Custom VMS Servers
A video management server is sized by three numbers: total camera bitrate, required retention in days, and the number of simultaneous client streams. Get those right and the system runs quietly for years; get them wrong and you discover it when someone requests footage that was already overwritten.
Each server we build is configured around the actual camera list for the job rather than a generic tier. Storage is sized from measured or calculated bitrate and the retention requirement, with surveillance-rated drives that are designed for continuous write workloads instead of desktop drives. CPU and memory are selected for the decode load created by live viewing and playback, which is often the real constraint on sites with several operator workstations.
Servers ship pre-configured and tested, so the on-site work is licensing, camera discovery and storage verification rather than a bare operating system install. If you are standardizing on Wisenet WAVE, tell us the license type and camera channel count and we will build the box to match.
Send us your camera list and retention requirement and we will return a configuration with the storage math shown.
VMS Servers we stock
VMS Server & Storage Buyer's Guide
Size recording servers for camera count, bitrate, retention and redundancy.
Estimate storage
Storage (TB) ≈ total bitrate (Mbps) × 0.45 × hours recorded per day × retention days ÷ 1,000. Example: 32 cameras at 4 Mbps (128 Mbps total) recording 24/7 for 30 days ≈ 128 × 0.45 × 24 × 30 ÷ 1,000 ≈ 41 TB. Add 20%+ for overhead and RAID.
Motion-based recording, H.265 and smart codecs can cut this substantially — but size for your worst-case (busy, night-noise) scenes.
Throughput and CPU
The server must ingest the combined camera bitrate and write it to disk while serving live and playback clients. Analytics, transcoding and many simultaneous viewers add CPU and GPU load.
Redundancy
RAID 5/6 protects recordings from a single or double drive failure. Surveillance-rated drives are built for 24/7 write workloads. Dual NICs let you separate camera traffic from client traffic.
Software licensing
Most VMS platforms (such as Wisenet WAVE or Milestone XProtect) license per camera channel. Budget licenses alongside hardware and confirm version compatibility with us before ordering.
Installer checklist
- Camera count and average bitrate
- Retention days required by client or regulation
- Continuous vs. motion recording
- RAID level and spare drive bays
- Number of concurrent viewers
- VMS platform and license count
Frequently asked questions
How many days of recording do I need?
30 days is a common commercial baseline, but industry and local rules vary — confirm your client’s requirement before sizing storage.
Can you build a server to my spec?
Yes. Send camera count, bitrate, retention and VMS platform and our team will spec a build with you.
How fast do orders ship?
Standard delivery is UPS Ground, usually 5–7 business days. Rates are calculated at checkout. 2-day and overnight shipping are available by quote — contact our sales team.