VInet Technology Solutions stay at the forefront of movie visual effects and virtual reality with a high performance, converged infrastructure
With movie visual effects (VFX) evolving at a rapid pace, our client wanted to stay at the forefront of the industry with a future-ready rendering environment.
The company is a pioneer in VFX, but it is a continual challenge to stay at the forefront. VInet client comments, “The industry is very competitive, and we need to protect our margins by ensuring our IT is incredibly powerful and cost-competitive.”
The industry is very competitive, and we need to protect our margins by ensuring our IT is incredibly powerful and cost-competitive.”
To achieve these goals, the client has been working with Dell partner VInet Solutions. Through a long-standing relationship, the client has relied on the expertise of VInet in Dell technology to find the right solutions to meet its needs. Stuart Davis, managing director of VInet Solutions, says, “We’ve developed infrastructure design for the client, and we regularly present the company with technical roadmaps to show how Dell solutions are evolving.” Successful projects to date between the client and VInet include the rollout of Dell Precision workstations for artists and VFX specialists.
It was during one of the partner’s regular meetings that the conversation focused on the rendering environment. The client needed much greater performance and density from the environment built on older generation hardware. It had to be future-ready to support continued developments in VFX technology. Davis says, “We had some specific parameters to work with, particularly around power and cooling. Temperature is always front-of-mind due to the cost of cooling. It can negatively affect performance.”
Client Spokesperson, says, “Our goal was to purchase as much raw power as we could with the budget we had available. Still, we wanted to work with a partner and brand we could trust. We worked closely with VInet Solutions to get the guidance we needed, while the Dell solution gave us a solid foundation to build a stable platform for future growth and support the extensive requirements of VFX.”
We gained the power and energy efficiency we needed while protecting future growth. The Dell PowerEdge FX solution with Dell PowerEdge servers was a great fit, and the technology is modular and very flexible.”
High-performing, efficient, future-ready technology
Based on discussions with VInet Solutions, the client chose to deploy a Dell PowerEdge FX chassis-based infrastructure with Dell PowerEdge server modules with Intel® Xeon® processor family. The Dell PowerEdge FX converges server, storage and networking in a compact chassis for high-density compute environments. For the client, the key feature of the solution was the Dell PowerEdge two- socket, quarter-width blocks. Installing 40 Dell PowerEdge servers across 10 Dell PowerEdge FX chassis gave the organisation the future-ready environment to drive success.
Client says, “We gained the power and energy efficiency we needed while protecting future growth. The Dell PowerEdge FX solution with Dell PowerEdge servers was a great fit, and the technology is modular and very flexible. It gave us the option of changing the server modules down the line as Dell brings new servers on stream.”
Giving VFX artists tools to deliver pioneering work in a highly competitive industry
Even though technology plays a bigger role in movie production, this is still a people-driven business. Client says, “Technology is a tool for artists to maximize their creative potential, and the Dell PowerEdge FX solution is helping us do just that. We can play a greater role in the storytelling process, because our artists have the Dell technology that opens up new opportunities for our clients.”
Staying on top of developments and creating new revenue streams
The client has the IT support to remain at the cutting edge of VFX at a time when its market is changing fast. “People want to interact with entertainment in new ways such as virtual reality. We can optimize our Dell equipment to integrate with software solutions such as Houdini and NUKE to ensure we can react to emerging trends in the industry,” Client comments.
Reducing IT complexity and maximizing IT stability
According to the client, our business is uncompromising when it comes to IT performance. Client says, “The great news is that our Dell solution meets both our performance and stability thresholds.” Adding that management is simple with technology such as the integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC). “There is a management portal per chassis and we have remote access to each server for easier administration.”
Maximum performance across the lifecycle
The client is confident the Dell solution is a good investment. Working with VInet Solutions, the company found the right server technology to meet its requirements for today and in the future. What’s more, the client knows it will receive a quick, expert response from VInet should its needs change in any part of its IT infrastructure. Day-to-day, the client also has peace of mind that it can maintain the performance of its rendering environment. Working with Dell ProSupport, advice and assistance is just a short telephone call away. Client comments, “Our experience of Dell products, servers and partners is excellent. We see Dell as a trusted advisor, which has a strong customer focus. Dell has always been responsive to our requirements.”
Our experience of Dell products, servers and partners is excellent. We see Dell as a trusted advisor, which has a strong customer focus. Dell has always been responsive to our requirements.”
