AXIS Camera Station

What's new?

For the new features in each AXIS Camera Station release, go to What’s new in AXIS Camera Station.

AXIS Camera Station features

For more information about the AXIS Camera Station features, go to AXIS Camera Station Feature Guide.

AXIS Camera Station tutorial videos

For more in-depth examples of how to use AXIS Camera Station, go to AXIS Camera Station tutorial videos.

More AXIS Camera Station manuals

Quick start

This tutorial walks you through the steps to get your system up and running.

Before you start:

For administrators:

  1. Start the video management system

  2. Add devices

  3. Configure recording method

For operators:

  1. View live video

  2. View recordings

  3. Export recordings

  4. Play and verify recordings in AXIS File Player

Start the video management system

Double-click the AXIS Camera Station client icon to start the client. When you start the client for the first time, it attempts to log in to the AXIS Camera Station server installed on the same computer as the client.

You can connect to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers in different ways. See Log in to AXIS Camera Station server.

Add devices

The Add devices page opens the first time you start AXIS Camera Station. AXIS Camera Station searches the network for connected devices and shows a list of devices found. See Add devices.

  1. Select the cameras you want to add from the list. If you can’t find your camera, click Manual search.

  2. Click Add.

  3. Select Quick configuration or Site Designer configuration. Click Next. See Import Site Designer projects.

  4. Use the default settings and ensure the recording method is None. Click Install.

Configure recording method

  1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

  2. Select a camera.

  3. Turn on Motion detection, or Continuous, or both.

  4. Click Apply.

View live video

  1. Open a Live view tab.

  2. Select a camera to view its live video.

See Live view for more information.

View recordings

  1. Open a Recordings tab.

  2. Select the camera you want to view recordings from.

See Recordings for more information.

Export recordings

  1. Open a Recordings tab.

  2. Select the camera you want to export recordings from.

  3. Click to display the selection markers.

  4. Drag the markers to include the recordings that you want to export.

  5. Click to open the Export tab.

  6. Click Export....

See Export recordings for more information.

Play and verify recordings in AXIS File Player

  1. Go to the folder with the exported recordings.

  2. Double-click AXIS File Player.

  3. Click to show the recording’s notes.

  4. To verify the digital signature:

    1. Go to Tools > Verify digital signature.

    2. Select Validate with password and enter your password.

    3. Click Verify. The verification result page appears.

  5. Note

    Digital signature is different from Signed video. Signed video allows you to trace video back to the camera it came from, making it possible to verify that the recording wasn't tampered with. See Signed video and the camera’s user manual for more information.

Network configuration

Configure proxy or firewall settings before using AXIS Camera Station if the AXIS Camera Station client, AXIS Camera Station server, and the connected network devices are on different networks.

Client proxy settings

When a proxy server separates the client and the server, configure the client proxy settings.

  1. Open the AXIS Camera Station client.

  2. Click Change client proxy settings.

  3. Change the client proxy settings. See Client proxy settings in User Manual.

  4. Click OK.

Server proxy settings

When a proxy server separates the network devices and the server, configure the server proxy settings.

  1. Open AXIS Camera Station Service Control.

  2. Select Modify settings.

  3. In the Proxy settings section, use the default System account internet option or select Use manual proxy settings. See General.

  4. Click Save.

NAT and Firewall

When a NAT, firewall, or similar separates the client and the server, configure the NAT or firewall to ensure that the HTTP port, TCP port, and streaming port specified in AXIS Camera Station Service Control can pass through the firewall or NAT. Contact the network administrator for instructions on configuring the NAT or firewall.

Server port configuration

AXIS Camera Station server uses ports 55752 (HTTP), 55754 (TCP), 55756 (mobile communication), and 55757 (mobile streaming) for communication between the server and the client. You can change the ports in AXIS Camera Station Service Control if required.

For more information, see General.

Security considerations

To prevent unauthorized access to cameras and recordings, keep the following in mind:

  • Use strong passwords for all network devices (cameras, video encoders, and auxiliary devices).

  • Install AXIS Camera Station server, cameras, video encoders, and auxiliary devices on a secure network separate from the office network. You can install the AXIS Camera Station client on a computer on another network, for example, a network with internet access.

  • Make sure all users have strong passwords. Windows Active Directory provides a high level of security.

About AXIS Camera Station

AXIS Camera Station is a complete monitoring and recording system for small and midsize installations.

AXIS Camera Station server –
handles all communication with cameras, video encoders, and auxiliary devices in the system. The total bandwidth available limits the number of cameras and encoders each server can communicate with.
AXIS Camera Station client –
provides access to recordings, live video, logs, and configuration. You can install the client on any computer, enabling remote viewing and control from anywhere on the internet or corporate network.
AXIS mobile viewing app –
AXIS mobile viewing app: provides access to recordings and live video on multiple systems. You can install the app on Android and iOS devices and enable remote viewing from other locations. It uses HTTPS to communicate with the AXIS Camera Station server. Configure the mobile communication and streaming ports as described in the Server settings section in General. For more information about how to use the app, see AXIS Camera Station Mobile App user manual.

Multiple clients can connect to the same server, and each client can connect to multiple servers.

Log in to AXIS Camera Station server

Using the AXIS Camera Station client, you can connect to multiple servers or a single server installed on the local computer or somewhere else on the network. You can connect to AXIS Camera Station servers in different ways:

Last used servers –
Connect to the servers used in the previous session.
This computer –
Connect to the server installed on the same computer as the client.
Remote server –
See Log in on a remote server.
AXIS Secure Remote Access –
See Sign in to AXIS Secure Remote Access.
Note

When trying to connect to a server for the first time, the client checks the server certificate ID. To ensure that you’re connecting to the correct server, manually verify the certificate ID with the one displayed in AXIS Camera Station Service Control. See General.

Server listTo connect to servers from a server list, select a one from the Server list drop-down menu. Click to create or edit the server lists. See Server lists.
Import server listTo import a server list file exported from AXIS Camera Station, click Import server list and browse to an .msl file. See Server lists.
Delete saved passwordsTo delete saved usernames and passwords all connected servers, click Delete saved passwords.
Change client proxy settingsYou might need to change the client proxy settings to connect to a server, click Change client proxy settings. See Client proxy settings.

Log in on a remote server

  1. Select Remote server.

  2. Select a server from the Remote server drop-down list or enter the IP or DNS address. If the server isn’t listed, click to reload all the available remote servers. If the server is configured to accept clients on a different port than the default port number 55752, enter the IP address followed by the port number, for example, 192.168.0.5:46001.

  3. You can:

    • Select Log in as current user to log in as the current Windows user.

    • Clear Log in as current user and click Log in. Select Other user and provide another username and password to log in with a different username and password.

Sign in to AXIS Secure Remote Access

Note

When trying to connect to a server using Axis Secure Remote Access, the server can’t upgrade the client automatically.

  1. Click the Sign in to AXIS Secure Remote Access link.

  2. Enter your My Axis account credentials. See Axis Secure Remote Access.

  3. Click Sign in.

  4. Click Grant.

Client proxy settings

These settings apply to a proxy server that lies between the AXIS Camera Station client and the AXIS Camera Station server.

Note

Use AXIS Camera Station Service Control to configure proxy settings for a proxy server that lies between an AXIS Camera Station server and the network cameras. See AXIS Camera Station Service Control.

Select the appropriate option for your setup.

  • Direct connection: Select this option if there’s no proxy server between the AXIS Camera Station client and the AXIS Camera Station server.

  • Use Internet Options settings (default): Select this option to use the Windows settings.

  • Use manual proxy settings: Select this option to configure the proxy settings manually. Provide the required information in the Manual settings section.

    • Address: Enter the address or hostname of the proxy server.

    • Port: Enter the port number of the proxy server.

    • Do not use proxy server for addresses beginning with: Enter the servers that you want to exclude from access by the proxy. Use semicolons to separate the entries. You can use wildcards in the addresses or hostnames, for example: "192.168.*" or "*.mydomain.com".

    • Always bypass proxy server for local addresses: Select this option to bypass the proxy when connecting to a server on the local computer. Local addresses don't have a domain name extension, for example, http://webserver/, http://localhost, http://loopback, or http://127.0.0.1.

AXIS Camera Station client

The Add devices page on the Configuration tab opens when you’re using AXIS Camera Station for the first time. See Add devices.

Tabs

Live viewView live video from connected cameras. See Live view.
RecordingsSearch, play and export recordings. See Recordings.
Smart search 1Locate important events in recorded video using motion search. See Smart search 1.
Data searchSearch for data from an external source or system and track what happened at the time of each event. See Data search.
ConfigurationAdministration and maintenance of connected devices, as well as settings for the client and servers. See Configuration.
HotkeysA list of hotkeys for actions. See Hotkeys.
LogsAlarm, event, and audit logs. See Logs.
Access managementConfigure and manage the system’s cardholders, groups, doors, zones and access rules. See Access management.
Smart search 2Use advanced filters to find vehicles and persons based on characteristics. See Smart search 2.
System health monitoringMonitor the health data from a single AXIS Camera Station system or multiple AXIS Camera Station systems. See System Health Monitoring BETA.
Live view alertsAutomatically navigate to the Live view alerts tab of the camera or view when the Live view action is triggered. See Create live view actions.
Recording alertsIn the Alarms or Logs tab, select one alarm and click Go to recordings to open the Recording alerts tab. See Alarms and Logs.

Main menu

Open the main menu.
ServersConnect to a new AXIS Camera Station server and view the server lists and the connection status for all servers. See Configure server.
ActionsStart or stop a recording manually and change the status of I/O ports. See Record manually and Monitor I/O ports.
HelpOpen help-related options. Go to Help > About to see which AXIS Camera Station client version you’re using.
Log outDisconnect from the server and log off from the AXIS Camera Station client.
ExitExit and close the AXIS Camera Station client.

Title bar

or F1Open the help.
Enter the full screen mode.
or ESCExit the full screen mode.

Status bar

The status bar can include the following:

  • A warning icon appears when there is a time mismatch between client and server. Always make sure that the time on the client is synchronized with the time on the server to avoid timeline issues.

  • The server connection status shows the number of connected servers. See Connection status.

  • The license status shows the number of unlicensed devices. See Configure licenses.

  • The secure remote access usage shows how much data is left or how much overage has been used this month for the included amount in your service level. See Axis Secure Remote Access.

  • AXIS Camera Station update available appears when there is a new version if you’re logged in as administrator. See Update AXIS Camera Station.

Alarms and Tasks

The Alarms and Tasks tabs show triggered events and system alarms. See Alarms and Tasks.

Live view

The live view shows the views and cameras and live videos from the connected cameras, and it displays all the views and cameras of connected servers grouped by the server name when connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers.

Views provide access to all the cameras and devices added to AXIS Camera Station. A view can consist of one or several cameras, a sequence of items, a map, or a webpage. The live view updates the views automatically when you add or remove devices from the system.

All users can access views. For information about user access rights, see Configure user permissions.

For help on how to configure the live view, see Client settings.

Multiple monitors

To open a view on another screen:

  1. Open a Live view tab.

  2. Select one or more cameras, views, or sequences.

  3. Drag and drop them onto the other screen.

To open a view on a monitor connected to an Axis video decoder:

  1. Open a Live view tab.

  2. Select one or more cameras, views, or sequences.

  3. Right-click your cameras, views, or sequences and select Show on AXIS T8705 or Show on AXIS D1110, depending on which video decoder you’re using.

Note
  • AXIS T8705 supports Axis cameras only.
  • AXIS D1110 supports up to 8 streams in one split view.

Manage views in live view

Add a new split view, sequence, camera view, map, webpage, or folder.
Edit a view or a camera name. For information on how to edit the camera settings, see Edit camera settings
Remove a view. You need permissions to edit the view and all secondary views to remove it. For information on how to remove cameras from AXIS Camera Station, see Cameras.
As an administrator, you can lock the view and prevent operators or views from moving or editing the view.

Image management in live view

NavigateTo go to the camera view, right-click an image in a split view and select Navigate.
Show onTo open a view on another screen, right-click the image and select Show on.
Take snapshotTo take a snapshot, right-click an image and select Take snapshot. The system saves the snapshot to the snapshot folder specified in Configuration > Client > Settings.
Add snapshot to exportTo add a snapshot to the export list in the Export tab, right-click an image and select Add snapshot to export.
Stream profileTo set the stream profile, right-click an image and select Stream profile. See Stream profiles.
ZoomUse the mouse wheel to zoom in and out. Alternatively, press CTRL + (+) to zoom in and CTRL + (-) to zoom out.
Use Mechanical PTZMechanical PTZ is available for PTZ cameras and for cameras where digital PTZ is enabled in the camera's web interface. To use mechanical PTZ, right-click the image and select Use Mechanical PTZ. Use the mouse to zoom, pan and tilt.
Area zoomTo magnify an area in the image, draw a rectangle in the area you want to magnify. To zoom out, use the mouse wheel. To magnify an area near the center of the image, use the right mouse button and drag to draw a rectangle.
Pan and tiltClick the the image where you want to point the camera. To pan and tilt continuously in the live view image, move the cursor to the center of the image to show the navigation arrow. Then click and hold to pan in the direction of the navigation arrow. To pan and tilt the image at a higher pace, click and hold to make the navigation arrow longer.
PresetsTo go to a preset position, right-click the image, select Presets, and select a preset. To create presets, see PTZ presets.
Add presetTo add a preset, drag the image view to the desired position, right-click and select Presets > Add preset.
Set focusTo adjust camera focus, right-click the image and select Set focus. Click AF to focus the camera automatically. To adjust focus manually, select the bars on the Near and Far sides. Use Near to focus on objects close to the camera. Use Far to focus on objects far away.
Focus recall zoneTo add or remove focus recall zone, right-click the image, select Focus recall zone.
Autotracking on/offTo turn on or turn off autotracking for an Axis PTZ camera with AXIS PTZ Autotracking configured, right-click the image, select Autotracking on/off.
Add digital presets
PTZ control
Note

As an administrators you can turn off mechanical PTZ for users. See Configure user permissions.

Recording and instant replay in live view

To go to the Recordings tab, select a camera or a split view, and click .
Indicates an ongoing recording in the live view.
Indicates that motion is detected.
To play an ongoing recording, hover the cursor over the image and click Instant replay. The Recordings tab opens and plays the last 5 seconds of the recording.
RECTo record manually from the live view, hover the cursor over the image and click REC. The button turns blue to indicate that the recording is ongoing. To stop recording, click REC again.

To configure manual recording settings such as resolution, compression and frame rate, See Recording method. For more information about recording and playback, see Playback recordings.

Note

Administrators can turn off manual recording feature for users. See Configure user permissions.

Audio in live view

Audio is available if the camera has audio capabilities and you have turned on audio in the profile used for the live view.

Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles and configure audio for the camera. See Stream profiles.

VolumeTo change the volume in a view, hover the image, then hover the speaker button and then use the slider to change the volume. To mute or unmute audio, click .
Listen to this view onlyTo mute other views and listen to this view only, hover the image and click .
Speak through the speakerTo speak through the configured speaker in full-duplex mode, hover the image and click .
Push-to-talkTo speak through the configured speaker in simplex and half-duplex modes, hover the image and click and hold . To show the Push-to-talk button for all duplex modes, turn on Use push-to-talk for all duplex modes under Configuration > Client > Streaming > Audio. See Streaming.
Note

As an administrator you can turn off audio for users. See Configure user permissions.

Onscreen control in live view

Note

Onscreen control requires firmware 7.40 or later.

To access the available camera features in the live view, click .

Split view

A split view shows multiple views in the same window. You can use camera views, sequences, webpages, maps and other split views in the split view.

Note

When connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, you can add any view, camera or device from other servers to your split view.

To add a split view:

  1. In the Live view tab, click .

  2. Select New Split View.

  3. Enter a name for the split view.

  4. Select a template you want to use from the Template drop-down menu.

  5. Drag and drop one or multiple views or cameras to the grid.

  6. Click Save view to save the split view on the current server.

Set hotspotTo define a hotspot frame, right-click it and select Set hotspot. When you click another frame it opens in the hotspot. Hotspots are handy for asymmetric split views with one large and several small frames. The largest frame is typically the hotspot.
Stream profileTo set the stream profile for the camera, right-click a camera in the grid view and select Stream profile , See Stream profiles.
Add a split view

Door dashboard in split view

If you have configured a door, you can assist cardholders and monitor the door status and recent transactions in a split view.

  1. Add a door. See Add a door.

  2. Add the door dashboard to a split view, see Split view.

Dashboard

To view door details, door status and lock status, open the Dashboard tab.

The dashboard displays the following information:

  • Access control events with cardholder details, including photo, for example, when a cardholder swipes a card.

  • Alarms with alarm trigger information, for example, when a door is open too long.

  • The latest transaction.

To bookmark an event and make it available on the Transactions tab, click .
AccessTo manually grant access, click Access. This unlocks the door in the same way it would if someone presented their credentials, which normally means it automatically locks after a set time.
LockTo manually lock the door, click Lock.
UnlockTo manually unlock the door, click Unlock. The door stays unlocked until you manually lock it again.
LockdownTo prevent access to the door, click Lockdown.
TransactionsTo view recent transactions and saved transactions, open the Transactions tab.
Monitor and assist in door dashboard

Sequence

A sequence switches between views.

Note

When connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, you can add any view, camera or device from other servers to your sequence.

To add a sequence:

  1. In the Live view tab, click .

  2. Select New sequence.

  3. Enter a name for the sequence.

  4. Drag and drop one or multiple views or cameras to the sequence view.

  5. Arrange the views in the order you want the sequence.

  6. Optionally, set individual dwell times for each view.

  7. For cameras with PTZ capabilities, select a PTZ preset from the PTZ preset drop-down list. See PTZ presets.

  8. Click Save view to save the sequence on the current server.

Dwell timeDwell time is the number of seconds to show a view, before switching to the next. You can set this individually for each view.
Add a sequence

Camera view

A camera view displays live video from one camera. You can use camera views in split views, sequences, and maps.

Note

When connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, the list shows all cameras from all connected servers.

To add a camera view:

  1. In the Live view or Recordings tab, click .

  2. Select New Camera View.

  3. Select the camera from the drop-down menu, and click OK.

Map

A map is an imported image where you can place camera views, split views, sequences, webpages, other maps, and doors. The map gives a visual overview and a way to locate and access individual devices. You can create several maps and arrange them on an overview map for large installations.

Any action buttons are also available in the map view. See Create action button triggers.

Note

When connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, you can add any view, camera or device from other servers to your map view.

To add a map:

  1. In the Live view tab, click .

  2. Select New map.

  3. Enter a name for the map.

  4. Click Choose image and find your map file. The maximum size of the file is 20 MB, and BMP, JPG, PNG, GIF are supported.

  5. Drag the views, cameras, other devices, and doors onto the map. A door icon can be:

  6. Click an icon on the map to edit the settings.

  7. Click Add label, enter a label name, and set the size, rotation, style, and color of the label.

  8. Note

    You can edit some settings for multiple icons and labels at the same time.

  9. Click Save view to save the map on the current server.

The physical state of the door when the door is configured with a door monitor.
The physical state of the lock when the door is configured without a door monitor.
IconSelect the icon you want to use. This option is only available for cameras and other devices.
SizeAdjust the slider to change the size of the icon.
ColorClick to change the color of the icon.
NameTurn on this option to display the icon name. Select Bottom or Top to change the position of the icon name.
Coverage areaThis option is only available for cameras and other devices. Turn on this option to show the coverage area of the device on the map. You can edit the Range, Width, Direction, and color of the coverage area. Turn on Flash if you want the coverage area to flash when the camera is recording triggered by motion detection or other action rules. On the client settings page, you can turn off flashing coverage areas globally for all devices, see Client settings.
RemoveClick to remove the icon from the map.
Add a map
Trigger audio from a map

Webpage

A webpage view shows a page from the Internet. You can add a webpage to, for example, a split view or a sequence.

To add a webpage:

  1. In the Live view tab, click .

  2. Select New webpage.

  3. Enter a name for the webpage.

  4. Enter the webpage’s full URL.

  5. Click OK.

Folders

Use folders to categorize items in a tree view navigation. Folders can contain split views, sequences, camera views, maps, webpages, and other folders.

To add a folder:

  1. In the Live view or Recordings tab, click .

  2. Select New Folder.

  3. Enter a name for the folder, and click OK.

Recordings

The Recordings tab handles recording search, playback, and export. The tab contains of a view of the recording and two panels where you can find views, images, playback tools, and cameras of connected servers grouped by the server name, see Live view.

From the main view of the recording, you can manage the image in the same way as you can in the live view. For more information, go to Image management in live view.

To change recording method and recording settings such as resolution, compression and frame rate, see Recording method.

Note

You can’t manually delete recordings from AXIS Camera Station. You can change the retention time under Configuration > Storage > Selection to delete the old recordings.

Playback recordings

Recordings from multiple cameras can play at the same time when you put the playback marker over multiple recordings in the timeline.

You can display live and recorded video at the same time when you use multiple monitors.

Playback timeline

Use the timeline to navigate in the playback and find when a recording occurred. A red line in the timeline shows a motion detection recording. A blue line in the timeline shows a recording triggered by an action rule. When you hover over a recording in the timeline, the recording type and time is shown. To get a better view and find recordings, you can zoom in, zoom out, and drag the timeline. The playback pauses temporarily when you drag the timeline and resumes when you release. In a recording, move the timeline (scrubbing) to get an overview of the content and find specific occurrences.

Find recordings

Click to select a date and time in the timeline.

Use the filter to configure what type of recordings to show in the timeline.

Use to find saved bookmarks, see Bookmarks.

Smart search 1

Use Smart search to search for recordings, see Smart search 1.

Playback recordings

Plays the recording.

Pauses the recording.

Jumps to the start of the ongoing or previous recording or event. Right-click to go to recordings, events, or both.

Jumps to the start of the next recording or event. Right-click to go to recordings, events, or both.

Goes to the previous frame in a recording. Pause the recording to use this feature. Right-click to set how many frames to skip (up to 20 frames).

Goes to the next frame in a recording. Pause the recording to use this feature. Right-click to set how many frames to skip (up to 20 frames).

Mute audio. Only recordings with audio have this feature.

Audio slider

Slide to change the audio volume. Only recordings with audio have this feature.

Show all body worn metadata

Shows the metadata for a body worn system. This also displays notes and categories from AXIS Body Worn Assistant.

Pan, tilt and zoom 

Click the image and scroll up or down to zoom in and out of the image and move the view to see other parts of the image. To zoom in on an area, place the cursor in the desired area and scroll to zoom.

Bookmarks

Note
  • You can’t delete a locked recording unless you manually unlock it.
  • The system deletes locked recordings when you remove the camera from AXIS Camera Station.

Click to show all the bookmarks. To filter the bookmarks, click the icon.

Add a new bookmark.

Means that it’s a locked recording. The recording includes video 2.5 minutes before and after the bookmark.

Edit the bookmark name, description, and unlock or lock the recording.

Remove a bookmark. Select multiple bookmarks and hold down CTRL or SHIFT to remove multiple bookmarks.

Prevent recording deletion

Select or clear to lock or unlock the recording.

Add bookmarks

  1. Go to the recording.

  2. In the timeline of the camera, zoom in and out and move the timeline to put the marker at your desired position.

  3. Click .

  4. Enter the bookmark name and description. Use keywords in the description to make the bookmark easy to find and recognize.

  5. Select Prevent recording deletion to lock the recording.

  6. Note

    It’s not possible to delete a locked recording. To unlock the recording, clear the option or delete the bookmark.

  7. Click OK to save the bookmark.

Export recordings

From the Export tab, you can export recordings to a local storage or network location. Here, you can also find information and a preview of the recording. It’s possible to export multiple files at the same time, and you can select to export it to .asf, .mp4, and .mkv. To play your recordings, use Windows Media Player (.asf) or AXIS File Player (.asf, .mp4, .mkv). AXIS File Player is a free video and audio playback software that doesn’t require installation.

Note

In AXIS File Player, you can change the playback speed of recordings in the .mp4 and .mkv formats, but not in the .asf format.

Before you start, make sure you have permission to export. See User permission for exporting.

Export recordings

  1. In the Recordings tab, select a camera or a view.

  2. Add the recordings to the export list. Recordings in the timeline that aren’t included in the export get a striped color.

    1. Click to show the selection markers.

    2. Move the markers to include the recordings that you want to export.

    3. Click to open the Export tab.

  3. Click Export....

  4. Select a folder to export the recordings to.

  5. Click OK. The export recordings task appears in the Tasks tab.

The export folder includes:

  • The recordings in the selected format.

  • A .txt file with notes if you select Include notes.

  • AXIS File Player if you select Include AXIS File Player.

  • An .asx file with a playlist if you select Create playlist(.asx).

Export recordings
Recordings tab

To select multiple recordings, click and move the selection markers to the desired start and stop.

To export recordings within the section markers, click .

Add recordings

To export a single recording, right-click a recording and select Export > Add recordings.

Add event recordings 

To add all recordings that occurred within the time of an event, right-click a recording and select Export > Add event recordings.

Remove recordings

To remove a recording from the export list, right-click a recording and select Export > Remove recordings.

Remove recordings

To remove multiple recordings within the selection markers from the export list, right-click outside of a recording and select Export > Remove recordings.

Export tab
Audio

To exclude audio in the exported recording, deselect the checkbox in the Audio column. To always include audio in exported recordings, go to Configuration > Server > Settings > Export and select Include audio when adding recordings to export.

To edit the recording, select a recording and click . See Edit recordings (redaction) before exporting.

To edit the notes for the recording, select a recording and click .

To remove the recording from the export list, select a recording and click .

Switch to export

To change to the Export tab if the Incident report tab is open, click Switch to export.

Preferred stream profile 

Select the stream profile in the Preferred stream profile field.

Preview

To preview a recording, click the recording in the exported list to play it. You can only preview multiple recordings if they are from one camera.

Save

If you want to save the export list to a file, click Save.

Load

If you want to include a previously saved export list, click Load.

Include notes

To include notes of the recordings, select Include notes. The notes are available both as a .txt file in the exported folder and as a bookmark in the recording in AXIS File Player.

Adjust start and end time

To adjust the recording start and end time, go to the timeline in the preview and adjust the start and end times. The timeline shows up to thirty minutes of recording before and after the selected recording.

Add snapshot

To add snapshots, drag the timeline in the preview to a specific location. Right-click the preview and select Add snapshot.

Advanced settings

Include AXIS File Player

To include AXIS File Player with the exported recordings, select Include AXIS File Player.

Create playlist(.asx)

To create a playlist in .asx format used by Windows Media Player, select Create playlist(.asx). The recordings will play in the order in which they were recorded.

Add digital signature

To prevent image tampering, select Add digital signature. This option is only available for recordings in the .asf format. See Play and verify exported recordings.

Export to Zip file

To export to a Zip file, select Export to Zip file and choose to enter a password for the exported Zip file.

Export format 

From the Export format drop-down list, select a format to export the recordings to. If you select MP4, audio in G.711 or G.726 format won’t be included in the exported recordings.

Edited video encoding

For edited videos, you can set the video encoding format to Automatic, H.264, or M-JPEG under Edited video encoding. Choose Automatic to use M-JPEG for M-JPEG format and H.264 for other formats.

User permission for exporting

To export recordings or generate incident reports you need to have permission. You can have permission for one or both. When you click in the Recordings tab, the connected export tab opens.

To configure the permissions, go to Configure user permissions.

Edit recordings (redaction) before exporting

Blur a moving object
  1. In the Export tab or Incident report tab, select a recording and click .

  2. Move the timeline to the first occurrence of the moving object you want to cover.

  3. Click Bounding boxes > Add to add a new bounding box.

  4. Go to Bounding box options > Size to adjust the size.

  5. Move the bounding box and put it over the object.

  6. Go to Bounding box options > Fill set it to Pixelated or Black.

  7. When the recording plays, right-click the object and select Add key frame.

  8. To add continuous key frames, move the bounding box to cover the object when the recording plays.

  9. Move the timeline and make sure that the bounding box covers the object is throughout the recording.

  10. To set an end, right-click the diamond shape in the last key frame, and select Set end. This removes the key frames after the end point.

Note

You can add multiple bounding boxes in the video. If the bounding boxes overlap, the overlapped part fills in the order of Black, Pixelated, and Clear.

Remove all

To remove all bounding boxes, click Bounding boxes > Remove all.

Remove key frame

To remove a key frame, right-click the key frame and select Remove key frame.

Show a moving object with blurred background
  1. Create a bounding box, see Blur a moving object.

  2. Go to Bounding box options > Fill and set it to Clear.

  3. Go to Video background and set it to Pixelated or Black.

Pixelate all but this

Select multiple bounding boxes in the list, right-click and select Pixelate all but this. The selected bounding boxes turns Clear and the not selected turns Pixelated.

Generate bounding boxes

To generate bounding boxes from the analytic data, turn on the camera’s analytic data. See Stream profiles.

  1. In the Export tab or Incident report tab, click .

  2. Click Generate bounding boxes.

  3. Make sure that the bounding boxes cover the moving object, adjust if necessary.

  4. Select a fill for the bounding boxes or video background.

Improve video editing with AXIS Video Content Stream

To improve video editing, install the application AXIS Video Content Stream 1.0 on cameras with firmware 5.50 to 9.60. AXIS Camera Station starts the installation automatically when you add a camera to the system. See Install camera application.

Edit recordings before export

Play and verify exported recordings

To prevent image tampering, you can add a digital signature to the exported recordings with or without password. Use AXIS File Player to verify the digital signature and to check for changes of the recording.

  1. Go to the folder with the exported recordings. If the exported Zip file is password protected, input your password to open the folder.

  2. Open AXIS File Player. Tnd the exported recordings automatically plays.

  3. In AXIS File Player, click to show the notes in the recordings.

  4. In AXIS File Player, verify the digital signature for recordings with Add digital signature.

    1. Go to Tools > Verify digital signature.

    2. Select Validate with password and enter your password if it’s password protected.

    3. To see the verification results, click Verify.

Export incident reports

From the Incident report tab, you can export incident reports to a local storage or network location. Here, you can include recordings, snapshots, and notes in your incident reports.

Before you start, make sure you have permission to export. See User permission for exporting.

Incident reporting

Generate incident reports

  1. In the Recordings tab, select a camera or a view.

  2. Add the recordings to the export list. See Export recordings.

  3. Click Switch to incident report to go to the incident report tab.

  4. Click Create report.

  5. Select a folder to save the incident report to.

  6. Click OK. The export incident report task appears in the Tasks tab.

The export folder includes:

  • AXIS File Player.

  • The recordings in the selected format.

  • A .txt file if you select Include notes.

  • The incident report.

  • The playlist if you export multiple recordings.

Audio

To exclude audio in the exported recording, deselect the checkbox in the Audio column. To always include audio in exported recordings, go to Configuration > Server > Settings > Export and select Include audio when adding recordings to export.

To edit the recording, select a recording and click . See Edit recordings (redaction) before exporting.

To edit the notes for the recording, select a recording and click .

To remove the recording from the export list, select a recording and click .

Switch to incident report

To change to the Incident report tab if the Export tab is open, click Switch to incident report.

Preferred stream profile 

Select the stream profile in the Preferred stream profile dop-down.

Preview

To preview a recording, click the recording in the exported list and it starts to play. You can only preview multiple recordings if they are from one camera.

Save

If you want to save the incident report to a file, click Save.

Load

If you want to include a previously saved incident report, click Load.

Description

The Description field automatically fills with predefined data from the Description template. You can also add additional information you want to include in the incident report.

Category

Select a category that the report belongs to.

Reference ID

A Reference ID is automatically generated, and you can manually change it if necessary. The reference id is unique and identifies the incident report.

Include notes

To include notes of the recordings and snapshots, select Include notes. The notes are available both as a .txt file in the exported folder and as a bookmark in the recording in AXIS File Player.

Edited video encoding

For edited videos, you can set the video encoding format to Automatic, H.264, or M-JPEG under Edited video encoding. Choose Automatic to use M-JPEG for M-JPEG format and H.264 for other formats.

Adjust start and end time

To adjust the recording start and end time, go to the timeline in the preview and adjust the start and end times. The timeline shows up to thirty minutes of recording before and after the selected recording.

Add snapshot

To add snapshots, move the timeline in the preview to a specific location. Right-click the preview and select Add snapshot.

Record manually

Note

When you connect to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, you can manually start and stop a recording on any connected server. To do this, select the server from the Selected server drop-down list.

To manually start and stop a recording from the main menu:

  1. Go to > Actions > Record manually.

  2. Select one or more cameras.

  3. Click Start to start the recording.

  4. Click Stop to stop the recording.

To start and stop a manual recording from the Live view tab:

  1. Go to Live view.

  2. Move the mouse pointer to the camera's live view frame.

  3. Click REC to start the recording. A red indicator appears in the view frame while recording.

  4. Click REC to stop the recording.

Use smart search 1 to find the parts of a recording that have movement in a defined image area.

To increase search speed, select Include analytics data in stream profiles. See Stream profiles.

To use smart search 1:

  1. Click and open a Smart search 1 tab.

  2. Select the camera you want to search.

  3. Adjust the area of interest. You can add up to 20 points to the shape. To remove a point, right-click it.

  4. Use the Short-lived objects filter and Small objects filter to filter out any unwanted results.

  5. Select the start and end time, and date for the search. Use the SHIFT key to select a range of dates.

  6. Click Search.

The search results appear on the Results tab. Here you can right-click one or many results to export the recordings.

