Pelco VideoXpert Enterprise v 2.5 Server Setup and the Admin Portal User manual

C5668M-R | 6/18

USER GUIDE

VideoXpert Enterprise Server Setup and

the Admin Portal

v 2.5 User Guide

Contents

Installation and Configuration Process Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

VideoXpert Hardware Vs Software Distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Single Server Vs Clustered Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Installing Core . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Logging In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Configuring your VideoXpert Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Installing the Media Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Licensing Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Using LDAP Authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Discovering, Adding, and Commissioning Devices in VideoXpert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Adding Pelco Cameras and Devices or Third-Party Servers Running VideoXpert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Adding Third-Party Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Ensuring Driver Support Using VX Storage Failover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Adding Pelco Devices to VideoXpert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Manually Adding Cameras or Encoders to VideoXpert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Commissioning and Decommissioning Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Cameras Requiring Credentials (Closed Authentication) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Configuring Device Discovery for Clustered Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Deleting Devices from the Registry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Assigning Pelco Cameras to Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Configuring VideoXpert Storage Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Recording Groups, Schedules, and Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Advanced VideoXpert Storage Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Aggregating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Using the Rules Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Managing Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Internal and Restricted User Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Adding Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Duplicating Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Deleting Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Deactivating and Activating Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Resetting Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Assigning Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Managing Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Configuring and Managing Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Setting Event Log Retention Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Using the Event Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Responding to Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Troubleshooting and Downloading Server Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Watching Live Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Viewing Settings and Behaviors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Using PTZ Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Downloading Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Event Types and Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Additional Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Installing an NTP Client Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

SNMP Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Migrating to VideoXpert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Backing Up VideoXpert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Configuring Backups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Taking a One-Time Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Scheduling Backups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Restoring the Database (Replacing a Member of a Cluster) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Restoring the Database (Replacing an Entire Environment) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Updating Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Updating Software (Uninstall/Reinstall Method) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Installation and Configuration Process Overview

The order in which you install and configure VideoXpert servers is determined by the number of servers your system contains and

whether you are installing VideoXpert applications on existing hardware or purchased purpose-built hardware from Pelco.

The diagram below represents the recommended installation process for both Pelco factory-installed products, or for software-only

installations on recommended hardware. It is strongly recommended that you follow the process outlined below to install and configure

your VideoXpert system.

Figure 1: Recommended Installation Process Diagram

IMPORTANT: If you are upgrading to a newer version of the software, ensure that you upgrade all instances of VxCore before you

upgrade any instances of Media Gateway.

VideoXpert Hardware Vs Software Distributions

If you purchased a VideoXpert hardware solution, you will not have to apply a license to your system. If you’ve installed VideoXpert on

your own hardware, you will need to apply licensing to continue using VideoXpert past the 60-day grace period.

Single Server Vs Clustered Installations

For Single-Server Installations, you can host both the Core and Media Gateway server applications on the same physical server or

on separate servers. You cannot have more than one of each server active on the network unless the servers are clustered behind a load

balancer.

For Clustered Installations, complete each operation in the installation diagram for each server in the cluster before moving to the

next operation.

Installing Core

Before installing VideoXpert, ensure that all network interfaces besides the primary NIC are disabled. Additional network interfaces may

prevent the system from discovering devices. While you can cluster Core servers through a load balancer to increase the capacity of your

VideoXpert network, you cannot have separate, individual Cores operating on the same network.

Do not run Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) on your Core server.

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1. Run the MSI installer. If prompted, elect to run the installer as an administrator. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the

installation. As a part of the installation process, you will:

a. Accept the license agreement, and then click Next. Declining the license agreement will quit the installer.

b. Set your installation, data, and event directories, and then click Next.

2. Click Finish when the installation process is complete.

Logging In

Log in to the Admin Portal to configure the system or to watch video without the VxOpsCenter application. The default user name and

password for the Admin Portal are both admin. It is recommended that you change the password for the admin user after logging into

the system for the first time.

1. Open a browser.

2. Enter the IP address or host name of your Core in the navigation bar.

3. Enter your credentials at the login page. The default user name and password are both admin.

4. Click Log In.

Configuring your VideoXpert Site

Before you configure your system and bring VideoXpert online, you should install an NTP client and edit your NTP.conf file to point all

potential members of the system to the same NTP server.

When you login to the system for the first time, the system will prompt you for basic configuration information. You may return to the

Config page after setting up the system to edit the system configuration.

NOTE: If you change the address of your physical Core server through Windows before configuring VideoXpert, you must restart the

server before you configure (or update the configuration of) VideoXpert. If you change the physical address of one or more Cores in a

cluster before setup, you should take all Core servers in the cluster offline, and then restart them all before configuring VideoXpert.

