liable for any damages resulting from reseller’s failure to perform reseller’s
obligation; or any damages arising from use or operation of reseller’s products or the software; or any other damages, including but not limited to, incidental, direct,
indirect, special or consequential Damages including lost profits, or damages resulting from loss of use or inability to use reseller’s products or the software for any reason
including copyright or patent infringement, or lost data, even if Ray Sauers Associates has been advised, knew or should have known of the possibility of such damages.
The following disclaimer is required by Altura Software, Inc. for the use of its Mac2Win software and Sample Source Code:
©1993–1998 Altura Software, Inc.
The following disclaimer is required by Interplay Entertainment Corp.:
The “Interplay” name is used with the permission of Interplay Entertainment Corp., which bears no responsibility for Avid products.
This product includes portions of the Alloy Look & Feel software from Incors GmbH.
This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/).
© DevelopMentor
This product may include the JCifs library, for which the following notice applies:
JCifs © Copyright 2004, The JCIFS Project, is licensed under LGPL (http://jcifs.samba.org/). See the LGPL.txt file in the Third Party Software directory on the installation
CD.
Avid Interplay contains components licensed from LavanTech. These components may only be used as part of and in connection with Avid Interplay.
Attn. Government User(s). Restricted Rights Legend
U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. This Software and its documentation are “commercial computer software” or “commercial computer software
documentation.” In the event that such Software or documentation is acquired by or on behalf of a unit or agency of the U.S. Government, all rights with respect to this
Software and documentation are subject to the terms of the License Agreement, pursuant to FAR §12.212(a) and/or DFARS §227.7202-1(a), as applicable.
Trademarks
Avid, the Avid Logo, Avid Everywhere, Avid DNXHD, Avid DNXHR, Avid NEXIS, Avid NEXIS | Cloudspaces, AirSpeed, Eleven, EUCON, Interplay, iNEWS, ISIS,
Mbox, MediaCentral, Media Composer, NewsCutter, Pro Tools, ProSet and RealSet, Maestro, PlayMaker, Sibelius, Symphony, 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.
The following disclaimer is required by Apple Computer, Inc.:
APPLE COMPUTER, INC. MAKES NO WARRANTIES WHATSOEVER, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THIS PRODUCT, INCLUDING
WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO ITS MERCHANTABILITY OR ITS FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED
WARRANTIES IS NOT PERMITTED BY SOME STATES. THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY PROVIDES YOU WITH
SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS. THERE MAY BE OTHER RIGHTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.
Avid NEXIS Setup and Maintenance Guide • Issue Date December 2019 • This document is distributed by Avid in online (electronic) form only, and
is not available for purchase in printed form.
Revision History
Date Changes Made or Applicable Avid NEXIS | FS Version
12/19/2019 Strengthened caution to lock all E5 drives
10/29/2019 2019.10.0—Added new Controller types (USM 1.37 and 32GB memory)
06/30/2019 2019.6.0—Additional drive size support for Avid NEXIS E2 | SSD

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Contents
Using This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Symbols and Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Accessing the Online Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Avid Training Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Chapter 1 Avid NEXIS System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Avid NEXIS Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Supported Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
System Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Engine and SDA Serial Number Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2U Chassis Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4U Chassis Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5U Chassis Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Types of Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Controller Functionality and Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
System Director Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Media Pack and System Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Power Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Chapter 2 Connecting the Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Rack Mounting Guidelines and Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Mounting the Engine or System Director Appliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Installing the Media Packs (2U and 4U Chassis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Installing Media Pack Drives (5U Chassis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Connecting Power to Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Connecting the Hardware to a Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Enabling Link Aggregation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Chapter 3 Software Installation and System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
System Setup Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Understanding the Shared Name Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
What is DNS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
What is NTP? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Installing and Setting Up the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Registering the Avid NEXIS and Downloading the Avid NEXIS Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Configuring the Computer’s IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Installing the Software and Setting up the Avid NEXIS System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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Chapter 4 Adding and Replacing Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Collecting Logs for Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Hardware Faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
About Drive Failures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Identifying the Slot Number for a Failing or Failed Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Removing the Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Replacing a Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Removing a Drive (2U and 4U Chassis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Inserting a Drive (2U and 4U Chassis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Removing a Drive (5U Chassis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Inserting a Drive (5U Chassis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Adding Media Packs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Adding a Media Pack to an Engine (2U and 4U) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Adding a Media Pack to an Engine (5U) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Power Supply LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Replacing a Power Supply (2U and 4U). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Replacing a Cooling Module (5U only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Replacing a Power Supply (5U) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Installing a Redundant Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Dual Controller Connection Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
About Controller Failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Replacing a Controller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Removing or Replacing a Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Adding an Engine to Your Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Chapter 5 Specifications and Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Electrical and Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Altitude and Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Shock, Vibration and Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Warnings and Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
FCC Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Class A Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Class B Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Canadian Notice (Avis Canadien) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Class A Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