Short-lived objects filterThe minimum time that an object must be in the area of interest to be included in the search results.
Small objects filterThe minimum size that an object must have to be included in the search results.
Smart search 1

Smart search 2

Use Smart search 2 to find moving persons and vehicles in the recordings.

When you turn on Smart search 2 for an Axis camera, AXIS Camera Station starts recording metadata from that camera. Smart Search 2 uses the metadata to classify objects in the scene and lets you use filters to find things of interest.

Note

Smart search 2 requires the following:

  • Streaming analytics metadata over RTSP.
  • AXIS Video Content Stream on cameras with AXIS OS earlier than 9.60. See Install camera application.
  • Time synchronization between the AXIS Camera Station server and cameras.
Note

General recommendations:

  • We recommend using continuous recording. Using motion detection can result in detections without video.
  • We recommend using the H.264 format if you want to preview recordings in the search result.
  • Make sure that the lighting conditions are within the camera specification for optimal color classification. Use additional lighting if needed.

Workflow

  1. Configure smart search 2

  2. Configure time synchronization between the AXIS Camera Station server and cameras. See Time synchronization.

  3. Create a filter or load an existing filter. See Search.

  4. Manage search results. See Smart search results.

Search

To create a filter:

  1. Go to Configuration > Smart search 2 > Settings and select the cameras you want to use in Smart search 2.

  2. Click and open the Smart search 2 tab.

  3. Define your search criteria.

  4. Click Search.

For cameras with background server classification, appears in the image, indicating the classification status in the last hour, when Smart search 2 has classified less than 95% detections.
For cameras with background server classification, appears in the image, indicating the classification status in the last hour, when Smart search 2 has classified less than 50% detections.
CamerasTo limit the search by camera, click Cameras and select the cameras you want to include in the search.
Search intervalTo limit the search by time, click Search interval and select a time range, or create a custom interval.
PersonTo detect persons, click Object characteristics > Pre-classified, select Person and the clothing colors. You can select multiple colors.
VehicleTo detect vehicles, click Object characteristics > Pre-classified and select the vehicle types and colors. You can select multiple vehicle types and vehicle colors.
Visual similarityYou can use a search result with a person in the image to search for visually similar persons. Open the context menu in a search result item and select Use as visual similarity reference. Then click Search.
AreaTo filter by area, click Area, select a camera, and turn on Filter by area on this camera. Adjust the area of interest in the image and add or remove points of you need to.
Line crossingTo filter by line crossing, click Line crossing, select a camera and turn on Filter by line crossing on this camera. Adjust the line in the image and add or remove points of you need to.
Size and durationTo filter by size and duration, click Size and duration, select the camera and turn on Filter by size and duration on this camera. Adjust the minimum width and height as a percentage of the total image. Adjust the minimum duration in seconds.
SpeedTo filter by speed, click Speed, select the camera and turn on Filter by speed on this camera. Specify the speed range that you want to include in the filter.
Note

The speed filter is available for products like radars and fusion cameras that can detect speed.

Unknown object detectionsTo include the detections that Smart search 2 classifies as unknown, select Object characteristics and then Unknown object detections.
For devices with deep learning capability, you can set the server classification strategy to decide how to use the classification on device and classification on server. To select server classification strategy, click . Server classification gives you more detailed search results, including detections the device didn’t classify. Not using server classification gives you faster search results.

To save a filter, click , type a filter name and click Save.

To replace an existing filter, click , select an existing filter and click Replace.

To load a recent search, click > Recent searches and select a search.

To load a saved filter, click > Saved filter settings and select a setting.

To reset a filter, click and click Reset.

Smart search results

FilterTo include recordings with no metadata in the search results, click Filter and select Time periods without metadata.
To group detections that are likely to belong to the same event, you can group them in time intervals. Select an interval from the drop-down menu.
Latest firstSmart search 2 shows the search results in descending order with the latest detections first. Click Oldest first to show the oldest detections first.
Confidence levelTo further filter the search results, click Confidence level and set the confidence level. High confidence ignores uncertain classifications.
ColumnsTo adjust the size of the thumbnails in the search result, click Columns and change the number of columns.
Detection viewTo show a cropped view of the detected object as thumbnail, select Detection view.
Detection reportTo generate a detection report, expand the classification details and scroll down to the bottom. Click Detection report and choose a location to save the report. The detection report includes the recording, snapshots, and tracking details.

Limitations

  • High or very variable network latency can cause time synchronization issues and affect the classification of detections based on analytics metadata.

  • Classification of object types and detection accuracy are negatively affected by low image quality due to high compression levels, weather conditions such as heavy rain or snow, and cameras with low resolution, heavy distortion, large field of view, or excessive vibrations.

  • Smart search 2 may not detect small and distant objects.

  • Color classification doesn’t work in darkness or with IR illumination.

  • Body worn cameras are not supported.

  • Radar can only detect person and other vehicle. It’s not possible to enable background server classification for radar.

  • Object classification has unknown behavior for thermal cameras.

  • Smart search 2 doesn't detect moving objects when a PTZ preset position changes and for a short recalibration period after the position change.

  • Line crossing and area filters don’t follow PTZ position changes.

Data search lets you find data from an external source, such as:

  • An event generated by an access control system.

  • A license plate captured by AXIS License Plate Verifier.

  • A speed captured by AXIS Speed Monitor.

To change the time AXIS Camera Station keeps external data, go to Configuration > Server > Settings > External data.

To search data:

  1. Click and select Data search.

  2. Select a search interval .

  3. Select a data source from the Source drop-down list.

  4. Enter any keywords in the search field. See Optimize your search.

  5. Click Search.

Data search bookmarks the data generated from the source if you’ve configured it with a view. Click the data in the list to go to the recording associated with the event.

LiveTo search real-time data, select Live as the time interval. Data search can display a maximum of 3000 live data events. Live mode doesn’t support search operators.
SourceA source is a system or device that generates data that you can use to find out more about what happened in an event. See External data sources for more information.
Download search resultTo export the search results to a PDF or text file, click Download search result. This feature only exports event information, not recordings or images.

Depending on the data source you can get different items in your search result. Here are a few examples:

ServerThe server that the event data are sent to. Only available when connecting to multiple servers.
LocationThe name of the door and the name of the door controller with IP address.
Enter speedThe speed (kilometers per hour or miles per hour) when the object enters the Radar Motion Detection (RMD) zone.
ClassificationThe object classification. For example: Vehicle.
Search for access control data

You can use the following search operators for more precise results:

Use quotation marks " " for exact matches with keywords
  • Search for "door 1" returns results containing “door 1”.

  • Search for door 1 returns results containing both “door” and “1”.

Use AND to find matches containing all keywords.
  • Search for door AND 1 returns results containing both “door” and “1”.

  • Search for "door 1" AND "door forced open" returns results containing both “door 1” and "door forced open”.

Use OR or | to find matches containing any keyword.
  • Search for "door 1" OR "door 2" returns results containing “door 1” or "door 2”.

  • Search for door 1 OR door 2 returns results containing “door” or “1” or “2”.

Use parentheses ( ) together with AND or OR.
  • Search for (door 1 OR door 2) AND "Door forced open" returns results containing one of the following:

    • “door 1” and "Door forced open”

    • “door 2” and "Door forced open”

  • Search for door 1 AND (door (forced open OR open too long)) returns results containing one of the following:

    • “door 1” and “door forced open”

    • ”door 1” and “door open too long”

Use >, > =, <, or < = to filter numbers in a specific column.
  • Search for [Max speed] > 28 returns results containing a number greater than 28 in the Max speed column.

  • Search for [Average speed] < = 28 returns results containing a number less than or equal to 28 in the Average speed column.

Configuration

On the Configuration tab, you can manage and maintain connected devices, as well as settings for the client and servers. Click and select Configuration to open the Configuration tab.

Configure devices

In AXIS Camera Station, a device refers to a network product with an IP address. A camera refers to a video source, such as a network camera or a video port (with a connected analog camera) on a multi-port video encoder. For example, a 4-port video encoder is one device with four cameras.

Note
  • AXIS Camera Station only supports devices with IPv4 addresses.
  • Some video encoders have one IP address for each video port. In this case, AXIS Camera Station treats each video port as one device with one camera.

In AXIS Camera Station, a device can be:

  • a network camera

  • a video encoder with one or more video ports

  • an auxiliary non-camera device, for example an I/O audio device, a network speaker or a door controller

  • an intercom

You can perform the following actions for devices:

Add devices

Note
  • The system considers view areas as individual cameras. You must create view areas in the camera before using them. See Use view areas.
  • When you add a device, the device synchronizes its time with AXIS Camera Station server.
  • We recommend that you don’t use special characters such as å, ä, and ö in a device’s hostname.
  1. Find your devices, video streams or prerecorded videos.

  2. Add devices, video streams or prerecorded videos

You must resolve any issues shown in the device status column before you can add a device.

(empty)If there’s no status you can add the device to AXIS Camera Station.
CommunicatingAXIS Camera Station server is trying to access the device.
HTTPS certificate not trustedAXIS Camera Station can't verify that the HTTPS certificate on the device is signed by a trusted issuer.
Communication errorAXIS Camera Station can't contact the device.
Enter passwordAXIS Camera Station doesn’t know which credentials to use to access the device. Click the link to enter a username and password for an administrator account on the device. By default, AXIS Camera Station will use this username and password for all devices on which the user exists.
Set passwordThe root account and password is not set up or the device still uses the default password. Click the link to set the root user password.
  • Enter your password or click Generate to get a password. We recommend that you show the generated password and make a copy of it.

  • Select to use this password for all devices with the Set password status.

Model not supportedAXIS Camera Station doesn’t support the device model.
Obsolete firmwareThe device’s firmware is old and you must update it before you can add the device.
Faulty deviceThe device parameters retrieved by AXIS Camera Station are corrupt.
Set tilt orientationClick the link to select tilt orientation Ceiling, Wall, or Desk, depending on how the camera is mounted. Tilt orientation is a required setting for some camera models.
Unsupported third-party deviceAXIS Camera Station doesn’t support this third-party device.
Can only be used with AXIS CompanionThe device is designed for AXIS Companion only.
Find your devices

The devices in your network are displayed automatically. To find the devices that are not listed:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Add devices.

  2. Click Cancel to stop the ongoing network search.

  3. Click Manual search.

  4. To find multiple devices in one or more IP ranges:

    1. Select Search one or more IP ranges.

    2. Type the IP range. For example: 192.168.10.*, 192.168.20-22.*, 192.168.30.0-50

      • Use a wildcard for all addresses in a group.

      • Use a dash for a range of addresses.

      • Use a comma to separate multiple ranges.

    3. To change the default port 80, type the port range. For example: 80, 1080-1090

      • Use a dash for a range of ports.

      • Use a comma to separate multiple ranges.

    4. Click Search.

  5. To find one or more specific devices:

    1. Select Enter one or more hostnames or IP addresses.

    2. Enter the hostnames or IP addresses separated by comma.

    3. Click Search.

  6. Click OK.

Find your video streams

You can add the video streams that support the following:

  • Protocol: RTSP, HTTP, HTTPS

  • Video encoding: M-JPEG for HTTP and HTTPS, H.264 for RTSP

  • Audio encoding: AAC and G.711 for RTSP

Supported video stream URL schemes:

  • rtsp://<address>:<port>/<path>

    For example: rtsp://<address>:554/axis-media/media.amp

  • http://<address>:80/<path>

    For example: http://<address>:80/axis-cgi/mjpg/video.cgi?date=1&clock=1&resolution=1920x1080

  • https://<address>:443/<path>

    For example: https://<address>:443/axis-cgi/mjpg/video.cgi?date=1&clock=1&resolution=1920x1080

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Add devices.

  2. Click Enter stream URLs and enter one or more stream URLs separated by comma.

  3. Click Add.

Find prerecorded videos

You can add prerecorded videos in the .mkv format to AXIS Camera Station.

.mkv file requirements:

  • Video encoding: M-JPEG, H.264, H.265

  • Audio encoding: AAC

  1. Create a folder PrerecordedVideos under C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station Server.

  2. Add a .mkv file to the folder.

  3. To dewarp the prerecorded video, add a .dewarp file with the same name as the .mkv file to the folder. See Image configuration for more information.

  4. Go to Configuration > Devices > Add devices and turn on Include prerecorded video.

    You can find your prerecorded video and several prerecorded videos provided by the system.

Add devices, video streams or prerecorded videos
  1. In a multi-server system, select a server from the Selected server drop-down list.

  2. Go to Configuration > Devices > Add devices.

  3. If you want to change the device’s name, click the name in the list and enter a new name.

  4. Select the devices, video streams, or prerecorded videos. Click Add.

  5. Choose whether to use hostnames instead of IP when possible for the devices.

  6. Choose Quick configuration if you just want to configure the basic settings.

    If you’re importing a Site Designer project, see Import Site Designer projects.

  7. Click Install. AXIS Camera Station automatically enables HTTPS on the devices that support it.

Import Site Designer projects

AXIS Site Designer is an online design tool that helps you build a site with Axis products and accessories.

If you've created a site in AXIS Site Designer, you can import the project settings to AXIS Camera Station. You can access the project using an access code or a downloaded Site Designer setup file.

To import a site designer project to AXIS Camera Station:

  1. Generate an access code to the site designer project or download a project file.

    1. Sign in to http://sitedesigner.axis.com with your MyAxis account.

    2. Select a project and go to the project page.

    3. Click Share.

    4. Click Generate code if your AXIS Camera Station server has an internet connection. Or click Download settings file if your AXIS Camera Station doesn’t have an internet connection.

  2. In the AXIS Camera Station client, go to Configuration > Devices > Add devices.

  3. Select the cameras, and click Add.

  4. Select Site Designer configuration and click Next.

  5. Select Access code and enter the access code. Or select Choose file and find the downloaded Site Designer setup file.

  6. Click Import. At import, AXIS Camera Station tries to match the Site Designer project with the selected cameras by IP address or product name. You can select the correct camera from the drop-down menu if the match fails.

  7. Click Install.

AXIS Camera Station imports the following settings from the Site Designer project:

Encoders, video decoders, door controllers, radar detectors, and speakersCameras, intercoms, and F/FA series
Schedules with name and time slots
Maps with name, icon color, icon location, and item name
Name
Description
Motion triggered recording: schedule and recording profile including frame rate, resolution, video encoding, and compression
Continuous recording: schedule and recording profile including frame rate, resolution, video encoding, and compression
Zipstream strength
Audio settings for live view and recordings
Retention time for recordings
Note
  • If you've defined just one of the recording profiles or if there are two identical recording profiles in the Site Designer project, AXIS Camera Station sets the profile to medium.
  • If you've defined both recording profiles in the Site Designer project, AXIS Camera Station sets the continuous recording profile to medium and the motion-triggered recording to high.
  • AXIS Camera Station optimizes the aspect ratio, meaning the resolution can differ between the import and the Site Designer project.
  • AXIS Camera Station can set the audio settings if the device has a built-in microphone or speaker. To use an external audio device, you must manually enable it after installing it.
  • AXIS Camera Station doesn't apply audio settings to intercoms even if the settings in Site Designer differ. On intercoms, audio is always on in Live view only.
Add third-party devices

You can add third-party devices to AXIS Camera Station in the same way you add Axis products. See Add devices.

Note

You can also add third-party devices as video streams in AXIS Camera Station. See Find your video streams.

For information about support for third-party devices, see the latest technical paper.

Note

You can download and run AXIS Camera Station Device Compatibility Tool to verify if your network video products are compatible with AXIS Camera Station 5 or later. The tool checks if AXIS Camera Station can receive video streams from your network video products. See AXIS Camera Station Device Compatibility Tool.

AXIS Camera Station is not ONVIF conformant, but it requires that third-party devices are ONVIF Profile S conformant and verified through AXIS Camera Station Device Compatibility Tool. AXIS Camera Station supports the following functions for third-party devices according to IEC62676-2-31 and IEC62676-2-32:

  • Camera discovery

  • Video encoding: M-JPEG, H.264

  • Audio encodings: G.711 (one-way, from the device to AXIS Camera Station)

  • One video profile per camera

  • Live view

  • Continuous and Manual recordings

  • Playback

  • Recordings exports

  • Device event triggers

  • PTZ

Use view areas

Some camera models support view areas. AXIS Camera Station lists view areas as individual cameras on the Add devices page. See Add devices.

Note
  • All view areas in a network camera counts as one camera in the total number of cameras allowed by the AXIS Camera Station license.
  • The number of cameras you can add depends on the license.
  • Each AXIS Camera Station license allows a certain number of cameras.

To use view areas in AXIS Camera Station, you must first enable them in the camera:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Cameras.

  2. Select the camera and click the link in the Address column.

  3. In the camera's configuration page, enter the username and password to log in.

  4. Click Help for instructions on where to find the setting, which differs depending on the camera model and firmware.

Cameras

Go to Configuration > Devices > Cameras to view the list of all cameras added in the system.

On this page you can:

  • Click a camera’s address to open the its web interface. This requires that there’s no NAT or firewall between the AXIS Camera Station client and the device.

  • Edit the camera settings. See Edit camera settings.

  • Remove cameras. Doing this, AXIS Camera Station deletes all recordings, including locked ones, associated with the deleted cameras.

Edit camera settings

To edit camera settings:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Cameras.

  2. Select a camera and click Edit.

Enabled To prevent recording and viewing of the video stream, deselect Enabled. You can still configure recording and live view.
Channel

When Channel is available for multiport video encoders, select the port number.

When Channel is available for view areas, select the number corresponding to the view area.

UsernameUsername for an administrator account on the camera.
PasswordPassword for an administrator account on the camera. AXIS Camera Station uses the password to communicate with the camera.

Other devices

Go to Configuration > Devices > Other devices, to view a list of devices without video capabilities. The list includes door controllers, audio devices, and I/O modules.

For information about supported products, go to www.axis.com See Use audio from other devices.

On this page, you can:

  • Click a device’s address to open its web interface. This requires that there’s no NAT or firewall between the AXIS Camera Station client and the device.

  • Edit the device settings, such as device name, address, and password.

  • Remove devices.

Edit other device settings

To edit the settings for non-camera devices:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Other devices.

  2. Select a device and click Edit.

UsernameUsername for an administrator account on the device.
PasswordPassword for an administrator account on the device. AXIS Camera Station uses the password to communicate with the device.

Stream profiles

A stream profile is a group of settings that affect the video stream, such as resolution, video format, frame rate, and compression. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles to open the Stream profiles page. The page displays a list of all cameras.

The following profiles are available in Live view and recordings settings:

High –
Optimized for the highest quality and resolution.
Medium –
Optimized to balance high quality with performance.
Low –
Optimized for performance.
Note

The stream profile is set to Automatic in Live view and recordings by default, meaning the stream profile changes automatically to High, Medium, or Low depending on the available size for the video stream.

Edit stream profiles
  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles, and select the cameras you want to configure.

  2. Under Video profiles, configure resolution, video format, frame rate, and compression.

  3. Under Audio, configure the microphone and speaker.

  4. Under Advanced, configure analytics data, FFmpeg streaming, PTZ autotracking object indicators, and customized stream settings. These settings aren’t available for all products.

  5. Click Apply.

Video profiles

Encoder
  • Available options depend on the video encoder configurations on the device. This option is only available for third-party devices.

  • You can only use a video encoder configuration for one video profile.

  • If the device has only one encoder configuration, only the Medium profile is available.

ResolutionAvailable options depend on camera model. A higher resolution gives an image with more details but requires more bandwidth and storage space.
FormatAvailable options depend on camera model. Most camera models support H.264, which requires less bandwidth and storage space compared to, for example, M-JPEG. Cameras can only have one video profile with MPEG-4 at a time.
Frame rateThe actual frame rate depends on camera model, network conditions and computer configuration.
CompressionLower compression improves image quality, but requires more bandwidth and storage space.

Zipstream

StrengthZipstream strength determines the level of bitrate reduction in an H.264 or H.265 stream in real time. This option is only available for Axis devices that support Zipstream.DefaultUse the Zipstream setting configured through the device’s web interface page.
OffNone
LowNo visible effect in most scenes
MediumVisible effect in some scenes: less noise and slightly lower level of detail in regions of lower interest
HighVisible effect in many scenes: less noise and lower level of detail in regions of lower interest
HigherVisible effect in even more scenes: less noise and lower level of detail in regions of lower interest
ExtremeVisible effect in most scenes: less noise and lower level of detail in regions of lower interest

Audio

Microphone:To associate a microphone to the camera, select Built-in microphone or line in or other device’s microphone. See Use audio from other devices.
Speaker:To associate a speaker to the camera, select Built-in speaker or line out or other device’s speaker. Use a microphone connected to the computer to make spoken announcements. See Use audio from other devices.
Use microphone for:Enable microphone audio for one or two streams. You can enable audio for Live view and recordings, Live view only, or Recordings only.

Advanced

Include analytics dataTo allow data gathering for smart search during video streaming, select Include analytics data. This option is available only for Axis devices that support analytics data. Data gathering for Smart search 1 can add latency in live video streaming.
Use FFmpegTo improve compatibility with third-party devices, select Use FFmpeg to enable FFmpeg streaming. This option is available only for third-party devices.
Show PTZ autotracking object indicatorsTo show the object indicators that are detected by a PTZ camera in live view, select Show PTZ autotracking object indicators and set the video stream buffer time up to 2000 milliseconds. This option is available only for an Axis PTZ camera with AXIS PTZ Autotracking. For a complete workflow to set up AXIS PTZ Autotracking in AXIS Camera Station, see Set up AXIS PTZ Autotracking.
Stream customization

To customize the stream settings for a specific profile, enter the settings separated by & for the profile. For example, enter overlays=off&color=0 to hide the overlays on that camera.

The custom settings override any existing settings. Do not include sensitive information in the custom settings.

To customize profile settings for resolution, frame rate, compression, video format and audio, select the camera to configure. For cameras of the same model that have the same configuration capabilities, multiple cameras can be configured at the same time. See Configuration settings.

To customize profile settings for recordings, see Recording method.

You can limit the resolution and frame rate for Live view to reduce bandwidth consumption, for example, if the connection between the AXIS Camera Station client and AXIS Camera Station server is slow. See Bandwidth usage in Streaming.

Use audio from other devices

You can use audio from other, non-camera or auxiliary, devices with video from a network camera or video encoder for live viewing or recording.

  1. Add the non-camera device to AXIS Camera Station. See Add devices.

  2. Configure the camera to use audio from the device. See Stream profiles.

  3. Enable audio for Live view or Recording. See Stream profiles.

You can find the following examples in AXIS Camera Station video tutorials:

  • Set up audio devices and make live announcements

  • Create an action button to manually play audio when motion is detected

  • Automatically play audio when motion is detected

  • Add an audio clip to speaker and AXIS Camera Station

Image configuration

You can configure the image settings for the cameras connected to AXIS Camera Station.

Note

The changes on image configuration are applied instantly.

To configure the image settings:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Image configuration, a list of all cameras added to AXIS Camera Station is displayed.

  2. Select the camera and the video feed is shown below the list in real time. Use the Type to search field to find a specific camera in the list.

  3. Configure the image settings.

Image settings

Brightness: Adjust the image brightness. A higher value gives a brighter image.

Color level: Adjust the color saturation. Select a lower value to reduce color saturation. Color level 0 gives a black and white image. The maximum value gives maximum color saturation.

Sharpness: Adjust the amount of sharpening applied to the image. Increasing sharpness might increase image noise, especially in low light situations. High sharpness might also introduce image artifacts around areas with high contrast, for example sharp edges. Lower sharpness reduces image noise, but makes the image less sharp.

Contrast: Adjust the image contrast.

White balance: Select the white balance option in the drop-down list. White balance is used to make colors in the image look the same regardless of the color temperature of the light source. When selecting Automatic or Auto, the camera identifies the light source and compensates for its color automatically. If the result is not satisfactory, select an option corresponding to the type of light source. Available options depend on camera models.

Rotate image: Set image rotation degrees.

Automatic image rotation: Turn on to adjust the image rotation automatically.

Mirror image: Turn on to mirror the image.

Backlight compensation: Turn on if a bright spot of light, for example a light bulb, causes other areas in the image to appear too dark.

Dynamic contrast (wide dynamic range): Turn on to use wide dynamic range to improve the exposure when there is a considerable contrast between light and dark areas in the image. Use the slider to adjust dynamic contrast. Enable dynamic contrast in intense backlight conditions. Disable dynamic contrast in low light conditions.

Custom dewarp settings: You can import a .dewarp file that contains the lens parameters, optical centers, and tilt orientation of the camera. Click Reset to reset the parameters to their original values.

  1. Create a .dewarp file including the following parameters:

    • Required: RadialDistortionX, RadialDistortionY, RadialDistortionZ, and TiltOrientation. The possible values for TiltOrientation is wall, desk, and ceiling.

    • Optional: OpticalCenterX and OpticalCenterY. If you want to set the optical centers, you must include both of the two parameters.

  2. Click Import and navigate to the .dewarp file.

  3. The following is an example of a .dewarp file:
  4. RadialDistortionX=-43.970703
    RadialDistortionY=29.148499
    RadialDistortionZ=715.732193
    TiltOrientation=Desk
    OpticalCenterX=1296
    OpticalCenterY=972

PTZ presets

Pan, tilt, zoom (PTZ) is the ability to pan (move left and right), tilt (move up and down) and zoom in and out.

Go to Configuration > Devices > PTZ presets, a list of cameras that can be used with PTZ is displayed. Click a camera to view all presets available for the camera. Click Refresh to update the preset list.

You can use PTZ with:

  • PTZ cameras, that is, cameras with built-in mechanical PTZ

  • Fixed cameras where digital PTZ has been enabled

Digital PTZ is enabled from the camera's built-in configuration page. For more information, see the camera's User Manual. To open the configuration page, go to the device management page, select the camera and click the link in the Address column.

PTZ presets can be configured in AXIS Camera Station and the camera's configuration page. We recommend that you configure PTZ presets in AXIS Camera Station.

  • When a PTZ preset is configured in the camera’s configuration page, you can only view the stream within the preset. The PTZ movements in live view can be seen and are recorded.

  • When a PTZ preset is configured in AXIS Camera Station, you can view the complete stream of the camera. The PTZ movements in live view can’t be seen and are not recorded.

Note

PTZ can't be used if the camera's control queue is enabled. For information about the control queue and how to enable and disable it, see the camera's User Manual.

To add a preset:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > PTZ presets and select a camera in the list.

  2. For cameras with mechanical PTZ, use the PTZ controls to move the camera view to the desired position. For cameras with digital PTZ, use the mouse wheel to zoom in and drag the camera view to the desired position.

  3. Click Add and enter a name for the new preset.

  4. Click OK.

To remove a preset, select the preset and click Remove. This will remove the preset from AXIS Camera Station and from the camera.

Device management

Device management provides tools for administration and maintenance of devices connected to AXIS Camera Station.

Go to Configuration > Devices > Management to open the Manage devices page.

If you have set up automatic check for new firmware versions in Firmware upgrade settings, a link displays when there are new firmware versions available for devices. Click the link to upgrade the firmware versions. See Upgrade firmware.

Upgrade firmware versions

If you have set up automatic check for new software versions in Update AXIS Camera Station, a link displays when there is a new AXIS Camera Station version available. Click the link to install a new version of AXIS Camera Station.

Install a new version of AXIS Camera Station

A list of devices added to AXIS Camera Station is displayed. Use the Type to search field to find devices in the list. To hide or show columns, right-click the header row and select which columns to show. Drag and drop the headers to display the columns in different order.

The device list includes the following information:

  • Name: The name of the device or a list of all associated camera names when the device is a video encoder with multiple connected cameras, or a network camera with multiple view areas.

  • MAC address: The MAC address of the device.

  • Status: The status of the device.

    • OK: The standard state for an established device connection.

    • Maintenance: The device is under maintenance and temporarily is not accessible.

    • Not accessible: No connection can be established with the device.

    • Not accessible over set hostname: No connection can be established with the device via its hostname.

    • Server not accessible: No connection can be established with the server that the device is connected to.

    • Enter password: No connection with the device until valid credentials are entered. Click the link to provide valid user credentials. If the device supports encrypted connections, the password is sent encrypted by default.

    • Set password: The root account and password is not set up or the device still uses the default password. Click the link to set the root user password.

      • Type your password or click Generate to automatically generate a password up to the length allowed by the device. We recommend that you show the automatically generated password and make a copy of it.

      • Select to use this password for all devices with the Set password status.

      • Select Enable HTTPS to enable HTTPS if the device supports it.

    • Password type: unencrypted: No connection is established with the device as the device has previously connected using an encrypted password. For security reasons, AXIS Camera Station does not allow use of unencrypted passwords for devices that have previously used encrypted passwords. For devices supporting encryption, the connection type is configured on the device’s configuration page.

    • Certificate error: There is some error with the certificate on the device.

    • Certificate about to expire: The certificate on the device is about to expire.

    • Certificate has expired: The certificate on the device has expired.

    • HTTPS certificate not trusted: The HTTPS certificate on the device is not trusted by AXIS Camera Station.

    • HTTP failed: No HTTP connection can be established with the device.

    • HTTPS failed: No HTTPS connection can be established with the device.

    • HTTP and HTTPS failed (ping or UDP OK): No HTTP and HTTPS connection can be established with the device. The device responds to ping and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) communication.

  • Address: The address of the device. Click the link to go to the device's configuration page. It shows the IP address or hostname depending on which one is used when adding the device. See Device configuration tab.

  • Hostname: The hostname of the device if available. Click the link to go to the device's configuration page. The hostname displayed is the fully qualified domain name. See Device configuration tab.

  • Manufacturer: The manufacturer of the device.

  • Model: The model of the device.

  • Firmware: The version of firmware the device is currently using.

  • DHCP: If the device is connected to the server using DHCP.

  • HTTPS: The HTTPS status of the device. See HTTPS status in Security.

  • IEEE 802.1X: The IEEE 802.1X status of the device. See IEEE 802.1X status in Security.

  • Server: The AXIS Camera Station server the device is connected to.

  • Tags: (Hidden by default) The tags added to the device.

  • UPnP Friendly Name: (Hidden by default) The UPnP name. This is a descriptive name used to make it easier to identify the device.

You can perform the following actions on devices:

  • Assign IP address to devices. See Assign IP address.

  • Set password for devices. See User management.

  • Upgrade firmware for devices. See Upgrade firmware.

  • Set date and time on devices. See Set date and time.

  • Restart devices.

  • Restore devices to reset most settings, including the password, to their factory default values. The following settings are not reset: uploaded camera applications, boot protocol (DHCP or static), static IP address, default router, subnet mask, system time.

  • Note

    To prevent unauthorized access, we strongly recommend setting the password after restoring a device.

  • Install camera application on devices. See Install camera application.

  • Reload devices when settings have been changed from the devices' configuration page.

  • Configure devices. See Configure devices.

  • User management. See User management.

  • Manage certificates. See Security.

  • Collect device data. See Collect device data.

  • Select to use IP address or hostname. See Connection.

  • Tag devices. See Tags.

  • Enter device credentials. Right-click a device and select Advanced > Enter device credentials to enter password for the device.

  • Go to the device’s configuration tab and configure your device. See Device configuration tab.

Assign IP address

AXIS Camera Station can Assign IP address to multiple devices. New IP addresses can be obtained automatically from a DHCP server or assigned from an IP address range.

Assigning IP addresses

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management and select the devices to configure.

  2. Click , or right-click and select Assign IP address.

  3. If some of the devices can't be configured, for example if the devices are inaccessible, the Invalid devices dialog will appear. Click Continue to skip the devices that can't be configured.

  4. If you select one device to assign IP address, click Advanced to open the Assign IP address page.

  5. Select Obtain IP addresses automatically(DHCP) to obtain the IP addresses automatically from a DHCP server.

  6. Select Assign the following IP address range and specify the IP range, subnet mask, and default router.

    To specify the IP range:

    • Use wildcards. For example: 192.168.0.* or 10.*.1.*

    • Write the first and last IP addresses separated by a dash. For example: 192.168.0.10-192.168.0.20 (this address range can be shortened to 192.168.0.10-20) or 10.10-30.1.101

    • Combine wildcards and range. For example: 10.10-30.1.*

    • Use a comma to separate multiple ranges. For example: 192.168.0.*,192.168.1.10-192.168.1.20

  7. Note

    To assign an IP address range, the devices must be connected to the same AXIS Camera Station server.

  8. Click Next.

  9. Review the current IP addresses and the new IP addresses. To change the IP address for a device, select the device and click Edit IP.

    • The current IP address, subnet mask and default router are displayed in the Current IP address section.

    • Edit the options in the New IP address section, and click OK.

  10. Click Finish when satisfied with the new IP addresses.

Configure devices

You can configure some settings on multiple devices at the same time by copying device settings from one device, or by applying a configuration file.

Note

To configure all settings on a single device, go to the device’s configuration page. See Device configuration tab.

Configuration methods

There are different methods to configure devices. AXIS Device management will attempt to configure all devices according to the settings in the method. See Configure devices.

Use configuration of the selected device

Note

This method is only available for configuration of a single device by reusing some or all existing settings.