NOTE: You cannot change the IP Address of your Core server(s) or add a new Core server after you configure your site.?

1. Provide your company name. The company name is a field you will enter during initial setup; you cannot change the company

name after setting up the system

2. Provide the Site Name; the site name identifies the particular instance of VideoXpert. If you aggregate the VideoXpert environ-

ments, the site name will identify the various environments belonging to the aggregation server.

3. Provide an IP address for the Core.

4. If configuring an environment with a VideoXpert Accessory server or a cluster of Core servers, select Multiple Cores.

a. Provide a Virtual IP address for your Core Servers. This is the address by which users will access the system.

b. Click Add and enter addresses for additional Core servers.

c. Change settings for device discovery if your cluster is not governed by a VideoXpert Accessory Server.

5. Provide the address of your Media Gateway server. If you have multiple Media Gateway servers, provide the virtual IP address

your Media Gateway cluster, and enter the IP of indivi

dual Media Gateway servers as well.

6. Determine whether or not to store exported video in an alternate location. If you elect to store exports in an alternate network loca-

tion, provide the path and credentials (if required) to the alternate location.

7. Click Save Configuration. It may take several minutes for the configuration process to complete.

Storing Exports

As a part of Core configuration, you can select the Store Exports in Alternate Location option to store exported video in a network

location off the Core. This saves space and bandwidth to your Core server(s). In a clustered environment, exports are stored only on a

single Core; storing exports in an alternate location ensures that the loss of a Core will not prevent you from accessing any of your

exports.

Configuring a Cluster

A clustered environment requires at least two Core or CMG servers and an Accessory Server, which will act as a load balancer. When

configuring a cluster, you should fully configure a single Core, including the virtual IP address and addresses of other Cores, first; after

configuring the first Core, you can configure the accessory server. For more information about clustering an environment, refer to the

system design guide.

Device Discovery Load Balancing

If you are not load balancing a VideoXpert cluster using a VideoXpert Accessory Server, and your load balancer supports UDP traffic, you

can uncheck the appropriate option to reveal additional settings for load balancing device discovery traffic.

You may want to load balance discovery traffic for especially large environments, to prevent a single core from becoming overloaded

with UDP discovery traffic.

Changing the Addresses of Media Gateways or VXS Recorders

Within VideoXpert, Media Gateway and Storage devices are considered unique by IP address; changing the IP address of Media Gate-

ways or Storage recorders will cause them to appear as new devices. Before you change the addresses of Media Gateways or Storage

recorders, you should first remove them from the Devices page, then discover and commission them again at their new IP addresses.

To change the address of a Media Gateway or VXS recorder.

1. Go to the Devices page of Admin Portal and remove the Media Gateway or VXS recorder for w

hich you want to change the IP

address.

Change the IP address of the Media Gateway or VXS recorder you removed from VideoXpert in the previous step.

3. Restart the Media Gateway or VXS recorder.

4. Return to the Devices page in the Admin Portal and click Add and select Discover and Add Pelco Devices.

5. If necessary re-commission the server or recorder at the new IP address.

Configuring Media Gateway Communications

Your Media Gateway is capable of trans-casting to suit your network topology and needs. While the system is configured to get multicast

streams from sources and to issue multicast streams to clients, you can select the appropriate communication method both from sources

to the Media Gateway and from the Media Gateway to clients. Your network topology and need for users to access sources simultane-

ously should inform your choice.

1. Go to the Config page.

2. Select the communication method that best supports your needs.

3. Click Save Configuration.

Installing the Media Gateway

It is recommended that you install all instances of the Core server and the Media Gateway application. You can then configure the clus-

ters (Cores and Media Gateways) using Admin Portal. See “Configuring a Cluster”.

The VideoXpert Media Gateway serves video to users connected to your VideoXpert system. You can install the Media Gateway software

on the same physical server as Core or on a separate server.

You will configure your Media Gateway through the Admin Portal, hosted by your Core server.

1. Run the MSI installer.

2. Accept or reject the End User License Agreement. Rejecting the EULA will cause the installer to quit.

3. Follow the instructions provided by the installer to complete the installation process.

4. Open a Web browser and log in to the Admin Portal as an administrator.

5. Navigate to the Devices page, and click Load All.

6. Select your Media Gateway, and click Commission to activate it within VideoXpert.

Licensing Your System

VideoXpert is licensed for the system, for upgrades, and by channel--the video streams you record. It comes with four (4) licenses to

start,? but you must license additional channels to view or record additional streams.

