Blackmagic Forum

Hey Resolvers,

The editors at our company are transitioning from Premiere to Resolve.
Right now we work on a Synology NAS where we store all our footage and Premiere project files.

Since we switched one of the editors has set up a Resolve project Server on one of the Mac Mini's. However this way the database is not backed up. I opened the Davincie Resolve Project server and there is no option to host the database on our NAS.

After some Googling it seems we could also set-up a PostgreSQL server on our Synology NAS and connect to that. However the information I can find about this is limited. So I'm hoping someone here can answer my questions:

1: Is this possible?
2: The Davincie Resolve Project Server installs PostgreSQL 13.4-1. Do we need to install this exact version on our NAS as well or is a newer version fine as well?
3: Will multi-user collaboration work if we host the PostgreSQL server on our NAS?
4: Is this the best way to host the Resolve Database in our workflow or should I look at other options?

Thanks in advance

I have the exact same questions, but we are using a QNAP NAS and two Windows 11 edit suites.
We already have our NAS set up and running. We would prefer to have the Project Server running on the NAS rather than having to leave one of the towers always up and running the Server.

thanks for any advice, struggling to find much info online or guidance

It can be done. Though I highly recommend following Bob Zelin's advice... Life is much simpler with a Apple Mac mini or HP z2

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=171293

Okay thanks.

We currently have a headless Mac Mini hooked up that could run the project server. However I'm mostly concerned with having the project server backed up in case the Mac Mini fails.

Is there a good way to do this? Could I simply run a script that backs up the directory to our server for example?

2: The Davincie Resolve Project Server installs PostgreSQL 13.4-1. Do we need to install this exact version on our NAS as well or is a newer version fine as well?

Newer versions could work. Resolve's qualified PSQL version traditionally lags behind the latest PSQL a lot. I have run a newer PSQL than qualified for years without an issue, but it was only a couple of versions ahead. It's kind of a do-at-your-own-risk thing. It may work fine, better, or maybe worse, but you have to be willing to be the tester.

3: Will multi-user collaboration work if we host the PostgreSQL server on our NAS?

Yes as long as all Resolve seats are Resolve Studios. There was a mention that free Resolve would allow collaboration recently but I don't know if that was implemented.

4: Is this the best way to host the Resolve Database in our workflow or should I look at other options?

The PSQL server is not terribly resource hungry. Fast R/W access is important, RAM is important, but if it's competing for resources on a NAS that's hit by 10+ people playing back media files, who knows... It could degrade performance. It's really hard to know until you deploy and see. If the DB is malperforming you will see long Project Manager refresh times, slow project loading, UI freezing up.

supermassive wrote:Okay thanks.

We currently have a headless Mac Mini hooked up that could run the project server. However I'm mostly concerned with having the project server backed up in case the Mac Mini fails.

Is there a good way to do this? Could I simply run a script that backs up the directory to our server for example?

There are some 3rd party PostgreSQL database backup utilities. We use one but our DR server is Windows based.
I think you can also do it with macOS Terminal but you will need to research that as I am not well-informed enough with that method.

Why not use one of the solutions like SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner?
They are highly configurable.

I have installed PostgreSQL 9.5.4 on both QNAP and Synology systems up until Resolve 17. I have had limited success (and a lot of aggravation) with PostgreSQL 13 on both QNAP and Synology systems, since everyone is starting to install Resolve 18 now. Using an under $600 M1 Mac Mini on the shared network, and simply installing Resolve 18 Project Server is just SO MUCH EASIER. And even before Resolve 18, there were no automated backups of the Postgre Server from within Resolve - or the QNAP - it was a manual backup process. I just gave up, and gave in, and now all the Resolve 18 systems I do, I insist on a cheap dedicated Mac Mini for Project Server 18. You are spending SO MUCH MONEY for all the Macs, the monitors, the 10G networking, the network storage - you can somehow find less than $600 for a Mac Mini to make all of this work, without any aggravation.

Bob Zelin

And the simple way to backup that Mac mini is Apple’s Time Machine.
If the mini dies, get a new one, restore from the Time Machine. Done.
It normally won’t happen any time soon. In my former lab, we had a few Intel Mac minis running 24/7 for over 10 years. All they needed was a new hard disk every few years.

I know this has been a few months already since this has gone by, but I've found this thread to be extremely helpful. Thank you @bob Zelin for going ahead of us.

Environement: I work for a Non Profit organization that has 5 different filmmaking teams. I'm convincing them to all switch to resolve, and each to acquire a large NAS to hopefully all connect together to share files with each other, work on projects together and clean up a huge mess.

Each studio has approximately 2-4 in house Resolve users using different OS's (Mac & PC).