vi
Class B Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
LED Safety Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
European Union Declaration of Conformity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Disposal of Waste Equipment by Users in the European Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Argentina Conformity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Australia and New Zealand EMC Regulations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Japan EMC Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Class A Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Korean EMC Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Class A Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Taiwan EMC Regulations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Using This Guide
The Avid NEXIS®media network provides a high-performance distributed file system that contains
high-capacity shared media storage for workgroups of connected Avid®editing workstations.
Symbols and Conventions
Avid documentation uses the following symbols and conventions:
Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action
nA note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations, and
strong suggestions.
cA caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to your
computer or cause you to lose data.
wA warning describes an action that could cause you physical harm. Follow the
guidelines in this document or on the unit itself when handling electrical
equipment.
nA user tip provides a helpful hint that can aid users in getting the most from their
system.
nA shortcut shows the user keyboard or mouse shortcuts for a procedure or
command.
> This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the order you
select them. For example, File > Import means to open the File menu and then
select the Import command.
This symbol indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a list indicate
that you perform one of the actions listed.
(Windows), (Windows
only), (Macintosh), or
(Macintosh only)
This text indicates that the information applies only to the specified operating
system, either Windows or Macintosh OS X.
Bold font Bold font is primarily used in task instructions to identify user interface items and
keyboard sequences.
Italic font Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables.
Courier Bold font Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.
Ctrl+key or mouse action Press and hold the first key while you press the last key or perform the mouse
action. For example, Command+Option+C or Ctrl+drag.
| (pipe character) The pipe character is used in some Avid product names, such as MediaCentral |
Production Management. In this document, the pipe is used in product names
when they are in headings or at their first use in text.

If You Need Help
viii
If You Need Help
If you are having trouble using your Avid product:
1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task in this guide. It is
especially important to check each step of your workflow.
2. Check the latest information that might have become available after the documentation was
published.
New information is available in the ReadMe PDF document, available online.
Always check online for the most up-to-date release notes or ReadMe because the online
version is updated whenever new information becomes available. To view the online
versions, visit the Knowledge Base at www.avid.com/US/support.
3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for
maintenance or hardware-related issues.
4. Visit the online Knowledge Base at www.avid.com/US/support. Online services are available 24
hours per day, 7 days per week. Search this online Knowledge Base to find answers, to view
error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read or join online
message-board discussions.
Accessing the Online Documentation
The Avid online documentation contains all the product documentation in PDF format and Help files
where relevant. You can access the documentation on the Knowledge Base page for your release.
Download and install Acrobat Reader before you access the PDF documentation.
Avid Training Services
Avid makes lifelong learning, career advancement, and personal development easy and convenient.
Avid understands that the knowledge you need to differentiate yourself is always changing, and Avid
continually updates course content and offers new training delivery methods that accommodate your
pressured and competitive work environment.
For information on courses/schedules, training centers, certifications, courseware, and books, please
visit www.avid.com/support and follow the Training links, or call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID
(800-949-2843).

1Avid NEXIS System Overview
The Avid NEXIS system is a shared storage solution for acquisition, creative, distribution, and
archive media workflows. Avid network storage systems are built for media and entertainment. They
enable multiple clients to share, capture, play, and edit video and audio media.
Clients access Avid NEXIS systems through external switch connections. The Avid NEXIS
Management Console provides workspace and system management functionality.
This chapter provides an overview of the Avid NEXIS system and the basic function of each
component. Other chapters in this guide describe how to install the system in a rack, connect the
power and Ethernet cables, and configure the system.
Avid NEXIS Platforms
The Avid NEXIS system is available in the following hardware platforms. For more information, see
“System Details” on page 3.
Model Size Features
Avid NEXIS | PRO (20TB)
Avid NEXIS | PRO (40TB)
2U One Controller, two 764W power supply/cooling modules (PCMs), two solid
state system drives, and one Media Pack (10 drives), of either 2TB drives
(yielding a 20TB Media Pack) or 4TB drives (yielding a 40TB Media Pack)
Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD 2U One Controller, two 764W power supply/cooling modules (PCMs), two solid
state system drives, and one SSD Media Pack (10 drives)
Avid NEXIS | E2 2U One or two Controllers, two 764W power supply/cooling modules (PCMs), two
solid state system drives, and one Media Pack (10 drives)
Avid NEXIS | E4 4U One or two Controllers, four 580W power supply/cooling modules, two solid
state system drives, and up to two Media Packs (20 drives)
Empty drive slots must be covered with blank plates to maintain proper airflow
and cooling.
Avid NEXIS | E5 5U One or two Controllers with 40GbE NICs, two 2200W power supplies, two solid
state system drives, five fan modules, up to eight Media Packs (80 drives) and
two spare media drives.
Avid NEXIS | E5 NL 5U One or two Controllers with 10GbE NICs, two 2200W power supplies, two solid
state system drives, five fan modules, up to eight Media Packs (80 drives) and
two spare media drives.