VxToolbox allows you to apply licenses to various systems. For assistance, contact Pelco Product Support at 1-800-289-9100 (USA and?

Canada) or+1-559-292-1981 (international).

You must have your activation ID and access to the Entitlement Fulfillment Server at http://licensing.pelco.com to apply license packs

to the system. If you cannot connect to the Entitlement Fulfillment Server directly, you will need to transfer your Entitlement Request File

to a computer with Internet access during the activation process. If you received multiple activation IDs for VideoXpert products, you

must complete the process below for each individual activation ID.

As a part of this process, you will download an Entitlement Request File and a Entitlement File; both files are specific to the product for

which they were requested. It is recommended that you rename both files to reflect the system for which they are intended to prevent

confusion during the licensing process.

1. Open VxToolbox and click the Licensing tab.

2. At the lower right corner of the Entitlements table (top panel), click the Add License icon ( ).

3. Enter your activation ID in the Activation ID box.

4. Click to deselect the checkbox to Automatically activate online.

5. Click Enter.

• The Entitlement Pending status message appears at the top of the Entitlements table.

• An entitlement named Pending will be listed in the table. At the far left of the Pending entitlement row will be two icons:

Download a new request (.bin) file ( ) and Remove this activation ID ().

6. Click the Download a new request (.bin) file icon ( ), select a folder, (optional) type in a file name, and then click Save.

An Entitlement Request File (named either what you typed in or the same name as the Activation ID) with a .bin extension is down-

loaded to your computer.

7. On a system connected to the Internet, open a new browser window or tab and go to the Pelco licensing server at

http://licensing.pelco.com.

8. Under Login, click to select logging in With User Name, With Entitlement ID, or With Activation ID. You can also register as

a New User.

9. Enter your credentials, and then click Login to access the Pelco licensing server.

10. Click Generate License The Entitlement File, named response.bin, will be downloaded to your computer. Copy th

e file and save

it to the s

ystem on which you are hosting VxToolbox.

11. Return to the Licensing page within VxToolbox.

12. Click Choose file under Upload Entitlement File.

13. Select your Entitlement File (response.bin), and then click Open.

14. Click Import License File.

When the process is complete, VxToolbox will display the installed license in the Entitlements table.

ESULT:

When the process is complete, the Web portal will display the installed license, and, if applicable, its expiration date.

Adding and Updating Entitlements

The Licensing page contains options to update or add entitlements to VideoXpert. The page shows your current entitlements and the

licenses used on the system.

• Click Add to add a new license. Follow the on-screen instructions to add a license.

• Place your cursor over an existing entitlement to reveal additional options; you may delete entitlements that have not yet been fully

applied.

Installing Entitlements After Restoring Your System

It is highly recommended that you back up your system and save the response file used to apply your initial entitlement.

• If restoring your system after uninstalling VideoXpert, you can re-apply your initial entitlement or license.

• If you re-image your system, you cannot apply your previous entitlement. If you have re-imaged your system, contact Pelco Produc

Support at 1-800-289-9100 (USA and Canada) or+1-559-292-1981

(international) for assistance.

Using LDAP Authentication

You can configure VideoXpert to validate user credentials from an LDAP server; VideoXpert supports LDAP for Microsoft Active Directory.

While the system can validate credentials over LDAP, you must create corresponding users within VideoXpert to validate credentials

against. You must also assign roles and permissions through VideoXpert; there are no analogs for VideoXpert permissions in Active

Directory or LDAP.

NOTE:

• After changing a password in an environment using LDAP authentication, a user’s old password may still work for a short period of

time (less than one hour). This is a Windows NTLM authentication behavior, designed to allow accounts logged in to mu

ltiple

computers or netw

ork services to access the network while the password change propagates.

• LDAP Authentication does not affect restricted system users. When LDAP is enabled, you can

still change passwords for admin,

aggregator, an

d rule_engine user accounts. (For VideoXpert Enterprise, this is done through the Admin Portal.) These accounts a

authenticated by VideoXpert no matte

r how you authenticate other users.

While VideoXpert may support other LDAP authentication schemes, this guide focuses on -- and the product has been tested against --

two common methods for LDAP authentication: simple (single bind) and two-stage bind with a service account:

• Simple (single-bind) authentication, associates a user name and password with a distinguished name (DN) to validate user creden-

tials.

• Two-stage bind authentication uses a service DN and a service DN password to establish the initial bind with the LDAP server.