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

  2. Right-click one device, select Configure Devices > Configure.

  3. Select the settings to be applied. See Configuration settings.

  4. Click Next to verify the settings to be applied.

  5. Click Finish to apply the settings to the device.

Copy configuration from another device

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

  2. Right-click the devices, select Configure Devices > Configure. Devices of different models and firmware can be selected.

  3. Click Device to show devices with reusable configurations.

  4. Select a device to copy settings from and click OK.

  5. Select the settings to be applied. See Configuration settings.

  6. Click Next to verify the settings to be applied.

  7. Click Finish to apply the settings to the devices.

Use configuration file

A configuration file contains settings from one device. It can be used to configure multiple devices at the same time and reconfigure a device, for example if the device is reset to its factory default settings. A configuration file created from a device can be applied to devices with different model or firmware even if some settings do not exist on all devices.

If some settings do not exist or can't be applied, the task status will show as Error in the Tasks tab at the bottom of the AXIS Camera Station client. Right-click the task and select Show to display information about the settings that could not be applied.

Note

This method should only be used by experienced users.

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

  2. Right-click the devices, select Configure Devices > Configure.

  3. Click Configuration File to go to the configuration file. For how to create a configuration file, see Create configuration file.

  4. Browse to the .cfg file and click Open.

  5. Click Next to verify the settings to be applied.

  6. Click Finish to apply the settings to the devices.

Create configuration file

A configuration file contains settings from one device. These settings can then be applied to other devices. For information on how to use the configuration file, see Configuration methods.

The displayed settings are the device settings that can be accessed using AXIS Device management. To find a particular setting, use the Type to search field.

To create a configuration file:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

  2. Select the device to create the configuration file from.

  3. Right-click and select Configure Devices > Create Configuration File.

  4. Select the settings to include and change their values as required. See Configuration settings.

  5. Click Next to verify the settings.

  6. Click Finish to create the configuration file.

  7. Click Save to save the settings to a .cfg file.

Configuration settings

When you configure devices, you can configure the parameters, action rules, and additional settings of the devices.

Parameters

Parameters are internal device parameters that are used to control device behavior. For general information about parameters, see the product's User Manual available at www.axis.com

Note
  • Parameters should only be modified by experienced users.
  • All device parameters are not accessible from AXIS Device management.

You can insert variables in some text fields. The variables will be replaced by text before they are applied to a device. To insert a variable, right-click the text field and select:

  • Insert device serial number variable: This variable will be replaced with the serial number of the device that the configuration file is applied to.

  • Insert device name variable: This variable will be replaced with the name of the device used when applying the configuration file. The device name can be found in the Name column in the Device management page. To rename a device, go to the Cameras or Other devices page.

  • Insert server name variable: This variable will be replaced with the name of the server used when applying the configuration file. The server name can be found in the Server column in the Device management page. To rename a server, go to AXIS Camera Station Service Control.

  • Insert server time zone variable: This variable will be replaced with the POSIX time zone of the server used when applying the configuration file. This can be used with the POSIX time zone parameter to set the correct time zone of all devices in a network with servers in different time zones.

Action rules

Action rules can be copied between devices. Action rules should only be modified by experienced users. For general information about action rules, see Action rules.

Additional settings

  • Stream Profiles: A stream profile is a pre-programmed Live view configuration profile for video encoding, image and audio settings. Stream profiles can be copied between devices.

  • Motion Detection Windows: Motion detection windows are used to define specific areas in the camera's field of view. Typically, alarms are generated whenever movement occurs (or stops) within the specified areas. Motion detection windows can be copied between devices.

User management

Go to Configuration > Devices > Management, the Manage devices page is displayed for you to manage users of the devices.

When you set password or remove users for multiple devices, users that are not present on all devices are indicated with . Each user appears only once when the user is present on different devices with different roles.

Note

The accounts are device specific and not related to the user accounts of Axis Camera Station.

Set password

Note
  • Devices with firmware 5.20 and later support 64-character passwords. Devices with earlier firmware versions support 8-character passwords. We recommend that you set passwords on devices with older firmware separately.
  • When setting a password on multiple devices that support different password lengths, the password must fit within the shortest supported length.
  • To prevent unauthorized access and increase security, we strongly recommend that all devices added to AXIS Camera Station are password protected.

The following characters can be used in passwords:

  • letters A-Z, a-z

  • numbers 0-9

  • space, comma (,), period (.), colon (:), semicolon (;)

  • !, ", #, $, %, &, ', (, +, *, -, ), /, <, >, =, ?, [, \, ^, -, `, {, |, ~, @, ], }

To set password for users on devices:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management > Manage devices.

  2. Select the devices and click . You can also right-click the devices and select User Management > Set password.

  3. Select a user.

  4. Type your password or click Generate to generate a strong password.

    • Click OK.

    Add user

    To add local or Active Directory users to Axis Camera Station:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management > Manage devices.

    2. Right-click the devices and select User Management > Add user.

    3. Enter a username and password, and confirm the password. For a list of valid characters, see the Set password section above.

    4. Select the user access rights from the drop-down list of the Role field:

      • Administrator: unrestricted access to the device.

      • Operator: access to the video stream, events and all settings except System Options.

      • Viewer: access to the video stream.

    5. Select Enable PTZ control to allow the user to pan, tilt, and zoom in Live view.

    6. Click OK.

    Remove user

    To remove users from the devices:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management > Manage devices.

    2. Right-click the devices and select User Management > Remove user.

    3. Select the user to be removed from the drop-down list of the User field.

    4. Click OK.

    List users

    To list all users on the devices and their access rights:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management > Manage devices.

    2. Right-click the devices and select User Management > List users.

    3. Use the Type to search field to find the specific users in the list.

    Upgrade firmware

    Firmware is software that determines the functionality of the Axis product. Using the latest firmware ensures that your device will have the latest functionality and improvements.

    New firmware can be downloaded using AXIS Camera Station or imported from a file on a hard drive or memory card. Firmware versions that are available for download are shown with the text (Download) after their version numbers. Firmware versions that are available on the local client are shown with the text (File) after their version numbers.

    When you upgrade firmware, you can select the upgrade type:

    • Standard: Upgrade to the selected firmware version and keep the existing setting values.

    • Factory default: Upgrade to the selected firmware version and reset all settings to the factory default values.

    To upgrade firmware:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management and select the devices to configure.

    2. Click , or right-click and select Upgrade firmware.

    3. If some of the devices can't be configured, for example if the devices are inaccessible, the Invalid devices dialog will appear. Click Continue to skip the devices that can't be configured.

    4. The device is not accessible during the process of upgrading firmware, click Yes to continue. If you have acknowledged this and do not want this to show again, select Do not show this dialog again and click Yes.

    5. The Upgrade firmware dialogue lists the device model, number of devices of each model, the existing firmware version, available firmware versions to upgrade and the upgrade type. By default, the devices in the list are pre-selected when new firmware versions are available for download, and the latest firmware version is pre-selected for each device.

      1. To update the list of firmware versions available for download, click Check for updates. To browse for one or more firmware files stored on the local client, click Browse.

      2. Select the devices, the firmware versions that you want to upgrade and the upgrade type.

      3. Click OK to start upgrading the devices in the list.

    Note

    By default, firmware updates are done for all the selected devices at the same time. The update order can be changed. See Firmware upgrade settings.

    Set date and time

    The date and time settings for your Axis devices can be synchronized with the server computer time, with an NTP server, or set manually.

    To set date and time on devices:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Select the device and click or right-click it and select Set date and time.

    3. Device time lists the current date and time for your Axis device. When selecting multiple devices, Device time is not available.

    4. Select the time zone.

      • Select the time zone you want to use with your Axis product from the Time zone drop-down list.

      • Select Automatically adjust for daylight saving time changes if your product is located in an area that uses daylight saving time.

    5. Note

      Time zone can be set when selecting the Synchronize with NTP server or Set manually time mode.

    6. In the Time mode section:

      • Select Synchronize with server computer time to synchronize the date and time of your product with the clock on the server computer, that is, the computer where the AXIS Camera Station server is installed.

      • Select Synchronize with NTP server to synchronize the date and time of your product with an NTP server. Enter the IP address, DNS or hostname of the NTP server in the provided field.

      • Select Set manually to manually set the date and time.

    7. Click OK.

    Set date and time
    Install camera application

    A camera application is software that can be uploaded to and installed on Axis network video products. Applications add functionality to the device, for example detection, recognition, tracking or counting capabilities.

    Some applications can be installed directly from AXIS Camera Station. Other applications must first be downloaded from www.axis.com/global/en/products/analytics-and-other-applications or from the application vendor's website.

    Applications can be installed on devices with support for AXIS Camera Application Platform. Some applications also require a specific firmware version or camera model.

    If the application requires a license, the license key file can be installed at the same time as the application or it can be installed later using the devices' configuration page.

    To obtain the license key file, the license code included with the application must be registered at www.axis.com/se/sv/products/camera-applications/license-key-registration#/registration

    If an application can't be installed, go to www.axis.com and check if the device model and firmware version support AXIS Camera Application Platform.

    Available camera applications:

    AXIS Video Motion Detection 4 –
    An application that detects moving objects within an area of interest. The application does not require any license and can be installed on cameras with firmware 6.50 and later. You can also check the firmware release notes for your product to verify if it supports video motion detection 4.
    AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 –
    An application that detects moving objects within an area of interest. The application does not require any license and can be installed on cameras with firmware 5.60 and later.
    AXIS Video Content Stream –
    An application that enables Axis cameras to send motion object tracking data to AXIS Camera Station. It can be installed on cameras with firmware between 5.50 and 9.59. The use of AXIS Video Content Stream is only permitted when used in combination with AXIS Camera Station.
    Other applications –
    Any application that you want to install. Download the application to your local computer before you start the installation.

    To install camera applications:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Select the cameras that you want to install the applications. Click or right-click and select Install camera application.

    3. Select the camera application that you want to install on the cameras. If you want to install other applications, click Browse and navigate to the local application file. Click Next.

    4. If you have the application installed, you can select Allow application overwrite to reinstall the application, or select Allow application downgrade to install a previous version of the application.

    5. Note

      Downgrade or overwrite the application resets the application settings on the devices.

    6. If a license is required for the application, the Install licenses dialog appears.

      1. Click Yes to start installing a license, and then click Next.

      2. Click Browse and navigate to the license file, and then click Next.

    7. Note

      Installing AXIS Video Motion Detection 2, AXIS Video Motion Detection 4, or AXIS Video Content Stream does not require a license.

    8. Review the information and click Finish. The status of the camera changes from OK to Maintenance and back to OK when the installation is done.

    Security

    The AXIS Camera Station certificate authority (CA) automatically signs and distributes client and server certificates to devices when you enable HTTPS or IEE 802.1X. The CA ignores preinstalled certificates. For more information on how to configure certificates, see Certificates.

    Manage HTTPS or IEEE 802.1X certificates

    Note

    Before enabling IEEE 802.1X, make sure the time on the Axis devices is synchronized in AXIS Camera Station.

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Right-click the devices:

      • Select Security > HTTPS > Enable/Update to enable HTTPS or update the HTTPS settings for the devices.

      • Select Security > IEEE 802.1X > Enable/Update to enable IEEE 802.1X or update the IEEE 802.1X settings for the devices.

      • Select Security > HTTPS > Disable to disable HTTPS for the devices.

      • Select Security > IEEE 802.1X > Disable to disable IEEE 802.1X for the devices.

      • Select Certificates... to get an overview, delete certificates, or get detailed information about a specific certificate.

    3. Note

      When the same certificate is installed on several devices, it is only displayed as one item. Deleting the certificate will remove it from all of the devices on which it is installed.

    Status of HTTPS and IEEE 802.1X

    On the Device management page, the status of HTTPS and IEEE 802.1X is listed.

    StatusDescription
    HTTPSOnAXIS Camera Station uses HTTPS to connect to the device.
    OffAXIS Camera Station uses HTTP to connect to the device.
    UnknownThe device is unreachable.
    Unsupported firmwareHTTPS is not supported because the device firmware is too old.
    Unsupported deviceHTTPS is not supported on this device model.
    IEEE 802.1XEnabledIEEE 802.1X is active on the device.
    DisabledIEEE 802.1X is not active but ready to be activated on the device.
    Unsupported firmwareIEEE 802.1X is not supported because the device firmware is too old.
    Unsupported deviceIEEE 802.1X is not supported on this device model.
    Collect device data

    This option is typically used for troubleshooting purposes. Use this option to generate a .zip file with a data collection report for a specific location on your devices.

    To collect device data:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Right-click the devices, and select Collect device data.

    3. In the Data source on selected devices section:

      • Click Preset and select one from the drop-down list of commonly used commands.

      • Note

        Some presets do not work on all devices. For example, PTZ status does not work on audio devices.

      • Click Custom and specify the URL path to your data collection source on the selected servers.

    4. In the Save as section, specify the file name and folder location for your data collection .zip file.

    5. Select Automatically open folder when ready to open the specified folder when the data collection is done.

    6. Click OK.

    Connection

    To communicate with devices by using the IP address or hostname:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Select the devices, right-click and select Connection.

      • To connect to the devices by using the IP address, select Use IP.

      • To connect to the devices by using the hostname, select Use hostname.

    Tags

    Tags are used to organize devices in the Device management page. A device can have multiple tags.

    Devices can for example be tagged according to model or location. For example, when devices are tagged according to camera model, you can quickly find and upgrade all cameras of that model.

    To tag a device:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Right-click a device and select Tag devices.

    3. Select Use existing tag and select a tag, or select Create a new tag and enter a name for the tag.

    4. Click OK.

    To remove a tag from a device:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management and click at the top right.

    2. In the Tags folder, select a tag. All devices associated with the tag are now displayed.

    3. Select the devices. Right-click and select Untag devices.

    4. Click OK.

    To manage a tag:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management and click at the top right.

    2. In the Device tags page:

      • Right-click Tags and select New tag to create a tag.

      • Right-click a tag, select Rename tag and enter a new name to rename a tag.

      • Right-click a tag, select Delete to delete a tag.

      • Click to pin the Device tags page.

      • Click a tag to display all devices associated with the tag, and click All devices to display all devices connected to AXIS Camera Station.

      • Click Warnings/Errors to display devices that need attention, for example devices that are inaccessible.

    Device configuration tab

    To configure all settings on a single device:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Click the device’s address or hostname to go to the device’s configuration tab.

    3. Change the settings. For information about how to configure your device, see the device’s User Manual.

    4. Close the tab and the device is reloaded to ensure the changes are implemented in AXIS Camera Station.

    Limitations

    • Auto authentication for third-party devices is not supported.

    • General support for third-party devices cannot be guaranteed.

    • The device configuration tab with active video streams increases the load and might impact the performance on the server machine.

    External data sources

    An external data source is a system or source that generates data that can be used to track what happened at the time of each event. See Data search.

    Go to Configuration > Devices > External data sources and a list of all external data sources is displayed. Click a column heading to sort by the content of the column.

    ItemDescription
    NameThe name of the external data source.
    Source keyThe unique identifier of the external data source.
    ViewThe view that the external data source is linked to.
    ServerThe server that the data source is connected to. Only available when connecting to multiple servers.

    An external data source is added automatically when

    • A door is created under Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones.

      For a complete workflow to set up AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller in AXIS Camera Station, see Set up AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller.

    • The first event is received by the device that is configured with AXIS License Plate Verifier.

      For a complete workflow to set up AXIS License Plate Verifier in AXIS Camera Station, see Set up AXIS License Plate Verifier.

    If an external data source is configured with a view, the data generated from the data source is automatically bookmarked in the timeline of the view in the Data search tab. To connect a data source to a view:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > External data sources.

    2. Select an external data source and click Edit.

    3. Select a view from the View drop-down list.

    4. Click OK.

    Time synchronization

    Go to Configuration > Devices > Time synchronization to open the Time synchronization page.

    A list of devices added to AXIS Camera Station is displayed. Right-click the header row and select which columns to show. Drag and drop the headers to display the columns in different order.

    The device list includes the following information:

    • Name: The name of the device or a list of all associated camera names when the device is a video encoder with multiple connected cameras, or a network camera with multiple view areas.

    • Address: The address of the device. Click the link to go to the device's configuration page. It shows the IP address or hostname depending on which one is used when adding the device. See Device configuration tab.

    • MAC address: The MAC address of the device.

    • Model: The model of the device.

    • Enabled: Shows if the time synchronization is enabled.

    • NTP source: The NTP source configured for the device.

      • Static: The NTP servers on the device are specified manually under Primary NTP server and Secondary NTP server.

      • DHCP: The device receives the NTP server dynamically from the network. Primary NTP server and Secondary NTP server are not available when DHCP is selected.

    • Primary NTP server: The primary NTP server configured for the device. Only available when Static is selected.

    • Secondary NTP server: The secondary NTP server configured for the device. Only available for Axis devices that support secondary NTP and when Static is selected.

    • Server time offset: The time difference between the device and the server.

    • UTC time: The coordinated universal time on the device.

    • Synced: Shows if the time synchronization settings are actually applied. This is only available for device with firmware 9.1 or later.

    • Time to next sync: The remaining time to next synchronization.

    The Windows Time service (W32Time) uses the Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize the date and time for AXIS Camera Station server. The following information is displayed:

    • Server: The AXIS Camera Station server on which the Windows Time service is running.

    • Status: The status of the Windows Time service. Either Running or Stopped.

    • NTP server: The NTP server configured for the Windows Time service.

    Configure time synchronization
    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Time synchronization.

    2. Select your devices and select Enable time synchronization.

    3. Select the NTP source Static or DHCP.

    4. If you have selected Static, configure the primary and secondary NTP server.

    5. To receive alarm for time difference larger than 2 seconds, select Send alarm when the time difference between server and device is larger than 2 seconds.

    6. Click Apply.

    Configure storage

    Go to Configuration > Storage > Management to open the Manage storage page. A list of the local storage and network storage that have been added to AXIS Camera Station is displayed. This page contains the following information:

    ItemDescription
    The list displays the following information.
    LocationThe path and name of the storage.
    AllocatedThe maximum amount of storage delegated to recordings.
    UsedThe amount of storage space being currently used for recordings.
    Status

    The storage status. Possible values are:

    • OK

    • Storage full: The storage is full. The unlocked, oldest recordings will be overwritten.

    • Unavailable: The storage information is currently unavailable. For example, if a network storage has been removed or disconnected.

    • Intruding data: Data from other applications use storage space allocated for AXIS Camera Station. Or, there are recordings with no database connection, so-called non-indexed recordings, in the storage space allocated for AXIS Camera Station.

    • No permissions: The user is not authorized to read or write to the storage.

    • Low space: The drive has less than 15 GB of free space, which AXIS Camera Station considers too low. To prevent errors or corruption, AXIS Camera Station performs a forced cleanup, regardless of the placement of the storage slider, to protect the drive. During the forced cleanup, AXIS Camera Station prevents recording until more than 15 GB of storage is available.

    • Insufficient capacity: The total disk size is less than 32 GB, which is not enough for AXIS Camera Station.

    AXIS OS Recorders supporting RAID can also have the following statuses:

    • Online: The RAID system works as it should. There is a redundancy in case one of the physical disks in the RAID system breaks down.

    • Degraded: One of the physical disks in the RAID system is broken. It's still possible to record and play recordings from the storage, but there is no redundancy. If another physical disk breaks, the RAID status changes to Failure. We recommend replacing the broken physical disk as soon as possible. After you have replaced a broken disk, the RAID status changes from Degraded to Syncing.

    • Syncing: The RAID disks are synchronizing. It's possible to record and play recordings from the storage, but there is no redundancy if a physical disk breaks down. Once the physical disks are synchronized, there's redundancy in the RAID system, and the RAID status changes to Online.

    • Important

      Never remove a RAID disk while synchronizing. This can lead to disk failure.

    • Failure: Several physical disks in the RAID system have failed. When this happens, all recordings in the storage are lost, and recording is only possible once you have replaced the broken physical disks.

    ServerThe server where the local storage or network storage is.
    The Overview section displays the following information for a selected storage.
    UsedAmount of storage space currently used by recordings that is indexed in the database. If a file is in the recording directory but not indexed in the database, the file is not calculated in this category. See Collect non-indexed files in Manage storage.
    FreeAmount of storage space left on the storage location. This is the same amount as “Space free” shown in Windows properties for the storage location.
    Other dataAmount of storage space taken up by the files that are not indexed recordings and therefore unknown to AXIS Camera Station.
    Other data = Total capacity - used space - free space
    Total capacityThe total amount of storage space. This is the same amount as “Total size” shown in Windows properties for the storage location.
    AllocatedThe amount of storage space that AXIS Camera Station is allowed to use for recordings. You can adjust the slider and click Apply to adjust the allocated space.
    The Network storage section is only available for a selected network storage.
    PathThe path of the network storage path.
    UsernameThe username used to connect to the network storage.
    PasswordThe password for the username used to connect to the network storage.

    Manage storage

    Go to Configuration > Storage > Management to open the Manage storage page. In this page, you can specify the folder to store recordings. To prevent the storage from becoming full, a maximum percentage of total capacity to be used by AXIS Camera Station should be set. Additional local storage and network drives can be added for security and more space.

    Note
    • When connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, you can add a local storage or shared network drive on any connected server by selecting the server from the Selected server drop-down list.
    • When the Service is logged on using the System account, you can't add network drives linking to shared folders on other computers. See Network storage is not accessible.
    • The local storage or network storage can't be removed if cameras are set to record to it or it contains recordings.

    Add a local storage or shared network drive

    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management and click Add.

    2. To add a local storage, select Local storage and select a storage from the drop-down list.

    3. To add a shared network drive, select Shared network drive and enter the path to a shared network drive. For example: \\ip_address\share. Click OK and enter the username and password for the shared network drive.

    4. Click OK.

    Remove a local storage or shared network drive

    To remove a local storage or shared network drive, select a local storage or shared network drive from the storage list and click Remove.

    Add a folder for new recordings

    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management and select a local storage or shared network drive from the storage list.

    2. Enter a folder name in the Folder for new recordings field to change the location where recordings will be stored.

    3. Click Apply.

    Adjust storage capacity

    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management and select a local storage or shared network drive from the storage list.

    2. Move the slide bar to set the maximum space to be used by AXIS Camera Station in the Overview section.

    3. Click Apply.

    Note
    • We recommend leaving at least 5% of the disk space free for optimal performance.
    • The requirement for the minimum space of a storage added to AXIS Camera Station is 32 GB with at least 15 GB of free space available.
    • If there is less than 15 GB of free space available, AXIS Camera Station will automatically start deleting old recordings to free up space.

    Collect non-indexed files

    Non-indexed files can make up a substantial part of the Other data on the storage. The non-indexed file is any data in the recording folder that is not part of the current database. The file could contain recordings from previous installations or data lost when a restore point is used.

    The collected files are not deleted, but collected and placed in the Non-indexed files folder on the recording storage. The storage can be located on the same computer as the client, or on a remote server depending on your configuration. To access the Non-indexed files folder, you need access to that server.

    The data in the folder is placed in the order of where it was found. That means the content is divided first by server and then devices connected to that particular server.

    You can choose to either look for a particular recording or log you have lost, or simply delete the contents to free up space.

    To collect non-indexed files for review or removal:

    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management and select a local storage or shared network drive from the storage list.

    2. In the Collect non-indexed files section, click Collect to initiate a task.

    3. When the task is done, go to the Tasks tab and double-click the task to view the result.

    Select storage devices to connect

    Go to Configuration > Storage > Selection to open the Select storage page. This page features a list of all cameras that have been added to AXIS Camera Station and you can specify the number of days to keep recordings for specific cameras. When selected, the storage information can be seen under Recording Storage. Multiple cameras can be configured at the same time.

    This page contains the following information:

    ItemDescription
    NameThe name of the device or a list of all associated camera names when the device is a video encoder with multiple connected cameras, or a network camera with multiple view areas.
    AddressThe address of the device. Click the link to go to the device's configuration page. It shows the IP address or hostname depending on which one is used when adding the device. See Device configuration tab.
    MAC addressThe MAC address of the device.
    ManufacturerThe manufacturer of the device.
    ModelThe model of the device.
    Used storageThe amount of storage space being currently used for recordings.
    LocationThe path and name of the storage.
    Retention timeThe retention time configured for the camera.
    Oldest recordingThe time of the oldest recording from the camera kept in the storage.
    Failover recordingShows if failover recording is enabled for the camera.
    Fallback recordingShows if fallback recording is enabled for the camera.
    ServerThe server where the local storage or network storage is.

    The storage solution for every camera is configured when cameras are added to AXIS Camera Station. To edit storage settings for a camera:

    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Selection and select the camera to edit the storage settings. Use the Type to search field to find specific cameras.

    2. In the Recording storage section:

      • In the Store to field, select the storage to save recordings to from the drop-down list. Available options are the local storage and network storage that were created.

      • Select Failover recording to store the recordings to the camera's SD card when the connection between AXIS Camera Station and the camera is lost. Once the connection is restored, the failover recordings are transferred to AXIS Camera Station.

      • Note

        This feature can only be used for cameras that have an SD card and firmware 5.20 or later.

      • Select Unlimited retention time to keep recordings until the storage becomes full. Otherwise, select Limited to set the maximum number of days to keep recordings.

      • Note

        If the amount of storage space reserved for AXIS Camera Station becomes full, recordings may be deleted before the designated number of days.

      • Specify the number of days to keep your recordings.

    3. Click Apply.

    Configure recording and events

    When you add cameras to AXIS Camera Station, it automatically configures motion recording or continuous recording. You can later change the recording method to suit your needs, go to Recording method.

    Motion recording

    It’s possible to use motion detection with all Axis network cameras and video encoders. To only record when a camera detects motion considerably saves storage space compared to continuous recording. In Recording method, you can turn on and configure Motion detection. You can, for example, configure the settings if the camera detects too many or few moving objects or if the size of the recorded files is too large for the available storage space.

    To configure motion recording:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select a camera.

    3. Turn on Motion detection to use motion recording.

    4. Edit Video settings.

    5. Select a schedule or click New to create a new schedule. To lower the impact on your storage space, only record during specific time periods.

    6. Set a time interval between two successive triggers in Trigger period to reduce the number of successive recordings.

      If an additional trigger occurs within this interval, the recording continues and the trigger period restarts.

    7. Click Motion settings to configure the motion detection settings, such as number of detectable objects. Available settings are different for different cameras, see  Edit built-in motion detection and Edit AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4.

    8. Click Apply.

    Note

    You can use action rules to configure motion recording. Make sure to turn off Motion detection in Recording method before you use action rules.

    Profile

    Select a Profile in the drop-down menu, High profile is default. Use a lower resolution to decrease the recording size. To edit profile settings, see Stream profiles.

    Prebuffer

    Set the number of seconds before the detected motion to include in a recording.

    Postbuffer

    Set the number of seconds after the detected motion to include in a recording.

    Raise alarm

    Select Raise alarm to raise an alarm when the camera detects motion.

    Configure motion detection

    Continuous and scheduled recording

    Continuous recording saves images continuously and requires therefore more storage space than other recording options. To reduce the file size, consider motion detected recording.

    To configure continuous recording:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select a camera.

    3. Turn on Continuous to use continuous recording.

    4. Select a Profile in the drop-down menu, Medium profile is default. Use a lower resolution to reduce the recording size. To edit profile settings, see Stream profiles.

    5. Select a schedule or click New to create a new schedule. To lower the impact on your storage space, only record during specific time periods.

    6. Turn on Average bitrate and set Max storage. The system shows the estimated average bitrate based on the specified max storage and retention time. The maximum average bitrate is 50000 Kbit/s. See Configure average bitrate.

    7. Click Apply.

    Manual recording

    For more information on how to record manually, see Record manually.

    To configure manual recording settings:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Under Manual, edit Video settings.

    3. Click Apply.

    Profile

    Select a Profile in the drop-down menu, High profile is default. Use a lower resolution to reduce the recording size. To edit profile settings, see Stream profiles.

    Prebuffer

    Set the number of seconds before the detected motion to include in a recording.

    Postbuffer

    Set the number of seconds after the detected motion to include in a recording.

    Rule triggered recording

    A rule triggered recording starts and stops according to a rule created in Action rules. You can use rules, for example, to generate recordings triggered by signals from I/O ports, tampering attempts, or AXIS Cross Line Detection. A rule can have several triggers.

    To create rule triggered recording, see Action rules.

    Note

    If you use a rule to configure motion recording, make sure to turn off motion recording to avoid duplicate recordings.

    Failover recording

    Use failover recording to make sure you can save recordings when you lose connection to AXIS Camera Station. The camera saves recordings to the SD card if the connection is down for more than 10 seconds. The camera must have an SD card and firmware 5.20 or later. Failover recording only affects H.264 recordings.

    To turn on failover recording:

    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Selection.

    2. Select a camera that supports failover recording.

    3. Select Failover recording.

    4. Click Apply.

    Note

    Restart of the AXIS Camera Station server doesn’t trigger failover recordings. For example, when you run Database maintainer, restart AXIS Camera Station Service Control, or restart the computer where the server is installed.

    When there is a connection again, AXIS Camera Station imports the failover recording and marks it with a dark grey color in the timeline. The camera stores the last 10 seconds of a stream in its internal memory to try to compensate for the 10 seconds delay before the failover recording triggers. Short gaps of about 1–4 seconds can still appear. Failover recording works differently depending on the recording method.

    Recording methods

    Motion detection with prebuffer

    In case of disconnection for more than 10 seconds, failover recording turns on. The camera continuously records to the SD card until the connection is back or the SD card becomes full.

    Motion detection without prebuffer

    • In case of disconnection for more than 10 seconds when motion recording is not ongoing, failover recording doesn’t turn on even if motion is detected.

    • In case of disconnection for more than 10 seconds when motion recording is ongoing, failover recording turns on. The camera continuously records to the SD card until the connection is back or the SD card becomes full.

    Continuous recording

    In case of disconnection for more than 10 seconds, failover recording turns on. The camera continuously records to the SD card until the connection is back or the SD card becomes full.

    Use SD card for failover recording

    Fallback recording

    You can turn on fallback recording on a device that uses AXIS S3008 Recorder as recording storage. Once you turn on fallback recording, the device automatically starts a continuous recording when you lose the connection between AXIS Camera Station and the recorder. The device uses medium stream profile for fallback recording.

    Note
    • It requires AXIS Camera Station 5.36 or later, AXIS S3008 Recorder firmware 10.4 or later, Axis device firmware 5.50 or later.
    • If there is an ongoing continuous recording when fallback recording starts, a new continuous recording starts. The system creates duplicates of the stream on the recorder.

    To turn on fallback recording:

    1. Make sure that you have added AXIS S3008 Recorder and the devices and selected the recorder as recording storage for the device. See Set up AXIS S3008 Recorder.

    2. Go to Configuration > Storage > Selection.

    3. Select the device and select Fallback recording.

    4. Click Apply.

    Recording method

    AXIS Camera Station automatically configures motion recording or continuous recording when you add devices.

    A check mark in the list shows what recording method a device uses. To customize profile settings for video and audio, see Stream profiles.

    To change the recording method:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select one or multiple devices.

      For devices of the same model, you can configure multiple devices at the same time.

    3. In the Recording method screen, turn on or off a recording method.

    Note

    View areas don’t support motion detection.

    Configure average bitrate

    With average bitrate, the bitrate automatically adjusts over a longer time. This is so that you can meet the target bitrate and provide good video quality based on the specified storage.

    Note
    • This option is only available for continuous recording and the cameras must support average bitrate and have firmware 9.40 or later.
    • The average bitrate settings affect the quality of the selected stream profile.
    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Selection and make sure you have set a limited retention time for the camera.

    2. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles and make sure you use H.264 or H.265 format for the profile used for continuous recording.

    3. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    4. Select the camera and turn on Continuous.

    5. Under Video settings, select the video profile that you configured.

    6. Turn on Average bitrate and set Max storage. The system shows the estimated average bitrate based on the specified max storage and retention time. The maximum average bitrate is 50000 Kbit/s.

    7. Note

      Max storage means the maximum space for the recordings over the retention time. It only guarantees that the recordings don’t exceed the specified space, it doesn’t guarantee that there is enough space for the recordings.

    8. Click Apply.

    Edit AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4

    AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4 are camera applications you can install on products with support for AXIS Camera Application Platform. When you install AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 or 4 on the camera, motion detection detects moving objects within an area of interest. Motion detection 2 requires firmware 5.60 or later, and AXIS Video Motion Detection 4 requires firmware 6.50 or later. You can also check the firmware release notes for your product to verify if it supports video motion detection 4.

    If you select motion recording when you add cameras to AXIS Camera Station, AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4 installs on cameras with the required firmware. Cameras without the required firmware use the built-in motion detection. You can install the application manually from the device management page. See Install camera application.

    With AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4, you can create:

    • Area of interest: An area in a recording where the camera detects moving objects. The feature ignores objects outside the area of interest. The area displays on top of the video image in the form of a polygon. The area can have 3 to 20 points (corners).

    • Area to exclude: An area within the area of interest that ignores moving objects.

    • Ignore filters: Create filters to ignore the moving objects detected by the application. Use as few filters as possible and configure the filters with care to make sure not to ignore important objects. Use and configure one filter at a time.

      • Short-lived objects: This filter ignores objects that only appear a short time in the image. For example, light beams from a passing car and shadows that moves quickly. Set the minimum time that objects must appear in the image to trigger an alarm. The time starts from the moment that the application detects the object. The filter delays alarms and don’t trigger them if the object disappears from the image within the specified time.

