[mythtv-users] Master backend/storage, 1 or 2 machines?

[Steven Adeff]

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org [mailto:mythtv-users-
> > bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of Steven Adeff
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 1:51 PM
> > To: Discussion about mythtv
> > Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Master backend/storage, 1 or 2 machines?
> >
> > On 8/16/06, Jim Minihane <MythTV at minihane.tzo.com> wrote:
> > > I'm building a system with 2 slave backends (2 PVR-500s each, 8 DirecTV
> > > D10-100s), one master backend and currently 2 frontends. The master and
> > > frontends have no decoders. I was going to use network storage via NFS
> > to my
> > > file server, but things have changed. The master is a 1.8GHz Compaq EVO.
> > > Would it be sufficient to serve as storage as well if I add eSATA
> > storage?
> > > My network is 100Mbps. I also have a second EVO 1.8GHz machine that
> > could be
> > > used as NAS, but I'd like to avoid that if possible. What would it take
> > for
> > > a machine to serve as master backend AND storage for an 8 encoder
> > system?
> >
> > confused...
> >
> > and how are you going to connect 8 DirecTV units to only 2 PVR-500's?
> >
On 8/16/06, Jim Minihane <MythTV at minihane.tzo.com> wrote:
> 2 slave backends, have 2 PVR-500s each which have 2 encoders per card.
> 2x2x2=8


ah, ok. I also assume you meant the "master and frontends have no *encoders*"?
Any reason you don't want to use the master as a recording machine?

I would be hesitant to run all 8 encoders and 2 frontends over 100bT
network as well.

If your master backend has 5pci slots you would have room for all 4
PVR-500's and an additional SATA card. One would have to assume as
well that the PCI bus can handle all this data transfer...

Since the PVR-500's don't require much CPU, one of the 1.8GHz Compaq's
should be fine.

I would suggest a RAID5 array for the recording drive using software
RAID ( http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/RAID ), low CPU usage and
quite reliable with no hardware dependency. How many drives in the
array and what size depends on how much space you need and how much
your willing to spend. 250-320GB drives are relatively cheap now. The
more drives the faster the array.

another option is to use one machine as your Master with the recording
array and as many PVR-500's as you can fit and have a Slave handle the
rest of the PVR-500's. This would minimize the network traffic. You
could even use one of the Slave's as a frontend if you wanted to.

start with the questions =)
-- 
Steve
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