Supported Configurations
2
Supported Configurations
The Avid NEXIS hardware can be configured into a single shared storage system, using a single
name space, in any of the following ways.
Configurations with an Embedded System Director
All configurations running an embedded System Director use the Avid NEXIS | FS Foundation
license.
System Director Appliance
(System Director Appliance)
2U Server built from common hardware modules as other Avid NEXIS products.
Contains one or two Controllers, two 764W power supply/cooling modules, and
two solid state system drives.
The System Director Appliance does not provide media storage; the unused drive
slots are covered with blank plates.
The System Director Appliance must be used with any E-Series configuration of
more than four Media Packs, and with all configurations that include an Avid
NEXIS | E5 or Avid NEXIS | E5 NL.
Cannot be used with Avid NEXIS | PRO.
Model Size Features
Avid NEXIS Model Functionality
Avid NEXIS | PRO
20TB and 40TB)
Provides media storage and runs the System Director. Can manage up to four Media Packs (four
Avid NEXIS | PRO Engines).
Avid NEXIS | PRO cannot be combined with Avid NEXIS E-series (Enterprise class) Engines or
the System Director Appliance.
Supports up to 30 connected clients, 24 of which can be active at the same time.
Supports a single Controller.
Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD Provides media storage and runs the System Director. Can be combined with Avid NEXIS | E2,
Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD, and Avid NEXIS | E4, up to a total of four Media Packs. For more than
four Media Packs deploy a System Director Appliance.
Supports one or two Controllers.
Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD cannot be combined with Avid NEXIS | PRO Engines.
Avid NEXIS | E2 System Director runs on the Avid NEXIS | E2 Engine, which also provides storage. Can be
combined with Avid NEXIS | E2, Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD and Avid NEXIS | E4, up to a total of
four Media Packs. For more than four Media Packs deploy a System Director Appliance.
Supports one or two Controllers.
Supports up to 40 clients.
Avid NEXIS | E4 System Director runs on the Avid NEXIS | E4 Engine, which also provides storage. Can be
combined with Avid NEXIS | E2, Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD and Avid NEXIS | E4, up to a total of
four Media Packs. For more than four Media Packs deploy a System Director Appliance.
Supports one or two Controllers.
Supports up to 40 clients.

System Details
3
Configurations with an External System Director (System Director Appliance)
The System Director Appliance runs the System Director (but does not provide media storage) for
configurations that exceed the limits of the embedded System Director. The System Director
Appliance uses either the Avid NEXIS | FS Extended license or the Avid NEXIS | FS Advanced
license, depending on how many Media Packs or clients you want to manage. See the Avid NEXIS
ReadMe for license details.
Use a System Director Appliance if your configuration includes more than four Media Packs in any
combination of Avid NEXIS | E2, Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD, or Avid NEXIS | E4 Engines, or at least
one Avid NEXIS | E5 or Avid NEXIS | E5 NL Engine.
An System Director Appliance cannot be used with Avid NEXIS | PRO.
Engine Protection (Media Mirroring) Configurations
Mirrored Workspaces protect against the failure of an entire Engine (all of its Media Packs) by
duplicating (or mirroring) the Workspace data onto other Media Packs in separate Engines. In the
event of an Engine failure, the Workspace remains usable with no data loss.
Mirrored Workspaces are supported with an System Director Appliance and at least three of the
following in the same Storage Group:
• Avid NEXIS | E2 Engines
• Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD Engines
• Avid NEXIS | E4 Engines
• Avid NEXIS | E5 Engines
All the Engines in the configuration must have the same number and capacity of Media Packs, and all
must be running Avid NEXIS | FS version 7.0 or higher. All of the Media Packs must be added to the
same Storage Group, which then becomes mirror capable. In the Management Console on the
Storage Groups page, when the Storage Group contains the correct number of Media Packs in
equivalent Engines, the Mirror Capable column displays a Yes.
nMirrored Workspaces are not supported on Avid NEXIS | E5 NL systems or those running an
embedded System Director.
For more information, see the Avid NEXIS Administration Guide.
System Details
The Avid NEXIS Engines and the System Director Appliance are rack-mountable units housing the
other system components (drives, Controllers, and power supplies). If a component fails, the system
is designed to remain operational while you replace it. Do not shut down an Engine or the System
Director Appliance before replacing a failed part.
Data passes between the Engine and clients through a switch connected to the Engine with one or
more 10 Gb or 40 Gb Ethernet connections. These connections provide clients access to the data on
the media drives.

