Looking for powerful BI server hardware

Lb85

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Hi guys!

Is there a configurator for a BI server? I need to find right hardware for 19 IP cams build with BI5!
It’s for business setup, it will have a dedicated NAS for the footage, and it will be in managed VLAN with rules, etc.

What I’m after:
Rackmount.
Preferably server hardware with redundant power supplies.
Right, powerful CPU to support 19 cams.

Or, if yo can point me to PC/server hardware that can support this.

Thank you.
 

SpacemanSpiff

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Click on the Wiki at the top of the page, and read the "Choosing Hardware for Blue Iris". Be sure to review the "Blue Iris Performance Data" link.

These will also be useful "light" reading:


 

bp2008

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Basically any modern Intel or AMD server will be able to handle 19 cameras if you optimize the configuration for reduced CPU usage (use sub streams with all the cameras). If you don't use sub streams, you could max out the best server with 10 cams or less (4K cams at 30 FPS).

Just pick whatever server you like that has the drive bays you want and a CPU mark above 8000 or so.

If you don't mind it being a power hog, you could even go with a used server from ebay. Just about any Xeon e5-xxxx v2 or newer should be sufficient. Don't bother with a dual socket server. I've seen a number of people try that and not be able to get BI to use both CPUs.
 

bp2008

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Reminds me of a server I saw the other day on ubiquiti's web store with a comically underpowered pair of Xeon CPUs in it that are evidently locked at 1.9 GHz so they perform like something from 12 years ago. So I really do recommend checking CPU benchmark scores to make sure you aren't buying a piece of junk.
 

Lb85

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Basically any modern Intel or AMD server will be able to handle 19 cameras if you optimize the configuration for reduced CPU usage (use sub streams with all the cameras). If you don't use sub streams, you could max out the best server with 10 cams or less (4K cams at 30 FPS).

Just pick whatever server you like that has the drive bays you want and a CPU mark above 8000 or so.

If you don't mind it being a power hog, you could even go with a used server from ebay. Just about any Xeon e5-xxxx v2 or newer should be sufficient. Don't bother with a dual socket server. I've seen a number of people try that and not be able to get BI to use both CPUs.
Thanks.
 

iwanttosee

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19 cameras isn't much. I bet my M93p can handle it just fine with a P620 card.
 

Lb85

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Hi guys,

So, if I go with mini-itx board build and i9-10850K with 16 GB of RAM + BI5 with streams I can get a nice performance for 19 cams?

Planning to be at 15 fps, 4K res on all, and just events recording, not the whole stream.
 

sebastiantombs

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Recording events only is not the best idea. Too much can happen before and after an event that can be vey important. Triggers don't always work perfectly and things can be easily missed that way.

That is a lot of overkill for that system IMHO. An i7 7th generation should handle a camera load like that without any problems at all.
 

wittaj

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Especially with the substreams option you can get by with a much less machine.

And recording the substreams 24/7 and switching to mainstream when triggered ensures you do not miss anything.

Many coming here thinking they want months or years of video storage, but the reality is if something happened around your house in the past two weeks and you didn't notice it, the likelihood you would go thru months of video is slim to none.
 
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Most folks here will tell you that 4K is a waste for surveillance.

I have a micro ATX with an Intel i7-8700. It has 32GB ram, Three WD purple 10TB drives and recording 24/7. I am running 22 cams most are 2MP but there are six 4MP cams. Most are running 15 FPS, but my two LPR cams are running 20 FPS. Seven of those cams are not running substreams while 15 are. Throughput is 17,000 kB/s and 585 MP/s. CPU runs at about 18% and memory at 6.6GB.

Check out this thread about recording 27/7:

 
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Also, check out this other thread. None of these cams were triggered except the LPRs and intersection cams. But that would not have given any info on the main issue at hand.

 

wittaj

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4K is a waste if it isn't on the proper sensor!

You need to identify the areas you want to cover and pick a camera designed to cover that distance. In some instances, it may be a 2MP or 4MP that is the right camera. Unless you go to a PTZ, a 4K camera to get clean IDENTIFY captures at a distance is not on the market yet...

It is simple LOL do not chase MP - do not buy a 4MP camera that is anything smaller than a 1/1.8" sensor. Do not buy a 2MP camera that is anything smaller than a 1/2.8" sensor. Do not buy a 4K (8MP) camera on anything smaller than a 1/1.2" sensor. Unfortunately, most 4k (8MP) cams are on the same sensor as a 2MP and thus the 2MP will kick its butt all night long as the 4k will need 4 times the light than the 2MP... 4k will do very poor at night unless you have stadium quality lighting (well a lot of lighting LOL). Starlight, ColorVu, Full Color, etc. are simply marketing terms, so don't be sold on those names.

Here are my general distance recommendations, but switch out the Dahua 5442 series camera to the equivalent 2MP on the 1/2.8" sensor or equivalent Hikvision works as well. These cameras meet all your requirements.
  • 5442 fixed lens 2.8mm - anything within 10 feet of camera OR as an overview camera
  • 5442 ZE - varifocal - distances up to 40-50 feet (personally I wouldn't go past the 30 foot range but I like things closer)
  • 5442 Z4E - anything up to 80-100 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 60 feet but I like things closer)
  • 5241-Z12E - anything from 80 feet to almost 200 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 150 feet because I like things closer)
  • 5241-Z12E - for a license plate cam that you would angle up the street to get plates up to about 175 feet away, or up to 220 with additional IR.
  • 49225 PTZ - great auto-track PTZ and in conjunction with an NVR or Blue Iris and the cameras above that you can use as spotter cams to point the PTZ to the correct location to compliment the fixed cams.
You need to get the correct camera for the area trying to be covered. A wide angle 2.8mm to IDENTIFY someone 40 feet away is the wrong camera regardless of how good the camera is. A 2.8mm camera to IDENTIFY someone within 10 feet is a good choice OR it is an overview camera to see something happened but not be able to identify who.