Upon a successful initial bind, a search is performed using the base DN, the first key from the Search Attributes box, and the user

name. If the user’s information is found, the second bind is performed using the DN to authenticate user credentials.

Configuring LDAP Authentication

1. Go to the Config page and click LDAP.

2. In the Authentication Method area, click to select the radio button for LDAP.

3. Enter the host name or IP address of the LDAP server in the Server Path field.

4. (Optional) Click the SSL/TLS box if your LDAP server requires SSL/TLS authentication.

5. (Optional) Edit the Port field if the LDAP server is not on the default port (389).

6. Configure Search Settings for your LDAP server. See Configuring Simple Authentication or Configuring Two-Stage Bind Authenti-

cation later in this guide for more information.

7. Click Test Connection to verify that your LDAP connection and search settings are correct.

8. Click Save Authentication Preferences.

Configuring Simple Authentication

Configuring search settings for simple LDAP authentication only requires the Base DN and the Search Attributes. Leave other fields

blank. When inputting multiple entries in a field, separate entries with commas.

1. Type a distinguished name (DN) that will be combined with a user attribute key and value pair in the Base DN field.

2. Type an attribute key name that is combined with the User Name attribute in the Search Attributes field.

Configuring Two-Stage Bind Authentication

Configuring search settings for two-stage LDAP authentication requires that all fields be populated. When typing multiple entries in a

box, separate entries with commas.

1. Type a distinguished name (DN) that will be combined with a user attribute key and value pair in the Base DN field.

2. Type a fully qualified DN associated with a service account that will bind with the LDAP server and perform user searches in the

Search DN field.

3. Type the password that allows the server DN to bind with the LDAP server in the Search DN Password field.

4. Type the two attribute keys in the Search Attributes field that are combined with the User Name attribute; separate the two keys

with a comma.

• The first key identifies the attribute containing the user name.

• The second key identifies the fully qualified DN used for the second bind and credential validation.

Discovering, Adding, and Commissioning Devices in VideoXpert

The Devices page provides an interface add and remove devices in your VideoXpert system. VideoXpert does not automatically discover

devices. You can prompt the system to search for, add, and automatically commission Pelco devices. You must manually add third-party

video sources for use with VideoXpert Storage.

You must commission a device to use it within VideoXpert; VideoXpert commissions devices automatically when you add them to the

system. Devices with a next to them consume a license when you commission them. The License Summary on the Devices page

lists the number of licenses you have for each type of device. You can reclaim licenses by decommissioning devices, or add additional

licenses by applying license packs to the system.

Adding Pelco Cameras and Devices or Third-Party Servers Running VideoXpert

When adding Pelco devices to VideoXpert, the system issues a discovery message and then listens for Pelco devices for up to 5 minutes.

VideoXpert automatically adds and commissions your VideoXpert devices and Pelco cameras.

If your installation requires licenses, the discovery process will consume the necessary licenses to commission discovered devices. If

you do not have the necessary licenses to commission the discovered devices, VideoXpert will add the devices it discovers but leave

them decommissioned. You must then manually commission devices when you either add more licenses or decommission devices of a

similar type to reclaim the necessary licenses.

The discovery process also discovers and adds third-party devices connected through Digital Sentry-based recorders and third-party

devices connected through UDI5000-CAMs to VSM or NSM5200-based recorders

Adding Third-Party Cameras

You must manually add third-party cameras to the system when using third-party cameras with VideoXpert Storage.

When adding a third party camera or video source directly through VideoXpert, you must also associate it with a VideoXpert Storage

recorder; the recorder hosts the driver for the camera, and begins recording continuously.

Third-party cameras connected through Digital Sentry or to VSM/NSM5200 models using a UDI5000-CAM are discovered through the

simple discovery process. You cannot reassign cameras connected through DS recorders within VideoXpert. You can only reassign third

party cameras connected through a UDI5000-CAM from one VSM/NSM5200 recorder to another within VideoXpert; you cannot assign

them to other recorders.

Ensuring Driver Support Using VX Storage Failover

Drivers for third-party cameras added directly through VideoXpert (not using a UDI5000-CAM or Digital Sentry) are hosted by VideoXpert

Storage. If your Storage recorder does not use a failover scheme, then a failure of the Storage recorder hosting a third-party camera will

prevent access to the driver for that camera; this may prevent operators from using the camera as normal while the recorder is in a failed

state. A failover scheme is important not only to ensure uninterrupted recording, but continued access to video and live video function-

ality for third-party cameras.