      • Small objects: This filter ignores objects that are small, for example small animals. Set the width and height as a percentage of the total image. The filter ignores objects that are smaller than the specified width and height and don’t trigger alarms. The object must be smaller than both the width and height values for the filter to ignore it.

      • Swaying objects: This filter ignores objects that only move a short distance, for example swaying foliage, and flags and their shadows. Set distance as a percentage of the total image. The filter ignores objects that move a shorter distance than the distance from the center of the ellipse to one of the arrowheads. The ellipse is a measure of movement and applies to all movement in the image.

    To configure motion settings:

    Note

    Settings made here changes the settings in the camera.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select a camera with AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 or 4, and click Motion Settings.

    3. Edit the area of interest.

    4. Edit the exclude area.

    5. Create ignore filters.

    6. Click Apply.

    Add a new point

    To add a new point to your area of interest, click the line between two points.

    Remove Point

    To remove a point from your area of interest, click the point and click Remove Point.

    Add Exclude Area

    To create an exclude area, click Add Exclude Area and click the line between two points.

    Remove Exclude Area

    To remove an exclude area, click Remove Exclude Area.

    Short lived objects filter

    To use a for short-lived objects filter, select Short lived objects filter and use the Time slider to adjust the minimum time that objects must appear in the image to trigger an alarm.

    Small objects filter

    To use a small objects filter, select Small objects filter and use the Width and Height sliders to adjust the size of the ignored objects.

    Swaying objects filter

    To use a swaying objects filter, select Swaying objects filter and use the Distance slider to adjust the size of the ellipse.

    Edit built-in motion detection

    With built-in motion detection, the camera detects motion within one or more include area and ignores all other motion. An include area is an area that detects motion. You can place an exclude area within an include area to ignore motion. It’s possible to use multiple include and exclude areas.

    To add and edit an include area:

    Note

    Settings made here changes settings in the camera.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select a camera with built-in motion detection, and click Motion Settings.

    3. Click Add in the Window section.

    4. Select Include.

    5. To only see the area you edit, select Show selected window.

    6. Move and resize the shape in the video image. This is the include area.

    7. Adjust Object size, History, and Sensitivity manually.

    8. To use the predefined settings. Select Low, Moderate, High, or Very High. Low detects larger objects with a shorter history. Very High detects smaller objects with a longer history.

    9. In the Activity section, review the detected motion in the include area. Red peaks indicate motion. Use the Activity field when you adjust Object size, History, and Sensitivity.

    10. Click OK.

    Object size

    Object size relative to the region size. The camera detects only very large objects at a high level. At a low level it detects even very small objects.

    History

    Object memory length defines how long an object needs to be in an area before it’s considered to be non-moving. At a high level an object triggers motion detection for a long period of time. At a low level an object triggers motion detection for a short period of time. If no objects should appear in the area, select a very high history level. This triggers motion detection if the object is present in the area.

    Sensitivity

    Difference in luminance between the background and the object. With high sensitivity, the camera detects ordinary colored object on ordinary backgrounds. With low sensitivity, it detects only very bright objects on a dark background. To detect only flashing light, select a low sensitivity. In other cases, we recommend a high sensitivity level.

    To add and edit an exclude area:

    1. In the Edit Motion Detection screen, click Add in the Window section.

    2. Select Exclude.

    3. Move and resize the shaded shape in the video image.

    4. Click OK.

    To remove an include or exclude area:

    1. In the Edit Motion Detection screen, select an area to remove.

    2. Click Remove.

    3. Click OK.

    I/O ports

    Many cameras and video encoders have I/O ports for connection of external devices. Some auxiliary devices also have I/O ports.

    There are two types of I/O ports:

    Input port –
    Use to connect to devices that can toggle between an open and closed circuit. For example, door and window contacts, smoke detectors, glass break detectors, and PIRs (Passive Infrared Detector).
    Output port –
    Use to connect to devices such as relays, doors, locks, and alarms. AXIS Camera Station can control devices connected to output ports.
    Note
    • When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, you can select any connected server from the Selected server drop-down menu to add and manage I/O ports.
    • Administrators can turn off I/O ports for users. See Configure user permissions.

    Action rules use I/O ports as triggers or actions. Triggers use input signals, for example, when AXIS Camera Station receives a signal from a device connected to an input port, it performs the specified actions. Actions use output ports, for example when a rule activates, AXIS Camera Station can activate or deactivate a device connected to an output port. See Action rules.

    For information about how to connect devices and how to configure I/O ports, see the Axis product's User manual or Installation Guide. Some products have ports that can act as input or output.

    You can control output ports manually. See Monitor I/O ports.

    Add I/O ports

    To add I/O ports:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > I/O ports.

    2. Click Add to view a list of I/O ports you can add.

    3. Select the port and click OK.

    4. Review the information in Type and Device. Change the information if necessary.

    5. Enter a name in Port, Active State, and Inactive State. The names also show in Action rules, Logs, and I/O Monitoring.

    6. For output ports, you can set the initial state for when AXIS Camera Station connects with the device. Select On startup set to and select the initial state in the State drop-down menu.

    Edit

    To edit a port, select the port and click Edit. In the pop-up dialog, update the port information and click OK.

    Remove

    To remove a port, select the port and click Remove.

    Reload I/O Ports

    If you configure the I/O ports from the device configuration page, click Reload I/O Ports to update the list.

    Monitor I/O ports
    Note

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, you can select any connected server in Selected server drop-down menu to monitor I/O ports.

    To control output ports manually:

    1. Go to > Actions > I/O Monitoring.

    2. Select an output port.

    3. Click Change state.

    Action rules

    AXIS Camera Station uses rules to configure actions. A rule is a set of conditions that define how and when actions should be performed. With action rules you can reduce the number of recordings, interact with devices connected to I/O ports, and alert operators about important events.

    Note
    • When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, you can select any connected server in Selected Server drop-down menu to create and manage action rules.
    • For third-party devices, the available actions can differ between devices. Many of these actions can require additional configuration of the device.

    Create a new rule

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Create triggers to define when to activate a rule. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Next.

    5. Create actions to define what happens when the rule activates. See Add actions.

    6. Click Next.

    7. Create a schedule for when to use the action rule. This reduces the amount of events and recordings. See Schedules.

    8. Click Next.

    9. Review the information in the Details screen.

    10. Enter a name for the rule, and click Finish to use the rule.

    Edit

    To edit an existing rule, select the rule and click Edit.

    Copy

    To copy an existing rule, select the rule and click Copy.

    Remove

    To remove an existing rule, select the rule and click Remove.

    Always

    Select Always to always have the rule active.

    Custom schedule

    Select Custom schedule and select a schedule from the drop-down menu. You can create a new schedule or edit an existing schedule.

    Add triggers

    Triggers activate rules and a rule can have multiple triggers. As long as one of the triggers stays active, the rule stays active. If all triggers must be active for the rule to be active, select All triggers must be active simultaneously to trigger the actions. Increase the trigger period if you use this setting on pulse triggers. Pulse triggers are triggers that are active momentarily.

    The following triggers are available:

    Motion detection –
    Registered motion within a defined area activates the motion detection trigger. See Create motion detection triggers.
    Always active –
    This trigger is always on. You can combine it with a schedule to determine exactly when you want a rule active.
    Active tampering alarm –
    The tampering trigger activates when you reposition the device, something covers the lens, or the lens is severely out of focus. See Create active tampering alarm triggers.
    AXIS Cross Line Detection –
    AXIS Cross Line Detection is an application for cameras and video encoders. The application detects moving objects that cross a virtual line, and you can, for example, use it to monitor entrance and exit points. See Create AXIS Cross Line Detection triggers.
    System event and error –
    A system event and error trigger activates when recording errors occur, a storage becomes full, contact with a network storage fails, or one or more devices loses connection. See Create system event and error triggers.
    Input/Output –
    The Input/Output (I/O) trigger activates when a device's I/O port receives a signal from, for example, a connected door, smoke detector, or switch. See Create input/output triggers.
    Device event –
    This trigger uses events directly from the camera or auxiliary device. Use this if no suitable trigger is available in AXIS Camera Station. See Create device event triggers.
    Action button –
    Use the action buttons to start and stop actions from live view. You can use one button in different rules. See Create action button triggers.
    AXIS Entry Manager event –
    This trigger activates when AXIS Camera Station receives signals from doors configured in AXIS Entry Manager. For example, doors forced to open, open too long, or denied access. See Create AXIS Entry Manager event triggers.
    External HTTPS –
    The external HTTPS trigger makes it possible for external applications to trigger events in AXIS Camera Station through HTTPS communication. See Create external HTTPS triggers.
    Create motion detection triggers

    The motion detection trigger activates when the camera detects motion within a defined area. Since the camera processes the detection it doesn’t add any processing load to AXIS Camera Station server.

    Note

    Don’t use motion detection triggers to start recordings together with motion recording in the camera. Turn off motion recording before you use motion detection triggers. To turn off motion recording, go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    To create an motion detection trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select Motion detection.

    4. Click OK.

    5. In the pop-up screen:

      1. Select the camera that should detect motion.

      2. Set a time interval between two successive to reduce the number of successive recordings. If an additional trigger occurs within this interval, the recording continues and the trigger period restarts.

      3. Click Motion settings to configure motion detection settings. Available settings are different for different cameras. See Edit built-in motion detection and Edit AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4.

    6. Click OK.

    Create active tampering alarm triggers

    The active tampering alarm trigger activates when you reposition the camera, something covers the lens, or the lens is severely out of focus. Since the device processes the tampering detection, it doesn’t add any processing load to AXIS Camera Station server.

    Active tampering alarm is available for cameras with support for camera tampering and with firmware 5.11 or later.

    To create an active tampering alarm trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select Activate tampering alarm.

    4. Click OK.

    5. In Trigger on, select the camera to use.

    6. Click OK.

    Create AXIS Cross Line Detection triggers

    AXIS Cross Line Detection is an application for cameras and video encoders. The application detects moving objects that cross a virtual line and activates the trigger. You can also, for example, use it to monitor entrance and exit points. Since the camera processes the detection, it doesn’t add any processing load to AXIS Camera Station server. 

    You can only install the application on devices with support for AXIS Camera Application Platform. To use AXIS Cross Line Detection as a trigger, you have to download the application from axis.com and install it on the devices. See Install camera application.

    To create an AXIS Cross Line Detection trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select AXIS Cross Line Detection.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Click Refresh to update the list.

    6. Select the camera to use from the Trigger on drop-down menu.

      You can only select cameras with AXIS Cross Line Detection installed.

    7. Set a time interval between two successive triggers in Trigger period to reduce the number of successive recordings.

      If an additional trigger occurs within this interval, the recording continues and the trigger period restarts.

    8. Click AXIS Cross Line Detection settings to open the Applications page of the camera in a web browser. For information on available settings, see the documentation provided with AXIS Cross Line Detection.

    9. Note

      To configure AXIS Cross Line Detection, use Internet Explorer and set the browser to allow ActiveX controls. If asked, click Yes to install AXIS Media Control.

    Create system event and error triggers

    Select one or more system events and errors to use as triggers. Examples of system events are recording errors, a full storage, contact with a network storage fails, and one or more devices loses connection.

    To create a system event and error trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select System event and error.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Select a system event or error to create the trigger.

    6. Click OK.

    On recording error

    Select On recording error to activate the trigger when errors occur during recording, for example if a camera stops streaming.

    On full storage

    Select On full storage to activate the trigger when a storage for recordings is full.

    On no contact with network storage

    Select On no contact with network storage to activate the trigger when there is problem to access a network storage.

    On lost connection to camera

    Select On lost connection to camera to activate the trigger when there is problem to contact the cameras.

    • Select All to include all the cameras added to AXIS Camera Station.

    • Choose Selected and click Cameras to show a list of all cameras added to AXIS Camera Station. Use Select all to select all cameras or Deselect all to deselect all cameras.

    Create input/output triggers

    The input/output (I/O) trigger activates when a device's I/O port receives a signal from, for example, a connected door, smoke detector, or switch.

    Note

    Add the I/O port to AXIS Camera Station before you use an I/O trigger. See I/O ports.

    To create an input/output trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select Input/Output.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Under Trigger port and state, configure the I/O port and trigger settings.

    6. Click OK.

    Trigger port and state

    I/O port

    In I/O port, select the input or output port.

    Trigger state

    In Trigger state, select the I/O port state that should activate the trigger. Available states depend on the port’s configuration.

    Trigger period

    Set an interval time between two successive triggers in Trigger period to reduce the number of successive recordings.

    If an additional trigger occurs within this interval, the recording continues and the trigger period restarts.

    Create device event triggers

    This trigger uses events directly from the camera or auxiliary device. Use this if the is no suitable trigger available in AXIS Camera Station. The events differ between the cameras and have one or more filters that must be set. Filters are conditions that must be fulfilled for the device event trigger to activate. For information about events and filters for Axis products, see the VAPIX® documentation on axis.com/partners and axis.com/vapix

    To create a device event trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select Device event.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Under Configure device event trigger, configure the event trigger.

    6. Note

      Available events depend on the selected device. For third-party devices, many of these events require additional configuration in the device.

    7. Under Filters, select the filters.

    8. Under Activity, review the current state of the device event trigger as a function of time. An event can be stateful or stateless. A step function represents the activity of a stateful event . A straight line that is interrupted by pulses when the event is triggered represents the activity of a stateless event.

    9. Click OK.

    Configure device event trigger

    Device

    In Device, select the camera or auxiliary device.

    Event

    In Event, select the event to use as trigger.

    Trigger period

    Set a time interval between two successive triggers in Trigger period to reduce the number of successive recordings.

    If an additional trigger occurs within this interval, the recording continues and the trigger period restarts.

    Examples of device events
    CategoryDevice event
    AmplifierAmplifier overload
    Audio ControlDigital signal status
    AudioSourceAudio detection
    AuthorizationAccess request granted
    Access request denied
    CallState
    State change
    Network quality
    SIP account status
    Incoming video
    CasingCasing open
    DeviceRing power overcurrent protection
    Device sensorsSystem ready
    PIR sensor
    Device statusSystem ready
    DoorDoor forced
    Door installation tampering detected
    Door locked
    Door open too long
    Door position
    Door unlocked
    Event bufferBegin
    Event loggerDropped alarms
    Dropped events
    Alarm
    FanStatus
    GlobalSceneChangeImage service
    Hardware FailureStorage failure
    Fan failure
    HeaterStatus
    Input portsVirtual input
    Digital input port
    Manual trigger
    Supervised input port
    Digital output port
    External input
    LightStatus
    LightStatusChangedStatus
    MediaProfile changed
    Configuration changed
    MonitorHeatbeat
    MotionRegionDetectorMotion
    NetworkNetwork lost
    Only applicable for events used by the device, not applicable for events used by AXIS Camera Station.
    Address added
    Address removed
    PTZ movingPTZ movement on channel <channel name>
    PTZ presetsPTZ preset reached on channel <channel name>
    PTZControllerAuto tracking
    PTZ control queue
    PTZ error
    PTZ ready
    Recording ConfigCreate recording
    Delete recording
    Track configuration
    Recording configuration
    Recording job configuration
    Remote cameraVapix status
    PTZ position
    SchedulePulse
    Interval
    Scheduled event
    StateActive
    StorageStorage disruption
    Recording ongoing
    System messageAction failed
    TamperingTilt detected
    Shock detected
    Temperature sensorsAbove operating temperature
    Below operating temperature
    Within operating temperature
    Above or below operating temperature
    TriggerRelays and outputs
    Digital input
    Video Motion DetectionVMD 4: profile <profile name>
    VMD 4: any profile
    Video Motion Detection 3VMD 3
    Video sourceMotion alarm
    Live stream accessed
    Day night vision
    Camera tampering
    Average bitrate degradation
    Video source connected
    AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller device events
    CategoryDevice eventTrigger the action rule
    AuthorizationAccess request grantedA cardholder gets access to a door when they identify themselves with a specific PIN code, card number, or access rule.
    Access request deniedA cardholder doesn’t get access to a door when they identify themselves with a specific PIN code, card number, or card UID.
    CasingCasing openSomeone has opened or removed the casing of the network door controller. Use, for example, to send a notification to the administrator if the casing is open for maintenance purposes or if someone tampered with the casing.
    Device statusSystem readyThe system is in state ready. For example, the Axis product detects the system state and sends a notification to the administrator when the system has started. Select Yes to trigger the action rule when the product is in state ready. Note that the rule will only trigger when all necessary services, such as event system, has started.
    DoorDoor forcedThe door is forced open.
    Door installation tampering detectedWhen the following is detected:
    • Device casing is open or closed

    • Device motion

    • Removal of the connected reader from wall

    • Tampering with connected door monitor, reader, or REX device. To use this trigger, make sure to turn on Supervised input and inspect the installation of the end of line resistors on the relevant door connector input ports.

    Door lockedThe door lock is locked.
    Door open too longThe door is open too long.
    Door positionThe door monitor indicates that the door is open or closed.
    Door unlockedThe door lock stays unlocked. For example, you can use this state when there are visitors allowed to open the door without the requirement to present their credentials.
    Input portsVirtual inputOne of the virtual inputs changes states. A client, such as a management, can use it to initiate various actions. Select the input port that should trigger the action rule when it becomes active.
    Digital input portA digital input port changes state. Use this trigger to initiate various actions, for example, send notification or flash the status LED. Select the input port that should trigger the action rule when it becomes active or select Any to trigger the action rule when one of the input port becomes active.
    Manual triggerActivates the manual trigger. Use this trigger to manually start or stop the action rule through the VAPIX API.
    External inputThe emergency input is active or inactive.
    NetworkNetwork lostThe network loses connection.
    Only applicable for events used by the device, not applicable for events used by AXIS Camera Station.
    AddressAddedA new IP address is added.
    AddressRemovedThe IP address is removed.
    ScheduleScheduled eventA predefined schedule changes state. Use it to record video in specific time periods, for example, during office hours, at weekends etc. Select a schedule in the Schedule drop-down menu.
    System messageAction failedAn action rule fails and triggers the action failed system message.
    TriggerDigitalInputA physical digital input port is active or inactive.
    Create action button triggers

    Use action buttons to start and stop actions in Live view. You can find the action buttons on the bottom of the live view or in a map. You can use one button for multiple cameras and maps, and there can be multiple action buttons for one camera or a map. You can arrange the buttons for a camera when you add or edit the action button.

    There are two types of action buttons:

    Command buttons –
    Used to manually start an action. Use command buttons for actions that don’t require a stop button. A command button has a button label and a tooltip. The button label is the text shown on the button. Hover over the button with the mouse to show the tooltip.
    Example: Create a button to activate an output for a predefined time, raise an alarm, and send email.
    Toggle buttons –
    Use to manually start and stop an action. The button has two states: toggle and untoggle. Click the button to switch between the two states. By default, toggle buttons start the action when in the toggle state, but it’s also possible to start the action in the untoggle state.
    A toggle button has a toggle label, an untoggle label, and a tooltip. The texts shown on the buttons in the toggle and untoggle states are the toggle and untoggle labels. Hover over the button with the mouse to show the tooltip.
    Example: Create a button to open and close doors, use output action with pulse set to "as long as any trigger is active".

    To create an action button trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select Action Button.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Select Create new button or Use existing button. Click Next.

    6. If you select Create new button:

      1. Select Command button or Toggle button. If you want to use the toggle button to start the action in the untoggle state, select Trigger on untoggle.

      2. Click Next.

      3. Add labels and tooltip for the button.

    7. Note

      The letter or number after the first underscore in an action button label becomes the access key to the action button. Press ALT and the access key to activate the action button. For example, when you name an action button as A_BC, the action button name changes to ABC in live view. Press ALT + B and the action button activates.

    8. If you select Use existing button:

      1. Search for the button or click the button that you want to use.

      2. If you select to use an existing toggle button, you must select Trigger on toggle or Trigger on untoggle.

      3. Click Next.

      4. Edit the labels and tooltip of the button.

    9. Select the camera or map from the drop-down menu.

    10. To add the button to multiple cameras or maps, click Add to multiple cameras or Add to multiple maps.

    11. If a camera has multiple action buttons, click Arrange to edit the order of the buttons. Click OK.

    12. Click Next.

    Create AXIS Entry Manager event triggers

    The trigger activates when AXIS Camera Station receives signals from doors configured in AXIS Entry Manager. For example, doors forced to open, doors open too long, or denied access.

    Note

    The AXIS Entry Manager event trigger is only available when you add AXIS A1001 Network Door Controller to AXIS Camera Station.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select AXIS Entry Manager event.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Select an event and door to activate the trigger.

    6. Click OK.

    Create external HTTPS triggers

    The external HTTPS trigger makes it possible for external applications to trigger events in AXIS Camera Station through HTTPS communication. This trigger only supports HTTPS communication and requires that you provide the valid AXIS Camera Station username including domain name and password in the HTTPS requests.

    The following requests are supported with HTTP method GET*. You can also use POST with JSON data stated in the body of the request.

    Note
    • The external HTTPS trigger requests can only be tested in Google Chrome.
    • The external HTTPS trigger uses the same ports as the mobile viewing app, see Mobile communication port and Mobile streaming port described in General.
    • Activate the trigger with ID "trigger1": https://[address]:55756/Acs/Api/TriggerFacade/ActivateTrigger?{"triggerName":"trigger1"}

    • Deactivate the trigger with ID "trigger1": https://[address]:55756/Acs/Api/TriggerFacade/DeactivateTrigger?{"triggerName":"trigger1"}

    • Activate the trigger with ID "trigger1" and then automatically deactivate the trigger after 30 seconds: https://[address]:55756/Acs/Api/TriggerFacade/ActivateDeactivateTrigger?{"triggerName":"trigger1","deactivateAfterSeconds":"30"}

    • Note

      The timer for automatic deactivation is canceled if any other command is issued to the same trigger.

    • Pulse the trigger with ID "trigger1" (trigger activation followed by immediate deactivation): https://[address]:55756/Acs/Api/TriggerFacade/PulseTrigger?{"triggerName​":"trigger1"}

    To create an external HTTPS trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. click New.

    3. Click Add and select External HTTPS.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Enter the trigger name in Trigger name.

    6. Review the sample URL that uses the same server address as the client used when logging on. The URLs only work after the action rule is complete.

    7. Click OK.

    Suitable actions for external HTTPS triggers

    • Requests to activate and deactivate the trigger are suitable for actions that start and stop recordings.

    • Requests to pulse the trigger are suitable for actions such as Raise Alarm or Send Email.

    Add actions

    One rule can have multiple actions. The actions start when the rule activates.

    The following actions are available:

    Record –
    This action starts a recording from the camera. See Create record actions.
    Raise alarm –
    This action sends an alarm to all connected AXIS Camera Station clients. See Create raise alarm actions.
    Set output –
    This action sets the state of an output port. Use this to control the device connected to the output port, for example to turn on a light or lock a door. See Create output actions.
    Send email –
    This action sends an email to one or multiple recipients. See Create send email actions.
    Live view –
    This action opens the live view of a specific camera, view, or preset position in all connected AXIS Camera Station clients. You can also use the live view action to restore open AXIS Camera Station clients from the taskbar or bring the clients to the front of other open applications. See Create live view actions.
    Send HTTP notification –
    This action sends an HTTP request to a camera, a door controller, or an external web server. See Create HTTP notification actions.
    AXIS Entry Manager –
    This action can grant access, unlock, or lock a door connected to a door controller configured by AXIS Entry Manager. See Create AXIS Entry Manager actions.
    Send mobile app notification –
    The action sends a custom message to the AXIS Camera Station mobile app. See Create send mobile app notification actions.
    Turn rules on or off –
    Use this action to turn other action rules on or off. See .
    Access control –
    This action includes door actions and zone actions in AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry. See Create access control actions.
    Create record actions

    The record action starts to record from the camera. Access and play the recording from the Recordings tab.

    To create a record action:

    1. Specify a location to save the recording to, go to Configuration > Storage > Selection.

    2. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    3. Click New.

    4. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    5. Click Add and select Record.

    6. Click OK.

    7. In Camera, select the camera to record from.

    8. Under Video setting, configure profile, prebuffer, and postbuffer.

    9. Click OK.

    Video setting

    Profile

    Select a profile from the Profile drop-down menu. To edit profile settings, see Stream profiles.

    Prebuffer

    Set the number of seconds before the detected motion to include in a recording.

    Postbuffer

    Select the number of seconds to include in the recording when the action is no longer ongoing.

    Create raise alarm actions

    The raise alarm action sends an alarm to all connected AXIS Camera Station clients. The alarm appears in the Alarms tab and as a taskbar notification. It’s possible to include instructions in form of a file with alarm procedures with the alarm. The alarm procedure is available from the Alarms and Logs tabs.

    To create a raise alarm action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Raise alarm.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Under Alarm message, configure title, description, and duration.

    7. Under Alarm procedure.

      1. Select On alarm show alarm procedure.

      2. Click Upload and find the desired file.

      3. Click Preview to open the uploaded file in a preview window.

      4. Click OK.

    Alarm message

    Title

    Enter a title for the alarm. The title appears in Alarms in the Alarms tab and in the taskbar notification.

    Description

    Enter a description of the alarm. The description appears in Alarms > Description in the Alarms tab and in the taskbar notification.

    Duration (s)

    Set the duration time between 1 and 600 seconds for the pop-up alarms.

    Create output actions

    The output action sets the state of an output port. Use this to control the device connected to the output port, for example to switch on a light or lock a door.

    Note

    Add the output port to AXIS Camera Station before you use an output action. See I/O ports.

    To create an output action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Set output.

    5. Click OK.

    6. In Output port, select the output port.

    7. In State on action, select the state to set the port to. Available options depend on how the port configuration.

    8. Select Pulse to define how long the output port should remain in the new state.

    9. Note

      To keep the port in the new state after the action, clear Pulse.

    10. Click OK.

    For as long as any trigger is active

    To keep the port in the new state as long as all triggers in the rule are active, select For as long as any trigger is active.

    Keep the state for a fixed time

    To keep the port in the new state for a fixed time, select the second option and specify the number of seconds.

    Create send email actions

    The email action sends an email to one or multiple recipients. It’s possible to attach snapshots from cameras with the email.

    Note

    To send emails, you must first configure an SMTP server. See Server settings.

    To create a send email action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Send email.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Add recipients under Recipients:

      1. Enter the email address in New Recipient and select To, Cc, or Bcc.

      2. Click Add to add the email address to Recipients.

    7. Under Contents, enter the email subject and message.

    8. Under Advanced, configure attachments, number of emails, and intervals.

    9. Click OK.

    Advanced

    Attach snapshots

    To attach .jpg snapshots from the cameras in the email notification as attachments, select Attach snapshots and click Cameras. A list of all cameras added to AXIS Camera Station appears. You can Select all to select all cameras or Deselect all to deselect all cameras.

    Send one email for each event

    To prevent sending multiple emails for the same event, select Send one email for each event.

    Don't send another email for

    To prevent sending emails too close in time. Select Don't send another email for and set the minimum time between emails from the drop-down menu.

    Create live view actions

    The live view action opens the Live view tab with a specific camera, view, or preset position. The Live view tab will open in all connected AXIS Camera Station clients. If the Live view tab shows a split view with a hotspot, the camera selected in the live view action loads in the hotspot. For more information about hotspots, see Split view.

    You can also use the live view action to restore open AXIS Camera Station clients from the taskbar or bring the clients to the front of other open applications.

    To create a live view action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Live view.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Under Live view actions, configure what should show when the action is active.

    7. Under Shown in, configure how to show the selected view.

    8. Under Bring to front, select On trigger bring application to front to restore open AXIS Camera Station clients from the taskbar or bring the clients to the front of other open applications when the live view action starts.

    9. Click OK.

    Live view actions

    View

    To open a view, select View and select the view from the drop-down menu.

    Camera

    To open a camera view, select Camera and select the camera from the drop-down menu. If a camera has PTZ preset, select Go to preset and select an area from the drop-down menu to open a preset position.

    No action

    Select No action to not open any view.

    Shown in

    Live alert tab

    Select Live alert tab to open the selected view or camera view in the Live alert tab.

    Hotspot in view

    Select Hotspot in view and select a view with hotspot from the drop-down menu. If the hotspot is visible in live view when the action is triggered, the camera view shows in the hotspot.

    Example

    To open a Live view tab, go to the hotspot view and show a camera view in the hotspot, configure two live view actions in the same action rule:

    1. Create a live view action that shows the hotspot view in the Live alert tab.

      1. Under Live view actions, select View.

      2. Select Hotspot view.

      3. Under Show in, select Live alert tab.

      4. Select On trigger bring application to front.

    2. Create another live view actions that goes to the hotspot view and show the camera view in the hotspot.

      1. Under Live view actions, select Camera and select a camera view.

      2. Under Show in, select Hotspot in view.

      3. Select Hotspot view.

    Create HTTP notification actions

    The HTTP notification action sends an HTTP request to a recipient. The recipient can be a camera, door controller, external web server, or any server that can receive HTTP requests. HTTP notifications can for example be used to turn on or off a feature in the camera, or to open, close, lock, or unlock a door connected to a door controller.

    GET, POST, and PUT methods are supported.

    Note

    To send HTTP notifications to recipients outside the local network, it can be necessary to adjust the AXIS Camera Station server proxy settings. See General.

    To create an HTTP notification action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Send HTTP Notification.

    5. Click OK.

    6. In URL, enter the address to the recipient and the script that handles the request. For example: https://192.168.254.10/cgi-bin/notify.cgi .

    7. Select Authentication required if the recipient requires authentication. Enter the username and password.

    8. Click Advanced to display the advanced settings.

    9. Click OK.

    Advanced

    Method

    Select HTTP method from the Method drop-down menu.

    Content type

    For POST and PUT methods, select the content type from the Content type drop-down menu.

    Body

    For POST and PUT methods, enter the request body in Body .

    Trigger data

    You can also insert predefined trigger data from the drop-down menu. See below for more information.

    Trigger data

    Type

    The trigger that activated this action rule.

    Source ID

    The source ID is the ID of the source that triggered the action rule, and it often represents a camera or other type of device. Not all sources have a source ID.

    Source Name

    The source name is the name of the source that triggered the action rule, and it often represents a camera or other type of device. Not all sources have a source name.

    Time (UTC)

    The UTC date and time when the action rule was triggered.

    Time (local)

    The date and time of the server when the action rule was triggered.

    Create siren and light actions

    The siren and light action activates a siren and light pattern on AXIS D4100-E Network Strobe Siren according to a configured profile.

    Note

    To use this action, a profile must be configured from the device's configuration page.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Siren and light.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Select a device from the Device drop-down menu.

    7. Select a profile from the Profile drop-down menu.

    8. Click OK.

    Create AXIS Entry Manager actions

    The AXIS Entry Manager action can grant access, unlock, or lock a door connected to a door controller configured by AXIS Entry Manager.

    Note

    The AXIS Entry Manager action is only available when AXIS A1001 Network Door Controller is available in AXIS Camera Station.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select AXIS Entry Manager.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Select an action and door to perform the action.

    7. Click OK.

    Create send mobile app notification actions

    The send mobile app notification action sends a custom message to the AXIS Camera Station Mobile app. You can click the received notification to go to a specific camera view. See AXIS Camera Station Mobile app user manual.

    To create a send mobile app notification action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Send mobile app notification.

    5. Click OK.

    6. In Message, enter your message that should show on the mobile app.

    7. Under Click notification and go to, configure what should show when you click the notification.

    8. Click OK.

    Click notification and go to

    Camera

    Select a camera view from the Camera drop-down menu that should show when you click the notification in the mobile app.

    Default

    Select Default to go to the mobile app start page when you click the notification in the mobile app.

    Create an action that turns other action rules on or off

    Use the turn rules on or off action, for example, if you want to turn off motion detection in an office when an employee swipes their access card.

    To create a turn off rules on or off action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Turn rules on or off.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Select one or multiple action rules.

    7. Choose if you want to turn the selected action rules on or off.

    8. Enter a delay if you want time between the trigger and the change of state.

    9. Select Return to the previous state when the trigger is no longer active if you don’t want the selected action rule to stay changed when the trigger isn’t active. In the example above, that means motion detection turns back on when the employee removes the access card from the reader

    10. Click OK.

    Create access control actions

    The access control action can perform the following actions on AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry system:

    • Door actions: grant access, lock, unlock, or lockdown the selected doors.

    • Zone actions: lock, unlock, or lockdown the selected doors in the selected zones.

    Note

    The access control action is only available for AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry system.

    To create a access control action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Access control.

    5. Click OK.

    6. To perform door actions:

      1. Under Access control, select Door actions.

      2. Under Configure action, select the doors and action.

    7. To perform zone actions:

      1. Under Access control, select Zone actions.

      2. Under Configure action, select the zones, door types, and action.

    8. Click OK.

    Schedules

    Create schedules in action rules to set up when the action rule should be active. You can use a schedule as many times as necessary, and override it on specified days, for example public holidays.

    Note

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, you can add and manage schedules on any connected server. Select the server from the Selected server drop-down menu to manage the schedules.

    To add a schedule:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Schedules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Enter a name for the schedule.

    4. In the timeline, create the time slots for the schedule.

    5. To copy the schedule to another day, right-click the day you want to copy and select Copy schedule. Right-click another day and select Paste schedule.