One camera cannot be the be all, see all. Each one is selected for covering a specific area. Most of us here have different brands and types, from fixed cams, to varifocals, to PTZs, each one selected for it's primary purpose and to utilize the strength of that particular camera.

So you will need to identify the distance the camera would be from the activities you want to IDENTIFY on and purchase the correct camera for that distance as an optical zoom.

If you want to see things far away, you need optical zoom, digital zoom only works in the movies and TV...And the optical zoom is done real time - for a varifocal it is a set it and forget it. You cannot go to recorded video and optically zoom in later, at that point it is digital zoom, and the sensors on these cameras are so small which is why digital zoom doesn't work very well after the fact.
 

Flintstone61

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Based on an experienced system configurator here, I took his advice and bought an HP Elitedesk G4-800 SFF, with a 6 core i5-8500. It has 2 full sized drive bays, and sits in my rack on a shelf. once tuned and tweaked, it's running 18 Camera's and streaming 12 more from an Analog system as well. I have 24 GB ram, 1 8TB WD Purp, and one 5Tb refurb WD Blue. splitting 2/3rds of cams on 8TB drive and 1/3 on 5TB drive.
No graphics card. It was a bit finicky with default Intel graphics driver.
@fenderman linked me to the right driver, and it's been completely stable since then.
Cam 18 was deleted today after initializing the Static Ip. now it's mothballed as a spare.
easy on Power consumption.

Cam8.index.jpg
 
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Lb85

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Most folks here will tell you that 4K is a waste for surveillance.

I have a micro ATX with an Intel i7-8700. It has 32GB ram, Three WD purple 10TB drives and recording 24/7. I am running 22 cams most are 2MP but there are six 4MP cams. Most are running 15 FPS, but my two LPR cams are running 20 FPS. Seven of those cams are not running substreams while 15 are. Throughput is 17,000 kB/s and 585 MP/s. CPU runs at about 18% and memory at 6.6GB.

Check out this thread about recording 27/7:

I’m curious to know if you’re record all stream from them or triggered events only?

Wonder also about space it will need if 24/7 recording…

I guess I really may use a NAS to dump footage if I want 24/7 recording.
 

Lb85

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Recording events only is not the best idea. Too much can happen before and after an event that can be vey important. Triggers don't always work perfectly and things can be easily missed that way.

That is a lot of overkill for that system IMHO. An i7 7th generation should handle a camera load like that without any problems at all.
Ok, for continuous recording I need a ton more space. How many disks or TB do you run?

I don’t mind spending extra $ for newer gen of CPU with some extra horsepower for future expansion.
 

wittaj

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Most of us record 24/7 as I outlined in Post #9 - we record substream that then switches to mainstream when triggered. Saves a ton of storage space that way.

People here are running a 4th generation with 50 cameras at 30%CPU - spending money for a new CPU is wasting money.
 

wittaj

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Before the substreams option became available, previously, I would get about 1 hour at 3.90GB with a 4MP camera recording 24/7.

With the substreams option I now get 1 hour at 140MB.

That is a tremendous savings!

Obviously bitrate, resolution, FPS, and number of triggers come into play, but it is a great way to ensure you don't miss something.

YMMV
 

sebastiantombs

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I've got a month of video on a total of 12TB of storage. One 8TB and one 4TB drive. 20 cameras recording continuously on the sub stream and switching to main stream on triggers. It all depends on resolution, frame and bit rates though. Just be sure to use surveillance rated drives. A NAS will not work out well because it is not designed for the high throughput of multiple cameras. You can store internally and move video off to a NAS during off hours if you want to, but that's more trouble tan it's worth. A couple of large 8-16TB drives will store plenty. If you haven't noticed something or needed it in a month you really don't need it any longer.

Keep in mind this is surveillance and not a Hollywood production. 4MP is fine, 8MP OK if you must. 15FPS is plenty. The main idea is to get a clear shot of what or who, nothing more is needed.
 

Flintstone61

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I have Set mine on the menu option, " Continuous + Triggers" and it keeps it about 3-4 weeks. It’s a commercial property and I look at the footage every day so I’m not really interested in keeping it longer than a month in most cases.
 

jrbeddow

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Based on an experienced system configurator here, I took his advice and bought an HP Elitedesk G4-800 SFF, with a 6 core i5-8500. It has 2 full sized drive bays, and sits in my rack on a shelf. once tuned and tweaked, it's running 18 Camera's and streaming 12 more from an Analog system as well. I have 24 GB ram, 1 8TB WD Purp, and one 5Tb refurb WD Blue. splitting 2/3rds of cams on 8TB drive and 1/3 on 5TB drive.
No graphics card. It was a bit finicky with default Intel graphics driver.
@fenderman linked me to the right driver, and it's been completely stable since then.
Cam 18 was deleted today after initializing the Static Ip. now it's mothballed as a spare.
easy on Power consumption.
Can you give any numbers on power consumption? I am strongly considering a near identical build (with far fewer cameras to start with, but as many have pointed out, that will surely grow over time :))
 
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