Submission + - Ask Slashdot: Tiny PCs to drive dozens of NOC monitors?
mushero writes: We are building out a new NOC with dozens of LCD monitors and need ideas for what PCs to use to drive all those monitors. What is small and easy to stack, rack, power, manage, replace, etc.?
The room is 8mx8m with central 3x3 LCD array, and mixed-size and orientation LCD monitors in front and side walls (plus scrolling LEDs, custom desks, team tables, etc) — designed as a small version of the famous AT&T Ops Center.
We are an MSP and this is a tour showcase center so more is better and most have real functions for our monitor teams, DBAs, SoC, alert teams, and so on, 7x24. We'll post pix when it's done.
But how how to drive all this visual stuff? The simplest approach of basic/tiny PCs is 35-50 of these — how to do that effectively ? Almost all visuals are browser only so any PC can run them (a couple will use Apple TV or Cable feeds for news). The walls are modular and 50cm thick and we'll have a 19" rack or two, so we have room, and all professional wiring/help as needed.
Raspberry PIs are powerful enough for this but painful to mount and wire. Chromeboxes are great and the leading candidate, as the ASUS units can drive two monitors. The Intel NUC can also do this and both Chromebox and Intel are easily stackable.
My dream would be a quad-HDMI device in Chromebox form factor. Or are there special high-density PCs for this with 4-8-16 HDMI outputs ?
Each unit will be hard-wired to its monitor, and via ip-KVM (need recommendations on that, too, 32+ port) for controls.
Any other ideas for a cool NOC are also appreciated as we have money and motivation to do anything that helps the team and the tours.
The room is 8mx8m with central 3x3 LCD array, and mixed-size and orientation LCD monitors in front and side walls (plus scrolling LEDs, custom desks, team tables, etc) — designed as a small version of the famous AT&T Ops Center.
We are an MSP and this is a tour showcase center so more is better and most have real functions for our monitor teams, DBAs, SoC, alert teams, and so on, 7x24. We'll post pix when it's done.
But how how to drive all this visual stuff? The simplest approach of basic/tiny PCs is 35-50 of these — how to do that effectively ? Almost all visuals are browser only so any PC can run them (a couple will use Apple TV or Cable feeds for news). The walls are modular and 50cm thick and we'll have a 19" rack or two, so we have room, and all professional wiring/help as needed.
Raspberry PIs are powerful enough for this but painful to mount and wire. Chromeboxes are great and the leading candidate, as the ASUS units can drive two monitors. The Intel NUC can also do this and both Chromebox and Intel are easily stackable.
My dream would be a quad-HDMI device in Chromebox form factor. Or are there special high-density PCs for this with 4-8-16 HDMI outputs ?
Each unit will be hard-wired to its monitor, and via ip-KVM (need recommendations on that, too, 32+ port) for controls.
Any other ideas for a cool NOC are also appreciated as we have money and motivation to do anything that helps the team and the tours.
