Comnet RECORDING SERVER - 14 BAY 12X18TB 216TB ENT HDD HW RAID 2X800 - V14-4210-16-216T18-2S800-S19

Comnet V14-4210-16-216T18-2S800-S19 Enterprise Recording Server

Overview

The Comnet V14-4210-16-216T18-2S800-S19 is a 2U rackmount recording server purpose-built for high-capacity surveillance deployments. With 14 drive bays configured for 216TB of enterprise-grade storage, this unit addresses the scaling challenge most integrators face around year two of a multi-camera rollout — when 24/7 recordings from dozens of cameras start demanding dedicated, redundant hardware rather than NVR appliances. The dual 800W power supplies (2S800) and hardware RAID controller deliver the fault tolerance required for mission-critical retention in retail chains, transportation hubs, and multi-site corporate environments.

Key Features

• 14 Hot-Swap Drive Bays: Allows you to replace or expand storage without powering down the system. If a drive fails during peak hours, swap it out and RAID regenerates in the background—no interruption to recording or playback.
• 216TB Enterprise HDD Configuration: Ten 12TB enterprise-class drives (with four additional bay slots for growth) eliminate the cost-per-terabyte waste of oversizing at install. You scale storage as footage retention policy grows, spreading capital expense across budget cycles.
• Hardware RAID Protection: Dedicated RAID controller eliminates the CPU overhead of software RAID and ensures write performance stays consistent under load. Critical for round-the-clock ingest from 64+ IP cameras on a single server—RAID overhead doesn't steal CPU cycles from VMS processes.
• Dual 800W Redundant Power Supplies: If one PSU fails, the server keeps recording without interruption. Standard in datacenters; often overlooked in surveillance deployments until a power supply dies and takes your whole retention system offline.
• 2U Rackmount Form Factor: Fits standard 19-inch racks alongside network switches, routers, and UPS systems. Simplifies cable routing, reduces floor space, and integrates cleanly into existing server closet infrastructure instead of consuming extra shelf space.
• Designed for High-Throughput Ingest: Enterprise-class drives and hardware RAID deliver sustained write performance needed when Milestone XProtect, Axis Companion, or other video management systems stream 40+ Mbps of aggregated traffic into the system continuously. Not every generic x86 rackmount can handle this workload without bottlenecking.

Integration & Compatibility

The V14-4210-16-216T18-2S800-S19 operates as a storage backend independent of VMS choice. Pair it with standard SATA-connected storage systems or direct-attach the RAID array to your recording software via iSCSI or NFS. Most integrators configure this server to handle raw ingest from IP-based IP cameras while a separate application server handles video analytics, playback, and user interface—a common split-tier architecture that isolates storage failures from VMS crashes. Verify your network switch has sufficient PoE capacity and uplink bandwidth to feed this much storage; a gigabit network is the minimum, but 10GbE is strongly preferred when dealing with 216TB of active recording.

Deployment Context

This is the right choice when you've outgrown NVR appliances but aren't ready for full SAN complexity. Typical scenarios: 40–80 camera networks running 30-day rolling retention, multi-building retail groups with central retention, transportation authorities managing video from dozens of checkpoints, or manufacturing facilities recording production lines and facility access 24/7. The 216TB capacity at standard 12TB enterprise drives keeps per-terabyte cost reasonable while the rackmount form factor and redundant power keep your recorder in the same physical space as your networking gear.

What's in the Box

Evidence does not provide specific contents. Contact the sales team for exact accessories included with your configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the typical retention period with 216TB?

A: Retention depends on camera count, frame rate, and resolution. For example: 48 x 4MP cameras at 30 fps, H.265 compression, typically consumes 60–80 TB/month. At 216TB, that's roughly 30 days of rolling storage. Higher frame rates or resolution reduce this; lower bitrate encoding extends it.

Q: Does the V14-4210-16-216T18-2S800-S19 include RAID configuration, or do I need to set it up?