    6. To add exceptions to the schedule:

      1. Under Schedule exceptions, click Add....

      2. Select a start and end date for the exception.

      3. Mark the time interval in the timeline.

      4. Click OK.

      5. Note

        To remove an exception, click Remove..., select a time interval that includes the exception, and click OK.

    7. Click Apply.

    Used

    The Used column shows if the schedule is in use.

    Remove

    To remove a schedule, select the schedule and click Remove. Used schedules can't be removed.

    Details

    Select a schedule to show the details of the schedule.

    Add time slot

    Mark or click in the week schedule to add a time slot to the schedule.

    Remove time slot

    Mark or click on a colored line to remove the time slot from the schedule.

    Add 5-minute intervals

    Press CTRL and click in the timeline to select 5-minute intervals.

    Examples of action rules

    Example

    An example of how to set up an action rule in AXIS Camera Station that triggers a recording and an alarm someone forces the entrance door open.

    Before you start, you need to:

    Create the action rule:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Add the Door forced event trigger.

      1. Click Add and select Device event.

      2. Click OK.

      3. Under Configure device event trigger, configure the trigger settings.

      4. Under Filters, configure the filter settings.

      5. Under Activity, make sure that the trigger shows activity on the signal line.

      6. Click OK.

    4. Click Next.

    5. Add a record action.

      1. Click Add and select Record.

      2. Click OK.

      3. Select a camera from the Camera drop-down menu.

      4. Under Video setting, configure profile, prebuffer, and postbuffer.

      5. Click OK.

    6. Add a raise alarm action.

      1. Click Add and select Raise alarm.

      2. Click OK.

      3. Under Alarm message, enter a title and description for the alarm. For example, The main entrance is forced open.

      4. Click OK.

    7. Click Next and select Always as the schedule.

    8. Click Finish.

    9. Configure device event trigger

      Device

      Select the AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller from the Device drop-down menu.

      Event

      Select Door > Door forced from the Event drop-down menu.

      Trigger period

      Set 10 seconds as Trigger period.

    10. Filters

      Door name

      Select the door from the Door name drop-down menu.

      Door status

      Select Forced from the Door status drop-down menu.

    11. Video setting

      Profile

      Select High from the Profile drop-down menu. 

      Prebuffer

      Set 3 seconds as Prebuffer.

      Postbuffer

      Set 5 seconds as Postbuffer.

    Example

    An example of how to set up an action rule in AXIS Camera Station that plays a welcome message and calls the elevator when an important person enters.

    Before you start, you need to:

    • Install and configure AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller and add cardholders. See Configure access control and Access management.

    • Install an Axis network audio device and associate the audio device with a camera. See Stream profiles.

    • Install AXIS A9188 Network I/O Relay Module, connect the I/O to the elevator, and add the I/O ports of the network I/O relay module to AXIS Camera Station. See I/O ports.

    Create the action rule:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. click New.

    3. Add the device event trigger.

      1. Click Add and select Device event.

      2. Click OK.

      3. Under Configure device event trigger, configure the event settings

      4. Under Filters, configure the filter settings.

      5. Under Activity, make sure that the trigger shows activity on the signal line.

      6. Click OK.

    4. Click Next.

    5. Add a Send HTTP notification action to play a welcome message.

      1. Click Add and select Send HTTP notification.

      2. Click OK.

      3. In URL, enter the URL of the welcome message audio clip.

      4. Select Authentication required and enter the username and password of the audio device.

      5. Click OK.

    6. Add a Set output action.

      1. Click Add and select Set output.

      2. Click OK.

      3. From the Output port drop-down menu, select the output port of the I/O module connected to the elevator

      4. From the State on action drop-down menu, select the state of the I/O module to call the elevator.

      5. Select Pulse and set 60 seconds to keep the port in the state.

      6. Click OK.

    7. Click Next and select Always as the schedule.

    8. Click Finish.

    9. Configure device event trigger

      Device

      Select the AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller from the Device drop-down menu.

      Event

      Select Authorization > Access request granted from the Event drop-down menu.

      Trigger period

      Set 10 seconds as Trigger period.

    10. Filters

      Door name

      Select the door from the Door name drop-down menu.

      Door side

      Select the door side from the Door side drop-down menu.

      Card number

      Select Card number and enter the card number of the important person.

    Configure client

    Go to Configuration > Client to:

    • Edit client specific settings, like theme and language. See Client settings.

    • Edit user specific settings, like notifications and startup options. See User settings.

    • Edit client specific streaming performance settings like video scaling and hardware decoding. See Streaming.

    Client settings

    These settings apply to all AXIS Camera Station users on the computer. Go to Configuration > Client > Client settings to configure the AXIS Camera Station client settings.

    Theme

    System, Light, Dark

    Select the theme for the client, System is the default theme for new installations. You must restart the application for the changes to show.

    If you select System, the system uses Windows system color setting.

    General

    Run application when Windows starts

    Turn on if you want to run Axis Camera Station automatically every time Windows starts.

    Live view

    Show camera names in live views

    Show the name of the camera in live view.

    To indicate any type of recording, turn on Show recording indicators in live views and maps.

    To indicate motion detection recording or recordings started by an action rule, turn on Show event indicators in live views and maps.

    Maps

    Allow flashing coverage areas for all maps

    Use to globally prevent or allow flashing of all coverage areas using Flash. This global setting doesn't affect the local setting on the map level. See Map.

    Language

    Change the language of AXIS Camera Station client. The change is effective after you restart the client.

    Feedback

    Share anonymous client usage data with Axis Communications to help improve the application and user experience

    Share anonymous data with Axis to improve the user experience. To change the option for the server, see Server settings.

    User settings

    These settings apply to the signed in AXIS Camera Station user. Go to Configuration > Client > User settings to configure the AXIS Camera Station client user settings.

    Navigation system

    Tree view navigation system

    Turns on by default to enable tree view navigation pane with the views and cameras.

    Show in navigation

    Select to show views or cameras or both in the drop-down menu.

    Show navigation path when navigating in view

    Turn on to show the navigation path on top of the view when navigating in a split view.

    Notifications

    Show taskbar notification on alarms

    Turn on to show a notification in Windows taskbar when an alarm starts.

    Show taskbar notification for tasks

    Turn on to show a notification in Windows taskbar when someone adds a task or it finish.

    Show notifications in Device management

    Turn on to show notifications when new firmware is available for download.

    Show intercom notification window

    Turn on to show a notification window when someone pushes the call button on a connected intercom system.

    Snapshot

    When a snapshot is taken show a message

    Turn on to show a message when someone takes a snapshot.

    When a snapshot is taken open the snapshot folder

    Turn on to open the snapshot folder when someone takes a snapshot.

    Browse

    Click Browse to select the folder to save snapshots in.

    Startup

    Start in full screen

    Turn on to start AXIS Camera Station in full screen mode.

    Remember last used tabs

    Turn on to start AXIS Camera Station with the same open tabs, views, and camera views from when AXIS Camera Station closed last time.

    Remember last used monitors

    Turn on to start AXIS Camera Station on the same monitor used when AXIS Camera Station closed last time.

    Note
    • The system saves views and camera views per tab. The system remembers only when the client reconnects to the same server.
    • Remember tabs in order to remember monitors, views and camera views.
    • The system never remember dynamic views that you drag and drop in the live view.
    • When connected to multiple servers with different users, the system doesn’t support Remember last used tabs.
    Sound on alarm

    No sound

    Select if you don’t want any sound with an alarm.

    Beep

    Select if you want a typical beep sound with an alarm.

    Sound file

    Select and click Browse to find a sound file if you want a customized sound with an alarm. Use any file format that Windows Media Player supports.

    Play

    Click to test the sound.

    Sound on incoming call

    No sound

    Select if you don’t want any sound with an incoming call.

    Beep

    Select if you want a typical beep sound with an incoming call.

    Sound file

    Select and click Browse to find a sound file if you want a customized sound with an incoming call. Use any file format that Windows Media Player supports.

    Play

    Click to test the sound.

    Features

    Show smart search 1

    By default Smart search 1 shows. Turn off to hide this feature.

    Streaming

    Go to Configuration > Client > Streaming to configure the AXIS Camera Station client streaming options.

    Video scaling

    Scale to best fit

    Select to show video in the whole available space, and not loose aspect ratio or crop the image.

    Fill video area (may crop parts of the video)

    Select to fit the video to the available space and preserve the aspect ratio. If the available space has a different aspect ratio than the video, the system crops the video.

    Hardware decoding

    Mode

    • Automatic Uses the graphics card (if supported) to decode streams with a resolution above 3840x2160p@25fps (also known as 4K or UHD).

    • On Uses the graphics card (if supported) to decode streams with a resolution above 1920x1080p@25fps (also known as 1080p or HD).

    • Off Hardware decoding is off and AXIS Camera Station uses the CPU to decode video.

    Graphics card

    Select a graphics card from the drop-down menu.

    Note
    • Hardware decoding makes use of your graphics card to decode video. If you have a high performance graphics card, hardware decoding is a good way to improve performance and reduce CPU usage, especially when you stream high-resolution video. Hardware decoding supports M-JPEG and H.264.
    • Cameras with a resolution below 1080p can’t use hardware decoding, even if hardware decoding is On.
    • If your graphics card doesn’t support 4K decoding, hardware decoding only functions on 1080p streams, even if hardware decoding is On.
    Bandwidth usage

    Always use the stream profile Low on this client

    Turn on to use the low stream profile for Live view. See Stream profiles.

    This setting affects H.264 and M-JPEG video and lowers the bandwidth consumption.

    Suspend video streams for inactive tabs

    Turn on to suspend video streams in the inactive tabs. This lowers the bandwidth consumption.

    PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom)

    Select view with first click instead of starting PTZ

    Turn on to activate view selection when you click the first time in the view. All the following clicks in the view control PTZ.

    Audio

    Push-to-talk release delay (ms)

    Adjust how many milliseconds you want to keep audio transmitted from the microphone after you release the Push-to-talk button.

    Use push-to-talk for all duplex modes

    Turn on to use push-to-talk for simplex, half-duplex, and full-duplex modes.

    Always allow audio for intercoms

    Turn on to be able to listen and speak to intercoms even if there are no ongoing calls from them.

    Instant replay

    Playback duration (s)

    Set the playback duration time between 1 and 600 seconds to jump back in the timeline and replay the recording.

    Configure connected services

    Firmware upgrade settings

    Note

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, you can select any server from the Selected server drop-down menu to configure firmware upgrade settings.

    1. Go to Configuration > Connected services > Firmware upgrade settings.

    2. Under Automatic check for updates, configure how often and how to check for firmware updates.

    3. Under Upgrade order, configure the order to update the devices.

    Automatic check for updates

    Check for updates

    Select Every start-up from the drop-down menu to check for available firmware versions on the server on each startup. By default, AXIS Camera Station is set Never.

    Check now

    Click to check the server for available firmware versions.

    Upgrade order

    Parallel

    Select to upgrade all devices at the same time. This option is quicker than Sequential but all devices are offline at the same time.

    Sequential

    Select to upgrade devices one after the other. This option takes longer but the devices aren’t offline at the same time. Select Cancel remaining upgrades if one device fails to stop the sequential upgrade.

    Turn on automatic firmware check

    Axis Secure Remote Access

    Axis Secure Remote Access allows you to connect to your AXIS Camera Station server through a secure and encrypted internet connection. Axis Secure Remote Access doesn’t rely on port forwarding in your router for camera access.

    Note
    • Axis Secure Remote Access is only available for AXIS Camera Station 5.12 or later.
    • When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, select any server from the Selected server drop-down menu to configure Axis Secure Remote Access.

    Enable Axis Secure Remote Access

    Axis Secure Remote Access is available if you sign in to your My Axis account. Axis Secure Remote Access must be turned on manually. This feature makes it possible to sign in to your server remotely, see Log in to AXIS Camera Station server.

    1. Go to Configuration > Connected services > Axis Secure Remote Access.

    2. Under My Axis account, enter your My Axis account credentials.

    3. Click Apply.

    4. In the Axis Secure Remote Access section, click Enable to turn on remote access.

    Axis Secure Remote Access on mobile devices

    For mobile devices (iOS and Android), download the Axis Camera Station Mobile app. In the mobile app, sign in with the same My Axis account as the one used to activate remote access. In the mobile app you can see the total amount of relayed data used by the My Axis account during the month.

    Axis Secure Remote Access usage

    The Axis Secure Remote Access usage appears in the status bar at the bottom of the AXIS Camera Station client. Click the link to get an overview of how to use the secure remote connection.

    Service level

    Shows the service level of your Axis Secure Remote Access subscription.

    Data used this month

    Shows how much data you used the current month. The counter resets on the first every month by midnight.

    Overage

    Shows how much data you used the current month that surpasses the included amount in your service level. This is only available if you have Overage in your subscription.

    Connections

    Shows the servers connected through Secure Remote Access.

    Setup AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service

    AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service allows you to monitor health data from systems located on different networks. See Organizations for more information.

    You must create a My Axis account before you set up AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service.

    1. Go to Configuration > Connected services > AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service.

    2. Click Connect.

    3. Sign in with your My Axis account.

    4. Select the organization or folder that you want to connect the system to. See Organizations for more information.

    5. Click Next.

    6. Optionally, create Folders in the organization. To create this structure can be useful, for example, if you have systems in your organization located on different sites.

    7. Click Next.

    8. Click Save and exit.

    Organizations

    The organization is at the center of your cloud services.

    • It connects your AXIS Camera Station system to the users of the different cloud services.

    • It activates the cloud-based system health monitoring. For more information, see Setup AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service.

    • It defines the different user roles, for example, service administrator and operator.

    • You can structure an organization into folders that, for example, represent systems located on different sites. To create an organization, you need a My Axis account.

    Manage organizations

    To edit an organization:

    1. Go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Settings.

    2. Click Open AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service.

    3. Open user settings and select the organization you want to edit.

    4. Open user settings and click Manage organizations.

    In this view you can add or delete folders for an existing organization, as well as create new organizations.

    Disconnect a system from an organization

    In some cases, it can be necessary to disconnect a system from its current organization. For example, when you move a system from an organization to another.

    1. Go to Configuration > Connected services > AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service .

    2. Click Disconnect.

    Invite a user to an organization
    1. Go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Settings.

    2. Click Open AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service.

    3. Open user settings and select the organization you want to invite the user to.

    4. Open user settings and click Manage organizations.

    5. Open the Users tab.

    6. Click Generate.

    7. Copy the invitation code and send it to the user you want to invite.

    Note

    When you share the invitation code with the user, include the name of the organization in the invite.

    Join an organization

    You receive an invitation code when someone wants you to join an organization. To join the organization:

    1. Copy the invitation code.

    2. Go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Settings.

    3. Click Open AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service.

    4. Open user settings and select the organization you want to join.

    5. Open user settings and click Manage organizations.

    6. Open the Users tab.

    7. Paste the invitation code.

    8. Click Join.

    Configure server

    Server settings

    Go to Configuration > Server > Settings to configure the AXIS Camera Station server settings.

    Note

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, select any server from the Selected server drop-down menu to configure the server settings.

    Export

    Include audio when adding recordings to export

    Select to include audio when adding recording to the export list.

    Logs

    Specify the number of days to keep alarms, events, and audits. Set a value between 1 and 1000 days.

    External data

    Specify the number of days to keep the external data. Set a value between 1 and 1000 days.

    SMTP servers

    Add SMTP servers to send emails on system alarms or when an event configuration rule activates.

    To add an SMTP server:

    1. Under SMTP servers, click Add.

    2. Under Server, configure the server address, port, authentication, and TLS protocol.

    3. Under Sender, enter the email address and name that you want to show in the sender email.

    Server

    Address

    Enter the address of the SMTP server.

    Port

    Enter the port. 587 is the default port for SMTP TLS connections.

    Use TLS

    Select if the SMTP server uses TLS. TLS is the default protocol.

    Use authentication

    Select if a username and password are required for this server. Enter the username and password to access the server.

    Edit

    To edit an SMTP server, select the server and click Edit.

    Remove

    To remove an SMTP server, select the server and click Remove. In the pop-up dialog, click Yes to remove the server.

    Test all...

    To test an SMTP server, select the server and click Test all.... In the pop-up dialog, enter an email address in Recipient and click OK to send a test email. The SMTP server tests for a list of results and possible actions to take.

    Arrows

    Select a server and use the arrows to change the order of the servers in the list. The system uses the servers in the same order they’re listed.

    Server test results

    OK

    Connection with the SMTP server was successful. Make sure that the recipients received the test email.

    Unknown error

    An unexpected error occurred when attempting to send the email. Check that the SMTP server is operating correctly.

    No contact

    AXIS Camera Station can't access the SMTP server. Make sure the SMTP server works correctly and that all routers and proxy servers between AXIS Camera Station and the SMTP server allow traffic.

    Configuration error

    TLS was requested but server doesn’t support StartTLS, server doesn’t support authentication, or no compatible authentication mechanism.

    TLS/SSL handshake error

    Error during TLS/SSL negotiations, such as invalid server certificate.

    Authentication required

    Server requires authentication to send email.

    Authentication error

    Credentials are wrong.

    Connection dropped

    Connection was established, but then lost.

    System alarm

    A system alarm occurs if a camera loses connection, access to a recording storage is denied, an unexpected server shutdown occurs, or if recording errors occur. It’s possible to send email notifications on system alarms.

    Note

    To send emails, you must first add an SMTP server.

    To send email on system alarms:

    1. Select Send email on system alarm to the following recipients to activate system alarm email.

    2. Under Recipients:

      1. Select if the address should be in the To, Cc or Bcc field of the email.

      2. Enter the email address.

      3. Click Add to add the email address to the Recipients box.

    Device connection

    Keep using the hostnames even if they become unreachable

    Use the hostname to connect. To automatically switch to use the IP address to connect, clear the checkbox. You can manually select to use the hostname or IP address to connect to devices. See Connection.

    Language

    Change the language of the server

    Changes the name of the AXIS Camera Station Service Control and AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry. For example: system alarms, audit log messages, and external data in the Data search tab. The change is effective after you restart.

    Feedback

    Share anonymous server usage data with Axis Communications

    Select to help improve the application and user experience. To change the options for the client, see Client settings.

    Advanced settings

    You should change the settings only when instructed by Axis support.

    1. To change a setting, enter the setting and its value.

    2. Click Add.

    3. To activate debug logging for troubleshooting purpose, select Enable server side debug logging.

      This setting takes up more space on your disk and the log4net.config file in the ProgramData directory overrides it.

    Update AXIS Camera Station

    To get the latest version of AXIS Camera Station:

    1. Go to Configuration > Server > Update.

    2. Click Download and install....

    Note
    • Once an update starts, whether manual or scheduled, there is no way to cancel it.
    • Scheduled updates start automatically.
    • The system doesn’t update clients connected through secure remote access.
    • In a multi-server system, always update the local server last.
    • This feature uses the Windows installer (msi) regardless of the type you currently use.

    Incident report

    If you turn on incident report permission, you can generate the incident reports including recordings, snapshots, and notes about the incidents. See Export incident reports.

    To configure the settings for incident reports:

    1. Go to Configuration > Server > Incident report.

    2. Under Location, select where to store the incident reports.

    3. From the Export format drop-down menu, select a format you want to export your recordings to.

    4. Under Categories, add or remove the categories to group the incident reports. The categories can be the folder name in the export location if you configure the category as a variable in the server directory path.

      1. Enter the category name in the box, for example, Accident or Theft.

      2. Click Add.

      3. To remove a category, select it and click Remove.

    5. Under Description template, enter the information to show in Description when generating your incident reports. For example: Reported by: <Insert your name, mail, and phone number>.

    6. Click Apply.

    Location

    Server directory path

    Select and enter the directory path to save the incident reports to a folder on the computer . You can use the server name, category, or the user name as variables. For example: C:\Reports\$(Server Name)\$(Category)\$(User Name)\.

    Network directory path

    Select to save the incident reports to a folder on a network storage. Enter the directory path or use credentials for the network storage. The share must be reachable from the AXIS Camera Station server. See Manage storage for how to add storage to use for recordings.

    Export format

    ASF

    If selected , you can select Add digital signature to use a digital signature to make image tampering impossible. See the Digital signature section in Export recordings. You can also select Use password to use a password for the digital signature.

    MP4

    Exported recordings don’t include audio in G.711 or G.726 format.

    Scheduled export

    Go to Configuration > Server > Scheduled export to create schedules for export recordings.

    At the selected time, all recordings since the previous export will export. If the previous export is older than one week or if there is no previous export, only recordings less than one week old will export. To export older recordings, go to the Recordings tab and export them manually. See Export recordings.

    Note

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, select any server from the Selected server drop-down menu to turn on and manage scheduled exports.

    Export scheduled recordings

    1. Under Scheduled export, select Enable scheduled export to use scheduled export.

    2. Under Cameras, select the cameras to export recordings from. The system selects all listed cameras as default. Clear Use all cameras and select the specific cameras in the list.

    3. Under Export, configure where to save the recordings, format, and creation of playlist.

    4. Under Weekly schedule, select the time and the days for when to export recordings.

    5. Click Apply.

    Export

    Server directory path

    Select and enter the directory path to save recordings to a folder on the computer.

    Network directory path

    Select to save the recordings to a folder on a network storage. Enter the directory path or use the credentials for the network storage. The share must be reachable from the AXIS Camera Station server. See Manage storage for how to add storage to use for recordings.

    Create playlist (.asx)

    Select to create a playlist in the .asx format used by Windows Media Player. The recordings play in the order in which they were recorded.

    Export format

    Select a format you want to export your recordings to.

    ASF – Select Add digital signature to use a digital signature to make image tampering impossible. See the Digital signature section in Export recordings. You can also select Use password to use a password for the digital signature.

    MP4 – Exported recordings don’t include audio in G.711 or G.726 format.

    Microsoft Windows 2008 Server

    To be able to export recordings from a server running Microsoft Windows 2008 Server, you must install Desktop Experience:

    1. Click Start > Administrative Tools > Server Manager to open Server Manager.

    2. Under Features Summary, click Add features.

    3. Select Desktop Experience, click Next.

    4. Click Install.

    Microsoft Windows 2012 Server

    To be able to export recordings from a server running Microsoft Windows 2012 Server, you must install Desktop Experience:

    1. Click Start > Administrative Tools > Server Manager to open Server Manager.

    2. Select Manage > Add Rules and Features to start the Add Roles and Features Wizard.

    3. Under Features Summary, select User Interfaces and Infrastructure.

    4. Select Desktop Experience, click Next.

    5. Click Install.

    New connection

    Go to > Servers > New connection to connect to a AXIS Camera Station server. See Log in to AXIS Camera Station server.

    Connection status

    Go to > Servers > Connection status, to show a list of the servers’ connection status.

    Use the slider in front of the server name to connect or disconnect to the server.

    Status codesDescriptionPossible solutions
    ConnectingThe client is tries to connect to this server.
    ConnectedThe client uses TCP while connected to this server.
    Connected (using Secure Remote Access)The client uses Secure Remote Access while connected to this server.
    Connected (using HTTP)

    The client uses HTTP while connected to this server. This is less efficient than TCP and slower when connected to multiple servers.

    DisconnectingThe client disconnects from this server.
    DisconnectedThere is no connection between the client and this server.
    ReconnectingThe client has lost connection to this server and tries to reconnect.
    Reconnection failed

    The client fails to reconnect to this server. The server is found but the user permissions or password can have changed.

    • Add the user in the user permission dialog.

    • Verify the username and password.

    Login canceledThe user canceled the login.
    Incorrect username or passwordClick the link in the Action column and enter the correct credentials.
    User not authorized on the server

    The server doesn’t authorize the user to log in.

    Add the user in the user permission dialog.

    Security verification failedA WCF related security check fails. Make sure to synchronize the client and server computer UTC times.
    No contact with server computer

    The was no response by the server computer on the used address.

    • Check that the network works properly.

    • Check that the server runs.

    No server running

    The computer running the server is accessible, but the server doesn’t run.

    Start the server.

    Communication failure

    Connection to the server failed. Make sure the server computer is accessible.

    • Check that the network works properly.

    • Check that the server runs.

    Invalid hostname

    The DNS can’t translate the hostname into an IP address.

    • Check that the spelling of the hostname is correct.

    • Check that the DNS has the information it needs.

    Already connected to the same serverThe client is already connected to this server.Remove the duplicate server entry.
    Not the expected server

    A different server than the expected one responds on this address.

    Update the server list to connect to this server.

    Client version (x) is not compatible with server version (y)

    The client is too old or too new compared to the server.

    Make sure to have the same version of AXIS Camera Station installed on both the client and the server computer.

    Server too busy

    The server couldn’t respond because of performance issues.

    Make sure that the server computer and the network don’t overload.

    Multiple servers

    Server lists

    You can organize your AXIS Camera Station servers in server lists. A server can belong to multiple server lists. It’s possible to import, export, and use server lists in other AXIS Camera Station clients.

    Go to > Servers > Server lists to open the Server lists dialogue.

    The default Recent connections list shows and contains the servers used in the previous session. You can’t remove Recent connections.

    Select the server list and click .

    + New server list 

    Click to add a new server list and enter a name for the list.

    Add

    To add a server to a server list, select a server list and click Add. Enter the required information.

    Export lists

    Click to export all server lists in a .msl file. You can import the server list to log in to the servers. See Log in to AXIS Camera Station server.

    Edit

    To edit a server in a server list, select a server and click Edit. You can only edit one server at a time.

    Remove

    To remove servers in a server list, select the servers and click Remove.

    Rename a server

    Double-click the list and enter a new name for the list.

    Organize servers in server lists

    Configure switch

    If you have an AXIS Camera Station S22 Appliance series device, you have the option to configure the device from AXIS Camera Station. Go to Configuration > Switch > Management and enter your credentials to open the Switch management page in the AXIS Camera Station client. For how to configure the switch, see your AXIS Camera Station S22 Appliance series User manual on axis.com.

    Note

    AXIS Camera Station can only connect to https://192.168.0.1/ which is the default IP address of the switch.

    Configure licenses

    On the License page you can view the license keys and license status and manage the licenses of the connected devices.

    Note
    • When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, Station servers, select any server from the Selected server drop-down menu to manage licenses.
    • We recommend that you write down the license keys or save them in a digital format on a USB flash drive for future reference. You can’t retrieve lost license keys.
    • When you register your Axis network video recorder in AXIS License Portal, you receive an NVR Core license. The NVR Core licenses are locked to the device’s hardware and can’t be moved. You can upgrade NVR Core to Universal in the same way as Core licenses. You can move and use the upgrade licenses for any system.
    License management

    Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management to get an overview of the number of unlicensed devices connected to the server. You can manage licenses online as well as offline. Remember to add licenses for all your devices before the end of the 30-day trial period. See  How to purchase licenses. You can also click the license status link in the status bar to see the overview of your device licenses.

    As license administrator, you can add multiple My Axis accounts to your AXIS Camera Station system.

    Add a My Axis account to a system online

    1. Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

    2. Make sure Manage licenses online turns on.

    3. Click Go to AXIS License Portal.

    4. In the AXIS License Portal, sign in with the new My Axis account that you want to add.

    5. Go to Edit license admins and check that the account was added as license administrator.

    Add a My Axis account to a system offline

    1. Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

    2. Turn off Manage licenses online.

    3. Click Export system file.

    4. Save your system file on a USB flash drive.

    5. Go to the AXIS License Portal, axis.com/licenses.

    6. Sign in with the new My Axis account that you want to add.

    7. Upload your system file.

    8. Go to Edit license admins and check that the account was added as license administrator.

    There are different ways to license your system, depending on your internet connection.

    Device status

    Go to Configuration > Licenses > Device status to view a list of all connected devices and their license status.

    Keys

    Go to Configuration > Licenses > Keys to view a list of the keys necessary for each license of all connected devices.

    License a system online

    Both the AXIS Camera Station client and the server must have internet connection.

    1. Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

    2. Make sure Manage licenses online turns on.

    3. Sign in with your My Axis account.

    4. Under Add license key, enter your license key.

    5. Click Add.

    6. In AXIS Camera Station client, make sure your license keys appear under Configuration > Licenses > Keys.

    License a system offline

    1. Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

    2. Turn off Manage licenses online.

    3. Click Export system file.

    4. Save your system file to a USB flash drive.

    5. Go to AXIS License Portal, axis.com/licenses,

    6. Sign in with your My Axis account.

    7. Click Upload system file to upload the system file from your USB flash drive.

    8. Under Add license key, enter your license key.

    9. Click Add.

    10. Under License keys, click Download license file and save the file to a USB flash drive.

    11. In AXIS Camera Station client, go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

    12. Click Import license file and select the license file on your USB flash drive.

    13. Make sure your license keys appear under Configuration > Licenses > Keys.

    Move licenses between systems

    Note

    You can’t move NVR Core licenses since they are locked to the device’s hardware.

    To move licenses from one system to another system with the same My Axis account:

    1. Go to AXIS License Portal, axis.com/licenses.

    2. Under My systems, click the system name that you want to move a license from.

    3. Under License keys, find the license key that you want to move.

    4. Click and Move.

    5. In the To system drop-down menu, select a system that you want to move the license to.

    6. Click Move license key and click Close. You can find the action details under History.

    7. Go to My systems and make sure that the licenses appear under the correct system.

    Move licenses to another system

    To release licenses from a system and add to another system with a different My Axis account:

    1. Go to AXIS License Portal axis.com/licenses.

    2. Under My systems, click the system name that you want to move a license from.

    3. Under License keys, find the license key that you want to move.

    4. Make a copy of the license key first.

    5. Click and Release.

    6. Sign out and sign in with another My Axis account.

    7. Under My systems, click the system that you want to license.

    8. Under Add license key, enter the license key you released.

    9. Click Add.
      You can find the action details under History.

    10. Go to My systems and make sure that the licenses appear under the correct system.

    Configure security

    Configure user permissions

    Go to Configuration > Security > User permissions to view the users and groups that exists in AXIS Camera Station.

    Note

    Administrators of the computer that runs AXIS Camera Station server are automatically given administrator privileges to AXIS Camera Station. You can’t change or remove the Administrators group's privileges.

    Before you can add a user or group, register the user or group on the local computer or make sure they have an Windows Active Directory user account. To add users or groups, see Add users or groups.

    When a user is part of a group, the user gets the highest role permission assigned to the individual or the group. The user also gets the access granted as an individual and receives the rights as part of a group. For example, a user has access to camera X as an individual. The user is also a member of a group that has access to cameras Y and Z. The user therefore has access to cameras X, Y, and Z.

    Indicates the entry is a single user.

    Indicates the entry is a group.

    Name

    Username as it appears in the local computer or Active Directory.

    Domain

    The domain that the user or group belongs to.

    Role

    The access role given to the user or group.

    Possible values: Administrator, Operator, and Viewer.

    Details

    Detailed user information as it appears in the local computer or Active Directory.

    Server

    The server that the user or group belongs to.
    Add users or groups

    Microsoft Windows and Active Directory users and groups can access AXIS Camera Station. To add a user to AXIS Camera Station, you must add users or a group to Windows.

    To add a user in Windows vary depending on which version of Windows you use. Follow the instructions on Microsoft's site. If you use an Active Directory domain network, consult your network administrator

    Add users or groups

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > User permissions.

    2. Click Add.

      The list shows available users and groups.

    3. Under Scope, select where to search for users and groups.

    4. Under Show, select to show users or groups.

      The search result doesn’t display if there are too many users or groups. Use the filter function.

    5. Select the users or groups and click Add.

    Scope

    Server

    Select to search for users or groups on the local computer.

    Domain

    Select to search for Active Directory users or groups.

    Selected server

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, select a server from the Selected server drop-down menu.

    Configure a user or group

    1. Select a user or group in the list.

    2. Under Role, select Administrator, Operator, or Viewer.

    3. If you selected Operator or Viewer, you can configure the user or group privileges. See User or group privileges.

    4. Click Save.

    Remove a user or group

    1. Select the user or group.

    2. Click Remove.

    3. In the pop-up dialogue, click OK to remove the user or group.

    User or group privileges

    There are three roles you can give to a user or group. For how to define the role for a user or group, see Add users or groups.

    Administrator –
    Full access to the entire system, including access to live and recorded video of all cameras, all I/O ports, and views. This role is required to configure anything in the system.
    Operator –
    Select cameras, views, and I/O ports to get access to live and recorded. An operator has full access to all functionality of AXIS Camera Station except system configuration.
    Viewer –
    Access to live video of selected cameras, I/O ports, and views. A viewer doesn’t have access to recorded video or system configuration.

    Cameras

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator or Viewer role.

    Access

    Allow access to the camera and all camera features.

    Video

    Allow access to live video from the camera.

    Audio listen

    Allow access to listen from the camera.

    Audio speak

    Allow access to speak to the camera.

    Manual Recording

    Allow to start and stop recordings manually.

    Mechanical PTZ

    Allow access to mechanical PTZ controls. Only available for cameras with mechanical PTZ.

    PTZ priority

    Set the PTZ priority. A lower number means a higher priority. No assigned priority is set to 0. An administrator has the highest priority. When a role with higher priority operates a PTZ camera, others can’t operate the same camera for 10 seconds by default. Only available for cameras with mechanical PTZ and have Mechanical PTZ selected.

