The key to an invincible video server

When assembling a video server or selecting hardware for one, we tend to prioritize the graphics card, processor, RAM, and leave the storage drive at the end of the list. However, the speed of storage is crucial and can make a significant difference in content playback, especially in high-demand environments. This is where PCIe (NVMe) drives come into play, offering much faster speeds than traditional drives.

Why Choose PCIe SSDs?

PCIe (NVMe) SSDs connect directly to the motherboard via the PCIe interface, allowing them to reach speeds of up to 7 GB/s per unit. Compared to traditional drives that connect via SATA, these drives offer superior performance, ideal for applications where every millisecond counts, such as real-time video playback.

Advantages of PCIe SSDs:

• Speed: Extremely fast read and write operations.
• Latency: Lower latency compared to traditional RAID arrays.
• Simplicity: No need to configure complex arrays.

Disadvantages of PCIe SSDs:

• Cost: More expensive than SATA drives and traditional RAID arrays.
• Capacity: Often have less storage capacity compared to RAID arrays.

Applications:

• Real-Time Video Production and Playback: Where speed and low latency are essential for smooth, uninterrupted playback.
• Graphics Rendering and Special Effects: To reduce processing time.
• Video Servers: Especially in configurations with multiple outputs and high resource demand.

What About RAID?

Although PCIe SSDs are fast, RAID arrays are still useful, especially when a balance between performance and redundancy is needed. RAID, combined with NVMe SSDs, can offer both the speed and security necessary for critical applications.

Advantages of RAID:

• Redundancy: Protects data in case of drive failure.
• Scalability: Allows for increasing storage capacity without sacrificing performance.

Disadvantages of RAID:

• Complexity: More complicated to configure and maintain.
• Latency: Higher latency compared to individual PCIe SSDs.

Applications:

• Video servers where redundancy is required: Ideal for real-time video editing and massive data storage.
• Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems: Where data protection is critical.
• Real-time video playback: Especially in high-demand environments where data security is as important as speed.

In a recent project, we used equipment for a tour with a popular software designed primarily for VJing. The idea was to configure RAID 5, and although the operating system recognized the RAID 5 setup, the software did not work correctly with this configuration. As a result, we had to switch to RAID 0. This configuration allowed the software to recognize the array, and we were able to handle 20 GB files across 2 or 3 layers smoothly. Sometimes, even the best plans need a little adjustment!

To achieve maximum performance in a video server, the choice of storage is as crucial as the choice of processor or graphics card. PCIe (NVMe) SSDs offer superior speed, making them the best option for applications where speed is critical. However, for those who need a balance between performance and security, RAID arrays remain a viable option, especially when combined with PCIe SSDs.

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