Questions (I'm a newbie here in the NAS world):

1: If each studio acquired a Mac mini to use as a server with Project Server 18 (as you suggested) will we easily be able to connect all of those studio servers together?
2: Can a Synology NAS be used as a the storage connected to the Mac mini running project Server 18?
3: What is project server 18? And where can I download it? Is it simply just Davinci Resolve 18 Studio ?

Originally the plan was to have each studio purchase a synology and then connect through the Synology environment together. Would this still be possible or is there a better way?

Thanks for your help.

paragon stories wrote:Questions (I'm a newbie here in the NAS world):

1: If each studio acquired a Mac mini to use as a server with Project Server 18 (as you suggested) will we easily be able to connect all of those studio servers together?
2: Can a Synology NAS be used as a the storage connected to the Mac mini running project Server 18?
3: What is project server 18? And where can I download it? Is it simply just Davinci Resolve 18 Studio ?

Originally the plan was to have each studio purchase a synology and then connect through the Synology environment together. Would this still be possible or is there a better way?

Thanks for your help.

1. Yes. It is up to you how handle it. You can place all Resolve systems, media servers and Resolve project servers in the same subnet or use a more complex network. It will be based on your needs, budget, and security policies.

2. Yes. There is no need to connect or mount the media server to the project server. But if you want, you can (i.e. destination for the database backup).

3. Project server is a separate app that you can download from BM's website. It is found in the same section as the Resolve downloads.

FYI - if you run a more robust project server (Mac mini with 32GB of RAM), you can host all the groups in the same project server computer. You can create multiple databases (database 1 = group 1, database 2 = group 2, etc. etc.).
This can simplify your configuration.

How handy are you? Non profit sounds like less than unlimited funds. You can look at TrueNas if you're handy. If you're not and have the funds they actually sell machines. But assembling a machine to your specs isn't exactly brain surgery

Thanks guys!

Sorry for further questions (thanks for your response @mpetch and @Nick2021

I like the concept of Synology, and using their software Synology drive for everyone (different studios in different locations around the globe) to connect to and share projects and files (like dropbox), as each user has different computers operating systems also. (That was the dream).

But I'm understanding that Davinci does not recommend using drives formated as ExFat, Fat32 etc. Is that correct?

The hope would be to put the Davinci project on the Synology NAS and use the Network option in Davinci for everyone to potentially work on a big project together. IS THIS POSSIBLE?

From what @BobZelin was saying is that it is better to purchase a mac mini and set that up as the project server. Would I think connect the Synology NAS to that server??? So all my RAW rush files live on the NAS, & proxies, then another user downloads the proxies from NAS drive, that I understand, but how can they work on the project which I guess is living on the Mac Mini?

Can someone list out a guide for me? Sorry I'm such a NEWB!

Richard

paragon stories wrote:Thanks guys!

Sorry for further questions (thanks for your response @mpetch and @Nick2021

I like the concept of Synology, and using their software Synology drive for everyone (different studios in different locations around the globe) to connect to and share projects and files (like dropbox), as each user has different computers operating systems also. (That was the dream).

But I'm understanding that Davinci does not recommend using drives formated as ExFat, Fat32 etc. Is that correct?

The hope would be to put the Davinci project on the Synology NAS and use the Network option in Davinci for everyone to potentially work on a big project together. IS THIS POSSIBLE?

From what @BobZelin was saying is that it is better to purchase a mac mini and set that up as the project server. Would I think connect the Synology NAS to that server??? So all my RAW rush files live on the NAS, & proxies, then another user downloads the proxies from NAS drive, that I understand, but how can they work on the project which I guess is living on the Mac Mini?

Can someone list out a guide for me? Sorry I'm such a NEWB!

Richard

The Mac Mini will be the DaVinci Project server. It will host the database and projects to all the systems that you allow to connect to it. It does not matter what the OS of the edit/color systems are as long as they match the Resolve software version.

The DaVinci Project server app will install a small app and PostgreSQL database. These are the foundation for the project server. All communications are done via network (TCP/IP).

The media will be on the NAS (Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS, etc. etc.).

My home system is a PC running Resolve Studio; and a Synology NAS for all my media.
I use Studio Server by WireBear (.co.uk) on the Synology so that I can have the project server on the NAS, because Blackmagic don't have a version (as far as I'm aware) that runs on Synology/Linux.

wirebear.co.uk/software/studio-server

Andrew_RH wrote:My home system is a PC running Resolve Studio; and a Synology NAS for all my media.
I use Studio Server by WireBear (.co.uk) on the Synology so that I can have the project server on the NAS, because Blackmagic don't have a version (as far as I'm aware) that runs on Synology/Linux.

wirebear.co.uk/software/studio-server

Thanks for the tip!

I have now set up Studio Server on my Synology and it works.


Cheers
Frederick