    Views

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator or Viewer role. You can select multiple views and set the access privileges.

    Access

    Allow access to the views in AXIS Camera Station.

    Edit

    Allow to edit the views in AXIS Camera Station.

    I/O

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator or Viewer role.

    Access

    Allow full access to the I/O port.

    Read

    Allow to view the state of the I/O port. The user can’t change the port state.

    Write

    Allow to change the state of the I/O port.

    System

    You can’t configure greyed out access privileges in the list. Privileges with check mark means the user or group have this privilege by default.

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator role. Take snapshots is also available for the Viewer role.

    Take snapshots

    Allow to take snapshots in the live view and recordings modes.

    Export recordings

    Allow to export recordings.

    Generate incident report

    Allow to generate incident reports.

    Prevent access to recordings older than

    Prevent access to recordings older than the specified number of minutes. When using search, the user doesn’t find recordings older than the specified time.

    Access alarms, tasks, and logs

    Get alarm notifications and allow access to the Alarms and tasks bar and Logs tab.

    Access control

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator role. Access Management is also available for the Viewer role.

    Access control configuration

    Allow configuration of doors and zones, identification profiles, card formats and PIN, encrypted communication, and multi-server.

    Access management

    Allow access management and access to the active directory settings.

    System health monitoring

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator role. Access to system health monitoring is also available for the Viewer role.

    Configuration of system health monitoring

    Allow configuration of the system health monitoring system.

    Access to system health monitoring

    Allow access to the system health monitoring system.

    Certificates

    To manage settings for certificates between the AXIS Camera Station server and the devices, go to Configuration > Security > Certificates.

    For information on how to turn on, delete, and view HTTPS and IEEE 802.1X certificates, see Security for more information.

    AXIS Camera Station can be used as:

    • Root certificate authority (CA): If you use AXIS Camera Station as a root CA it means AXIS Camera Station uses its own root certificate to issue server certificates and there is no other root CA involved in the process.

    • Intermediate certificate authority: In this scenario you need to import a CA certificate and its private key in AXIS Camera Station to sign and issue server certificates for the Axis devices. This CA certificate can be a root certificate or an intermediate CA certificate.

    Note

    When you uninstall AXIS Camera Station, it removes its CA certificates from Windows Trusted Root Certification Authorities. It doesn’t remove the imported CA certificates; these must be removed manually.

    Certificate authority (CA)

    A CA allows you to turn on HTTPS and IEEE 802.1X on devices without any client/server certificates in place. The AXIS Camera Station CA certificate can automatically create, sign, and install client/server certificates on devices when you use HTTPS or IEEE 802.1X. You can use AXIS Camera Station as the root CA, or you can import a CA certificate and let AXIS Camera Station act as an intermediate CA. A root CA automatically generates when you install the server.

    Import

    Click to import an existing CA certificate and its private key. AXIS Camera Station stores its password.

    Generate

    Click to generate a new public and private key and a self-signed CA certificate that is valid for 10 years. When you generate a new certificate authority, it replaces all component certificates and restarts all the components.

    View

    Click to view the details of the CA certificate.

    Export

    Click to export the CA certificate in .cer or .crt formats. The file doesn’t contain the private key and is therefore not encrypted. You can install the certificate in other systems that trust certificates signed by AXIS Camera Station. However, you can’t install the certificate in AXIS Camera Station again.

    Number of dates the signed client/server certificates will be valid for

    Set the number of days that the automatically created client/server certificates are valid for. The maximum amount is 1095 days (three years). Note that the CA doesn’t sign certificates that are valid beyond its own expiration date.

    Generate a root CA

    When AXIS Camera Station starts, it looks for a CA. If missing, it generates a root CA automatically. It includes a self-signed root certificate and private key protected by a password. AXIS Camera Station stores the password but doesn’t make it visible. A CA certificate generated by AXIS Camera Station is valid for 10 years.

    To manually generate a new CA to replace the old one, see Replace a CA.

    If you upgrade from version 5.45 or earlier that uses a manually installed certificate on a device, AXIS Camera Station automatically uses the existing root CA to install a new certificate when the manually installed certificate expires.

    Note

    When you generate a CA certificate, it's added to Windows Trusted Root Certificates.

    Import a CA

    When you install a CA certificate from another CA you can use AXIS Camera Station as an intermediate CA. Import an existing CA consisting of a certificate and a private key to allow AXIS Camera Station to sign certificates on the behalf of that CA. The file must be a PKCS#12 file, the certificate must have a basic constraint (2.5.29.19) indicating that it's a CA certificate, and be used within the its validity period. To import a CA to replace the existing one, see Replace a CA.

    Note
    • If the imported CA doesn’t require a password, a dialog appears each time something requires a password. For example, when you use HTTPS or IEEE on a device, or add a device. You need to click OK to continue.
    • When you import a CA certificate, it's added to Windows Trusted Root Certificates.
    • After uninstalling AXIS Camera Station, you must manually remove imported CA certificates from Windows Trusted Root Certification Authorities.
    Replace a CA

    To replace the CA that issues signed certificates used on devices with HTTPS connection:

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates > HTTPS.

    2. Turn on Temporarily ignore certificate validation.

    3. Under Certificate authority, click Generate or Import.

    4. Enter your password and click OK.

    5. Select the number of valid days of the signed client/server certificates.

    6. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    7. Right-click the devices and select Security > HTTPS > Enable/Update.

    8. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates > HTTPS and turn off Temporarily ignore certificate validation.

    HTTPS

    By default, AXIS Camera Station validates the signature of the active HTTPS server certificate on each connected device and doesn’t connect to a device without a validated certificate. The server certificate must be signed by the active CA in AXIS Camera Station or validated through Windows Certificate Store. AXIS Camera Station also validates if the address in the device HTTPS certificate matches the address used to communicate with the device if Validate device address is on.

    Cameras with firmware 7.20 or later comes with a self-signed certificate. These certificates are not trusted. Instead, generate or import a CA to let AXIS Camera Station issue new certificates to the devices when you use HTTPS.

    Temporarily ignore certificate validation

    Turn on to let AXIS Camera Station accept any HTTPS certificate and allow configuration of insecure devices

    Turn off so AXIS Camera Station validates the device certificates. If it isn’t trusted, a warning message appears under Status in Device management and the device isn’t accessible.

    Validate device address

    The option turns off by default to have a stable behavior on DHCP networks without using hostnames.

    Turn on to require the addresses to match for additional security. We recommend that you only turn on this setting on networks where devices primarily use hostname to communicate, or devices have a static IP address.

    Note
    • When a secure connection (HTTPS) is unavailable, use a HTTP connection to configure non-secure devices.
    • To use HTTPS, firmware 5.70 or later, it requires for video devices, and firmware 1.25 or later for access control and audio devices.

    Limitations

    • Non-default ports (other than 443) aren’t supported.

    • All certificates in an install batch must have same password.

    • Certificate operations over unencrypted channels, such as "Basic" aren’t supported. Set devices to "Encrypted & unencrypted" or "Encrypted only" to allow "Digest" communication.

    • You can’t turn on HTTPS on AXIS T85 PoE+ Network switch series.

    IEEE 802.1X

    For AXIS Camera Station IEEE 802.1X authentication, the supplicant is an Axis network device that wishes to attach to the LAN. The authenticator is a network device, such as an Ethernet switch or wireless access point. The authentication server is typically a host running software that supports the RADIUS and EAP protocols.

    You must import an IEEE 802.1X authentication CA certificate to turn on IEEE 802.1X. The IEEE 802.1X authentication CA certificate and IEEE 802.1X client certificate install when you turn on or update IEEE 802.1X. A certificate for the authentication can either be sourced externally, for example from the IEEE 802.1X authentication server, or directly from AXIS Camera Station. This certificate installs on each Axis device and verifies the authentication server.

    Note

    To use IEEE 802.1X certificates, it requires firmware 5.50 or later for video devices, and firmware 1.25 or later for access control and audio devices.

    To configure IEEE 802.1X:

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates.

    2. In the EAPOL Version drop-down menu, select what version of Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) you want to use.

    3. In the EAP identity drop-down menu, select to use either the device's MAC address, the device hostname, or custom text.

    4. If you selected Custom, enter any text that functions as the EAP identity in Custom.

    5. Click Import and select the IEEE 802.1X authentication CA certificate file.

    6. In the Common name drop-down menu, select to use Device IP address or Device EAP identity as the common name in the individual certificates created for each device when AXIS Camera Station acts as a certificate authority.

    7. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    8. Right-click the devices and select Security > IEEE 802.1X > Enable/Update.

    Limitations

    • For devices with several network adapters (such as wireless cameras), you can only turn on IEEE 802.1X for the first adapter, typically the wired connection.

    • Devices that miss parameter Network.Interface.I0.dot1x.Enabled aren’t supported. For example: AXIS P39 Series, AXIS T85 Series, and AXIS T87 Video Decoder

    • Certificate operations over unencrypted channels, such as "Basic" aren’t supported. Set devices to "Encrypted & unencrypted" or "Encrypted only" to allow "Digest" communication.

    Certificate expiration warning

    A warning shows when a client or server certificate has expired or is about to be expire. A system alarm also triggers for certain certificates. It applies to all client and server certificates, device CA certificates installed by AXIS Camera Station, the AXIS Camera Station CA certificate, and IEEE 802.1X certificate. A warning appears as a message under Status on the Device management page and as an icon in the Installed certificates list.

    Under Certificate expiration warning, specify how many days before the expiration date you want AXIS Camera Station to notify you.

    Certificate renewal

    Renew certificate between the server and devices

    The device client or server certificates generated by AXIS Camera Station automatically renew 7 days before the expiration warning appears. For this to be possible, you must have turned on HTTPS or IEEE 802.1X on the device. If you want to renew or update a certificate manually, see Security.

    Renew certificate between the server and the client

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates.

    2. Under Certificate renewal, click Renew.

    3. Restart the server to apply the renewed certificate.

    Reset the password

    To change the password:

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates.

    2. Turn on Temporarily ignore certificate validation to make sure the devices that use CA certificates are accessible.

    3. Under Certificate authority, click Generate and enter your password.

    4. Under Certificate authority, click Export to save the CA certificate locally.

    5. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management and turn on HTTPS on the selected devices.

    6. Turn off Temporarily ignore certificate validation.

    Configure access control

    If you have added AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller to your system, you can configure the access control hardware in AXIS Camera Station version 5.35 or later.

    For a complete workflow to set up AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller in AXIS Camera Station, See Set up AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller.

    Note

    Before you start, ensure the following:

    • Upgrade the controller firmware under Configuration > Devices > Management. See Upgrade firmware.
    • Set date and time for the controller under Configuration > Devices > Management. See Set date and time.
    • Enable HTTPS on the controller under Configuration > Devices > Management. See Security.

    Workflow to configure access control

    1. To edit the predefined identification profiles or create a new identification profile, see Identification profiles.

    2. To use a custom setup for card formats and PIN length, see Card formats and PIN.

    3. Add a door and apply an identification profile to the door. See Add a door.

    4. Configure the door.

    5. Add a zone and add doors to the zone. See Add a zone.

    Doors and zones

    Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones and a list of doors and zones that have been configured is displayed.

    ItemDescription
    Doors
    NameThe name of the door.
    Door controllerThe door controller that the door is connected to.
    Side AThe zone that side A of the door is in.
    Side BThe zone that side B of the door is in.
    Identification profileThe identification profile applied to the door.
    Card formats and PINShows the setup of card formats or PIN length applied to the door is a system setup or custom setup.
    StatusThe status of the door.
    • Online: The door is online and works normally.

    • Reader offline: The reader in the door configuration is offline.

    • Reader error: The reader in the door configuration doesn’t support secure channel or secure channel is not enabled for the reader.

    Zones
    NameThe name of the zone.
    Number of doorsThe number of doors included in the zone.

    In this page, you can:

    • Add, edit or remove a door. See Add a door.

    • Add, edit or remove a zone. See Add a zone.

    • Turn off OSDP Secure Channel for a specific reader.

      1. Select a door in the list.

      2. Click and select Turn off OSDP Secure Channel.

      3. Click Apply.

    • Turn on OSDP Secure Channel for a specific reader after it is turned off manually.

      1. Select a door in the list.

      2. Click and select Recreate OSDP Secure Channel.

      3. Click Apply.

    • View the controller pin chart associated with a door.

      1. Select a door in the list.

      2. Click Pin chart.

      3. If you want to print the pin chart, click Print.

    • Change identification profile on doors.

      1. Press SHIFT or CTRL to select multiple doors in the list.

      2. Click Select identification profile.

      3. Select an identification profile and click Apply.

    Example of doors and zones
    • There are two zones: green zone and blue zone.

    • There are three doors: green door, blue door and brown door.

    • The green door is an internal door in the green zone.

    • The blue door is a perimeter door for the blue zone only.

    • The brown door is a perimeter door for both the green zone and blue zone.

    Add a door
    Note

    A door controller can be configured with one door with two locks, or two doors with one lock on each door.

    To add a door by creating a new door configuration:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones and click Add door.

    2. Type a door name.

    3. Select a door controller from the Controller drop-down list. It shows how many doors are connected to the controller and the controller is greyed out when there is no room for another door or when it is offline or HTTPS is not activated.

    4. Click Next to go to the door configuration page.

    5. Select a relay port from the Primary lock drop-down list.

    6. To configure two locks on the door, select a relay port from the Secondary lock drop-down list.

    7. Select an identification profile. See Identification profiles.

    8. Configure the Door settings.

    9. Add a door monitor

    10. Add emergency input

    11. Add a reader

    12. Add a REX device

    13. Click Save.

    To add a door by copying an existing door configuration:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones and click Add door.

    2. Enter a door name.

    3. Select a door controller from the Controller drop-down list.

    4. Click Next.

    5. Select an existing door configuration from the Copy configuration drop-down list. It shows how many doors are connected to the controller and the controller will be greyed out if it has been configured with two doors or one door with two locks.

    6. Change the settings if you want.

    7. Click Save.

    To edit a door:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones > Doors.

    2. Select a door in the list.

    3. Click Edit.

    4. Change the settings and click Save.

    To remove a door:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones > Doors.

    2. Select a door in the list.

    3. Click Remove.

    4. Click Yes.

    Add and configure doors and zones
    Door settings

    Go to the door configuration page and configure the door settings under Door settings.

    • Access time (sec): Set the number of seconds the door should remain unlocked after access has been granted. The door remains unlocked until the door has been opened or until the set time has been reached. The door will lock when it closes regardless of whether the access time has expired or not if a door monitor is configured.

    • Open-too-long time (sec): Only valid if a door monitor is configured. Set the number of seconds the door is allowed to stay open. If the door is still open when the set time has been reached, the door open too long alarm is triggered. Set up an action rule to configure which action the open too long event will trigger.

    • Long access time (sec): Set the number of seconds the door should remain unlocked after access has been granted. Long access time overrides the already set access time for cardholders with this setting enabled.

    • Long open-too-long time (sec): Only valid if a door monitor is configured. Set the number of seconds the door is allowed to stay open. If the door is still open when the set time has been reached, the door open-too-long event is triggered. Long open-too-long time overrides the already set open-too-long time for cardholders with this setting enabled.

    • Relock delay time (ms): Set the time (milliseconds) that the door stays unlocked after the it’s opened or closed.

    • Relock

      • After opening: Only valid if a door monitor is configured.

      • After closing: Only valid if a door monitor is configured.

    Time options
    1. Access granted - lock unlocks
    2. Access time
    3. No action taken - lock locks
    4. Action taken (door opened) - lock locks or stays unlocked until door closes
    5. Open-too-long time
    6. Open-too-long alarm goes off
    1. Access granted - lock unlocks
    2. Access time
    3. 2+3: Long access time
    4. No action taken - lock locks
    5. Action taken (door opened) - lock locks or stays unlocked until door closes
    6. Open-too-long time
    7. 6+7: Long open-too-long time
    8. Open-too-long alarm goes off
    Add a wireless lock

    AXIS Camera Station supports the ASSA ABLOY Aperio® wireless locks and communication hubs. The wireless lock connects to the system via an Aperio communication hub connected to the door controller’s RS485 connector. You can connect up to 16 wireless locks to a door controller.

    Note
    • The setup requires AXIS OS version 11.6.16.1 or later on the Axis door controller.
    • The setup requires a valid AXIS Door controller Extension License.
    • The Axis door controller time must be the same as the AXIS Camera Station server time.
    • Before you start you must pair the Aperio locks with the Aperio hub using the Aperio programming application tool ASSA ABLOY supports.
    1. Access the door controller.

      1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Other devices.

      2. Open the web interface of the door controller connected to the Aperio communication hub.

    2. Turn on the AXIS Door Controller Extension.

      1. In the door controller web interface, go to Apps.

      2. Open the AXIS Door Controller Extension context menu .

      3. Click Activate license with a key and select your license.

      4. Turn on AXIS Door Controller Extension.

    3. Connect the wireless lock to the door controller via the communication hub.

      1. In the door controller web interface, go to Access control > Wireless locks.

      2. Click Connect hub.

      3. Enter a name for the hub and click Connect.

      4. Click Connect wireless lock.

      5. Select the lock address and capabilities for the lock you’re adding and click Save.

    4. Add and configure the door with the wireless lock.

      1. In AXIS Camera Station, go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones.

      2. Click Add door.

      3. Select the door controller connected to the Aperio communication hub, select Wireless door as Door type, and click Next.

      4. Select your Wireless lock.

      5. Define the door sides A and B, and add any sensors. See Doors and zones for more information.

      6. Click Save.

    Once you’ve connected the wireless lock you can see its battery level and status in the overview of doors.

    Wireless lock battery level
    Battery levelAction
    GoodNone
    LowThe lock works as intended but you should replace the battery before the battery level becomes critical.
    CriticalReplace the battery. The lock may not work as intended.
    Wireless lock status
    Lock statusAction
    OnlineNone
    Lock jamResolve any mechanical issues with the lock.
    Add a door monitor

    A door monitor is a door position switch that monitors the physical state of a door.

    You can select to add a door monitor to your door and configure how the door monitor circuits are connected.

    1. Go to the door configuration page. See Add a door.

    2. Under Sensors, click Add and select Door monitor sensor.

    3. Select the I/O port that you want to connect the door monitor to.

    4. Under Door open if, select how the door monitor circuits are connected.

      • Circuit is open: Select if the door monitor circuit is normally closed. The door monitor gives the door open signal when the circuit is open. The door monitor gives the door closed signal when the circuit is closed.

      • Circuit is closed: Select if the door monitor circuit is normally open. The door monitor gives the door open signal when the circuit is closed. The door monitor gives the door closed signal when the circuit is open.

    5. To ignore the state changes of the digital input before it enters a new stable state, set a Debounce time.

    6. To trigger an event when the connection between the door controller and the door monitor is interrupted, turn on Supervised input. See Supervised inputs.

    Add emergency input

    An emergency input can be configured to initiate an action to lock or unlock the door.

    You can select to add emergency input to your door and configure how the circuits are connected.

    1. Go to the door configuration page. See Add a door.

    2. Under Sensors, click Add and select Emergency input.

    3. Select how the circuits are connected.

      • Circuit is open: Select if the emergency input circuit is normally closed. The emergency input gives the emergency state signal when the circuit is open.

      • Circuit is closed: Select if the emergency input circuit is normally open. The emergency input gives the emergency state signal when the circuit is closed.

    4. To ignore the state changes of the digital input before it enters a new stable state, set a Debounce time (ms).

    5. Select what Emergency action to trigger when receiving the emergency state signal.

      • Unlock door: Select if you want to unlock the door when receiving the emergency state signal.

      • Lock door: Select if you want to lock the door when receiving the emergency state signal.

    Add a reader

    A reader is a device that reads a cardholder’s credentials from a card, key tag, or related item.

    A door controller can be configured with two readers. You can select to add a reader on one side or both sides of a door.

    If you apply a custom setup of card formats or PIN length to a reader, it is clearly displayed in the Card formats column under Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones. See Doors and zones.

    Note
    • For a reader, if you have configured a different end of PIN character in AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry and the device webpage, the configuration on the device webpage will be used.
    • When using an Axis network intercom as IP reader and you’ve configured a different PIN length in AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry and the device webpage, the configuration on the device webpage will be used.
    1. Go to the door configuration page. See Add a door.

    2. Under one side of the door, click Add and select Card reader.

    3. For RS485 readers, select OSDP RS485 half duplex and a reader port.

    4. For readers that use Wiegand protocols, select Wiegand and a reader port.

      • Under LED control, select Single wire or Dual wire (R/G). Readers with dual LED control use different wires for the red and green LEDs.

      • Under Tamper alert, select when the reader tamper input is active.

        • Open circuit: The reader gives the door the tamper signal when the circuit is open.

        • Closed circuit: The reader gives the door the tamper signal when the circuit is closed.

      • To ignore the state changes of the reader tamper input before it enters a new stable state, set a Tamper debounce time.

      • To trigger an event when the connection between the door controller and the reader is interrupted, turn on Supervised input. See Supervised inputs.

    5. For IP readers, select IP reader and select a device from the drop-down list. For requirements and supported devices, see IP reader.

    6. The PIN length is configured under Configuration > Access control > Card formats and PIN. To use a custom PIN length setup for this reader which is different from the system setup:

      1. Click Advanced.

      2. Turn on Custom PIN length.

      3. Set the Min PIN length, Max PIN length, and End of PIN character.

      4. Go to Configuration > Doors and zones and the Card formats column is marked as Custom for this door.

    7. The card formats are configured under Configuration > Access control > Card formats and PIN. To use a custom card format setup for this reader which is different from the system setup:

      1. Click Advanced.

      2. Turn on Custom card formats.

      3. Change the card formats you want to use for the reader. If a card format with the same bit length is already in use, you need to deactivate it first.

        A warning icon is displayed when the card format setup is different from the system setup configured under Configuration > Access control > Card formats and PIN.

      4. Go to Configuration > Doors and zones and the Card formats column is marked as Custom for this door.

    8. Click Add.

    9. To add a reader to the other side of the door, repeat the previous steps.

    For information on how to set up an AXIS Barcode Reader, see Set up AXIS Barcode Reader.

    IP reader

    Axis network intercoms can be used as IP reader in AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry.

    Note
    • It requires AXIS Camera Station 5.38 or later, AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller with firmware 10.6.0.2 or later.
    • No special configuration is required in the intercom to use it as IP reader.

    The following devices are supported:

    • AXIS A8207-VE Network Video Door Station with firmware 10.5.1 or later

    • AXIS A8207-VE Mk II Network Video Door Station with firmware 10.5.1 or later

    • AXIS I8116-E Network Video Intercom

    Add a REX device

    A request to exit (REX) device is a device local to a door indicating that someone has requested to exit the door. A REX device can be a PIR sensor, REX button, or push bar.

    You can select to add a REX device on one side or both sides of the door.

    1. Go to the door configuration page. See Add a door.

    2. Under one side of the door, click Add and select REX device.

    3. Select the I/O port that you want to connect the REX device to. If there is only one port available, it will be selected automatically.

    4. Select the Action to trigger when receiving the REX signal.

      • Unlock door: Select if you want to unlock the door when receiving the REX signal.

      • None: Select if you don’t want to trigger any action when receiving the REX signal.

    5. Under REX active, select how the door monitor circuits are connected.

      • Circuit is open: Select if the REX circuit is normally closed. The REX device gives the signal when the circuit is open.

      • Circuit is closed: Select if the REX circuit is normally open. The REX device gives the signal when the circuit is closed.

    6. To ignore the state changes of the digital input before it enters a new stable state, set a Debounce time (ms).

    7. To trigger an event when the connection between the door controller and the REX device is interrupted, turn on Supervised input. See Supervised inputs.

    Add a zone

    A zone is a specific physical area with a group of doors.

    You can create zones and add doors to the zones. A door can be:

    • Perimeter door: Cardholders enter or leave the zone through this door.

    • Internal door: An internal door within the zone.

    • Note

      A perimeter door can belong to two zones. An internal door can only belong to one zone.

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones > Zones.

    2. Click Add zone.

    3. Enter a zone name.

    4. Click Add door, select the doors you want to add to the zone, and click Add.

    5. The door is set to be a perimeter door by default. To change it, select Internal door from the drop-down list.

    6. For a perimeter door, it is set to use door side A to enter the zone by default. To change it, select Leave from the drop-down list. This option is only available for a perimeter door.

    7. To remove a door from the zone, select it and click Remove.

    8. Click Save.

    To edit a zone:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones > Zones.

    2. Select a zone in the list.

    3. Click Edit.

    4. Change the settings and click Save.

    To remove a zone:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones > Zones.

    2. Select a zone in the list.

    3. Click Remove.

    4. Click Yes.

    Zone security level

    You can add the following security feature to a zone:

    Anti-passback –
    Prevents people from using the same credentials as someone who entered an area before them. It enforces that a person must first exit the area before they can use their credentials again.
    Note

    With anti-passback, we recommend using door position sensors on all doors in the zone to ensure that a user opened the door after swiping their card.

    You can configure the security level while you add a new zone, or you can do it on an existing zone. To add a security level to an existing zone:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones.

    2. Select the zone you want to configure a security level for.

    3. Click Edit.

    4. Click Security level.

    5. Turn on the security features you want to add to the door.

    6. Click Apply.

    Anti-passback
    Log violation only (Soft)Use this if you want to allow a second person to enter the door using the same credentials as the first person. This option only results in a system alarm.
    Deny access (Hard)Use this if you want to prevent the second user from entering the door if they’re using the same credentials as the first person. This option also results in a system alarm.
    Timeout (seconds)The amount of time until the system allows a user to re-enter. Enter 0 if you don’t want timeout, meaning that the zone has anti-passback until the user leaves the zone. Only use 0 timeout with Deny access (Hard) if all doors in the zone have readers on both sides.
    Supervised inputs

    Supervised inputs can be used to trigger an event when the following connections are interrupted.

    • Connection between the door controller and the door monitor. See Add a door monitor.

    • Connection between the door controller and the reader that uses Wiegand protocols. See Add a reader.

    • Connection between the door controller and the REX device. See Add a REX device.

    To use supervised inputs:

    1. Install end of line resistors as close to the peripheral device as possible according to the connection diagram.

    2. Go to the configuration page of a reader, a door monitor, or a REX device, turn on Supervised input.

    3. If you have followed the parallel first connection diagram, select Parallel first connection with a 22 KΩ parallel resistor and a 4.7 KΩ serial resistor.

    4. If you have followed the serial first connection diagram, select Serial first connection and select a resistor value from the Resistor values drop-down list.

    Connection diagram

    Parallel first connection

    The resistor values must be 4.7 kΩ and 22 kΩ.

    Serial first connection

    The resistor values must be the same and within range 1-10 kΩ.

    Identification profiles

    An identification profile is a combination of identification types and schedules. You can apply an identification profile to one or more doors to determine how and when a cardholder gets access to a door through a specific side of the door.

    Identification types are carriers of the credential information that cardholders need to get access to a door. Common identification types are tokens, such as cards (card raw, card number) or key fobs, personal identification numbers (PINs), fingerprints, facial maps, and request to exit (REX) devices. And depending on the identification type, it can carry one or more types of information.

    Supported identification types: Card, PIN, REX, Static QR, and Dynamic QR.

    Note

    Dynamic QR must be used with PIN together.

    Go to Configuration > Access control > Identification profiles to create, edit, or remove identification profiles. Use the Type to search field to find a specific identification profile.

    There are five default identification profiles available for you to use as they are or edit as required.

    • Card: Cardholders need to swipe the card to access the door.

    • Card and PIN: Cardholders need to swipe the card and enter the PIN to access the door.

    • PIN: Cardholders need to enter the PIN to access the door.

    • Card or PIN: Cardholders need to swipe the card or enter the PIN to access the door.

    • QR: Cardholders need to show the QR Code® to camera to access the door. The QR identification profile is used for both static and dynamic QR.

    QR Code is a registered trademark of Denso Wave Incorporated in Japan and other countries.

    To create an identification profile:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Identification profiles and click Create identification profile.

    2. Type an identification profile name.

    3. Select Include facility code for card validation to use facility code as one of the credential validation fields. This field is only available if you have enabled Facility code under Access management > Settings.

    4. On a specific side of the door,

      1. Click Add.

      2. Select one or more types from the Identification type drop-down list.

      3. Select one or more schedules from the Schedule drop-down list.

    5. On the other side of the door, repeat the previous steps.

    6. Click OK.

    To edit an identification profile:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Identification profiles.

    2. Select an identification profile and click .

    3. To change the identification profile name, type a new name.

    4. On a specific side of the door,

      • To change an identification type, select one or more types from the Identification type drop-down list.

      • To change a schedule, select one or more schedules from the Schedule drop-down list.

      • To remove an identification type and the related schedule, click .

      • To add an identification type and the related schedule, click Add and set the identification types and schedules.

    5. To edit the identification profile on the other side of the door, repeat the previous steps.

    6. Click OK.

    To remove an identification profile:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Identification profiles.

    2. Select an identification profile and click .

    3. If the identification profile has been applied to a door, select another identification profile for the door.

    4. Click OK.

    Set up identification profiles

    Card formats and PIN

    A card format defines how data is stored in a card. It is a translation table between the incoming data and the validated data in the system. Each card format has a different set of rules for how the information stored on the card is organized. By defining a card format, you tell the system how to interpret the information that the controller gets from the card reader.

    There are a few predefined commonly used card formats available for you to use as they are or edit as required. You can also create custom card formats.

    Go to Configuration > Access Control > Card formats and PIN and a list of card formats is displayed. You can create, edit, or activate card formats. You can also configure PIN. Use the Type to search field to find a specific card format. Click to reset a card format to the default field map.

    The custom card formats can contain the following data fields used for credential validation.

    • Card number: A subset of the credential binary data that is encoded as decimal or hexadecimal numbers. Card number is used to identify a specific card or cardholder.

    • Facility code: A subset of the credential binary data that is encoded as decimal or hexadecimal numbers. Facility code is used to identify a specific end customer or site.

    To create a card format:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access Control > Card formats and PIN and click Add card format.

    2. Type a card format name.

    3. In the Bit length field, type a bit length between 1 and 256.

    4. Select Invert bit order if you want to invert the bit order of the data received from the card reader. Click to see an example of the output after inverting bit order.

    5. Select Invert byte order if you want to invert the byte order of the data received from the card reader. This option is only available when you specify a bit length that can be divided by eight. Click to see an example of the output after inverting byte order.

    6. Choose and configure the data fields to be active in the card format. Either Card number or Facility code must be active in the card format.

      • Range: Set the bit range of the data for the data field. The range must be within what you have specified for Bit length.

      • Output format: Select the output format of the data for the data field.

        The decimal system, also known as base-10 positional numeral system, consists of the numbers 0–9.

        The hexadecimal system, also known as base-16 positional numeral system, consists of 16 unique symbols: the numbers 0–9 and the letters a–f.

      • Bit order of subrange: Select the bit order.

        Little endian bit order means that the first bit is the smallest (least significant).

        Big endian bit order means that the first bit is the biggest (most significant).

    7. Click OK. The card format is added to the card format list.

    8. To activate the card format, select the checkbox in front of the card format name.

    Note
    • Two card formats with the same bit length can’t be active at the same time. For example, if you have defined two 32-bit card formats, “Format A” and “Format B”, and you have activated “Format A”, you can’t activate “Format B” without deactivating “Format A” first.
    • You can only activate and deactivate card formats if the door controller has been configured with at least one reader. 

    To edit a card format:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access Control > Card formats and PIN.

    2. Select a card format and click .

    3. If you edit a predefined card format, you can only edit Invert bit order and Invert byte order if the bit length can be divided by eight.

    4. If you edit a custom card format, you can edit all the fields.

    5. Click OK.

    You can only remove the custom card formats. To remove a custom card format:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access Control > Card formats and PIN.

    2. Select a custom card format, click and Yes.

    To configure PIN length:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access Control > Card formats and PIN.

    2. Under PIN configuration, click .

    3. Specify Min PIN length, Max PIN length, and End of PIN character.

    4. Click OK.

    Set up card formats
    Card format settings

    Overview

    • The card number in decimal is 64332.

    • One reader transfers the card number to hexadecimal number FB4C. The other reader transfers it to hexadecimal number 4CFB.

    • AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller receives FB4C and transfers it to decimal number 64332 according to the card format settings applied to the reader.

    • AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller receives 4CFB, changes it to FB4C by inverting byte order, and transfers it to decimal number 64332 according to the card format settings applied to the reader.

    Invert bit order

    After inverting bit order, the card data received from the reader is read from right to left bit by bit.

    Invert byte order

    A group of eight bits is a byte. After inverting byte order, the card data received from the reader is read from right to left byte by byte.

    26-bit standard Wiegand card format

    1. Leading parity
    2. Facility code
    3. Card number
    4. Trailing parity

    Encrypted communication

    OSDP Secure Channel

    AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry supports OSDP (Open Supervised Device Protocol) Secure Channel to enable line encryption between controller and Axis readers.

    To turn on OSDP Secure Channel for entire system:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Encrypted communication.

