Timebase Studios Seamlessly Upgraded Network to 25G with FS S5850 Series Switches

Timebase Studios is a Canada-based company, that specialises in film and television production as well as post-production services and consultancy. In the fast-paced world of media production, their operations demand a robust and scalable IT infrastructure to ensure seamless collaboration, high-speed data transfer, and uninterrupted workflows.

As Timebase Studios continues to grow, there is an urgent need to upgrade its network infrastructure, enabling a smooth transition to 25G. The new switch must support existing 1G and 10G servers while ensuring seamless integration into the current architecture. This requires maintaining compatibility and avoiding performance bottlenecks caused by differences in network speeds. Additionally, the upgraded network must provide stability and efficiency under the existing bandwidth, with robust scalability to accommodate future bandwidth demands and support the studio's expanding operational needs.

In pursuit of a seamless network upgrade, Timebase Studios decided to collaborate with FS. FS solution focuses on enhancing network performance, ensuring smooth compatibility with the existing infrastructure, and laying a foundation for future scalability.

To achieve these objectives, the architecture employs four S5850-48B8C-PE switches interconnected via 100G DAC cables, enabling MLAG. Additionally, an S5850-24S2Q was added to Rack 1, with the S5850-48B8C-PE switches downshifting to 40G through 100G modules to connect to the 40G ports on the S5850-24S2Q, forming MLAG. This configuration not only maximises available bandwidth but also provides redundancy and load balancing across the network, ensuring reliable and consistent data flow.

In addition, the S5850-48B8C-PE supports 1G, 10G, and 25G devices through adaptive interface modes, allowing legacy 1G/10G servers to operate seamlessly, while data centre interconnectivity is upgraded to 100G. By effectively utilising existing equipment, the solution successfully enabled Timebase Studios to upgrade from 1G/10G to 25G while maintaining the flexibility and scalability of the current network architecture.

By keeping existing 1G and 10G servers and network equipment, the solution saves around 50% for Timebase Studios and ensures scalability. The adaptive architecture allowed incremental bandwidth upgrades based on demand, avoiding large-scale downtime during expansion. Additionally, LACP and load balancing optimised bandwidth utilisation, eliminated bottlenecks, and ensured efficient data flow, resulting in improved bandwidth availability and reduced latency, which provided an exceptional user experience.

Furthermore, redundancy mechanisms enhanced fault tolerance, enabling maximum uptime even under demanding conditions. By repurposing existing hardware and minimising overinvestment, Timebase Studios achieved significant performance improvements without unnecessary expenditure. This solution delivered a robust and scalable infrastructure, meeting their current needs while laying the groundwork for future growth.