System Details
4
Engine and SDA Serial Number Location
On all Avid NEXIS Engines (Enterprise and PRO) and the System Director Appliance, the chassis
serial number is printed on a label attached to the left rear chassis mounting ear. The following figure
shows the location of the serial number label.
Serial Number Label Location
2U Chassis Details
The following systems use a 2U chassis:
• Avid NEXIS | E2 and Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD
• Avid NEXIS | PRO (20TB and 40TB)
• System Director Appliance

System Details
5
2U Chassis Front Views and Details
The front of all 2U chassis has a removable bezel (not shown). Removing the bezel allows access to
the drive slots. The Avid NEXIS | E2, Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD, and Avid NEXIS | PRO systems
support one Media Pack (10 drives) for media storage and two system drives. The System Director
Appliance supports two system drives.
As shipped from Avid, the system drives occupy the first two slots (0 and 1). Drive slot numbering
for storage engines is shown below.
In the System Director Appliance, the empty slots are covered with blank plates for proper airflow
and cooling.
2U Chassis Rear Views and Details
The rear of the chassis provides access to the Controller and PCMs.
• 2TB SAS drives, Controller in slot 0 (top)
• 4TB SATA drives, Controller upside down in slot 1 (bottom)—can be one of two types of
Controller
Avid NEXIS | E2 and System Director Appliance
In Avid NEXIS | E2 and the System Director Appliance the Controller is in slot 0 (top).
Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD
In Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD the Controller is upside-down in slot 1 (bottom).

System Details
6
Avid NEXIS | PRO with 2TB SAS Drives
In an Avid NEXIS | PRO with a Media Pack of 2TB SAS drives, the Controller is located in slot 0
(top), as shown. this type of Controller has no identification label, and the Host Fabric section is
purple.
Avid NEXIS | PRO with 4TB SATA Drives
In an Avid NEXIS | PRO with a Media Pack of 4TB SATA drives, the Controller is always located in
slot 1 (bottom), and is installed upside down so the internal connectors align correctly. An Avid
NEXIS | PRO with 4TB drives can use one of two types of Controllers, as shown.
Avid NEXIS | PRO with Purple Fascia Controller in Slot 1 (for 4TB SATA Drives)

System Details
7
Avid NEXIS | PRO with Controller 10 in Slot 1 (for 4TB SATA Drives)
Rear View Features of 2U Chassis
4U Chassis Details
The Avid NEXIS | E4 uses a 4U chassis.
4U Chassis Front View and Details
The front of the chassis has a removable bezel (not shown). Removing the bezel allows access to the
drive slots. The Avid NEXIS | E4 Engine supports two Media Packs (10 drives each) for media
storage and two system drives. As shipped from Avid, the system drives occupy the first two slots in
the Engine (0 and 1). Drive slot numbering is shown below.
The drives in the Avid NEXIS | E4 Engine are numbered from top left (0) to bottom right (23), as
shown.
Component Notes
Power Supply/Cooling Modules
(PCM)
764W power supply and cooling fan modules.
The left power supply is numbered 0, the right is numbered 1, in event and
error messages.
Controller Avid NEXIS | PRO (2TB drives)—Uses one Controller in slot 0 only
Avid NEXIS | PRO (4TB drives)—Uses one Controller in slot 1 only,
upside down (can be one of two types of Controllers)
Redundant controllers not supported in any Avid NEXIS | PRO.
Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD uses only one Controller, which must be upside
down in slot 1 (bottom slot).
Avid NEXIS | E2 and System Director Appliance can use one or two
(redundant) Controllers. The second Controller is upside down in slot 1
(bottom slot).