    2. Specify your main encryption key and click OK. To change the main encryption key, click .

    3. Turn on OSDP Secure Channel. This option is only available after you have set the main encryption key.

    4. By default, the OSDP Secure Channel key is generated by the main encryption key. To manually set the OSDP Secure Channel key:

      1. Under OSDP Secure Channel, click .

      2. Clear Use main encryption key to generate OSDP Secure Channel key.

      3. Type the OSDP Secure Channel key and click OK.

    To turn on or turn off OSDP Secure Channel for a specific reader, see Doors and zones.

    AXIS Barcode Reader

    AXIS Barcode Reader is an application that can be installed on Axis cameras. Axis door controller can authenticate AXIS Barcode Reader by using the authentication key to grant access. For a complete workflow how to set up AXIS Barcode Reader, see Set up AXIS Barcode Reader.

    To create a connection between a door controller and AXIS Barcode Reader:

    1. In AXIS Camera Station:

      1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Encrypted communication.

      2. Under External Peripheral Authentication Key, click Show authentication key and Copy key.

    2. In the device web interface where AXIS Barcode Reader runs:

      1. Open AXIS Barcode Reader application.

      2. If the server certificate wasn’t configured in AXIS Camera Station, turn on Ignore server certificate validation. See Certificates for more information.

      3. Turn on AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry.

      4. Click Add and enter the IP address of the door controller and paste the authentication key.

      5. Select the reader that reads barcodes from the door drop-down menu.

    Multi server BETA

    With multi server, global cardholders and cardholder groups on the main server can be used from the connected sub servers.

    Note
    • One system can support up to 64 sub servers.
    • It requires AXIS Camera Station 5.47 or later.
    • It requires that the main server and sub servers are on the same network.
    • On main server and sub servers, make sure to configure Windows Firewall to allow incoming TCP connections on the Secure Entry port. The default port is 55767. For customized port configuration, see General.
    Workflow
    1. Configure a server as a sub server and generate the configuration file. See Generate the configuration file from the sub server.

    2. Configure a server as a main server and import the configuration file of the sub servers. See Import the configuration file to the main server.

    3. Configure global cardholders and cardholder groups on the main server. See Add a cardholder and Add a group.

    4. View and monitor global cardholders and cardholder groups from the sub server. See Access management.

    Generate the configuration file from the sub server
    1. From the sub server, go to Configuration > Access control > Multi server.

    2. Click Sub server.

    3. Click Generate. A configuration file in .json format is generated.

    4. Click Download and choose a location to save the file.

    Import the configuration file to the main server
    1. From the main server, go to Configuration > Access control > Multi server.

    2. Click Main server.

    3. Click and navigate to the configuration file that you have generated from the sub server.

    4. Enter the server name, IP address, and port number of the sub server. Click Import.

    5. The sub server is added to the list and the status shows Connected.

    Revoke a sub server

    You can only revoke a sub server before its configuration file is imported to a main server.

    1. From the main server, go to Configuration > Access control > Multi server.

    2. Click Sub server and click Revoke server.

    3. Now you can configure this server as a main server or sub server.

    Remove a sub server

    After you import the configuration file of a sub server, the sub server is connected to the main server.

    To remove a sub server:

    1. From the main server:

      1. Go to Access management > Dashboard and change the global cardholders and groups to local cardholders and groups.

      2. Go to Configuration > Access control > Multi server and click Main server to display the sub server list.

      3. Select the sub server and click Delete.

    2. From the sub server, go to Configuration > Access control > Multi server. Click sub server and Revoke server.

    Active directory settingsPREVIEW

    Note

    User accounts in Microsoft Windows and Active Directory users and groups can access AXIS Camera Station. To add a user to AXIS Camera Station, you must add users or a group to Windows. How to add a user in Windows can vary depending on your version. Follow the instructions on Microsoft's site. Consult your network administrator if you're connected to an Active Directory domain network.

    The first time you open the Active Directory settings page you can import Microsoft Active Directory users to cardholders in AXIS Camera Station. See Import active directory users.

    After the initial configuration the page offers the following options.

    • Create and manage cardholder groups based on groups in Active Directory.

    • Set up scheduled synchronization between Active Directory and the access management system.

    • Manually synchronize to update all cardholders imported from Active Directory.

    • Manage data mapping between user data from Active Directory and cardholder properties.

    Import active directory users

    To import Active Directory users to cardholders in AXIS Camera Station:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Active directory settingsPREVIEW.

    2. Click Set up import.

    3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete these three main steps:

      1. Select a user from Active Directory to use as a template for data mapping.

      2. Map user data from the Active Directory database to cardholder properties.

      3. Create a new cardholder group in the access management system and select which Active Directory groups to import.

    Configure smart search 2

    With smart search 2, you can set several filters to easily find persons and vehicles of interest from the recordings that are generated from Axis cameras.

    For requirements, limitations and how to use smart search 2, see Smart search 2.

    1. Go to Configuration > Smart search 2 > Settings.

    2. Under Cameras,

      1. Select the cameras to send metadata to smart search 2.

      2. To allow server classification in the background for a camera, select Allow under the Background server classification column. This increases the server load but improves the user experience.

      3. For cameras with background server classification, an icon appears under the Background server classification column indicating the server classification status in the last hour when the server classification is slow.

        • appears when less than 95% detections are classified.

        • appears when less than 50% detections are classified.

      4. To limit the amount of detections saved on the server, under Filter, click and create filters for Size and duration, and Area. You can use this for example to exclude small objects, or objects that only appear for a very short time. The filter applies to each individual camera.

    3. Under Storage:

      • Select the drive and folder to store the detections and click Apply.

      • Set the storage size limit and click Apply. The oldest detections are removed when the storage limit is reached.

    4. Select Include periods with missing metadata to display results indicating that no metadata was recorded during a certain period.

    Configure System Health Monitoring BETA

    Note
    • When connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, you can configure System Health Monitoring on any connected server by selecting the server from the Selected server drop-down list.
    • If you’re managing systems located on different networks, AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service provides the same functionality but through the cloud. See Setup AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service for more information.

    Notifications

    To send email notifications:

    1. Configure an SMTP server and an email address to send the notifications. See Server settings

    2. Configure the email addresses to receive the notifications. See Configure email recipients.

    3. Configure the notification rules. See Configure notification rules.

    Configure email recipients
    1. Go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Notifications.

    2. Under Email recipients, enter an email address and click Save. Repeat to add multiple email recipients.

    3. To test the SMTP server, click Send test email. A message is displayed showing that the test email was sent.

    Configure notification rules

    There are two notification rules activated by default:

    • System down: Send a notification when the system in a single system setup or any system in a multisystem setup is down for 5 minutes.

    • Device down: Send a notification when a device listed in System Health Monitoring is down for 5 minutes.

    1. Go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Notifications.

    2. Under Notification rules, turn on or turn off the notification rules.

    3. Under Applied rules, a list of systems and devices including the applied notification rule is displayed.

    Multisystem

    With System Health Monitoring, you can monitor the health data of several secondary systems from one main system.

    1. In a secondary system, generate the system configuration to be accessed by the main system. See Generate system configuration.

    2. Repeat the previous steps in other secondary systems.

    3. In the main system, upload the system configurations. See Retrieve data from other systems.

    4. Monitor the health data from multiple systems from the main system. See System Health Monitoring BETA.

    Generate system configuration
    1. Go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Multisystem.

    2. Click Generate.

    3. Click Copy to be able to upload it to the main system.

    4. To view the system configuration details, click Show details.

    5. To regenerate the system configuration, click Delete to delete the existing one first.

    After the system configuration is uploaded to the main system, the main system information is displayed under Systems with access.

    Retrieve data from other systems

    After you have generated and copied the system configuration of a secondary system, you can upload it to the main system.

    1. In the main system, go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Multisystem.

    2. Click Paste. The information you have copied from the secondary system is automatically filled.

    3. Check the host IP address and click Add. The secondary system is added and is displayed under Available systems.

    Access management

    After you have configured access control, click and select Access management to display the Access management tab in the AXIS Camera Station client. See Configure access control.

    For a complete workflow to set up AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller in AXIS Camera Station, See Set up AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller.

    The Access management tab allows you to configure and manage the system’s cardholders, groups, doors, zones and access rules. It consists of the following views:

    • Dashboard: Add cardholders, credentials, groups, access rules, and perform actions on doors and zones.

      • When the configuration of a cardholder, door or access rule is not complete, it is highlighted in yellow. For example, when a cardholder or door is not added to an access rule.

      • When something goes wrong with a cardholder configuration, it is highlighted in pink. For example, when a cardholder is expired or suspended.

    • Reports: Export reports that contain different types of information about the system. See Export reports.

    • Settings: Add custom fields to cardholder template and enable facility code in the system. See Access management settings.

    • Import and export: Import and export cardholder data. You can also reset the system to the state before the last import. See Import and export.

    Workflow of access management

    The access management structure is flexible, allowing you to develop a workflow that suits your needs. The following is a workflow example:

    1. Add groups. See Add a group.

    2. Add cardholders. See Add a cardholder.

    3. Add cardholders to groups.

    4. Add access rules. See Add an access rule.

    5. Apply groups to access rules.

    6. Apply zones to access rules.

    7. Apply doors to access rules.

    Add a cardholder

    A cardholder is a person with a unique ID registered in the system. A cardholder is configured with credentials that tell the system who the person is and when and how the person is granted access to doors.

    You can also choose to map users in an Active Directory database as cardholders, see Active directory settingsPREVIEW.

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard.

    2. Under Cardholders, click and .

    3. Enter the first name, last name, cardholder ID, and email address. The cardholder ID is a unique number that can always be used to identify a cardholder.

    4. If you have configured custom fields under Access management > Settings, enter information for the custom fields too.

    5. Add a cardholder image. Click Add Image and select Upload image or Take a picture.

    6. Add groups that the cardholder belongs to.

      1. Expand Groups and click Add.

      2. Select a group and click Add.

      3. Repeat to add multiple groups. Click to exit.

    7. Expand More:

      • Select Suspend cardholder if you want to suspend the cardholder.

      • Select Long access time if you want the cardholder to have long access time and long open-too-long time when a door monitor is configured.

      • Select Exempt from lockdown if you want the cardholder to have access during lockdown.

      • Select Exempt from anti-passback to give a cardholder an exemption from the anti-passback rule. Anti-passback prevents people from using the same credentials as someone who entered an area before them. It enforces that a person must first exit the area before they can use their credentials again.

      • Select Global cardholder to make the cardholder can be viewed and monitored on the sub servers. This option is only available for cardholders created on the main server. See Multi server BETA.

    8. Add credentials.

    9. Click Add.

    To edit a cardholder:

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard > Cardholders.

    2. Select a cardholder, click and Edit.

    3. Change the settings and click Apply. When you edit the cardholder, you can see recent transactions of the cardholder.

    To suspend a cardholder:

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard > Cardholders.

    2. Select a cardholder, click and Suspend. A suspended cardholder is highlighted in pink.

    3. To unsuspend a cardholder, select a suspended cardholder, click and Unsuspend.

    To send QR code to a cardholder:

    For a complete workflow, see Set up AXIS Barcode Reader.

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard > Cardholders.

    2. Select a cardholder, click and Send QR code.

    3. Click OK.

    To delete a cardholder:

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard > Cardholders.

    2. Select a cardholder, click and Delete.

    3. Click Confirm.

    Add cardholders and groups

    Add credentials

    A credential is information that tells the system who the cardholder is. You can select to add a PIN and a card credential to a cardholder. See Add a cardholder

    A PIN credential is always valid. You can also configure a duress PIN which allows to open the door but triggers a silent alarm in the system.

    To add a license plate credentialPREVIEW:

    1. Under Credentials, click and .

    2. Enter a name that describes the vehicle.

    3. Enter the license plate number for the vehicle.

    4. Under Expiration date:

      1. Under Valid from, set a date and time.

      2. Under Valid to, select an option from the drop-down list.

        • No end date: The credential will never expire.

        • Date: Set a date and time when the credential will expire.

        • From first use: Select how long will the credential expire after the first use. It can be a number of days, months, years or a number of times after the first use.

        • From last use: Select how long will the credential expire after the last use. It can be a number of days, months or years after the last use.

    5. Click Add.

    To add a PIN credential:

    1. Under Credentials, click and .

    2. Enter a PIN.

    3. To use a duress PIN to trigger silent alarm, turn on Duress PIN and enter a duress PIN.

    4. Click Add.

    To add a card credential:

    1. Under Credentials, click and .

    2. To manually enter the card data, enter a card name, card number and bit length. Bit length is only configurable when you create a card format with a specific bit length that is not in the system.

    3. To automatically get the card data of the last swiped card,

      1. Select a reader from the Select reader drop-down list.

      2. Swipe the card on the specified reader.

      3. Click Get last swiped card data from the selected reader.

    4. Note

      You can use 2N desktop USB card reader to get the card data. For more information, see Set up 2N desktop USB card reader.

    5. Enter a facility code. This field is only available If you have enabled Facility code under Access management > Settings.

    6. Under Expiration date:

      1. Under Valid from, set a date and time.

      2. Under Valid to, select an option from the drop-down list.

        • No end date: The credential will never expire.

        • Date: Set a date and time when the credential will expire.

        • From first use: Select how long will the credential expire after the first use. It can be a number of days, months, years or a number of times after the first use.

        • From last use: Select how long will the credential expire after the last use. It can be a number of days, months or years after the last use.

    7. Click Add.

    To add a QR credential:

    Note

    Using QR codes as credentials requires that the time on the system controller is the same as the time on the camera running AXIS Barcode Reader. We recommend using the same time source for both devices for perfect time synchronization.

    1. Under Credentials, click and .

    2. Enter a name.

    3. Dynamic QR is turned on by default. Dynamic QR must be used with PIN credential together.

    4. Under Expiration date:

      1. Under Valid from, set a date and time.

      2. Under Valid to, select an option from the drop-down list.

        • No end date: The credential will never expire.

        • Date: Set a date and time when the credential will expire.

        • From first use: Select how long will the credential expire after the first use. It can be a number of days, months, years or a number of times after the first use.

        • From last use: Select how long will the credential expire after the last use. It can be a number of days, months or years after the last use.

    5. To email QR code automatically after you save the cardholder, select Send QR code to cardholder when credential is saved.

    6. Click Add.

    To edit a credential:

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard > Cardholders.

    2. Select a cardholder, click and Edit.

    3. Under Credentials, select a credential. Click and Edit.

    4. Change the settings and click Update and Apply.

    To suspend a credential:

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard > Cardholders.

    2. Select a cardholder, click and Edit.

    3. Under Credentials, select a credential. Click and Suspend.

    4. To unsuspend a credential, select a suspended credential, click and Unsuspend.

    5. Click Apply.

    To delete a credential:

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard > Cardholders.

    2. Select a cardholder, click and Edit.

    3. Under Credentials, select a credential. Click and Delete.

    4. Click Apply.

    Use license plate number as credentialsPREVIEW

    This example shows you how to grant access using a vehicle’s license plate number as credentials using a door controller and a camera with AXIS License Plate Verifier.

    1. Add the door controller and the camera to AXIS Camera Station. See Add devices

    2. Set date and time for the new devices using the Synchronize with server computer time. See Set date and time.

    3. Upgrade the firmware on the new devices to the latest available version. See Upgrade firmware.

    4. Add a new door connected to your door controller. See Add a door.

      1. Add a reader on Side A. See Add a reader.

      2. Under Door settings, select AXIS License Plate Verifier as Reader type and enter a name for the reader.

      3. Optionally, add a reader or REX device on Side B.

      4. Click Ok.

    5. Install AXIS License Plate Verifier on your camera. See the AXIS License Plate Verifier user manual.

    6. Activate the AXIS License Plate Verifier license. See the AXIS License Plate Verifier user manual.

    7. Start AXIS License Plate Verifier.

    8. Configure AXIS License Plate Verifier.

      1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Encrypted communication.

      2. Under External Peripheral Authentication Key, click Show authentication key and Copy key.

      3. Open AXIS License Plate Verifier from the camera’s web interface.

      4. Skip the setup.

      5. Go to Settings.

      6. Under Access control, select Secure Entry as Type.

      7. In IP address, enter the IP address for the door controller.

      8. In Authentication key, paste the Authentication key that you copied earlier.

      9. Click Connect.

      10. Under Door controller name, select your door controller.

      11. Under Reader name, select the reader you added earlier.

      12. Turn on integration.

    9. Add the cardholder that you want to give access to. See Add a cardholder

    10. Add credentials to the new cardholder using the license plate option. See Add credentials

    11. Create a new schedule. You will use this schedule to define the access rule in the next step. See .

    12. Add an access rule. See Add an access rule.

      1. Add the schedule you created earlier.

      2. Add the cardholder that you want to give license plate access to.

      3. Add the door with the AXIS License Plate Verifier reader.

    Add a group

    Groups allow you to manage cardholders and their access rules collectively and efficiently.

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard.

    2. Under Groups, click and .

    3. Enter a name for the group.

    4. Select Global group to make the cardholder group can be viewed and monitored on the sub servers. This option is only available for cardholder groups created on the main server. See Multi server BETA.

    5. To add cardholders to the group:

      1. Under Cardholders, click .

      2. Select a cardholder and click Add.

      3. Repeat to add multiple cardholders. Click to exit.

    6. Click Add.

    To edit a group:

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard > Groups.

    2. Select a group, click .

    3. Change the settings and click Apply.

    To delete a group:

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard > Groups.

    2. Select a group, click and Delete.

    3. Click Confirm.

    Add an access rule

    An access rule defines the conditions that must be met to grant access. You can drag cardholders, groups, doors and zones to an access rule.

    An access rule consists of:

    • Cardholders and cardholder groups: who can be granted access.

    • Schedules: when to grant access.

    • Doors and zones: where the access applies to.

    To add an access rule:

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard.

    2. Under Access rules, click .

    3. Enter a name for the access rule.

    4. Configure the schedules that apply to the access rule:

      1. Under Schedules, click .

      2. Select a schedule and click Add.

      3. Repeat to add multiple schedules. Click to exit.

      4. To remove a schedule, select it and click .

    5. Configure the cardholders and groups that apply to the access rule:

      1. Under Cardholders or Groups, click .

      2. Select the cardholder or group and click Add.

      3. Repeat to add multiple cardholders and groups. Click to exit.

      4. Click a cardholder or group in the list to view the details.

      5. To remove a cardholder or a group, select it and click .

    6. Configure the doors and zones that apply to the access rule:

      1. Under Doors or Zones, click .

      2. Select the door or zone and click Add.

      3. Repeat to add multiple doors and zones. Click to exit.

      4. To remove a door or zone, select it and click .

    7. Click Add.

    All access rules are listed under Access rules. It shows the number of cardholders, groups, doors and zones in the access rule.

    To edit an access rule:

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard > Access rules.

    2. Select an access rule, click .

    3. Change the settings and click Apply.

    To delete an access rule:

    1. Go to Access management > Dashboard > Access rules.

    2. Select an access rule, click and Delete.

    3. Click OK.

    Add and configure access rules

    Doors

    Go to Access management > Dashboard > Doors to view a list of doors that have been added to the system including the door status, lock status and zones that the door is in. You can perform manual actions and configure unlock schedules on doors.

    The possible actions you can perform on a door are:

    • Access: Grant access to the door. This action is only available when a door monitor is configured.

    • Unlock: Unlock the door.

    • Lock: Lock the door.

    • Lockdown: The door enters or exits a lockdown status.

    To edit a door:

    1. Click a door in the list and click .

    2. To add unlock schedules:

      1. Under Unlock schedules, click .

      2. Select a schedule and click Add.

      3. Repeat to add multiple unlock schedules. Click to exit.

      4. To remove an unlock schedule, select it and click .

    3. You can turn on First person in so that the door will not unlock unless someone with access to the door has been granted access during the unlocking schedule.

    4. Click Apply.

    Turn on first-person-in rule

    To perform an action on doors:

    1. Select the doors in the list and click .

    2. Select an action to perform the action on the selected doors.

    Set door state

    Zones

    Go to Access management > Dashboard > Zones to view a list of zones that have been added to the system and the zone status. You can perform manual actions and configure unlock schedules on zones.

    The possible actions you can perform on a zone are:

    • Unlock: Unlock the door.

    • Lock: Lock the door.

    • Lockdown: The door enters a lockdown status.

    To edit a zone:

    1. Click a zone in the list and click .

    2. To add unlock schedules:

      1. Under Unlock schedules, click .

      2. Select a schedule and click Add.

      3. Repeat to add multiple schedules. Click to exit.

      4. Select the doors that an unlock schedule applies to. Perimeter doors or Internal doors.

    3. Click Apply.

    To perform an action on a zone:

    1. Select a zone in the list and click .

    2. Select an action.

    3. Choose to apply the action to all doors, perimeter doors or internal doors.

    Export reports

    You can export reports that contain different types of information about the system. The report is exported as a comma-separated value (CSV) file and saved in the default download folder.

    1. Go to Access management > Reports.

    2. Click an option, choose the export directory and click Save.

    • You can export the following reports:
    • Cardholders details report: Includes information about the cardholders, credentials, card validation and last transaction.

    • Cardholders access report: Includes the cardholder information and information about the cardholder groups, access rules, doors and zones that the cardholder is related to.

    • Cardholders group access report: Includes the cardholder group name and information about the cardholders, access rules, doors and zones that the cardholder group is related to.

    • Access rule report: Includes the access rule name and information about the cardholders, cardholder groups, doors and zones that the access rule is related to.

    • Door access report: Includes the door name and information about the cardholders, cardholder groups, access rules and zones that the door is related to.

    • Zone access report: Includes the zone name and information about the cardholders, cardholder groups, access rules and doors that the zone is related to.

    Access management settings

    To customize the cardholder fields used in the access management dashboard:

    1. Go to Access management > Settings.

    2. Click Add custom field and type a name. You can add at most 6 custom fields.

    3. Click Apply.

    To enable using facility code to verify your access control system:

    1. Go to Access management > Settings.

    2. Turn on Facility code.

    3. Click Apply.

    4. Note

      To use facility code for card validation, select Include facility code for card validation when you configure identification profiles. See Identification profiles.

    To edit the email template:

    1. Go to Access management > Settings.

    2. Under Email template, change the subject and body text.

    3. Include visiting time in the email is selected by default.

    4. Click Apply.

    Import and export

    Import

    This option imports cardholders, cardholder groups, credentials, and cardholder photos from a CSV file. To import cardholder photos, make sure that the server has access to the photos.

    When you import cardholders the access management system automatically saves the system configuration, including all hardware configuration, and deletes any previously saved one.

    You can also choose to map users in an Active Directory database as cardholders, see Active directory settingsPREVIEW.

    The following options are available when importing cardholder data:

    • New: This option removes existing cardholders and adds new cardholders.

    • Add : This option keeps existing cardholders and adds new cardholders.

      • If a cardholder ID already exists in the system, it is considered as an existing cardholder and will not be updated.

      • If a card number already exists in the system, the import will not succeed.

    • Update: This option updates the existing cardholders and adds new cardholders.

    1. Go to Access management > Import and export.

    2. Select Import from the Select action drop-down list.

    3. Select New, Update, or Add .

    4. Configure the import settings:

      • Select First row is header if the CSV file contains a column header.

      • Enter a column delimiter that the CSV file is formatted with.

      • Under Unique identifier, Cardholder ID is used to identify a cardholder by default. You can also use first and last name, or the email address. The Unique identifier prevents the import of duplicate personnel records.

      • Under Card number format, Allow both hexadecimal and number is selected by default.

    5. Click Browse and navigate to the CSV file. Click Load.

    6. Under Column mapping, click and assign a heading to each column if First row is header is not selected.

    7. If there are custom fields in the CSV file, the heading of the custom fields is shown as Undefined. Click and assign a heading.

    8. Click Import.

    Export

    This option exports the cardholder data in the system to a CSV file.

    1. Go to Access management > Import and export.

    2. Select Export from the Action drop-down list.

    3. Click Export.

    AXIS Camera Station updates cardholder photos in C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station\Components\AXIS Secure Entry\Cardholder photos whenever the configuration changes.

    Reset

    The system automatically saves its configuration when you import cardholders. The Reset option resets the cardholder data and all hardware configuration to the way it was before the last cardholder import.

    1. Go to Access management > Import and export.

    2. Select Reset from the Action drop-down list.

    3. Click Reset.

    System Health Monitoring BETA

    Click and select System Health Monitoring BETA to display the System Health Monitoring tab in the AXIS Camera Station client.

    The System Health Monitoring tab allows you to monitor the health data from a single AXIS Camera Station system or multiple AXIS Camera Station systems on the same network.

    If you’re managing systems located on different networks, AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service provides the same functionality but through the cloud. See Setup AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service for more information.

    It contains the following pages:

    • Inventory: Shows a summary of the devices and systems that you have access to. See Inventory.

    • Storage: Shows that storage summary and recording details of each camera from the monitored systems. See Storage.

    • Notifications: Shows the System Health Monitoring logs from the monitored systems. See Notifications.

    Limitations

    • Monitoring of storage space for recordings done on AXIS S3008 Recorder is not yet supported.

    • Notification settings only affect the local System Health Monitoring server.

    • Recordings except for continuous and motion triggered recordings are flagged with None as recording type.

    Workflow

    1. Configure System Health Monitoring BETA

    2. Monitor the health data from AXIS Camera Station systems.

    Inventory

    The inventory page shows a summary of the devices and systems that you have access to.

    1. Go to System Health Monitoring BETA.

    2. Click Inventory.

    • To view a summary of a system, click AXIS Camera Station.

      The information is displayed in the right panel including system and server details.

    • To view a summary of a device in a system, click the device in the list.

      The information is displayed in the right panel including device details and storage information if it contains a video source.

    • To download AXIS Camera Station system report, select AXIS Camera Station system report from the Create report drop-down menu. See System report.

    • To download System Health Monitoring report:

      1. Select System Health Monitoring report from the Create report drop-down menu.

      2. To include the database in the report, select Include all databases and click Download.

      3. When the report is ready, click to save it.

    Storage

    The storage page shows the storage summary and recording details of each camera from the monitored systems. Click a column heading to sort by the content of the column.

    1. Go to System Health Monitoring BETA.

    2. Click Storage.

    3. When monitoring multisystem health data, select a system from the drop-down list.

    ItemDescription
    Storage summary
    StatusThe storage status. See Configure storage.
    LocationThe path and name of the storage.
    TotalThe total amount of storage space. This is the same amount as “Total size” shown in Windows properties for the storage location.
    AllocatedThe maximum amount of storage delegated to recordings.
    UsedThe amount of storage space being currently used for recordings.
    Last updateThe time when the information was last updated.
    Recording details of each camera
    Status(empty): Normal status.
    Warning icon: Retention is not fulfilled.
    Info icon: Retention is not fulfilled because the camera has not recorded long enough.
    NameThe camera name.
    Recording typeThe recording types applied to the camera.
    Set retentionThe retention time configured for the camera under Configuration > Storage > Selection.
    Current retentionThe number of days that recordings from the camera have been kept in the storage.
    Oldest recordingThe time of the oldest recording from the camera kept in the storage.
    Latest recordingThe time of the latest recording from the camera kept in the storage.
    LocationThe storage location used by the camera.
    Used storageThe amount of storage used by this camera for recordings.
    Last updateThe time when the information was last updated.

    Notifications

    The notifications page shows the System Health Monitoring logs from the monitored systems. Click a column heading to sort by the content of the column.

    1. Go to System Health Monitoring BETA.

    2. Click Notifications.

    ItemDescription
    Notification sentThe time when the notification was sent.
    ItemThe device name for notifications triggered by device down.
    Or system for notifications triggered by system down.
    SystemThe name of the system on which the event occurs.
    RuleThe rule that has triggered the notification. System down or Device down
    DetectedThe time when the issue was detected.
    ResolvedThe time when the issue was resolved.

    Hotkeys

    A hotkey gives quick access to commonly used actions. To show the Hotkeys tab, click and select Hotkeys to display the Hotkeys tab in the AXIS Camera Station client. All available hotkeys are displayed and grouped into the following categories: Camera, Device management, Navigate to camera, Navigate to view, Navigation, PTZ presets, Recordings, Sequence, Tab, and Other.

    No default hotkeys are assigned to the cameras and views in the Navigate to cameras and Navigate to views categories.

    When a camera or view is deleted from a connected server, the associated hotkeys are also removed.

    Note
    • When you add or edit the hotkey of an action, if the assigned hotkey is already in use, a warning icon appears. Hover your mouse on the warning icon to see the conflict action. Press Esc to cancel. Press Enter to use the hotkey and the hotkey of the conflict action is removed automatically.
    • When connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, the cameras and views on the connected servers are also listed in the Navigate to cameras and Navigate to views categories.

    In this tab, you can:

    • Assign a hotkey: If the keyboard value of an action is empty, click the empty value to add the hotkey for this action.

      • To add a hotkey with the keyboard, press Ctrl and at least one another key or a function key F2 - F12.

      • To add a hotkey with a keypad, press a numeric key combination or press one of the function keys F1-F5.

      • To add a hotkey with a joystick or jog dial, press the joystick or jog dial button that is to be assigned to the action.

    • Edit a hotkey: Click the keyboard value of an action, and edit the value.

    • Remove a hotkey: Click the keyboard value of an action, and remove the value.

    • Print: Click to print the hotkey table.

    • Reset: Click to reset all hotkeys to the original settings.

    • Search: Enter the keywords in the Type to search field to find a hotkey or an action.

    Hotkey devices

    A hotkey can be:

    • a keyboard combination

    • a keypad combination

    • a joystick button

    • a jog dial button

    Video surveillance control board keys

    Hotkey mapping - JoystickDefault actionAXIS TU9002AXIS T8311
    Button 1Go to preset 1J1J1
    Button 2Go to preset 2J2J2
    Button 3Go to preset 3J3J3
    Button 4Go to preset 4J4J4
    Button 5Simulate left mouse buttonJ5L
    Button 6Simulate left right buttonJ6R
    Button 7Select previous cell in split viewTop left-
    Button 8Select next cell in split viewTop right-
    Button 9Jump to previous recording-
    Button 10Play/paus-
    Button 11Jump to previous recording-
    Button 12Add bookmark-
    Button 13Toggle zoom ring function between digital zoom and playback speedM1-
    Button 14Switch between live/recordingsM2-
    Button 15Frame step backwardTop left toggled-
    Button 16Frame step forwardTop right toggled-
    Hotkey mapping - KeypadDefault actionAXIS TU9003AXIS T8312
    AOpen views
    BNavigate to next camera or view
    C--
    D--
    E--
    PLUSFocus farther+-
    MINUSFocus nearer--
    F2Open hotkeysF2F2
    F4Open logsF4F4
    F5Open configurationF5F5
    F10Auto focusF10-
    Hotkey mapping - JogDefault actionAXIS T8313
    Jog 1Show or hide export markerL
    Jog 2Add bookmark
    Jog 3Jump to previous recording
    Jog 4Play/Pause
    Jog 5Jump to next recording
    Jog 6Switch between live/recordingsR
    Note

    AXIS T8311 Video Surveillance Joystick doesn’t support joystick buttons 7–10.

    Logs

    Click and select Logs to display the Logs tab in the AXIS Camera Station client. By default, the Logs tab shows the live logs including live alarms, events and audit logs. You can search for previous logs as well. You can configure the number of days to keep logs under Configuration > Server > settings.

    ItemDescription
    TimeDate and time of the action.
    TypeThe type of the action: Alarm, Event, or Audit.
    CategoryThe category of the action.
    MessageA short description of the action.
    UserThe AXIS Camera Station user that performs the action.
    ComputerThe computer (Windows domain name) on which AXIS Camera Station is installed.
    Window userThe Windows user that administers AXIS Camera Station.
    ServerOnly available when connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers.
    The server on which the action occurs.
    ComponentThe component that the log is generated from.

    Search logs

    1. In the Logs tab, click Search under Log search.

    2. In the filter box, type the keywords. AXIS Camera Station will search in the log list except for the Time column and show the search results that contain all the keywords. For supported search operators, see Optimize your search.

    3. Select the log types from Alarms, Audits, and Events.

    4. Select a date or a range of dates from the calendar.

    5. Select the start time and end time from the drop-down lists of the Start time and End time fields.

    6. Click Search.

    Alarms log

    The Alarms log displays system alarms and alarms generated by rules and motion detection. Listed are the date and time of the alarm, alarm category and an alarm message. See Alarms.

    Select an alarm and click:

    • Go to Recordings to open the Recordings tab and start playback when the alarm contains a recording.

    • Show Alarm procedure to open the alarm procedure when the alarm contains an alarm procedure.

    • Acknowledge Alarms to notify other clients that the alarms have been taken care of.

    • Export log to export the log to a text file.

    Events log

    The Events log displays camera and server events, for example recordings, triggers, alarms, errors and system messages. Listed are the date and time of the event, event category and an event message. Select the events and click in the toolbar to export the events as a text file.

    Audit log

    The Audit log displays all user actions, for example manual recordings, video streaming started or stopped, action rules, door created and cardholder created. Select the audits and click in the toolbar to export the audits as a text file.

    Alarms

    The Alarms tab is available at the bottom of the AXIS Camera Station client. It shows triggered events and system alarms. For information about how to create alarms, see Action rules. For information about the alarm "Database maintenance is required", see Database maintenance.

    The Alarms tab displays the following information:

    • Time: The time the alarm occurred.

    • Category: The category of the triggered alarm.

    • Description: A brief description of the alarm.

