Written by Chris Koh, DevOps Engineer at TrackIt
As editorial and post-production teams continue moving to the cloud, Avid software, including NEXIS, Media Composer, and Pro Tools, offers scalable, high-performance solutions for collaborative media workflows. AWS provides a platform to deploy these tools quickly and securely, eliminating the need for on-premises hardware.
This guide outlines the practical steps required to deploy Avid software on AWS using the official 2025.5.0 release and AWS CloudFormation. It covers how to select the appropriate deployment mode, configure system components, and install Avid clients across platforms.
Contents
Choosing a Deployment Mode
Avid NEXIS Cloud Storage supports three deployment modes, each tailored to different networking and security requirements:
Public Mode
- Deployed into a public subnet with direct internet access
- Simplest to set up and ideal for quick testing or demos
- No S3 endpoints or NAT required
Online (NAT) Mode
- Deployed into a private subnet with outbound internet via a NAT Gateway
- Offers better security posture than public mode
- Requires NAT and proper routing configuration
- Suitable for most production environments
Private (Offline) Mode
- Fully isolated private subnet with no internet access
- Requires VPC endpoints for S3 and other AWS services
- Highest security, but more complex setup
- Ideal for compliance-sensitive workloads
Each mode affects network design, licensing method, and deployment automation. Avid provides preconfigured CloudFormation templates to support each.
Prerequisites and Planning
Before launching the CloudFormation stacks, prepare the AWS environment and gather required resources.
IAM Permissions
The user launching the templates should have full permissions for:
- EC2 Instances and Elastic IPs
- IAM roles and instance profiles
- S3 buckets and endpoints
- VPC components (subnets, security groups, endpoints)
- CloudFormation and Systems Manager
AWS Region Support
Avid software supports deployment in these AWS regions:
us-east-1, us-east-2, us-west-1, us-west-2, ca-central-1, ca-west-1,
mx-central-1, sa-east-1, eu-west-1, eu-west-2, eu-west-3, eu-central-1,
eu-north-1, eu-south-1, eu-south-2, me-central-1, ap-northeast-1,
ap-northeast-2, ap-southeast-1, ap-southeast-2, ap-south-1, ap-east-1
Requirements:
- A VPC with at least one /24 subnet
- Internet or NAT Gateway (for public/online modes)
- VPC endpoints for S3, SSM (for offline/private mode)
Licensing and Entitlements
Requirements:
- Avid NEXIS Cloud license
- Your Entitlement ID (Ent ID)
Optional licenses (if using additional components):
- Media Composer
- Pro Tools
- Leostream
- HP Anyware
These tools provide editing, audio production, and remote access capabilities and require their own license activation.
CloudFormation Planning
Prepare the following:
- VPC and subnet IDs
- EC2 instance types
- Optional software components
- Security groups
- Key pair (for SSH or RDP access)
Deploying the NEXIS System
The NEXIS “System” refers to the System Director, Media Packs, and underlying infrastructure.
Launch the System Stack
Use the Avid CloudFormation template. Configure:
- Deployment mode
- Subnet and VPC IDs
- System Director instance type (c5.4xlarge recommended)
- Entitlement ID
- Storage backend:
- EBS (up to 500 Gbps throughput, usable in all AZs)
- S3 Express (800 MBps, limited region/AZ support)
- S3 Standard (90 MBps, available in all regions)
- EBS (up to 500 Gbps throughput, usable in all AZs)
Networking Requirements
- Public mode: Requires Internet Gateway
- Online mode: Requires NAT Gateway
- Private mode: Requires VPC endpoints (S3, SSM, EC2 messages)
Once launched, the System Director’s IP is available in CloudFormation outputs.
🔗 View the latest Avid CloudFormation templates and AMIs
Deploying the NEXIS Client
Use the Avid-provided CloudFormation template to deploy a client in the same region and VPC.
Client Configuration
- EC2 instance type: t3.xlarge or GPU (e.g., g4dn.xlarge)
- OS: Windows, Amazon Linux 2, or AL2023
- Optional installs:
- Media Composer
- Leostream or HP Anyware
- Media Composer
- Key pair for SSH or RDP access
- Same subnet and security group as the System Director
Clients can connect over NICE DCV or a remote desktop broker (Leostream or HP Anyware).
System Setup
Once the System Director is live:
Access the NEXIS Management Console
- Open the browser at the System Director’s IP
- Log in with admin or your designated admin account
Activate Licensing
- Go to System Settings → License
- Enter the Entitlement ID
- Activation may use AWS SSM or the internet, depending on the selected deployment mode
Create File System
- Select a Media Pack and create a file system
- Bind the file system to the Media Pack
- Set file system name and storage type
Create Workspaces
- Create logical volumes for projects or departments
- Assign quotas and access permissions
- Mount workspaces from connected clients
Installing Avid Client Software
Client software enables Media Composer, Pro Tools, and NEXIS storage access.
Windows Clients
- Automatically installed if selected during stack launch
- Includes NEXIS Client Manager, and optionally Media Composer or Pro Tools
macOS Clients
- Download the installer manually from Avid
- Install Media Composer, Pro Tools, or NEXIS Client Manager
- Connect to System Director using IP or DNS
Linux Clients (Amazon Linux 2 / AL2023)
Install via RPM:
- # Amazon Linux 2
- sudo yum install ./avidnexisclient-<version>.rpm
- # AL2023
- sudo dnf install ./avidnexisclient-<version>.rpm
Then:
- sudo systemctl start avidnexisclient/etc/avidnexis/nexis_client.conf to set your System Director address.
Conclusion
This guide outlined the key steps involved in deploying Avid software—specifically NEXIS, Media Composer, and Pro Tools—on AWS using the 2025.5.0 release and CloudFormation automation. From selecting the appropriate deployment mode to configuring network infrastructure and installing client components across platforms, each section is designed to support a streamlined and secure transition to cloud-based media workflows.
By running Avid in the cloud, editorial and post-production teams gain flexibility, scalability, and remote collaboration capabilities that are difficult to achieve with traditional on-premises systems. AWS infrastructure enables rapid provisioning, centralized management, and access to high-performance resources on demand. This shift not only accelerates creative workflows but also reduces operational complexity and capital expenditure—marking a significant evolution in how media environments are deployed and maintained.
Next Steps
TrackIt, an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner with the Media & Entertainment Competency, specializes in architecting and deploying cloud-based media workflows tailored to editorial, post-production, and broadcast teams. With deep expertise in Avid deployments, TrackIt can help ensure that environments are optimized for performance, cost, and long-term scalability.
About TrackIt
TrackIt is an international AWS cloud consulting, systems integration, and software development firm headquartered in Marina del Rey, CA.
We have built our reputation on helping media companies architect and implement cost-effective, reliable, and scalable Media & Entertainment workflows in the cloud. These include streaming and on-demand video solutions, media asset management, and archiving, incorporating the latest AI technology to build bespoke media solutions tailored to customer requirements.
Cloud-native software development is at the foundation of what we do. We specialize in Application Modernization, Containerization, Infrastructure as Code and event-driven serverless architectures by leveraging the latest AWS services. Along with our Managed Services offerings which provide 24/7 cloud infrastructure maintenance and support, we are able to provide complete solutions for the media industry.