Though drivers for Optera cameras are hosted by VideoXpert Storage as well, driver support will failover to a Core server, should the

Storage recorder(s) driving an Optera camera fail. This ensures that Optera cameras are always available, even if recorders fail.

Adding Pelco Devices to VideoXpert

When adding Pelco devices to the system, the system issues a discovery message and then listens for Pelco devices for up to 5 minutes.

If your system requires licenses and you have the necessary licenses, VideoXpert automatically adds and commissions your Pelco devices

upon discovery. If you do not have the necessary licenses, the system discovers and adds the devices, but you will not be able to commis-

sion your devices for use within VideoXpert until you either add more licenses or decommission devices of a similar type to reclaim the

necessary licenses.

After adding and discovery devices, you may have to click Load All to refresh the device list; Ops Center users will have to refresh their

source list to show newly-added devices.

NOTE:

• If you change the address of a source device (camera, encoder, etc) that is already in the VideoXpert database, VideoXpert will no

find and re-assoc

iate the device at its new address. If this happens, you must re-discover the device at its new address and re

assign

it to recorders. You

can remove the older instance of the device (at its old address), but you should wait until its video has

expired;

removing a devi

ce from the database will prevent you from finding video recorded from the device.

• For some older-model Pelco cameras, audio must be enabled before you discover a device. If you discover an older device suppor

ting

audio, and

then enable audio later, VideoXpert may not discover the audio source. This will prevent you from listening to audio from

the camera in live or recorded video. Audio should be enabled or disabled on the camera side in accordance with the availability of

an audio source; if you physically disconnect an audio source from a Sarix camera while leaving audio enabled within the camera

interface, VideoXpert may continue to report that audio is available for the camera.

To add Pelco devices to VideoXpert:

1. Go to the Devices page.

2. Click Add and select Discover and Add Pelco Devices.

Devices and Data Sources

The audio and video sources produced by cameras are referred to as data sources. These data sources are not necessarily one per

device. For example, a multi-channel encoder may have multiple cameras connected to it, each with its own data source; a camera may

have a microphone, producing both audio and video data sources.

On the Devices page, when you select a device, you can find its associated Data Sources in the Details panel of the page.

If the device has an audio source, you can associate the audio source with other video sources.

Manually Adding Cameras or Encoders to VideoXpert

This procedure is for third-party devices that you want to add to VideoXpert Storage-based recorders, or Pelco devices that you want to

add to VideoXpert Storage by IP address (as opposed to discovery). If adding a camera to a Digital Sentry, you should add the camera

through the recorder’s native interface. If adding a camera to NSM/VSM, add the camera using Admin Portal.

When you add a third-party video source, you must also associate it with a recorder; the recorder hosts the driver for the camera, and

will begin recording the camera continuously after you add it. Once the camera is in the system, you can add the camera to recording

groups, set a schedule, and configure recording triggers.

1. Go to the Devices page.

2. Click Add and select Add a Third-Party Camera.

3. Provide the IP Address, credentials, and a friendly name for the camera.

4. Select the VideoXpert Storage device that will host the camera.

5. Select the driver you want to use.

6. Click Add.

Commissioning and Decommissioning Devices

You must commission a device to use it within VideoXpert; VideoXpert typically commissions devices automatically when you add them

to the system. You may want to decommission a camera if the camera has failed but you want to preserve access to recorded video for

the camera.

NOTE: If operating within the licensing grace period, it may take up to 30 minutes to commission recorders. If you receive an error when

commissioning a recorder, log out and back in, and then try commissioning the recorder again.

1. Go to the Devices page.

2. Select the devices you want to commission or decommission.

3. Click Commission to make the device available within VideoXpert or Decommission to render devices unavailable.

Cameras Requiring Credentials (Closed Authentication)

Some cameras may require a user name and password in order to retrieve video. In Pelco cameras, this is known as Closed Authenti-

cation.

If your cameras are configured using closed authentication, you must provide VideoXpert with the camera’s credentials before you can

view live or recorded video from your cameras.

To provide credentials to cameras:

1. Go to the Devices page within VideoXpert.

2. Click next to the camera or encoder you want to configure.

3. Provide the user name and password of an account with administrator privileges.

4. Click OK.

Configuring Device Discovery for Clustered Environments

When configuring your cluster, you must manually edit device discovery settings to optimize device discovery and subscriptions for your

Core servers.

