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Media Production Company Streamlining Cloud and NAS Storage Integration
Company Situation
This company operates within the media production industry, managing large-scale creative projects that often involve remote and on-site teams working in challenging environments. Their workflow includes a mix of studio-based and field operations, requiring flexible data management solutions that can accommodate both online and offline working conditions. Their team handles massive amounts of data—hundreds of terabytes—across multiple locations, including roving teams working without reliable internet access.
Existing Workflow
The company currently relies on a hybrid storage system combining cloud services and Network Attached Storage (NAS). They use Dropbox as their primary cloud sync tool, linked with multiple Synology NAS devices distributed across various sites. Their roving NAS units are taken offsite to locations with limited or no internet connectivity, where teams work offline. Upon returning to connectivity, data syncs back to Dropbox and the central NAS infrastructure. They also use third-party tools like Resilio Sync for peer-to-peer syncing and are in the process of building a large-scale NAS solution in the cloud to better handle their data volume.
Issues with the Existing Workflow
Offline Sync Limitations: Current solutions are mostly end-user desktop applications that do not support seamless offline NAS syncing. This causes fractured projects and workflow inefficiencies.
High Cost of Cloud Storage: Using cloud storage options like S3 is prohibitively expensive at their scale of data use (multi-petabyte).
Complex Hybrid Setup: Managing multiple NAS devices with Dropbox and Resilio Sync adds complexity and risk of sync errors.
Lack of Integrated Solution: Existing tools do not fully support their hybrid workflow that requires both offline NAS operation and cloud synchronization without relying on a workstation as an intermediary.
Unreliable Connectivity: Field teams often work where internet access is minimal or non-existent, making continuous sync impossible and frustrating for remote artists and animators.
How Shade Would Change Their Workflow
Shade offers a cloud storage platform designed to behave like an intelligent hard drive, with built-in production assistant features managing everything from ingestion to delivery. The company’s need to work offline using NAS devices and then sync seamlessly when back online aligns closely with Shade’s upcoming shared cache feature. This feature enables pinning files offline on NAS hardware with intelligent, automated sync capabilities once connectivity is restored. Shade’s system can replicate the Dropbox “watch folder” style syncing but with a more robust, scalable backend tailored for large media projects. Shade also supports bring-your-own storage solutions, allowing the company’s large NAS infrastructure to integrate with the platform, reducing their reliance on costly cloud storage. While some aspects of the offline NAS write syncing are still under review with Shade’s engineering team, the platform promises a more unified, flexible data management experience that fits the company’s hybrid and offline-first workflow.
Benefits
- Enables offline NAS-based workflows with seamless sync upon reconnection
- Reduces reliance on expensive cloud storage by supporting large-scale NAS integration
- Provides a unified, intelligent cloud-as-hard-drive experience tailored for media workflows
- Decreases project fragmentation caused by disconnected sync systems
- Improves flexibility for remote teams working in low or no internet environments
- Simplifies management by consolidating sync and storage processes into one platform
Technologies Used
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