Pixar Animation Studios is transforming into a data factory, processing billions of pixels and textures at speeds that allow artists to iterate in real-time. This requires a storage foundation capable of handling intense input/output pressure from billions of small file operations.
"When the storage hangs, basically the entire render process and all the interactive processes can stop working," stated Eric Bermender, head of data infrastructure and platforms at Pixar. The studio partners with Vast Data Inc. to ensure robust storage performance.
The studio's journey from simple 3D models to complex volumetric rendering presented significant data science challenges. Traditional tiered storage proved insufficient for high-performance throughput required for new characters. Pixar engaged with Vast, adopting their disaggregated, all-flash storage premise for super high performance.
NAND flash memory technology forms the foundation of this high-speed infrastructure. Solidigm, a trademark of SK Hynix, contributes by providing performance and capacity-oriented NAND technologies to partners like Vast.
"Eric's job is removing obstacles for the artists. Andy's job is removing obstacles for Eric. Solidigm's job is removing obstacles from Andy from a hardware perspective," explained Ace Stryker from Solidigm. This collaborative approach ensures all parties work towards a common goal with the end user in mind.
While generative AI offers new capabilities, Pixar focuses on deterministic workflows with full artist control. Machine learning is utilized for specific applications like its denoiser pipeline. The underlying storage architecture, blending high-endurance and high-capacity flash, operates seamlessly and invisibly to the end user.
"The users don't have to manage it. They don't have to see it," noted Andy Pernsteiner, field chief technology officer of Vast. "They know it's there because we tell them it's there, but other than that, it's not really a thing they have to think about."