1. Open Program Files/Pelco/Core/config/deviceDiscovery.yml using Notepad or another plain text editor.

2. Set useMulticastSourceSpoof to 1 if using the loadBalancerIP and Port settings. This spoofs the device

discovery virtual IP

address as the

discovery callback IP address, preventing each Core server in the cluster from sending and receiving device disc

overy

mess

ages individually; this reduces discovery times and load on the Cores in the cluster.

3. Set loadBalancerIP to the Device Discovery IP Address that you set on the load balancer governing your clus

ter; this is the IP

address over which your cluster w

ill receive device subscriptions.

4. Set port to the port your load balancer uses for Device Discovery.

5. Save and close the file.

Deleting Devices from the Registry

Once discovered, a device will persist in the system’s device registry until deleted, even if the device no longer exists on the network.

Deleting a device will prevent you from retrieving any associated recordings through VideoXpert Storage. If you want to preserve access

to recordings on VideoXpert Storage devices, you should decommission the devices until video for the device has expired or you are sure

you will no longer need to access recordings for the device.

1. Go to the Devices page.

2. Select the device you want to remove from VideoXpert.

3. Click Remove.

Editing Friendly Names and Numbers

Users with appropriate rights can edit the name and number of a video source or device. Numbers are not assigned by default. Well

formed friendly names and numbers can help you search for and sort cameras.

NOTE: Changing the name of a device listed on the Devices page doesn’t affect video sources listed on the Live page or within VxOp-

sCenter. This is because the Devices page lists physical devices, which are not necessarily a 1:1 relation with video streams.

On the Live page or within the VxOpsCenter, right a video source and click Edit Source to assign a number or assign a friendly name.

On the Devices page, click next to an item to change or assign a friendly name to a physical device.

Changing Source Settings

From the Live page, you can right click a source and opt to go directly to the web interface for the source (where applicable), and change

settings directly for the camera or source device.

You must make changes to settings for devices connected through a Digital Sentry server using DS Admin or DS Quick Setup on the host

DS server.

Changing certain settings may interrupt video streaming or recording for a source within the VideoXpert system. For example, changes

made to video compression settings for a particular source may not register with the Media Gateway for up to 15 minutes; during this

time, users will be unable to stream video from the source.

Associating Audio to Video Sources

You can associate an audio source (microphone) with video sources through the Admin Portal.

When you associate audio with a video source, any recorded audio – even if recorded prior to the association – will also be associated

with the video source; you can seek back to any moment of recorded video, and if associated audio exists at the moment of recorded

video, it will be played back accordingly.

1. Go to the Devices page in the Admin Portal.

2. Select the device containing the audio source you want to associate with video sources.

3. Select Video Associations under Data Sources.

4. Select the data sources with which you want to associate the microphone/audio source.

5. Click Done.

Figure 1: Associating Audio Streams (Microphones) with Video Sources

Assigning Pelco Cameras to Recorders

From the Recorders tab of the Recording page, you can add data sources originating from Pelco devices to VideoXpert Storage and

VSM/NSM5200 recorders. If a device produces multiple data sources (for example: an encoder or a camera with a microphone), and you

assign a data source from that device to a recorder, VideoXpert will automatically assign all data sources belonging to the device to the

recorder. You cannot split data sources from a device among different recorders.

For Digital Sentry, you cannot add third-party cameras to VideoXpert Storage through this page. You must either add the camera to Vide-

oXpert through the Devices page or directly through the Digital Sentry interface (for DS recorders).

For NSM5200 and VSM recorders, you should assign cameras through the VideoXpert Admin Portal and not through the storage

manager’s interface. The Admin Portal may not immediately reflect camera assignments made through the storage manager’s interface,

resulting in inaccurate reports and camera searches or filters based on recording status and recording assignments.

Figure 2: The Recorders Page

1. Go to the Recording page, and select the Recorders tab.

2. Select the recording device or pool to which you want to add or remove cameras, and then click Add or Remove Cameras.

3. Select the cameras you want to add or remove, and then click Add to Recorder or Remove from Recorder to preform the appro-

priate action. You can sort the list of available cameras using the tags or search box above.

Recording Cameras Redundantly

You can assign cameras to one or more recorders through VideoXpert to record video redundantly. To record redundantly using Digital

Sentry recorders, you should assign a camera to one or more Digital Sentry recorders through DS Admin.

When recording redundantly, VideoXpert will populate video timelines to fill gaps across recorders. However, when the system reaches

a recording gap on the recorder currently fulfilling the request for video, playback may stop; click again on the timeline to fulfill the

request for video from the redundant recorder. The likelihood of this happening is dependent on the recorders to which your cameras are

redundantly assigned.

