Server Version#: 1.19.4.2865-4fa317f77
Background:
I have a Synology RS819+RX418 NAS hosting a library of about 500+ movies. I’d like to do everything I can to ensure a quality experience for my friends and family have when they use my library. I’m also really looking for a fun project to tinker around with some Mac Mini’s I have, and nerd out. I have plenty of storage (think in the range of 20 TB available) and I’d like to take advantage of Plex’s automated optimizing feature for TV, Mobile and other formats.
The Scenario
A Content Delivery Server
Imagine one primary Mac Mini, with Plex loaded onto it, acting as the primary content delivery server (CDS). It would be pointed to my Synology NAS, and serving my library. Consumers would interact with that Mac Mini and it’s Plex service to process normal day to day requests against the library.
A Content Management Server
Now imagine a second Mac Mini, a conten management server (CMS), also loaded with Plex, and pointing to the same Synology NAS and its library. However, this Mac Mini would not be accessible to consumers. It would be available to me only inside my intranet. It would be my “workhorse Plex”. It would perform tasks like file optimization, metadata fetching, library scanning, etc…
Really this server would be doing everything it can to take busy work away from the CDS. Thus the CDS can be allowed to focus on transcoding if necessary, and providing all of the consumer related tasks. Leaving library management to the CMS.
The Ask
Is this scenario possible? Are there “gotchas” I’m not thinking about? I’m sure this is a bit overkill, but I enjoy over engineering projects like this. An architecture like this would scale quite well I think. If I had a large volume of users hit my CDS then I would have a higher chance of successfully meeting their needs of I offload library management to a content management server.
The Why
Furthermore, segregating the product into CMS and CDS in this way allows the CDS to potentially sit behind a VIP, and allow load balancing. Again, something that is probably overkill for the majority of your Plex customers, but for a hobbyist architect, this would be a lot of fun.
