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Setting Up Axis Camera Edge Storage: Guide

This document provides instructions for setting up edge storage on Axis cameras to work with Milestone XProtect video management software (VMS). It describes configuring the camera to record high-quality video to an SD card, and configuring the VMS to automatically retrieve that video from the edge when the camera reconnects to the network. The benefits of edge storage include reducing network bandwidth usage, increasing redundancy, and allowing retrieval of video even when cameras lose network connectivity.

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Ricardo Chavez
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161 views9 pages

Setting Up Axis Camera Edge Storage: Guide

This document provides instructions for setting up edge storage on Axis cameras to work with Milestone XProtect video management software (VMS). It describes configuring the camera to record high-quality video to an SD card, and configuring the VMS to automatically retrieve that video from the edge when the camera reconnects to the network. The benefits of edge storage include reducing network bandwidth usage, increasing redundancy, and allowing retrieval of video even when cameras lose network connectivity.

Uploaded by

Ricardo Chavez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Guide

Setting up
Axis camera edge storage

Guide prepared by:


Ivan Ilchev, Solution Engineer, Emerging Markets, Central Eastern Europe (CEE)
2 Setting up Axis camera edge storage

1. Introduction

With edge storage support and Scalable Video sQuality Recording (SVQR) technology, an efficient
hybrid storage solution can be enabled in Milestone XProtect VMS. By spanning camera-based
storage and central storage it becomes possible to design an efficient solution that optimizes the
use of network and storage resources, improving performance and reducing the overall system
cost.

The most significant advantage of this technology is minimization of network traffic which is very
important in situations when bandwidth is intermittent or expensive. If high-quality video is primarily
handled by each camera (or DVR) then only the minimum viable video footage needs to use the
network when it is requested. The value could be prompting human intervention with alarm
verification images. Edge storage can also contribute to redundancy — the images are captured and
can be retrieved later, even if the network goes down, so there won’t be a single point of failure.
Large high-quality evidence (camera footage) can, if needed, be downloaded slowly or by using
“quiet” network times. While bandwidth gets ever cheaper and more easily available in many
locations, still quite a few remote places (such as critical national infrastructure, for example) rely on
restricted cellular GSM coverage, long copper wires, or even satellite connection.

Edge-based storage, specifically in banking, retail and transportation, helps to safeguard people and
property and reduce liability and risk. Edge-based solutions provide public transportation the ability
to download video when a bus or train returns to the depot and email alerts when critical events
occur. Mobile users such as emergency services and military personnel can find themselves offline
— edge storage means they are not left high and dry.

Some of the key benefits of edge storage include:

• Edge storage provides additional recording redundancy during system failures and during
maintenance downtimes.
• The recordings are stored on the camera until they are requested.
• You can postpone retrieval of recordings to off-peak hours to conserve network bandwidth for
other uses.
• Edge storage increases the system reliability over unstable connections (for example, when using
wireless networks).
• The technology provides a superior solution for handling video data recorded by mobile units
that go in and out of network coverage.
• Automatic retrieval of edge recordings and audio when camera connection is restored.
3 Setting up Axis camera edge storage

• Manual, event-driven or scheduled retrieval of video from edge storage.


• Scalable Video Quality Recording enables retrieval of high-quality video recordings as a
complement to existing centrally stored video.

Scalable Video Quality Recording (SVQR) is a technology that fully explores the synergies between
edge and central server-based storage, resulting in more efficient and cheaper video storage. SVQR
makes it possible to record high-quality video to edge storage, while a low-quality reference video
stream can be recorded centrally in the recording servers. In the event of an incident or
investigation, the initial assessment can be made using the centrally stored low-quality reference
video, while the high-quality video can be retrieved from the edge when and as needed.

2. How to configure Axis camera edge storage

Stage 1: camera

1. Open the camera web interface → Format SD card.


4 Setting up Axis camera edge storage

2. Go to Date and Time → Adjust Time and Date and make sure to match these to be exactly the
same as in the XProtect VMS, or — even better — use an NTP server for all the VMS servers and
devices (highly recommended!).

3. Go to Stream → Stream Profiles → Create High Resolution stream.


5 Setting up Axis camera edge storage

4. Go to Events → Action Rules → Add new action rule → give a name to the Rule → for Trigger use
Time → choose Schedule, then in the same page, go to Actions → Type: “Record Video” → select
created Stream Profile, then Duration → While the rule is active and Storage → SD card, OK.
6 Setting up Axis camera edge storage

5. Check camera recordings → you should see a red dot (o) and a label “Ongoing”, which means that
the camera is recording continuously.

Stage 2: XProtect Management Client

1. Go to the camera → open Settings → change Edge recording type to retrieve to Triggered.

2. Now go to the Record tab and enable the checkbox for Remote recordings (Automatically retrieve
remote recordings when connection is restored).
7 Setting up Axis camera edge storage

Stage 3: XProtect Smart Client

1. Open your Smart Client to check if you can perform a manual retrieval.

2. Go to the Playback tab → Camera Timeline → right-click and select Time selection mode → Hit
Retrieve and you will see a new job in progress on top.
8 Setting up Axis camera edge storage

3. When the job finishes, you should see the high-quality video received from the camera SD card
and stored in your Recording Server.

A quick test

A quick test using a Wi-Fi connection between the camera and the Recording Server produced the
following results:
Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz / Link speed: 72 Mbps
camera: 1920 x 1080 / 12 FPS / 3 hours retention
SD card: 64GB Kingston (100MB/s read, 80MB/s write speeds)
time to retrieve 3 hours of video: 12 minutes
[the network throughput was between 5.2 – 7.7 Mbps (receive speed)]

More information

- You can also check the following article:


KB 1667: “Configure edge recording for Axis cameras in XProtect VMS”
1

Milestone Systems is a leading provider of open platform


video management software; technology that helps the
world see how to ensure safety, protect assets and
increase business efficiency. Milestone enables an open
platform community that drives collaboration and
innovation in the development and use of network video
technology, with reliable and scalable solutions that are
proven in more than 150,000 sites worldwide. Founded
in 1998, Milestone is a stand-alone company in the
Canon Group.

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