If you are adding a recorder to VideoXpert that belongs to (or previously belonged to) an Endura environment, VideoXpert will get camera

associations from the NSM5200 or VSM model directly; you do not need to duplicate the camera assignment in VideoXpert. You can

assign cameras to a redundant VXS recorder and record redundantly across recording platforms.

Configuring VideoXpert Storage Recorders

You can configure the transmission method and maximum retention period for VideoXpert Storage recorders directly through the Admin

Portal; these settings appear when you select a VideoXpert Storage recorder on the Recorders tab of the Recording page.

The Maximum Retention Period is the maximum number of days for which VideoXpert Storage stores video; the recorder will discard

video after the number of days you specify on the Recording page. Set the Retention Period to zero if you want to discard video only

when the recorder reaches its maximum capacity.

The Transmission Method determines whether VideoXpert Storage will get unicast or multicast streams from the cameras you assign

to it. The transmission method you set for VideoXpert Storage is not related to the Media Gateway transmission method setting.

NOTE: Changing the Transmission Method after assigning cameras to a recorder may prevent users from accessing video from the

recorder for up to 5 minutes.

Stream to Record indicates wehther you want to record the primary or secondary streams. This setting applies to all data sources

assigned to the recorder.

Figure 3: Recorder Configuration for VideoXpert Storage

Using Digital Sentry Servers as VideoXpert Recorders

Digital Sentry servers operating on version 7.9 or later can be used as VideoXpert storage servers. To fully support VideoXpert, your

Digital Sentry server must have the DSFrameServerService, DSPelcoAPI, and DSNSMRest services installed and running.

While Digital Sentry servers will appear as recorders within VideoXpert, you cannot add or remove cameras to Digital Sentry through

the Recording page within the Admin Portal. You must add or remove cameras directly from the DS Admin application on the DS server.

Cameras belonging to Digital Sentry servers are named in the format DS System Name - Camera Name and display the IP address of the

DS server through which they are connected, rather than the source IP address. When using Optera cameras through Digital Sentry

systems operating as VideoXpert recorders, set the camera’s connection speed to 100 Mbps to ensure the best possible viewing and

recording experience

Digital Sentry returns search results for recorded video in 15-minute intervals. If the DS server acting as a VideoXpert recorder recorded

any video within the 15 minute interval covered by your search, VideoXpert will report that recorded video is available for the entire 15

minute period; the timeline displaying recorded video in the Ops Center will be green for the 15-minute period, even if a point in time

contains no recorded video.

If the Ops Center reaches a recording gap when playing back video from a DS recorder, it may loop video from within the gap, rather than

skipping to the next recording or indicating that there is no video available. Move playback to a different time to correct the issue.

Recording Groups, Schedules, and Triggers

When recording cameras, you will group cameras into recording groups, set the schedule during which the group of cameras records,

and then determine the event triggers that initiate recording during the scheduled period.

A camera can only belong to one recording group. If you add a camera to a recorder before adding it to a schedule (which you must do

for third party cameras, and may do for Pelco-cameras), VideoXpert will record it continuously as a part of a “default” schedule. If you

want to add a camera to a schedule other than the default, you must first remove it from the default schedule.

You can set a schedule to record continuously, or to record based on one or more event triggers. You cannot switch between the two. If

you want to switch between continuous or event-based recording, you must first delete the current recording method and then configure

a new one.

Configuring Recording Groups

A Recording Group is a group of cameras to which you want to apply the same recording schedule and triggers. A camera can only

belong to one group.

If you add a camera to a recorder before adding it to a schedule (which you must do for third party cameras, and may do for Pelco

cameras), VideoXpert will record it continuously as a part of a “default” recording group. If you want to add a camera in the default group

to another group, you must first remove it from the default schedule.

1. Go to the Recording page and select the Scheduling tab.

Click

to create a new schedule or to edit an existing schedule.

3. Give the schedule a name and click Add.

4. Click next to Sources to add video sources to the recording group.

• Use the Selected Resources and choose the individual cameras you want to associate with the schedule. The list of avail-

able sources will only show cameras that have not yet been assigned to a schedule.

• Select All Resources to add all cameras that have not yet been assigned to another recording sc

hedule to the recording

hedule you are configuring.

Figure 4: Selecting Resources for the Recording Group

5. Click Done.

Configure a Continuous Recording Schedules

When recording continuously, you can opt to record the full frame rate or a reduced frame rate for the primary camera stream. The Full

Frame Rate setting records the primary video stream at the maximum framerate; the Reduced Frame Rate setting records the primary

video stream in i-frame only mode. Select the Reduced Frame Rate setting if you want to schedule “Bump on Alarm” recording.

