Cortex Server specs....what ya got?

[dazzlevw]

Just wondering, i'm still in the planning stages.

What is everyone running and with what degree of success?

Am thinking along mini itx lines in a 1U rack case......

[Paul_B]

I'm using a Via EN15000 Mini-ITX in a 1U Travla C159 case. Cortex doesn't really make huge demands so this box is running Windows 2003 as a domain controller, SQL, Exchange, WINS, DNS, DHCP, WSUS (I have a Technet subscription which licenses me for this setup). As well as Squeezecenter 7.0 for my Squeezebox. Never had any problems with all this running on a relatively low spec box.

If I'd by buying now I go for the recently released VIA SN18000 board as it allows for 4GB of memory and I would run virtualisation software so I could play with Linux and Windows 2008.

[KirasHome]

Like Paul I use a Via board. Mine's a EPIA EN 12000G Fanless C7 Mini-ITX Board with 1GB RAM in a Travla C158 Mini-ITX Case using the wall mounting brackets. I went for the EN board as I specifically wanted Gigabit ethernet.
It's running Windows 2003 Server, and as well as running Cortex it acts as a file server / NAS / web server and runs my Slim Server. It's hooked to an APC Back-UPS ES 700VA which has been must recently as our power supply has become a bit unreliable (3 cuts in one day recently). Again no performance problems at all.

[dazzlevw]

Good good, I'm thinking on the right lines then.

If the resource demands are that low I suppose i could even whack it on to my existing File/web/print/GB-PVR/Slimserver server although I think I'm going to aim to have the GB-PVR server on it's own box. I'm currently rebuilding it into a 4U Rack case, AMD XP 2600, 2GB ram, 2.1TB disk space(and running out fast!!). If I then get a mini-itx board and use it for cortex/slimserver and run a NAS device for storage.

I can't believe I gave my EPIA M10000 away to my brother a couple of years ago....bugger!!

[chris_j_hunter]

as well as ability & reliability, I guess the other factor in favour of Mini-ITX is low power consumption ...

lots of boards to choose-from, too, though not always an easy choice, with only one PCI slot & one daughter-board, or less, can sometimes be limiting ...

[Gumby]

Originally a Mini-ITX PD-10000 quite happily until I wanted to use a hardware CCTV card, which just didn't seem to want to work on the VIA board.

Now running an old AMD Sempron 2500+ (1.7GHz) - about 70% loaded with 2 cameras on continuous.

Considering either one of these newfangled Intel chips or going back to Mini-ITX and having a separate camera server. Or perhaps hoping later VIA boards could handle the camera card.