[AG-TECH] Single PC vs Dual PC Setup

[aspale1]

Hello,

I was looking to possibly configure either a single or dual PC setup as 
an Access Grid node.  In the past, the people on the ag-tech mailing 
list have recommended using a dual PC setup-- one PC for display and one 
PC for audio and video capture.  More recently, it seems that more sites 
are choosing a single PC, dual processor configuration.

My question is that if this setup is used as a "full AG node" that will 
drive 2-3 displays besides the node operator's display (total of 3-4 
displays) and has 3-4 video capture cards, what would be the setup that 
provides the best performance.  Also, if a 2 PC setup is used, should 
each PC be configured as dual processor?  What clock speeds and RAM 
amounts should I be looking for?  Somewhat related to this question-- 
can RAT utilize on-board audio or must there be a separate audio card?

Any feedback or past experiences would be appreciated.  Thanks.


Allan

Laboratory for Advanced Computing
National Center for Data Mining
University of Illinois at Chicago