Ideas on where to get custom PC from

[Bezwick]

Hi everyone, could do with some advice on where to get a new computer to run our IP CCTV software from. We use a peice of software called ICatcher, which to be honest considering it was only a few hundred pounds is a really good peice of kit. However when i installed this software it was an experimental idea so i used an old desktop (HP 5150). Put in 2 x 500GB HDD's set them up as RAID 1 with the built in controller and gradually added cameras. We now have 6 axis cameras running on it and it works very well except the CPU is stuggling its running at a constant 90% usage.

This system has proved so popular with the various depts that they want to add up to 24 cameras. So i have been authorised to buy a better PC to run it on.

 

So in order to make it future proof as best i can i need specs similar to these

 

2 x Quad Core CPU

2 x 1TB HDD (RAID 0) for footage plus 1 x 250GB HDD for OS

3 GB Ram (Doesnt use much)

2x 1GB NIC's teamed for 2GB throughput

Motherboard must have at least 3 xPCI slots free

 

Once the system is setup i will take an image of the system HDD as its wont change very much over the years. The footage data will need fast write capabilities, but will only be used when the software detects movement, so RAID 0 is fine because it will not really need to be backed up.

 

 

Need to get this for around the £1000 - £1200 mark.

 

Any ideas on who would be a good comapany to quote us for such a system?

 

 

Cheers

[elsiegee40]

Have a chat with Simon at CPLTD; he's very good on custombuilds

[featured_spectre]

*EDIT* nevermind!

[glennda]

Stone might make you a custom pc - not sure if they will just do single order tho,

 

Or order the parts and build yourself?

[pete]

This system has proved so popular with the various depts that they want to add up to 24 cameras.

 

Have you checked with perfmon what the load on your current mirrored disks are?

 

Once the system is setup i will take an image of the system HDD as its wont change very much over the years. The footage data will need fast write capabilities, but will only be used when the software detects movement, so RAID 0 is fine because it will not really need to be backed up.

 

I'm not being funny, but really get that "it will not need to be backed up" thing confimed by SMT in writing - you don't want to be the one who has to announce a disk failure after the schools had $expensive_thing nicked over the weekend.

[Arthur]

I agree with Pete. I could understand using RAID 10, but RAID 0 for such a critical system is asking for trouble. What happens if the array fails during the night?

[featured_spectre]

RAID 0 is asking for trouble, like it has been stated before RAID10 would be better, but you would need to increase capacity to make up for it!

[Haptic]

We would be more than happy to quote you for a bespoke build pc, if you would like to ping me over a email with your requirements I will glady put a quotation together for you,

 

[email protected]

Edited June 14, 2012 by Dos_Box

[Ric_]

Why a custom PC and not a server? I'd personally go for siomething like the Sun Fire X2270 (see Sun Fire X2270 Server - Servers for EDA and Financial Modeling ). As others have said, steer clear of RAID0 as it could prove to be a career limiting move.

[Bezwick]

Good point about the perfmon, just set one running now will check it in a couple of days. Might be worth getting a RAID system with a good cache on it as it will be writing lots of small files.

 

As for the backing the footage up i am not really worried about that, as neither myself or the school consider this a vital system. The CCTV is for monitoring lessons, not the school site (we have a seperate system for that). We have had a lot of vandalism during lessons in the computer rooms, and misbehaving kids while with supply teachers. This system is just about catching them so footage will rarely be kept for more the 24-48 hours, and in those cases i will burn it to a dvd.

 

Cheers

 

Have you checked with perfmon what the load on your current mirrored disks are?

I'm not being funny, but really get that "it will not need to be backed up" thing confimed by SMT in writing - you don't want to be the one who has to announce a disk failure after the schools had $expensive_thing nicked over the weekend.

[Bezwick]

We could go for a server and that option will be considered to, however it must be in a tower case as at some point we will probably want to add upto four of these type of cards:-

 

PC DVR-4-Net™ Security Guardian 4-Camera CCTV PCI Card - Free Delivery : Security PCI DVR Cards : Maplin

 

Plus where it will be stored is nowhere near our rack cabinets.

 

The footage being stored on the RAID 0, volume will be treated as handy to have but no great loss if its lost. In other words, speed is far more important than reliability, imagine it in the same way as a proxy server. You dont really care about the cache data, but its handy to have.

 

 

 

Why a custom PC and not a server? I'd personally go for siomething like the Sun Fire X2270 (see Sun Fire X2270 Server - Servers for EDA and Financial Modeling ). As others have said, steer clear of RAID0 as it could prove to be a career limiting move.

[featured_spectre]

You can buy servers in tower cases.......

[3s-gtech]

Have you considered the bandwidth load on your network of running more cameras? Not sure on the throughput needed with your system, but worth checking, you could get bottlenecks. May even be worth running a part seperate network for it.

[Bezwick]

Have you considered the bandwidth load on your network of running more cameras? Not sure on the throughput needed with your system, but worth checking, you could get bottlenecks. May even be worth running a part seperate network for it.

 

Bandwidth shouldnt be an issue as each camera is limited to 5-8 megabits of traffic, on its own VLan with no more than 2 on any one switch, connected back to server room by either 1 GB or 10GB fibre. I have also been running this system with 6 cameras since september and the network barely blinked. Its the PC that is running the software that is struggling as the CPU is running at around 80-85%. It has 2 GB ram but using less than half that. HDD appears to be around 0-35% usage, network currently has a 1GB NIc and seams to using less than half that. Hence the custom spec for our new CCTv server.

 

Cheers

[Bezwick]

You can buy servers in tower cases.......

 

Lol, yeah i know that, just the link to the X2270 server was to a 1U rack mount one.

[Dos_Box]

Try giving ICT Direct (ICT Direct - computer hardware for ict in education - primary, secondary, special needs schools and colleges) a ring as they often have quad core HP Xeon workstations in which could fit the bill nicely.