Self built video editing solution vs mid tier Qnap/Synology NAS vs Serviced Promax +support

I’m trying to figure out a solution for a local network-accessible server to store our video files on and edit from.

We generate around 100GB of source footage per week, and need to store it locally and edit off of the server. This isn’t super-high bitrate (around 10Mbit) but I’d like 2 editors to be able to work off the server at the same time.

We need some fail protection, but this data will be backed up offsite once a week.

We have a local 10Gbit network wiring in place, but haven’t yet purchased a 10Gbit switch + 10Gbit pci cards for the machines. They’re currently running 2.5Gbit.

We have a 25U rack that has around 20U of capacity.

I was torn between a synology solution (something like the rs3618xs) and rolling our own.

For our own here’s the parts list I figured out:
– Arista 7050T-64 (48 port 10Gbit switch w/ some 40Gbps connections available)
– Gen 8 server to run unraid / freenas (don’t know what components to use, guessed a dual 8core and 128GB ram and host bus adapter that can pump 40Gbps)
– Netapp DS4246 24 bay HDD encolsure w/ psu and network

But I’m not an IT guy, and I’m not sure what to throw in the server, how to set it up, etc.

For the synology we’d do the rs3618 (I think) and add the 10Gbit pci card, but I’m not sure if we can install the nvme caching layer to keep everything speedy.

Unsure what drives to put in, but we were looking at WD red pro 12TB.

Additionally, if we did the build-our-own approach I don’t think we want to buy 24 drives at once, so I was hoping we could buy 4 or 6 at a time and slowly add clusters to the entire system. With a 12-bay system we’d just buy all the drives at once.

Thanks for providing this service!

Yes, there are solutions to choose from 3 tiers. Basic option is to build a thing yourself with a FreeNAS OS. Next tier would be Qnap/Synology server. And top tier something like Promax all inclusive solution with support.
I would avoid FreeNAS option unless you are experienced IT professional. It will require regular maintenance and bug fixing. It would the cheapest option in a short run, but very expensive and stressful in a long run.
Choosing Promax is super expensive. But they offer free setup and support. But with little IT experience you would quickly run out of included support hours they offer.
Choosing Synology or Qnap is a middle and the safest option. You still get a support. It might be slower then paid service, but they they do look after you. The most important factor is their operating system. Since there are million of users using it, it gets updated and improved regularly unlike with expensive bespoke solutions.

RS3617XS is a very good choice. You get two PCIe slots for multi-port 10GbE or even 40GbE cards. Each editor will preferably need a separate 10GbE port, but they could potentially share a single port. You don’t need to fill all bays at once. You can do it gradually. But you should surely looks at WD Pro drives, WD HGST (now Gold again) or even Exos drives. You don’t need a PCIe M.2 cache card. You can use couple of 3.5inch bays for 2.5inch SSD. It will work at the same speed as M.2 would.
If you would want a next level solution then SA3400 with double speed Exos SAS drives would work closer to SSD speeds and would allow even more editors to connect. But for 2-6 editors (possibly even more) RS3617xs is a perfect choice. I hope this helps.

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