With my new full sized Backblzed Inspired EMS, I'll be able to replace these 4 mini-EMSs you see below.
Please don't give me too much grief on the messy nature of this particular install - as I'm sure some can appreciate, this is definitely a constant work in progress. More a R&D type lab than a finished install :).
By the way, these mini-EMS(s) were actually built using the same basic idea of the Backblaze boxes. The main difference was that I used straight SATA backplanes which were then connected into a Port Multiplier "External" Card/Board that then finally went into the Silicon Image Controllers. While this definitely created a cabling nightmare, the solution worked and worked well.
One of the items I like with the old solution is having removable drive bays...
For those curious, the orange cables are fiber optic cables feeding the HDMI runs/extensions to various TVs in the house. The laptop above the mini-EMSs is used as a poor man's lighting controller for various items in the home. The rest, is pretty much just a fire hazard!
Don
Posts
Interested to know with all those HDD's how u manage all the movies/tvshows etc?
ReplyDeleteMatthew -
ReplyDeleteI use a program called DVD Profiler from Invelos to manage my DVD/Video Collection. This program works great, but wasn't intended for virtualization/media servers. However, it does allow for plug-ins and I wrote a custom plug-in for it that extends it core features very nicely.
I essentially put everything into DVD Profiler, my plug-in then effectively duplicates this information to a back-end SQL database which I tap using an IIS/ASP program from the Media PC to play my various movies with a remote control, etc.
You may wonder why I don't just tap into the DVD Profiler DB directly. The main reason is that the DB archecture in DVD Profiler is a bit of a nightmare - for me at least. Some form of DBISAM that after playing around with for a few weeks just didn't seem worth it. While I'd like everything in one DB, Invelos is nice enough to expose the high-level data via APIs and it is easier than reverse engineering a DB that I'm not familar with or have the tools for, etc.
For a one-up custom solution, if I say so myself, it does work fairly well although it is a bit rough around the edges.
I also played around with XBMC for awhile. Did a very nice job but was going to require that I rename a lot of my files and re-code some areas that didn't work for me. Since I already had a good solution in place I wasn't willing to switch. However, if I was to start from scratch, I would seriously look at using this software instead - especially now that media sources for most folks are coming via online sources instead of DVD/disc Packages.
Don
Love it! Came across your blog from the BackBlaze blog... been drooling over their pod design for a while. I will enjoy reading what you've done with it as I embark on my own journey...
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of enclosure/case are you using for the four servers?
ReplyDelete>> What kind of enclosure/case are you using for the four servers?
ReplyDeleteThese were Lian Li PC-A17 Cases. Basically 9 - 5 1/4" bays. I then took 3 of the bays and used Adaptec 5 Drive Modular Bays to get me 15 drives per system, etc.
Here's a link to the case - not sure if it is still current though:
http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=135&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=62
Don
Can you post a link for the backpane?
ReplyDeleteI bought my last few here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.storage4mac.com/cfpomupba.html
Don
Re: "fiber optic cables feeding the HDMI runs/extensions to various TVs"
ReplyDeleteWhat interfaces are available to convert and extend hdmi over fibre?
I found the fiber device interfaces mentioned in your other posts...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=7986
http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=8621
As for the fiber extenders, you might also want to take a look at their CAT5/6 extenders as well. Apparently the latest units are much better than the ones I initially tried. If they work as advertised, it will save you a ton of money over the fiber.
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