Jun
Archiware P5 is a cross-platform software, developed by Archiware, capable of archiving, synchronization and backup on Mac, Windows, Linux and Solaris operating systems.
Upon the release of their latest version they also changed their old name PresSTORE, becoming Archiware P5 with its respective modules Synchronize, Back Up, Backup2Go and Archive.
New features have been included in this version, as well as a completely revamped database engine.
To begin with, installation and start-up has been simplified for new users. Thanks to the “Setup Assistants” those who start using this software will get a step-by-step guide on how to do it in each of the modules.
The new P5 engine is based on SQLite and changes the way the index is generated, whose size limit (previously 4GB) has become indefinite.
One of the most interesting issues is that cloud support has been included, so it is possible to work from and between cloud-based services, such as Amazon S3, Google Drive or Google Cloud Storage. Thanks to the integration with WingFS (universal cloud connector) it is possible to duplicate files between those services and backup from cloud to local storage (and vice versa) with P5 Synchronize.
In the Archive module, the “Incremental Archive” option has been added, which moves only the data that has been altered. This feature is made possible by the new snapshot capability (which in Backup and Archive allows you to go back to specific points in a project), since when you modify a file a new version is created and will appear in the “Overview Screen” along with the general information of the file.
This screen has also been redesigned to show the general file structure, a selected asset, its metadata and a thumbnail. One more click will take you to the newly named versions.
Within Archive you will also find expandable metadata fields, enhanced search capabilities and the ability to preview the media.
Finally, support for LTFS and integration with the MediaLTFS tape management tool has been added. This allows you to label, mount and unmount tapes, read and write to or from them. In addition, from the Restore section within Archive or Backup you can restore files to a designated LTFS tape.
To take advantage of this integration with MediaLTFS or WingFS you need to download them individually. Both tools are currently only available for Mac OS X.
Archiware P5 can also be used in conjunction with CatDV and the Axle Video media management system. Here is a tutorial on how to do it with the latter:
On this page you have all the features of Archiware P5 and you can purchase it. Unfortunately, until version 5.1 is released, expected this fall, it will not be possible to upgrade from a previous version.
If you have any doubt you can consult the manual here or download the free trial from this link to try it out. And if you want to learn more about media management and advanced digital cinema operations I recommend you to attend the DIT Course that will take place next July.
