360 Systems DigiCart/EX - Manual (Page 93)

Appendix N
Networking
Overview
The Ethernet Audio Network is designed to allow the following capabilities:
• Share, back up and restore audio recordings between multiple DigiCart/EXs.
• Record and Play audio directly from shared network storage.
• Share .WAV files with other applications such as Digital Audio Editors.
• Use industry standard off the shelf network components and storage systems.
There are several important points about the design and use of the network capabilities of
DigiCart/EX.
The DigiCart/EX connects to shared folders on the Ethernet Audio server, and treats the shared folder
as though it were another drive. Each share that is mounted has a Drive ID, contains 0-9 directories
and an S directory, just like a local DigiCart drive. Network shares that can be mounted on the
DigiCart/EX are referred to as Net Drives.
Each DigiCart/EX can mount up to four Net Drives at a time. There can be as many Net Drives on
the server as required, selected from the DigiCart/EX as part of the Mount Network Drive process.
Multiple DigiCart/EX units can access the same Net Drives concurrently.
Net Drives are functionally equivalent to local drives. The DigiCart/EX can record and play on a Net
Drive, and files can be copied between local and Net Drives or between two Net Drives.
Net Drives can be configured on the server to be accessible only to the DigiCart/EX, or they can be
shared as both NFS shares and Windows shares, allowing access to other users.
The DigiCart/EX is not accessible from the network, the internal hard drive can only be accessed by
the local operator. Material to be shared is stored on Net Drives. This ensures that the internal hard
drive is protected from change via the network.
DigiCart/EXis designed to connect to the Ethernet Audio server via a dedicated private network.
Wider area sharing should be accomplished by using a server with two or more Network Interface
cards. This guarantees that network bandwidth is always available and that unknown network
protocols cannot affect the operation of the DigiCart. It also prevents the DigiCart from attempting to
mount shares of any unrelated NFS services on the network.
Digital Audio Workstations that do not need access to wide area networks or the Internet can also be
connected to the Ethernet Audio network.
Historical Information
The Ethernet Audio system initially used Windows Server 2000 and then Server 2003 using NFS
services from Windows Services for Unix. These operating systems are no longer available, but the
historical information is available in the original Ethernet Audio Network Manual.
Networking
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