Typically, in such a scenario, there is a budget of $8K available.
The objective is to develop a website that will serve as a platform for storing and streaming video content. Users will be able to log in and watch these videos. The estimated number of monthly site visitors is around 20,000, and the total storage required for the videos is approximately 20 TB.

The client's preference is to purchase their own dedicated server, rather than opting for hosting or VDS solutions. However, upon searching the internet, it was found that servers with a hard disk memory capacity of 20+TB are priced well above our budget. Additionally, the available 1U height servers do not provide enough space to accommodate an adequate number of hard drives.

In essence, the question remains - how can this problem be resolved? Has anyone else encountered a similar situation before? Is it reasonable to invest in a more powerful server to handle the higher load? Alternatively, is it feasible to use a PC to handle the aforementioned requirements?
It's a challenging situation, and assistance would be greatly appreciated.

In this scenario, one possible solution would be to consider cloud-based storage and streaming services. With a limited budget and the need for significant storage capacity, leveraging a cloud platform can provide scalability and affordability.

Services like Amazon S3 or Google Cloud Storage offer flexible pricing models based on consumption, allowing you to pay for storage and bandwidth used. By utilizing their content delivery networks (CDNs), you can ensure faster and more reliable video streaming for your users.

Alternatively, if purchasing a dedicated server is still preferred, you may consider investing in a more cost-effective option with lower disk capacity and then using external storage solutions to meet the 20 TB requirement. Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices can provide additional storage capacity and are easily expandable.

As for the server size constraint, you could explore larger form factors like tower servers or rack servers that have more space to accommodate additional hard drives. Additionally, there are external storage enclosures available that can connect to your server via USB, Thunderbolt, or other interfaces.

It is reasonable to invest in a more powerful server if you anticipate high traffic and want to ensure optimal performance. However, keep in mind that a more robust server might come at a higher cost. Assess your specific requirements and budget constraints carefully before making a decision.

Lastly, using a PC to handle video storage and streaming needs may be feasible depending on the scale of your operation. However, it may not offer the same level of reliability, scalability, and performance as dedicated servers or cloud-based solutions. Evaluate the trade-offs and consider whether a PC solution aligns with your long-term goals.

To begin with, it is recommended to create a technical assignment that includes an initial analysis of website traffic. This will allow you to determine the minimum necessary bandwidth for the data channel in order to satisfy the audience's content demands. Moreover, it is crucial to establish the acceptable range for content quality, such as video resolution and bitrate, as this directly impacts the required amount of data storage.

It is advisable to construct a system using two servers and two storage units, ensuring that both the computational nodes and storage are mirrored. Essentially, it is important to prioritize a reliable data channel, or even better, two channels, which may require significant financial investment. Opting for a server priced at $8K without a dependable data channel would be a waste of money.


When designing and planning the infrastructure for a website or online platform, it is essential to consider various factors, including resource attendance, content quality requirements, and storage capacity. Creating a technical task and analyzing website traffic can provide valuable insights into the necessary data channel bandwidth. Additionally, determining the appropriate threshold for content quality, such as video resolution and bitrate, is crucial to ensure a satisfactory user experience.

By implementing a system with mirrored computational nodes and storage, potential risks, such as data loss or service interruption, can be mitigated. Ultimately, investing in a reliable data channel, even if it means higher costs, will significantly contribute to the overall success of the website or platform.

Understanding the majority of site visitor locations is crucial.

I, personally, have a video distribution server. Currently, there is 2.5 TB of data and the daily traffic ranges from 800-1000gb. This corresponds to 3000-3500 units per day. Judging by the attendance, it is likely that you will have less traffic.

My server has an inexpensive xenon processor, 16GB of RAM, and 3×2tb HDDs in RAID0 configuration (although I acknowledge this setup is not very reliable, my home internet with 500mbit/s speed allows for quick data recovery from a computer if needed). The server has a 1gb/s channel, which is usually loaded at around 150-300mbps. The content is distributed efficiently with no performance drops even during peak times with up to 50 concurrent users. This setup costs me $50 per month in the USA. Europe also offers interesting solutions.

Regarding your server, as mentioned above, the bottleneck will likely be the communication channel. If you choose to rent a 1+GB/s channel, it will be expensive. CDN is also not a viable option as it would eventually become costly in terms of traffic.

In general, it is recommended to rent a server (preferably with a good communication channel) rather than buying your own. The decision ultimately depends on the specific requirements and parameters. When distributing nginx statics (mp4), it is important to consider the communication channel and HDD as they can potentially become bottlenecks.

How to do weighing on high load server.
https://dnray.com/dedicated-server/problems-with-mx-records-in-dns/new/#new

One potential solution to consider is using a storage server with network-attached storage (NAS) capabilities. NAS devices are designed to provide large-scale storage in a cost-effective manner and can be easily integrated into existing network infrastructures.

By deploying a NAS solution, the client can purchase a server with standard specifications within their budget and then add NAS units to expand the storage capacity as needed. This approach allows for scalability while keeping costs reasonable. Additionally, NAS devices can offer features such as data redundancy, data backup, and remote access, which are beneficial for a video streaming platform.

Alternatively, utilizing a combination of cloud storage and on-premises servers could also be considered. Cloud storage services can provide scalable storage solutions at lower costs, allowing the client to offload some of the storage requirements while still maintaining control over the primary server infrastructure.

Regarding the option of using a PC to handle the requirements, it may be feasible for smaller-scale setups or as a temporary solution. However, for a platform with 20 TB of video content and an estimated 20,000 monthly visitors, using a dedicated server or NAS solution would be more suitable to ensure performance, reliability, and scalability.

Another potential option to explore is the use of a storage array solution. A storage array, such as a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) system, can be configured to provide the required storage capacity while using multiple smaller and more affordable hard drives. By implementing RAID technology, the client can achieve the desired storage capacity and also benefit from data redundancy and improved performance.

For a video streaming platform with a significant amount of content, it's crucial to prioritize not only storage capacity but also data transfer speeds and access times. Therefore, focusing on the server's network connectivity and disk read/write speeds is essential. Investing in high-speed network interfaces and solid-state drives (SSDs) for caching frequently accessed data can help enhance the overall performance of the platform.

It's also important to carefully consider the server's processing power and memory capacity to ensure that it can effectively handle the concurrent streaming requests from a large number of users. While it's understandable that the client prefers to purchase their own dedicated server, they should also weigh the benefits of utilizing hosting or VDS solutions, which may offer more cost-effective options for meeting the required specifications.

In conclusion, while the budget constraints present challenges, there are various creative solutions available to address the storage and streaming requirements for the video platform. By carefully evaluating the trade-offs between storage solutions, network connectivity, server performance, and cost-effectiveness, the client can make informed decisions to create an effective and scalable platform within the given budget.

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