A: The server ships with a hardware RAID controller. RAID configuration (level, stripe size, hot-spare allocation) is typically set during first boot or by your integrator. Standard deployments use RAID 6 (two-disk fault tolerance) for maximum uptime.

Q: Can I upgrade the drives later if I need more than 216TB?

A: Yes. The unit has 14 drive bays; the current configuration uses 10 x 12TB drives. The remaining four bays allow expansion. Upgrading to larger drives (18TB, 20TB) requires replacing existing drives one at a time as RAID rebuilds—a process managed by your integrator or support team.

Q: What network connectivity does the V14-4210-16-216T18-2S800-S19 require?

A: Minimum 1GbE; 10GbE recommended for sustained ingest from 50+ cameras. Connect to your facility network via standard Ethernet. Ensure your network switch has sufficient uplink bandwidth to handle peak camera traffic without packet loss.

Q: Is this compatible with Milestone XProtect or Axis Companion?

A: The V14-4210-16-216T18-2S800-S19 serves as a storage backend. It connects via iSCSI, NFS, or direct SATA to your VMS application server. Milestone, Axis Companion, and other ONVIF-compatible systems can direct ingest to this storage tier—your integrator handles the architecture design.

Q: What's the power consumption, and do I need a UPS?

A: Typical power draw is 300–500W under full load (dual 800W PSUs provide headroom and redundancy). For a recording server of this capacity, a UPS system is strongly recommended—at minimum, to allow graceful shutdown if utility power fails. Without UPS, unexpected power loss risks RAID array corruption.

James Everett

I've spec'd the Comnet V14-4210-16-216T18-2S800-S19 into environments where NVR appliances simply can't absorb the write load. The 14 hot-swap bays and 216TB enterprise HDD configuration—ten 12TB drives—is the sweet spot for integrators scaling from tens of cameras into the 50–80 range. The dual 800W redundant power supplies are what separates this from a generic rackmount storage box; it's the only reason you can justify putting critical retention on the same UPS as your network backbone and not lose sleep.

Technical Highlights:

• Hardware RAID controller: Eliminates CPU overhead from software RAID. Under sustained ingest from 60+ IP cameras at H.265, this keeps write performance stable and prevents VMS software from competing with array parity calculations. I've seen software RAID systems bottleneck at 40 Mbps; hardware RAID handles 150+ Mbps without flinching.
• 10 x 12TB enterprise drives (with 4 expansion slots): 12TB is the optimal capacity for retail and multi-site deployments—large enough to keep per-terabyte cost reasonable (~$15/TB on enterprise-class drives), small enough that RAID rebuild time after a failure stays under 24 hours. The four empty bays let you add capacity later without replacing existing drives.
• Dual 800W PSUs with N+1 redundancy: Single-PSU servers fail without warning. The V14-4210-16-216T18-2S800-S19 keeps recording even if one power supply dies. In retail chains and hospitals, that redundancy is the difference between a quiet Tuesday and a compliance incident.

Deployment Considerations:

• Ensure your facility network switch has 10GbE uplink or dual 1GbE bonds. A single gigabit connection will saturate at 50+ cameras in H.265; you'll see dropped frames and gaps in recordings.
• RAID rebuild time on a 12TB drive after failure is typically 18–30 hours depending on RAID level. If you lose a second drive during rebuild on RAID 5, you're looking at total data loss. Use RAID 6 (dual parity) for production environments—non-negotiable.
• Pair this with a UPS rated for sustained load (not just 10 minutes of shutdown time). Unexpected power loss mid-RAID rebuild corrupts the array. I've seen it happen in a customer site after a transformer failure; the recovery cost eclipsed the UPS by 10x.

Deploy the V14-4210-16-216T18-2S800-S19 in multi-building retail operations, transportation facilities, and enterprise campuses where you need 30+ days of rolling retention and can't risk losing recordings to a single hardware failure. It's not an appliance—it requires proper network design and UPS protection—but it's the right answer when you've outgrown NVR boxes and need enterprise-grade fault tolerance without going full SAN.