Device Profile: Infrant Repertoire media server

By Linux Devices
2006-10-03

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Infrant will soon ship a Linux-based storage device designed specially for serving up digital media files, including videos and music files. The Repertoire has no playback capabilities, but can store up to 3TB of media, and stream or transfer it using most common, standard, open protocols.

Pocket PC running SlimServer client
(Click to enlarge)

Infrant has long specialized in network-attached storage devices based on embedded Linux. Generally speaking, its NAS devices rate higher than competing NAS servers from overseas manufacturers, especially with regard to cutting-edge RAID features, while costing slightly more.

The Repertoire appears to be Infrant's first storage device aimed specifically at media file-serving applications. While the Repertoire has no media playback features of its own, it does appear to support seemingly every imaginable file transfer and media file streaming protocol, which should enable it to play well over the long haul with a variety of playback and control gear -- including the Windows Mobile-based "Pocket PC" pictured at right, which appears to be running a SlimServer client.

Infrant Repertoire intended use diagram

The Repertoire is positioned as high-quality, American-made, audiophile-grade gear. Its chassis is said to be machined out of a solid billet of aluminum. It weighs nearly 30 pounds, and is flanked by bristling, 2-inch heatsinks that, along with large silver faux turntable-leveling suspension feet, give it the look of serious stereo equipment. Rackmount ears are available.

Equipped with the standard configuration of four hard drives, the Repertoire burns about 65 Watts, yet manages to operate in near silence, the company claims, thanks in part to passive processor cooling and A/V-quality Seagate drives.

What's under the hood?

The Repertoire is powered by Infrant's IT3107 network storage (SoC) system-on-chip, which integrates a 32-bit RISC clocked at 280MHz along with four ATA channels, a RAID controller, GbE MAC supporting Jumbo packets, a 64-bit SDRAM controller, and a PCI interface, among other features. For the Repertoire, the SoC was optimized for large media files, rather than the small files delivered by most file and print servers, Infrant says.

Infrant offers the IT3107 and a two-channel IT3102 chip to other device vendors, along with a "Sundance" development board, an ATA version of which may well be used in the Repertoire as well.

Infrant's "SunDance" development board
The Repertoire comes standard with four ATA drives from top consumer-electronics drive vendor Seagate. The standard model is Seagate's DB35, currently available from 80 to 750GB, and said to feature "DynaPlay" technology aimed at letting device designers tune performance and power characteristics as required.

Infrant says the Repertoire supports its proprietary "RAID-X" technology, described as a "parity protected configuration" that can "ensure maximum capacity while eliminating the possibility of losing your valuable media collection due to a failed drive." The Repertoire also supports more traditional RAID-0, -1, and -5 configurations.

Additional touted features include:

Up to 3TB capacity -- enough for 4,615 uncompressed CDs, or 750 DVDs
Email alerts for various conditions
Self-shutdown, when conditions threaten media file safety
Two USB 2.0 ports, and built-in print server
Web interface allows checking status from browser-equipped devices such as "LG's Internet-enabled refrigerator," Infrant suggests
NAS protocols including CIFs/SMB, AFP, NFS, HTTP/S, and user/anonymous FTP/S
Streaming via SlimServer, UPnP A/V, network DVD player protocols, MS MCE
Interoperable with media devices that include the Squeezebox, SONOS, Roku, InteractTV, and others
17.5 x 15.5 x 2.5 (445 x 394 x 64 mm)
29 lbs (13.15 kg)

No details were disclosed regarding the Repertoire's embedded Linux kernel or associated operating system software components.

Availability

The Repertoire will ship in October, through Infrant's resellers and direct from its website. Pricing was not disclosed.

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