1. Go to the Recording page and select the Scheduling tab.

2. Select the recording group for which you want to create or edit a recording schedule.

Click

under Schedules and Triggers to add a new trigger or click to edit an existing trigger.

4. Select Continuous and then choose between Full Frame Rate, and Reduced Frame Rate modes.

5. Click Save.

6. If you selected one or more event triggers, determine recording parameters for each event.

• Under Start Recording, set the number of seconds to record before an event.

• Under Stop Recording, you can either set the number of seconds to record after an event, or you can set the system to record

until the corresponding event occurs (Motion Not-Detected or Alarm Inactive).

Configuring Event-based Recording Schedules

An event-triggered schedule records video in accordance with VideoXpert events. When triggering recording from events, you can deter-

mine the amount of time to record before and after an event or to stop recording when a corresponding event occurs.

VideoXpert events do not have a concept of duration; there are, however, events that indicate activity or inactivity; the span between

the two can indicate the “duration” of an event. This is the concept used when stopping recording by Event.

VideoXpert does not use a “post-alarm” concept, nor can you use both Event and Timeout-based methods to stop recording. If you indi-

cate that you want to end recording using a timeout, the timeout is measured from the active or originating event. For example, setting

a timeout of 5 seconds based on a “Motion Detected” alarm will set the system to record for 5 seconds after the “Motion Detected”

event occurs, whether or not the system has recorded a corresponding “Motion Not-Detected” event.

To configure event-based recording:

1. Go to the Recording page and select the Scheduling tab.

2. Select the recording group for which you want to create or edit a recording schedule.

3. Select the event types you want to trigger recording

4. Click under Schedules and Triggers to add a new trigger or click to edit an existing trigger. Select Alarm-Triggered

High Quality.

5. Under Start Recording, determine the VideoXpert events that will trigger recording and the amount of time, in seconds, you want

to record before the event:

• Motion Detected records video when the system detects motion.

• Alarm Active records video when cameras’ physical alarm inputs are active.

6. Under Stop Recording, determine when to end recording for each event.

• Select Timeout to end recording the specified number of seconds after the event.

• Select Event to record until the corresponding event occurs (Motion Not-Detected, Alarm Inactive, etc).

7. Click Save.

Bump on Alarm Recording Schedules

A Bump on Alarm records continuous i-frame only video during normal situations, and records high-quality recording during an alarm

or event activity. The video timeline for cameras set to record using a bump on alarm schedule shows a small green bar for continuous

recording and a larger blue bar during event or alarm-driven recordings.

To configure a bump on alarm schedule, you’ll create a Continuous Low-Quality recording trigger and a concurrent Alarm-Triggered

High-Quality recording trigger for the same recording group.

Deleting Recording Groups, Schedules, and Triggers

Click to delete a recording schedule or trigger. If you delete a recording schedule to which you have assigned cameras, these

cameras may remain assigned to a recorder but will not record until you assign them to another schedule.

Advanced VideoXpert Storage Configuration

While you can perform basic storage assignments and configuration through the VideoXpert Admin Portal, the VxStorage portal provides

access to advanced settings and status that can help you fine-tune and monitor your VideoXpert Storage devices.

Access the Web interface by opening a browser and pointing to the IP address of your recorder on port 9091 (example: 1.2.3.4:9091).

Accessing the VxStorage Portal

1. Open a web browser and go to the IP address of your VxStorage unit on port 9091. (example: 1.2.3.4:9091)

2. Provide your credentials. The default user name and password are both admin.

Changing the VxStorage Password

You should change the default password for VxStorage to keep your environment secure. Click Change Password in the upper-right of

the interface to change the password for VxStorage.

NOTE: When you change the password for VxStorage, you must also change the password within the Admin Portal to ensure that Vide-

oXpert can authenticate against VxStorage and continue recording video.

Checking VideoXpert Storage Status

The Status page provides basic status information about your recorder, including the assigned bit rate of the recorder, retention period,

and the number of events you are recording per hour. Use this page to determine whether you are under-utilizing or over-burdening your

recorder.

Storage Assignments

You can check the status of individual streams and whether or not they are recording from the Assignments page in the Storage Inter-

face.

Figure 5: Bump on alarm in the Ops Center

Figure 6: Bump on alarm (when hovering) in the Ops Center

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Pelco VideoXpert Enterprise v 2.5 Server Setup and the Admin Portal User manual

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