<div>Due to a few issues (lack of SATA ports, possible stability issues, etc) I'm going to be changing my backend architecture. I have come up with a few ideas, and pros/cons to each, but am looking for some advice on which to choose.
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Current Backend:</div>
<div>-AMD64 X2 processor, 1gb ram</div>
<div>-2 DVB-T cards</div>
<div>-4 SATA-2 harddrives (2x300gig, 2x320gig) (this serves as my general "media backend," only one of those drives is used for myth tv recording) </div>
<div>-onboard gigabit lan</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I've gotten a new harddrive (only have 4 sata ports) AND am planning to add a DVB-S card to the system very soon. I know that I COULD add a PCI sata card to add my new harddrive, but I'd rather not as I'll likely be running into issues if I have all 3 tuners recording at once AND am pulling stuff off the PCI-connected sata controller (I've had issues like that in the past).
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>So I've come up with 4 proposed "overall" architecutres (based on 2 different machine setups). Please comment on what combo I should use, as I'm a bit lost. My major concern is reliability. My guy feeling is Arch 3, as the only REAL con is that recording is over the network.
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>(note that the new backend will have the same processor/motherboard, so count on gigabit connectivity and an AMD64 x2 processor)</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>__Arch 1__</div>
<div>Machine A:</div>
<div>-3 non-myth harddrives (various other media (mp3/dvd/avi/etc) surfaced to frontends via NFS for mythvideo/mythmusic/mythpictures use) </div>
<div>-Running NOTHING mythtv related!!!!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Machine B:</div>
<div>-2 use-by-myth harddrives (storage groups eventually)</div>
<div>-DVB-T/C cards</div>
<div>-Running mythbackend</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Pros: </div>
<div>-Myth is seperated from rest of system</div>
<div>-No sata-pci cards needed</div>
<div>Cons: Changes to cards/etc means NO tv is watchable (including recorded shows)</div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<div>__Arch 2__</div>
<div>Machine A:</div>
<div>-3 non-myth harddrives (various other media (mp3/dvd/avi/etc) surfaced to frontends via NFS for mythvideo/mythmusic/mythpictures use) </div>
<div>
<div>-2 use-by-myth harddrives (exported by NFS to Machine B)</div>-Running NOTHING mythtv related!!!!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Machine B:</div>
<div>-DVB-T/C cards</div>
<div>-Running mythbackend</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Pros: Myth is seperated from rest of system</div>
<div>Cons: </div>
<div>-Changes to cards/etc means NO tv is watchable from menus, but if I set up the myth harddrives under mythvideo with a link directory via mythrename.pl then there's a "fallback plan" even though it's not that nice.
</div>
<div>-Myth is using network for all actions. I do have gigabit ethernet, but it COULD be a bottleneck if there's 2 or 3 recordings going on with realtime commercial checking</div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<div>__Arch 3__</div>
<div>Machine A:</div>
<div>-3 non-myth harddrives (various other media (mp3/dvd/avi/etc) surfaced to frontends via NFS for mythvideo/mythmusic/mythpictures use) </div>
<div>-2 use-by-myth harddrives (exported by NFS to Machine B)</div>
<div>-Running mysql and mythbackend as the master backend (NO tuners though)</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Machine B:</div>
<div>-DVB-T/C cards</div>
<div>-Running mythbackend to record</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Pros: </div>
<div>-"unstable" part of myth is running on different system (only instability I've had has been when dvb cards get signal issues, etc)</div>
<div>-I can set machine A to do commercial flagging, eliminating HALF of the network traffic problem from Arch 2</div>
<div>-EVERYTHING but live-tv is watchable through normal means even if Machine B is "down"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Cons: </div>
<div>-Recording is over network</div>
<div>-sata-pci card needed for machine A</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div></div></div>