System Details
8
4U Chassis Rear View and Details
The rear of the Avid NEXIS | E4 provides access to the Controllers and the PCMs. If you use a
redundant Controller, it must be installed in the third slot from the top (slot 2), as shown.
Rear View Features of Avid NEXIS | E4
Component Notes
Power/Cooling
Module (PCM)
Four 580W PCMs (as viewed from the rear, PCM 0=top left, PCM 1=top right,
PCM 2=bottom left, PCM 3=bottom right)
Storage Controller In a single Controller configuration, it must be installed in the top slot (identified in error
and status messages as Controller 0).
If a second Controller is installed, it is identified as Controller 1.

System Details
9
Control Panel for all 2U and 4U Chassis
The following figure shows the control panel on the left side of the chassis on all of the following:
• Avid NEXIS | E2
• Avid NEXIS | E2 SSD
• Avid NEXIS | E4
• Avid NEXIS | PRO
• System Director Appliance
Control Panel Features: All 2U and 4U Chassis
Control Panel Features on all 2U and 4U Chassis
5U Chassis Details
The following systems use a 5U chassis:
• Avid NEXIS | E5
• Avid NEXIS | E5 NL
Description Status/Purpose
System Power LED Green when system is on (operational).
Amber when system is in standby mode (not operational).
Module Fault LED Amber when there is a system hardware fault. In that case, another LED on the faulty
component may be lit.
Logical Fault LED Amber when something other than the enclosure management system (usually a drive)
fails.
Enclosure ID Display Displays the enclosure identification number (optional; useful with multiple enclosure
systems)

System Details
10
5U Chassis Front View and Details
On 5U chassis, the bezels are attached at the factory and do not need to be removed for any system
maintenance procedures. The 5U chassis has two drive drawers, each holding 42 drives. The front of
the chassis has two status panels, as described below and shown in the following figure:
• Drive drawer and sideplane status panel (two on each drive drawer)
The LED lights when a drive has failed, indicating the drawer and slot of the drive. For details,
see “5U Chassis Drive Drawer and Sideplane Status Panel” on page 11.
• Engine status and control panel
Indicates the overall status and fault conditions of the Engine.
Engine Status and Control Panel
The Engine Status and Control panel indicates the overall status of the engine and has the following
features.
Description Status/Purpose
Enclosure ID display Displays the enclosure identification number (optional; helps you locate the
engine in a high-density rack or cabinet populated with several other similar
systems).
Input Switch Sets the Enclosure ID display.

System Details
11
5U Chassis Drive Drawer and Sideplane Status Panel
The drive drawer and sideplane status panel indicates the health of the drives, and shows drive
activity.
Power On/Standby Green when system is on (operational).
Amber when system is in standby mode (not operational).
Module Fault indicator Amber when there is a system hardware fault. In that case, another LED on the
faulty component may be lit.
Logical Status indicator When lit, indicates that a drive has failed. To determine the location of the failed
drive, see the drive status indicator panels on the Engine.
Top Drawer fault indicator When amber, indicates a fault in the top drawer (drive, cable, or fan).
Bottom Drawer fault
indicator
When amber, indicates a fault in the bottom drawer (drive, cable, or fan)
Description Status/Purpose
Description Status/Purpose
Sideplane and Power OK Green when the sideplane card is working and there are no power problems
Sideplane Fault Amber if a drive has failed
Logical Fault Flashes amber if one or more RAID sets have failed drives
Cable Fault Amber if the cable between the drawer and the back of the enclosure has failed

System Details
12
5U Chassis Drive Slot Numbering
The Avid NEXIS | E5 and Avid NEXIS | E5 NL has two drawers for the system and Media Pack
drives. Drive slot numbering is shown in the following figure.
5U Chassis Rear View Details
The rear of the Avid NEXIS | E5 and Avid NEXIS | E5 NL provides access to the Controllers, power
supplies, and fans. In a single-Controller configuration, the Controller can be in either slot but Avid
recommends keeping it in the left-hand slot (Controller 0 in the figure below).
Activity bar graph Shows the amount of data I/O from zero segments lit (no I/O) to all six segments
lit (maximum I/O)
Description Status/Purpose