I'm with a research institution, and we're looking into capturing data from simultaneous camera streams over a period of hours to support our research efforts. Our lofty data storage goals, however, exceed my experience with previous databases. We want to store images at 30 Hz, averaging 5-10 Gb / minute (depending on the final configuration of the system). All of the cameras would be physically connected to the same device, so we're not worried yet about network transmission rates - but dropping data could be a big deal.
Does anyone have recommendations on what kind of hardware / software configuration could support such data storage? Can SQL Server support that, or should I look elsewhere? My previous experience using SQL Server suggests I'll need more than just a good desktop computer, but I don't know how to go about determining the hardware needs. How much memory? Number of processors? Acceptable hard disks? Other hardware concerns I don't know? Can anybody make recommendations, or tell me where to look for more information?
Please note that I'm just looking for a starting point from which to begin discussions right now. We don't know what the associated costs are with such a system design.
Thank you in advance