Calculator Inputs
Use the form below to estimate per-session storage, long-term retention, protected copies, and raw capacity requirements for networked media or telemetry workloads.
Example Data Table
These worked examples use the same calculation engine as the form above.
| Scenario | Average bitrate | Duration | Streams | Retention | Protected storage | Recommended raw capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP camera archive | 6 Mbps | 1 day | 16 | 30 days | 62.94 TiB | 90.47 TiB |
| VoIP call recording | 96 Kbps | 20 minutes | 40 | 90 days | 16.18 TiB | 23.73 TiB |
| Telemetry capture buffer | 1.5 Mbps | 12 hours | 25 | 14 days | 16.57 TiB | 23.39 TiB |
Formula Used
Base session bytes = (Average bitrate in bits/second ÷ 8) × Duration seconds × Concurrent streams
Effective session bytes = Base session bytes × (1 + Protocol overhead) × (1 + Filesystem overhead)
Daily bytes = Effective session bytes × Recordings per day
Retention bytes = Daily bytes × Retention days
Protected bytes = Retention bytes × Redundancy factor
Recommended raw capacity = Protected bytes × (1 + Safety margin) ÷ Utilization target
Peak ingest bandwidth = Peak bitrate × Overhead factor × Concurrent streams
This approach separates normal storage growth, overhead expansion, copy protection, and final planning reserve so capacity decisions are easier to audit.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the average bitrate for one stream. Use the compressed stream value you expect to store.
- Add the peak bitrate if variable-rate traffic or burst capture matters for network ingest planning.
- Set the capture duration, number of simultaneous streams, and how many sessions happen each day.
- Add protocol and file-system overhead so the estimate reflects practical stored size, not only nominal bitrate.
- Choose redundancy, retention period, utilization target, and safety margin to size production storage responsibly.
- Press Calculate Storage to show the result above the form, view the Plotly chart, and download CSV or PDF reports.
FAQs
1. What is the difference between average and peak bitrate?
Average bitrate reflects typical sustained usage. Peak bitrate captures short bursts or variable-rate traffic. Use average for primary storage sizing and peak for ingest planning, buffers, and worst-case headroom.
2. Why should I include protocol overhead?
Headers, framing, packet wrappers, and related transport details consume extra space beyond the nominal bitrate. Across many streams and long retention windows, ignoring overhead can materially understate required capacity.
3. Why does the calculator offer binary and decimal units?
Vendors often advertise decimal storage, while operating systems commonly report binary units. Switching the display helps you compare procurement numbers with dashboard readings more consistently.
4. Why is utilization target important?
Running arrays near 100% full can reduce performance, operational flexibility, and fault tolerance. A lower target leaves working room for growth, rebuilds, snapshots, and temporary ingest spikes.
5. How do I choose a redundancy factor?
Use 1 for a single stored copy, 2 for mirrored copies, and higher values for multi-copy retention strategies. Match the factor to your resilience policy, replication design, and compliance needs.
6. Can this calculator handle continuous 24/7 recording?
Yes. Set the capture duration to one day and recordings per day to one, or use other combinations that produce the same daily capture time. The retention math will scale correctly.
7. Is this useful for variable bitrate media or burst telemetry?
Yes. Enter a realistic average bitrate for storage projection and a higher peak bitrate for ingest sizing. That combination is helpful for VBR video, compressed voice, and event-driven telemetry streams.
8. Why are CSV and PDF exports helpful?
CSV files are easy to audit, sort, and reuse in spreadsheets. PDF files are convenient for approvals, change reviews, vendor discussions, and documenting assumptions behind storage procurement decisions.