Video Encoding

  • netcup does impose limits on network traffic and monitors most nodes of the root server grade machines for crypto mining patterns. The most problems might arise from continuous CPU usage which might come during long encoding sessions. So I would recommend maybe asking this question directly from the netcup support via ticket and get approval for your designated use case.

    Most of the remaining answer and details was created with the help of KI, so treat with caution from this point forward 8o
    We are talking about a root server RS with guaranteed CPU / RAM / SSD which ombine the advantages of dedicated and virtual servers.

    LMLLMT4Y - let me LLM that for you

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    Yes, you can run video encoding on netcup Root Servers, but because these are virtualized instances (KVM-based) rather than bare-metal dedicated servers, you must work within specific hardware and architectural constraints.

    Hardware Limitations

    • No GPU Acceleration: netcup Root Servers do not have dedicated graphics cards or integrated GPUs (iGPUs) passed through to the VM. You must rely entirely on CPU-based (software) encoding (e.g., standard x264 or x265 via FFmpeg).
    • AVX Instruction Support: The underlying AMD EPYC or Intel Xeon processors support AVX/AVX2 instructions, which speed up software video encoding significantly.

    CPU Allocation and "Fair Use"

    • Dedicated Cores: Unlike their cheaper VPS tier, netcup's Root Server (RS) tier provides dedicated vCores. You are technically allowed to run your assigned vCores at 100% utilization for long stretches without getting suspended for basic resource abuse.
    • The "Boost Clock" Cavat: Running all cores at 100% continuously for days can limit the physical CPU's ability to boost frequencies, which may slightly degrade your encoding speeds over time and draw automated internal flag systems if it mimics crypto-mining patterns.

    WH1000 SE OST22 OST23 OST24 | WH1000 SE ADV25 | WH 🥚🧶🥛🐖 | 🦆 VPS 200 🇺🇦🕊️

  • Does Netcup impose any restrictions on video encoding on root servers? I couldn't find anything about it in the contract.

    Video Encoding on root servers is fine. I asked Netcup exactly that question back in 2019. Here is the reply from support:

    Quote

    Natürlich dürfen Sie die Rechenleistung nutzen, die Sie auch zahlen. Es geht hier eher um eine Art des "Fair Use". Ich kann leider nicht genau definieren wann unsere automatischen Systeme hier Missbrauch vermuten würden. Solange keine entsprechende Netzwerkaktivität stattfindet, die dem Muster von Mining ähnelt sollte aber kein Problem auftreten.

    Crypto mining is forbidden. That's what the second part of the answer is about.

  • "Video Encoding" shouldn't be a problem. You can use your hardware for everything, except crypto mining. Maybe the G12 generation, which supports AVX512 natively (The G11 RS also supports AVX-512 but performs about 10% worse because it is "double-pumped"), will even help you process the videos faster and more efficiently. I use AVX512 and VNNI for an AI support bot, and without this instruction set, I lose around 30% of the performance (With a "large" model, the response time with only 1 thread and AVX512 deactivated on the same CPU is ~12 seconds instead of ~8 seconds).

  • Ein Rootsever hat (angeblich) dedizierte Kernleistung. Also kann ich diese auch zu 100% ausnutzen. Ansonsten wäre es ein Vserver.

    Der Unterschied zwischen Rootservern und VPS ist, dass die VPS die CPU nicht garantieren. Nutzen darf man sie aber:

    [netcup] Lars S.
    May 25, 2024 at 6:31 PM
  • Ein Rootsever hat (angeblich) dedizierte Kernleistung. Also kann ich diese auch zu 100% ausnutzen. Ansonsten wäre es ein Vserver.

    Ich habe dies mal für meinen VPS G11 angefragt und sogar mit einem VPS dürfen die Ressourcen vollständig ausgelastet werden. Es gibt keine Limitierungen oder dergleichen, laut der Antwort vom Support.

    Außerdem sind es keine dedizierten Kerne sondern feste Threads welche einem zugeteilt und als "Virtuelle Kerne" bzw. "vCores" vermarktet werden