Another storage question...

[heffe2001]

I'm debating using the external firewire, or just moving all my server stuff into my current server machine (Dell Poweredge 2400). I could add a IDE controller to the box (PCI), and control my current drives on that, and still have room for all 5 PCI PVR cards (I currently only have 3 installed, and between that and the HD's in my current case, it's hot enough to cook eggs on top ).

The Dell is a dual 733, with 1gb memory, and 4 18g hotswap SCSI's. I would most likely only use the IDE's for storage in sage (a 200 & a 120), and use the 73g partition on the SCSI's for music/xvids that I have stored. The controller I'd put in that box would most likely be a dual channel card for the moment, until I could afford a decent PCI IDE Raid card (looking at the higher end Promise cards, they have a 3 channel that controls 6 drives that would be perfect). If I were to go that route down the road, I'd most likely modify the internal raid that's built in and scrap the SCSI drives totally, and turn it into a IDE raid array, as the mount points for HD's on that box are very limited.

What I'm wondereing is if the Dual 733 will have enough horsepower to do what it does now, Windows 2k3 Small Business Server (Exchange 2k3 for about 5 emails, Domain controller for about 7 or 8 PC's, DNS for my network, and runs MS SQL (but I don't use that at all)), AND run SageTV server (basically headless, nobody would watch anything on it ever), or should I put Sage Recorder on it, and keep my Sage server where it is now, but move my storage & tuners?

The Dell has awesome cooling, sounds like a dust-buster running, and has the space for the tuners (it has 6 PCI slots, but one would be used for the PCI IDE controller).

Just trying to maximize my network, and that machine seems to get very light useage (except for email, but that's all incoming, very, very little outgoing).

[salsbst]

I don't think you'll have a problem.

[heffe2001]

From what I understand, you'll run anywhere from like 5-10% per tuner if they are all recording, so I'd run at most maybe 50%+- if I were recording on all 5 at once. I know Sage isn't multi-processor aware, so I wonder if I could make it run on one processor, and comskip on another? I know comskip would run MUCH faster than it does for me now (I do it across the network), but I wonder if I'll end up needing more memory with all the services I'm running (remember, it's only got one gig, and running exchange & as a domain server).

Going to go pick up a PCI IDE controller this evening, and might tackle the move tomorrow... Now I just need to figure out how to get the cable feeds to my server closet, and will most likely need to put an AC in there at some point as well . Might get one of those standalone units that you can get for a small room, and see how that works.

Wonder how well this room to room fan would work in a closet... http://www.smarthome.com/3031.html

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by heffe2001

higher end Promise cards

that's kind of an oxymoron, if you're saving for a RAID card, go for a real high end card like the 3wares. Oh, and putting drives master and slave is not a good thing.

[heffe2001]

I've looked at the 3wares cards, saw one with 8 drive capability, but kinda pricey. Would like a good card that would do at least 4, possibly 6, with a i960 controller built on board. Too bad big SCSI's aren't cheap, the server has a built-in Perc-2 controller, and I have a spare HP Netraid 1 floating around here too (anybody need a single channel UW Scsi card? ).

I've used the low-end Promise cards, not too impressed, but the one time I used one of their 'higher' end cards, it seemed to work fine. Haven't had to work on that machine in well over a year, so not even sure if they still are using it .


*EDIT* After yet ANOTHER call from the kids where they've crashed the server (watching Xvids, not supposed to do that until I can figure out why they crash the system so often), I think I'm going to do the move this weekend, and make that machine a client. If they crash it then, at least recordings will continue, and it will all be in one place, instead of some tuners here, some there as it is now. Since nobody's actually watching anything on the server machine, maybe it'll be a bit more stable (if nobody uses the library, it usually crashes about once a week, with a mpeg2dump.ax error, not sure why on that one unless it's the heat in the box).

[salsbst]

I ran exchange 2000 on a box with 128MB. It's adaptable. The only realtime thing you have to do is get data to and from the hard drives, the 250s and the network.

..and comskip on another...

Well that changes things. I'd be a little concerned about running comskip on that box with 2 weak processors.

[heffe2001]

I can always comskip like I am now, on a remote pc, not a big deal but would be faster...

I may end up trying to get a Dell CERC ATA100/4CH MegaRAID i4, it supports 8 drives (2 on each of the 4 channels), I could drop 4 250's on it and have enough space for quite a long time... Now I just got to come up with the cash to do it all .

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by heffe2001

From what I understand, you'll run anywhere from like 5-10% per tuner if they are all recording, so I'd run at most maybe 50%+- if I were recording on all 5 at once.

Is it really that much? On my newer/faster machine, my 2 tuners use nearly 0% while both recording. On my older p2-400, I thought I remembered it not really taking 5-10% per tuner... but it has been a while since I checked that & can't check it any more. Maybe someone with 4 or 5 tuners can comment?

I know Sage isn't multi-processor aware

Sure it is -- SageTV is multi-threaded & can use multiple cpus. The drivers for the tuners may not be, though. But, if you have multiple processes running, they will automatically use multiple cpus anyway.

- Andy

[ToxMox]

I currently have 4 of my 7 tuners installed on an Athlon XP 2000+ and when they are all recording my cpu usage is maybe around 2-5% total for all the tuners. I can give a real number later when I get home.
Oh and BTW I couldn't get more than 3 PCI tuners to play nicely in one machine which is why I'm running 4 of 7 right now. I keep putting it off but I have another machine that I will put the other 3 tuners in and make it a network encoder box. Granted the 5 PCI tuners I was trying to get to play nicely weren't all the same kind. 2 type 15 250s, 1 350, and 2 ehome wonders. The other 2 tuners which simply work no matter what are the 2 USB2 tuners I have.

[heffe2001]

I'll be using 3 Connexant BB's (not the ones from Frey, they are actually Leadtek's), 1 250 & 1 Adaptec PCI. Currently I'm running 2 of the BB's and the Adaptec in the same machine without any tuner problems (just the afore mentioned mpeg2dump.ax problem occasionally, and the xvid crashes), and I've had the 250 in there before, but had to take it out because it's VERY heat sensitive. I might at the very least stick the two tuners that are not in machines in there just to make sure they are going to work in the Dell, don't see why they wouldn't, but you never know.

I also didn't know that Sage was MP aware, hopefully that will help a bit on the slower machine (although I see people here running slower than 733, single proc without any problems). I also just gave a best-guess on the proc usage, as Sage usually uses about 40-50% CPU on my server machine as it is now.

Looks like my main stumbling block now will be moving all the current recordings to the new machine, hopefully whatever PCI card I use for the short term will read the drives without any reformatting .

WHOOPS, forgot I'll possibly need another UIRT to control my cable boxes... Might try the serial mode first tho...