Avid Media Composer "Bin Locking"

Feature Requests
1

Problem/Justification
Create a switch or checkbox that enables Avid Media Composer Bin Locking

Impact
(How is this feature going to impact all TrueNAS users? What are the benefits and advantages? Are there disadvantages?)

This feature will make it easy for non-techie video editors to configure their system to work with Avid Media composer. Benefit is easy of use; advantage is TrueNas is more economical compared to Avid Nexis storage NAS products..

User Story

Create either a checkbox or button to “enable Avid Media composer bin locking”

How Bin Locking Works

Media Composer uses a file-based locking mechanism. When an editor opens a bin, Avid creates lock files (typically with .lck extensions) in the same directory as the bin file. These lock files prevent other editors from opening the same bin in read-write mode simultaneously. The system relies on the underlying file system and network protocol to properly handle these lock operations - essentially using advisory file locking.

Safety with TrueNAS SMB

Using Media Composer with TrueNAS over SMB can work, but there are important considerations:

Potential issues:

  • SMB locking behavior can vary depending on the SMB version and configuration. Avid officially supports specific configurations, and deviations can lead to lock file corruption or “false locks” that persist even after bins are closed.

  • Network interruptions can leave stale lock files that require manual cleanup.

  • Some SMB configurations don’t properly support the oplocks (opportunistic locks) that Avid relies on.

Best practices for TrueNAS SMB:

  • Use SMB3 or later

  • Disable oplocks on the share (oplocks = no in smb.conf or via TrueNAS UI)

  • Enable strict locking (strict locking = yes)

  • Consider using vfs objects = fruit streams_xattr if you have Mac clients

  • Ensure AFP is not being used simultaneously on the same share

Many facilities successfully run Avid over SMB

2

Don’t forget to vote on your own request…

3

There is no AFP in SCALE.

The vfs objects advice isn’t permitted by the UI in any mode (we raise ValidationErrors because these options break SMB share ACL support – and we literally have a UI checkbox to enable vfs_fruit).

Where does the strict locking and oplocks request come from? Is avid accessing files via SSH?

In your above document, you both say that Avid relies on oplocks and you’re disabling them?

Does Avid have some documentation for best practices because I don’t see anything actionable here?

4

One of the (major) challenges we have is that AVID itself doesn’t like enabling bin locking on things it doesn’t see as AVID devices/drives. It’ll throw up angry warnings if you do it, even when you’re using something like Mimiq in the middle IIRC.