    • Server: Available when connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers. The AXIS Camera Station server that sends the alarm.

    • Component: The component that triggers the alarm.

    • Show alarm procedure: Available when the alarm contains an alarm procedure.

    • Go to recordings: Available when the alarm contains a recording.

    To deal with a specific alarm:

    1. Click Alarms and Tasks at the bottom of the AXIS Camera Station client, and click the Alarms tab.

    2. For alarms with a recording, select the alarm and click Go to Recordings to navigate to the recording in the Recording alerts tab.

    3. For alarms without a recording, double-click the alarm from a tab with camera view to navigate to the specified time in the Recording alerts tab with the camera view.

    4. For alarms with an alarm procedure, select the alarm and click Show alarm procedure to open the alarm procedure.

    5. To notify other clients that the alarms have been taken care of, select the alarms and click Acknowledge selected alarms.

    6. To remove the alarms from the list, select the alarms and click Clear selected alarm entries.

    Tasks

    The Tasks tab is available at the bottom of the AXIS Camera Station client.

    The following tasks are personal and are only visible for the administrators and the users who started it.

    • System report

    • Create incident report

    • Export recordings

    If you are an administrator, you can view and operate all tasks started by any user including the personal tasks.

    If you are an operator or viewer, you can:

    • View all tasks started by you and the tasks started by other users that are not personal.

    • Cancel or retry the tasks started by you. You can only retry the incident report and export recordings tasks.

    • View the result of all tasks in the list.

    • Remove any finished tasks in the list. This only affects the local client.

    The Tasks tab displays the following information:

    ItemDescription
    NameThe name of the task.
    StartThe time when the task was started.
    MessageShows the status of the task or the information about the task.
    The possible status:
    • Canceling: Cleaning up before canceling the task.

    • Canceled: Cleaning is complete and the task is canceled.

    • Error: Task completed with errors, that is, the task failed on one or more devices.

    • Finished: Task completed.

    • Finished during lost connection: Displayed if the task completed while the connection to the server was down. Task status could not be determined.

    • Lost connection: Displayed if the client lost connection with the server while the task was running. Task status could not be determined.

    • Running: Performing the task.

    • Pending: Waiting for another task to be completed.

    OwnerThe user who initiated the task.
    ProgressShows how much of the task is left to be completed.
    ServerAvailable when connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers. The AXIS Camera Station server that performs the task.

    To deal with one or more tasks:

    1. Click Alarms and Tasks at the bottom of the AXIS Camera Station client, and click the Tasks tab.

    2. Select the tasks,

      • Click Show to display the Task result dialog.

      • Click Cancel to cancel the task.

      • Click Remove to delete the tasks from the list.

      • If the task fails when exporting recordings or creating incident report, click Retry to retry the failed task.

    Task result

    If a task was performed on multiple devices, the dialog shows the results for each device. All failed operations should be reviewed and configured manually.

    For most tasks, the following details are listed. For tasks such as export recordings and system report, double-click the task to open the folder where the files are saved.

    ItemDescription
    MAC addressThe MAC address of the updated device.
    AddressThe IP address of the updated device.
    MessageInformation about how the task was executed:
    • Finished: The task was successfully completed.

    • Error: The task was unable to complete on the device.

    • Canceled: The task was canceled before completion.

    DescriptionInformation about the task.
    Depending on the type of task performed, the following details are listed:
    New addressThe newly assigned IP address of the device.
    Action rulesThe firmware version and the product name of the device.
    DetailsThe serial number and IP address of a replaced device and the serial number and IP address of the new device.
    Reference IDThe reference ID of the incident report.

    Generate reports

    Client configuration sheet

    Go to > Help > Client configuration sheet to compile a report in HTML format with an overview of the client system configuration. This is useful for troubleshooting and when contacting support.

    Server configuration sheet

    Go to > Help > Server configuration sheet and select a server to compile a report in HTML format with an overview of the server system configuration. The report includes information about general configuration, cameras settings including action rules, schedules, recording storage, auxiliary devices, and licenses. This is useful for troubleshooting and when contacting support.

    System report

    The system report is a .zip file containing parameters and log files that will help Axis Customer Support to analyze your system.

    Always include a system report when contacting Customer Support.

    1. Go to > Help > System report to generate the system report.

    2. The file name is automatically generated. Edit the file name if you want to change.

    3. Click Browse to select where to save the system report.

    4. Select the following:

      • Select Automatically open folder when report is ready to automatically open the folder when the system report is ready.

      • Select Include all databases to include the database in the system report. The AXIS Camera Station database contains information about recordings and data that is needed for the system to work properly.

      • Select Include screenshots of all monitors to include screenshots in the system report. Screenshots of all the monitors can make it easier to analyze the system report.

    5. Click OK.

    Generate a system report

    AXIS Installation Verifier

    AXIS Installation Verifier enables a performance test after installation to verify that all the devices in a system are fully operational. The test takes about 20 minutes to run.

    AXIS Installation Verifier tests:

    • Normal conditions: Test of data streaming and data storage using the current system settings in AXIS Camera Station. Output: Passed or failed.

    • Low light conditions: Test of data streaming and data storage using settings optimized for typical low light conditions, for example gain settings. Output: Passed or failed.

    • Stress test: Test that increases data streaming and data storage step by step, until the system reaches its maximum limit. Output: Information about maximum system performance.

    Note
    • Only devices that support AXIS Camera Application Platform 2 (ACAP 2) and later can be tested.
    • During the test, AXIS Camera Station is placed in maintenance mode, and all surveillance activities are temporarily unavailable.

    To enable the test:

    1. Go to > Help > Installation Verifier.

    2. Click Start.

    3. When the test is completed, click View report to view the report or click Save report to save it.

    Feedback

    If you have selected to share anonymous client usage data when you Configure client, you can send your feedback to help us improve AXIS Camera Station and your user experience.

    Note

    The feedback form is not a form for submitting support requests.

    1. Go to > Help > Feedback.

    2. Choose a reaction and fill in your feedback.

    3. Click Send.

    Asset list

    You can export a list of assets for your AXIS Camera Station system. The asset list includes the name, type, model, status, and serial number of the following:

    • all connected servers

    • all connected devices

    • the client terminal from which you export the asset list when connecting to multiple terminals

    To export an asset list:

    1. Go to > Other > Asset list.

    2. Click Export.

    3. Select the file location and click Save.

    4. In the Latest export field, a link to the file is generated or updated. Click the link to go to the file location.

    Body worn settings

    To connect with a body worn system, you need to create a connection file. See Set up an Axis body worn system.

    Note

    Before you export the connection file, you must renew the server certificate first if the IP address of the server has changed or AXIS Camera Station is upgraded from a version earlier than 5.33. For how to renew the certificate, see Certificates.

    To create a connection file,

    1. Go to > Other > Body worn settings.

    2. To change the default site name displayed in your body worn system, type a new name.

    3. Click Export. A link is displayed under Latest export.

    4. Click the link to navigate to the connection file folder.

    Set up an Axis body worn system
    Playback and export Axis body worn camera recordings

    Status of Axis services

    1. Go to > Help > Status of Axis services.

    2. The status of Axis services page is opened in a web browser. You can view the status of Axis online services.

    AXIS Camera Station Service Control

    AXIS Camera Station Service Control is used to start and stop the AXIS Camera Station server and to change server settings. It automatically starts after the installation is complete. If the server computer restarts, AXIS Camera Station Service Control will automatically restart in about 2 minutes.

    An icon in Windows notification area shows if the service is running , is starting or has stopped .

    Right-click the icon, and you can select Open AXIS Camera Station Service Control, Start Service, Stop Service, Restart Service, or Exit.

    Open AXIS Camera Station Service Control

    • Double-click the icon in Windows notification area.

    • Right-click the icon in Windows notification area and select Open AXIS Camera Station Service Control.

    • Depending on the operating system, AXIS Camera Station Service Control can also be opened in the following ways:
    • Go to the Start screen or Start menu and type "Service Control".

    • Go to the Start menu and select All Programs > AXIS Camera Station > AXIS Camera Station Tools > Service Control.

    Basic settings

    In AXIS Camera Station Service Control:

    • Select Modify settings to enable changing the server settings.

    • Click Restore Default Settings to restore all settings to the original default settings.

    • The Server status section shows the status of the server. Click Start or Stop to change the server status. Click Restart to restart the server.

    General

    In AXIS Camera Station Service Control, select Modify settings and click the General tab to change the general server settings.

    Server certificate ID

    The server certificate ID. It is used to manually verify that the client is connecting to the correct server.

    Server settings

    • Server name: The name of the server. The server name is displayed in the AXIS Camera Station client. The default server name is the computer name.

    • Note

      When the computer name is changed, the server name will remain unchanged.

    • Ports range: Specify the range of ports. The following ports will be changed automatically.

    • Server HTTP port: The HTTP port number that the server uses to communicate with the client. The default port is 55752.

    • Server TCP port: The TCP port number that the server uses to communicate with the client. The default port is 55754. The port number is calculated by adding 2 to the server port number.

    • Mobile communication port: The mobile port number that the server uses to communicate with the client. The default port is 55756. The port number is calculated by adding 4 to the server port number.

    • Mobile streaming port: The mobile port number that the server uses for video streaming. The default port is 55757. The port number is calculated by adding 5 to the server port number.

    • Component communication port: The port number used by the component to communicate with network devices through the server. The default port is 55759. The port number is calculated by adding 7 to the server port number.

    • Ports used by AXIS Camera Station components: After you specify the port range, the ports that can be used by the components are listed. The default port range for AXIS Camera Station components is 55760 - 55764.

    • To view the full port list, see Port list.

    Note
    • If there is a NAT, firewall or similar between the server and the client, the NAT and/or firewall must be configured to allow these ports to pass through.
    • The port numbers must lie within the range 1024-65534.

    Proxy settings

    These settings apply to a proxy server between the AXIS Camera Station server and the cameras in the system.

    • Direct connection: Select this option if there is no proxy server between the AXIS Camera Station server and the cameras in the system.

    • System account Internet options / automatic: Default proxy settings. This option uses the current proxy settings in Internet Options for the system account.

    • Use manual proxy settings: Select this option if the AXIS Camera Station server and any cameras in the system are separated by a proxy server. Enter the address and port number of the proxy server. This is usually the same address and port number under Internet Options in Windows Control Panel.

      • Specify not to use the proxy server with addresses beginning with certain characters.

      • Select Always bypass proxy server for local addresses and enter local addresses or hostnames of local cameras where communication does not need to pass through the proxy. Wildcards can be used in the address or hostnames, for example: "192." or ".mydomain.com".

    Port list

    The following tables identify ports and protocols used by AXIS Camera Station that you may need to enable on your firewall for optimum performance and usability. In the tables, we calculate port numbers based on the default HTTP main port 55752.

    AXIS Camera Station server sends data to devices on the following ports:

    PortNumberProtocolIn/OutDescription
    Main HTTP and HTTPS ports80 & 443TCPOutboundUsed for video streams and device data.
    Default bonjour port5353UDPMulticast (Inbound + Outbound)Used to discover devices with mDNS Discovery (Bonjour). Multicast 224.0.0.251.
    If unable to bind to the default port it may be because it is being used by another application which refuses to share it. In that case a random port will be tried until a working one is found. When using a random port devices with link-local addresses will not be discoverable using Bonjour.
    Default SSDP port1900UDPMulticast (Inbound + Outbound)Used to discover devices with SSDP (UPNP).
    Multicast 239.255.255.250.
    Default WS-Discovery port3702UDPMulticast (Inbound + Outbound)WS-Discovery webservices discovery used to discover Onvif devices.
    Multicast 239.255.255.250.

    AXIS Camera Station server receives data from clients on the following ports:

    PortNumberProtocolIn/OutCommunication betweenDescription
    Default SSDP port1900UDPMulticast (Inbound + Outbound)Server and clientUsed to discover AXIS Camera Station servers with SSDP (UPNP).
    Multicast 239.255.255.250.
    Main HTTP port and HTTP streaming port55752TCPInboundServer and clientUsed for video, audio, metadata stream (AES encryption).
    If TCP fails on 55754, 55752 with HTTP is used for application data (AES encryption).
    Main TCP port55754TCPInboundServer and client+2 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used for application data (TLS 1.2 encryption). For 5.15.007 or lower, TLS 1.1 encryption is used.
    SSDP web server port55755TCPInboundServer and client+3 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used for AXIS Camera Station server discovery with SSDP/UPNP.
    API web server port55756TCPOutboundServer and mobile app+4 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used for application data and video stream MP4 over HTTPS.
    API media port55757TCPOutboundServer and mobile app+5 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used for video stream RTSP over HTTP.
    Local proxy HTTP port55758TCPInboundInternal communication in server+6 offset from main HTTP port (ServerPortParser).
    +2 offset from API web server port (RemoteFacadeBinder).
    Only accessible internally on the AXIS Camera Station server computer.
    Workaround port for unknown issue. Mobile apps makes calls to the SRA module, which receives HTTPS, converts it to HTTP and resends it to the local proxy HTTP port and the API media port.
    Web proxy endpoint port55759TCPInboundServer and component+7 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used for secure communication between component and devices.

    Other ports

    PortNumberProtocolIn/OutCommunication betweenDescription
    Internet HTTPS80 & 443TCPOutboundClient and server to internetUsed for license activation, download firmware, connected services etc.
    Server TCP streaming port55750TCPInboundServer and device-2 offset from main HTTP port.
    Upgrade status UDP port15156UDPInbound + OutboundServer and service controlAXIS Camera Station Service Control listens on the port, and the server broadcasts the status of an ongoing upgrade.

    Reserved ports for components

    ComponentPortNumberProtocolIn/OutCommunication betweenDescription
    System Health MonitoringWeb server port55768HTTPSInboundClient (System Health Monitoring tab) and component+16 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used to host System Health Monitoring web pages and for sharing data in multisystem setup.
    Smart search 2Web server port55770HTTPSInboundClient (Smart search tab) and component+18 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used to host Smart Search API and serve client web page.
    Secure Entry Web server port55766HTTPSInboundClient (Access management tab) and component+14 offset from main HTTP port.
    Older installations used port 8081.
    Secure EntryWeb server port55767HTTPSInboundMain server and sub servers+15 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used for communication between main server and sub servers in multi server setup.
    55771Reserved for future use
    55772Reserved for future use
    55773Reserved for future use
    55774Reserved for future use
    55775Reserved for future use
    55776Reserved for future use
    55777Reserved for future use
    55778Reserved for future use
    55779Reserved for future use
    55780Reserved for future use
    55781Reserved for future use
    55782Reserved for future use
    55783Reserved for future use
    Local-IAM (IDP)IDP_OIDC (Public)55784HTTPSInboundReverse proxy and local-iam+32 offset from main Http port.
    Public port
    Local-IAM (IDP)MTLS (Admin)55785HTTPSInboundThird party services+33 offset from main Http port.
    Administrator port
    Local-IAM (IDP)TOKENIZER55786HTTPSInboundThird party services +34 offset from main Http port.
    Tokenizer port

    Database

    Database files

    Core database files

    The AXIS Camera Station core database files are located under C:\ProgramData\AXIS Communication\AXIS Camera Station Server.

    • For versions earlier than 5.13, there is only one database file ACS.FDB.

    • For version 5.13 or later, there are three database files:

      • ACS.FDB - This main database file contains the system configuration such as devices, views, permissions, events, and stream profiles.

      • ACS_LOGS.FDB - This logs database file contains references to the logs.

      • ACS_RECORDINGS.FDB - This recordings database file contains the metadata and references to the recordings stored in the location specified under Configuration > Storage. This file is required by AXIS Camera Station to display the recordings in the timeline during playback.

    Component database files

    • SecureEntry.db - The AXIS Secure Entry database file contains all access control data except cardholder photos. It is located under C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station\Components\AXIS Secure Entry.

    • smartSearch.sqlite3 - The AXIS Camera Station smart search database file contains camera configuration and saved search filters. It is located under C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Smart Search\data.

    Database settings

    The database is backed up every night and before each system upgrade. In AXIS Camera Station Service Control, select Modify settings and click the Database tab to change the backup settings.

    • Backup folder: Click Browse and select the folder to save the database backups. Restart the AXIS Camera Station server to apply the change.

      • If the backup folder path is incorrect, the backup will be saved to C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station Server\backup by default.

      • If AXIS Camera Station has no access to the network share, the backup will be saved to C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station Server\backup by default.

    • Days to keep backups: Specify the number of days to keep backups. Any number between 1 and 30 can be used. Default is 14 days.

    • Upgrade progress: Click View details to view the details about the latest database upgrade. It includes the events that happened since last restart of AXIS Camera Station Service Control.

    Back up database

    The database contains information about recordings and other metadata that is needed for the system to work properly.

    Important
    • Recordings are stored in the location specified under Configuration > Storage and not in the database. Recordings should be backed up separately.
    • Server settings, proxy settings and database settings in AXIS Camera Station Service Control are not saved.
    System backup

    The system backups are triggered automatically and stored in the backup folder specified in the Database settings.

    A system backup includes both the core database files and the component database files. See Database files.

    • The following backup files are available depending on the trigger:
    • System_YYYY-MM-DD-HH-mm-SSSS.zip: The backup is triggered every night.

    • PreUpgrade_YYYY-MM-DD-HH-mm-SSSS.zip: The backup is triggered before a database update.

    • User_YYYY-MM-DD-HH-mm-SSSS.zip: The backup is triggered before a storage is removed.

    In the .zip file, you can find the following files:

    • ACS: This folder includes the core database files ACS.FDB, ACS_LOGS.FDB, and ACS_RECORDINGS.FDB.

    • Components: This folder is only available if you use a component. For example, AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry or smart search.

      • ACMSM: This folder includes AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry database file SecureEntry.db and cardholder photos.

      • smartsearch: This folder includes smart search database file smartSearch-backup-yyyyMMddHHmmssfff.sqlite3.

    • Backup_Summary.txt: This files includes more detailed information about the backup.

    Maintenance backup

    The maintenance backups are stored in the backup folder specified in the Database settings.

    A maintenance backup includes only the core database files with each database file in a separate folder PreMaintenance_YYYY-MM-DD-HH-mm-SSSS.

    It can be triggered:

    • Automatically when you update your AXIS Camera Station.

    • When you run database maintainer manually from AXIS Camera Station Service Control. See Database maintenance.

    • Automatically by the scheduled database maintenance task configured in Windows Task Scheduler. See Tools.

    Manual backup
    Note

    A manual backup can only back up the core database files. It doesn’t back up the component database files, for example, smart search database file.

    You can do a manual backup after some important changes in one of the following ways:

    • Go to C:\ProgramData\AXIS Communication\AXIS Camera Station Server and make a copy of the database files.

    • Generate a system report with all databases included.

      1. In the AXIS Camera Station client, go to > Help > System report.

      2. Enter the file name and select a folder.

      3. Select Include all databases.

      4. In the system report folder, go to the Server folder and find the database backup files.

    Restore database

    If the database is lost due to hardware failure or other problems, the database can be restored from one of the saved backups. By default, backup files are kept for 14 days. For more information about database backup, see Back up database.

    Note

    Recordings are stored in the location specified under Configuration > Storage and not in the database. Recordings should be backed up separately.

    To restore the database:

    1. Go to AXIS Camera Station Service Control and click Stop to stop the service.

    2. Navigate to the database backup files. See Back up database.

      • To restore from an automatic backup, go to the backup folder specified in Database settings, select a timestamped zip file and extract it.

      • To restore from a manual backup, go to the folder where you put the copy of database files.

    3. In the extracted folder, copy the following database files under ACS to C:\ProgramData\AXIS Communication\AXIS Camera Station Server\.

      • ACS.FDB - You must copy this file to restore the database.

      • ACS_LOGS.FDB - Copy this file if you want to restore logs.

      • ACS_RECORDINGS.FDB - Copy this file if you want to restore recordings.

    4. If you use AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry, copy SecureEntry.db from Components > ACMSM to C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station\Components\AXIS Secure Entry.

    5. If you use smart search, copy smartSearch-backup-yyyyMMddHHmmssfff.sqlite3 from smartsearch to C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station\Components\AXIS Smart Search\data and rename it to smartSearch.sqlite3.

    6. Go back to AXIS Camera Station Service Control and click Start to start the service.

    Database maintenance

    Database maintenance should be performed if the alarm Database maintenance is required is displayed or if the system was shut down unexpectedly, for example after a power outage.

    To start database maintenance:

    1. Open AXIS Camera Station Service Control.

    2. Click the Tools tab.

    3. Click Run under Database maintainer.

    4. The estimated downtime will be displayed. Click Yes to continue. Once started, the process can't be canceled.

    Note
    • The AXIS Camera Station server and all ongoing recordings are stopped during maintenance. After maintenance, the server is started automatically.
    • Do not turn off the computer during maintenance.
    • Database maintenance requires administrator rights on the Windows computer.
    • If database maintenance can't recover the database, contact Axis technical support.

    Database best practice

    To avoid problems, keep the following in mind:

    Check for disk errors –
    Disk errors can cause database corruption. Use a tool such as chkdsk (Check disk also known as Error checking) to check for damaged sectors on the hard drive where the database is located. To start chkdsk, go to Windows Start screen (Windows 8) or Start menu and type "chkdsk" in the search field. Run chkdsk regularly.
    Antivirus software and external backups –
    Exclude the database from virus scans because some antivirus software can corrupt the database. If you use an external backup system, do not back up the current and active database. Back up the files located in the backup folder instead.
    Power failure –
    An unexpected shutdown, for example due to power failure, can corrupt the database. Use a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) for critical installations.
    Out of space –
    The database can become corrupted if the hard drive runs out of space. To avoid this, install the AXIS Camera Station server on a dedicated computer with sufficient memory. For hardware requirements, see the Installation Guide or www.axis.com
    Corrupted RAM memory –
    Run Windows Memory Diagnostic regularly to check for errors in the RAM memory.

    Tools

    In AXIS Camera Station Service Control, select Modify settings and click the Tools tab to start database maintenance and create partial system reports.

    Database maintainer

    Click Run to start database maintenance. Read the popup message and click Yes to start maintenance or click No to cancel. During maintenance, the AXIS Camera Station server and all ongoing recordings are stopped. The estimated downtime will be displayed before maintenance is started. After maintenance, the server will be restarted automatically.

    Database maintenance should be performed if the alarm "Database maintenance is required" is displayed or if the system was shut down unexpectedly, for example after a power outage.

    Database maintenance can also be scheduled to run automatically by enabling "AXIS Camera Station Database Maintenance Task" in Windows Task Scheduler. The task trigger can be edited to customize when and how often the database maintainer should be run.

    Note
    • Once started, maintenance can't be canceled.
    • Do not turn off the computer during maintenance.

    System report

    The partial system report is a .zip file containing parameters and log files that helps Axis Customer Support to analyze your system. Always include a system report when contacting Customer Support.

    To generate a partial system report:

    1. Click Run.

    2. In the popup dialog:

      • Enter a file name for the system report in the File name field.

      • Select where to save the system report in the Folder field.

      • Select Automatically open folder when report is ready to automatically open the folder when the system report is ready. 

      • Select Include database file in report to include the database in the system report. The AXIS Camera Station database contains information about recordings and data that is needed for the system to work properly.

    3. Click Generate report.

    To generate a complete system report, go to > Help > System report in the AXIS Camera Station client.

    Network logging

    Click the link to download a network protocol analyzer application. Once installed, you can click Start to start the application directly.

    Troubleshooting

    About this guide

    This guide is a collection of issues related to AXIS Camera Station and how to troubleshoot them. The issues are stored under a related topic to make it easier to find what you are looking for, a topic can be for example audio or live view. For every issue there is a solution described. Troubleshooting can sometimes be to reproduce the problem in order to find your solution.

    Learn more

    Visit axis.com/support for

    • Frequently Asked Questions

    • Hardware requirements

    • Software upgrades

    • Tutorials, training material and other useful information

    AXIS Camera Station user manual can be found here: AXIS Camera Station user manual

    The AXIS Camera Station service

    The AXIS Camera Station service restarts often

    The server can be overloaded which causes a long task queue and might also corrupt the databases.

    • Check the resource management of your system to verify if AXIS Camera Station or any other application is using a high number of resources.

    • Run the database maintainer, go to Tools in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    • If none of above helps, escalate the issue to Axis Support. Go to Escalation process.

    Devices in AXIS Camera Station

    Common issues

    Can’t contact the camera

    AXIS Camera Station can’t contact the camera. The listed cameras are not added.

    • Check that the camera is connected to the network, that power is connected, and that the camera is up and running.

    • Go to Configuration > Add devices and try to add the camera again.

    Installation was canceled

    The installation was canceled by the user. The listed cameras are not added.

    To add the cameras, go to Configuration > Add devices.

    Fail to set password on camera

    Password can’t be set for the listed cameras.

    • To set the password manually, go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    • Right-click the camera and select User Management > Set password.

    Device can't be added

    If the device was used in a different system before being added to AXIS Camera Station, a factory default of the device might be required

    • If the device still can’t be added to AXIS Camera Station, try to add the device to AXIS Device Manager.

    It’s possible to add another device model.

    • If the device is a new product or has a newly released firmware, it can be a compatibility issue. Make sure to use the latest AXIS Camera Station software version.

    If it’s not possible to add another device model, troubleshoot the camera. Go to axis.com/support/troubleshooting.

    Can't update device firmware through AXIS Camera Station

    If it’s not possible to upgrade the camera from its webpage:

    Firmware can’t be upgraded for all devices:

    • Check the network connection.

    • If it’s not a network related issue, escalate to AXIS Support. Go to Escalation process.

    Firmware can’t be upgraded for specific models:

    • This can happen for new products and strange firmware.

    • Escalate the issue to AXIS Support. Go to Escalation process.

    No devices found

    AXIS Camera Station automatically searches the network for connected cameras and video encoders but can’t find any cameras.

    • Check that the camera is connected to the network and that power is applied.

    • If the client, server, or cameras are located on different networks, then proxy and firewall settings might need to be configured.

      • Change the client proxy settings if the client and the server are separated by a proxy server. Go to Client proxy settings in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

      • Change the NAT or security system if the client and the server are separated by a NAT or security system. Ensure that the HTTP port, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) port and streaming port specified in AXIS Camera Station Service Control are allowed to pass through the security system or NAT. To view the full port list, see Port list in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

      • Change the server proxy settings if the server and the devices are separated by a proxy server. Go to the Proxy settings section in Service control general in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    • To add cameras manually, go to Add devices in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    Repeated message "Reconnecting to camera in 15 seconds"

    This might indicate that:

    • The network is overloaded.

    • The camera is not accessible. Check that the camera is still connected to the network and that power is applied.

    • There are problems with the graphics card.

    Possible solutions for graphics card problems:

    • Install the latest graphics card driver.

    • Upgrade to a graphics card with more video memory and higher performance.

    • Use the CPU for video rendering.

    • Change the video and audio settings, for example by optimizing profile settings for low bandwidth.

    Recordings

    See Live view for more information about possible performance issues influencing recordings and playback.

    Common issues

    Continuous recording is not enabled

    Continuous recording is not enabled for the listed cameras.

    • To enable continuous recording, go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    • Select the camera and turn on Continuous.

    Can’t record on the specified drive

    The recording storage (local storage or network storage) can’t be configured.

    • To use a different storage, go to Configuration > Storage > management.

    • Add the storage and configure the storage settings for the cameras that should record to the storage.

    Fail to install the AXIS Video Content Stream application

    This error message is displayed if the application can’t be installed on a camera that supports AXIS Video Content Stream.

    • To install the application manually:

    • Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    • Right-click the camera and select Install camera application.

    Recording doesn't start

    Recordings don’t start or stop after a few seconds.

    It could be that the disk is full or that there is too much intruding data.

    • Check the "Camera Recording Storage" in the Server Configuration Sheet to make sure there is free space and no intruding data.

    • Increase the storage limit for AXIS Camera Station.

    • Allocate more storage to the storage pool. Go to Configure storage in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    Recording gaps during continuous recording

    Along with gaps, AXIS Camera Station alarms show "Recording errors".

    The gaps can occur for several reasons, such as:

    • Server overload

    • Network issue

    • Camera overload

    • Disk overload

    Check if the recording gaps happen on all the cameras.

    If it doesn’t happen to all the cameras, check if the camera is overloaded. Questions that will help to sort things out:

    • How often does the gap occur, every hour or every day?

    • How long is the gap, seconds or hours?

    • At what time does the gap happen?

    Possible solutions:

    • In the task manager or the resource manager of your server machine, you can confirm if one of the hardware resources is used more than normal. If the disk shows signs of overuse, we advise adding more disks and move several cameras to record on the new disks.

    • You can also reduce the amount of data written on the disk (Video settings, ZIP stream, FPS, resolution). Keep in mind the throughput estimated by axis.com/support/tools/axis-site-designer.

    For more information, see Live view and playback performance.

    Can't play exported recordings

    If Windows Media Player doesn’t play your exported recordings, check the file format. Exported recordings can be played using Windows Media Player (.asf files) and AXIS File Player (.asf, .mp4, .mkv). For more information, see Play and verify exported recordings in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    Note

    The player will automatically open all recordings that are in the same folder as the player.

    AXIS File Player is a free software for video and audio playback. You can select to include it with the exported recordings, no installation is required. To play recordings, open AXIS File Player and select the recordings to play.

    Recordings disappear

    Recordings are only saved for a specified number of days. To change the number of days, go to Configuration > Storage > Selection.

    If the storage becomes full, recordings will be deleted before the designated number of days.
    To avoid a full storage, try the following:

    • Add more storage. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management.

    • Change the amount of storage space reserved for AXIS Camera Station. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management.

    • Reduce the size of recorded files by changing for example resolution or frame rate. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles.

      • Use H.264 video format for recording, M-JPEG format requires much more storage space. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles.

      • Use Zipstream to additionally decrease the size of the recordings. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles.

    Failover recording issues

    The failover recording is not recording on the server after the connection is restored.

    Possible causes:

    • The bandwidth between the camera and the server is insufficient for the recording to be transferred.

    • The camera was not recording to the SD card during the disconnection.

    • The camera time has changed or shifted since the disconnection.

      • Make sure that the NTP is synchronised correctly for future recordings.

      • Synchronize the camera’s time with the server or setup the same NTP server on the camera as on the server.

    The failover recording implementation in AXIS Camera Station is not designed to handle the following use cases:

    • Controlled server shutdowns.

    • Short interruptions less than 10 seconds in the connection.

    Live view

    Live view and playback performance

    This section describes possible solutions if you experience either frame loss or graphical issues within your AXIS Camera Station client.

    Client hardware

    Verify that the graphic card’s or network adapter’s driver is up to date

    • Open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (search for dxdiag on the computer)

    • Check on the manufacturer’s website if the driver is the latest for this OS.

    • Check that the client and server are running on the same machine.

    • Try to run the client on a dedicated computer.

    Verify the number of monitors

    With an internal graphic card, no more than two monitors per graphic card is recommended.

    Connected devices

    Many clients connected at the same time

    The camera is connected to another VMS than AXIS Camera Station

    Disconnect the camera from the other client and restart it (sometimes defaulting off the camera is necessary).

    Many different streams being used from the same camera, especially high resolution

    • Could be a problem especially for some M-Line cameras.

    • Stream with same streaming profile or lower resolution. See Streaming profiles in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    Server overload

    Abnormal CPU/RAM usage corresponding to the same time as the issue

    Make sure no other CPU/RAM consuming application is running at the same time.

    Network issue

    Abnormal bandwidth usage corresponding to the same time as the issue

    Make sure no other bandwidth consuming application is running at the same time.

    Enough bandwidth / Remote or local network

    • Check network topology.

    • Health check on any network device (switch/router/network adapter/cable) in use between cameras, server and client.

    No video in live view

    Live view does not display video from a known, good camera.

    • Try to turn off hardware decoding. Hardware decoding is enabled by default, go to Hardware decoding in Streaming in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    Other possible solutions:

    • Is it possible to see a live view stream through web interface of the camera? Is the camera’s homepage working fine?

    • Create a camera server report, go to axis.com/support/troubleshooting.

    • Check if any antivirus software is installed, it might be blocking live streams.

    • Allow AXIS Camera Station folders and processes, see FAQ.

    • Make sure the firewall is not blocking connections on certain ports, see FAQ.

    • Make sure the desktop experience is installed for supported Windows server OS versions. See Scheduled export in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    • Check if the lower resolution stream works.

    If none of the above helps

    Storage

    Network storage is not accessible

    If the local system account is used to log in to AXIS Camera Station Service, you can’t add network storage linking to shared folders on other computers.

    To change the service logon account:

    1. Open Windows Control Panel.

    2. From the System & Security category, select Administrative Tools > Services.

    3. Right-click AXIS Camera Station and select Properties.

    4. Click the Log on tab.

    5. Change from Local System account to This account.

    6. Select a user with access to Windows Active Directory.

    Network storage is unavailable

    The computer that the AXIS Camera Station server is installed on should be part of the same domain as the network storage.

    Can't reconnect to a network storage with new username and password

    If your network storage requires authentication, it is important to disconnect the network storage from all ongoing connections before you change your username and password.

    To change the username and password for a network storage and reconnect:

    1. Disconnect your network storage from all ongoing connections.

    2. When your network storage is disconnected, change the username and password.

    3. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management and reconnect your network storage with your new username and password.

    Motion detection

    Common issues

    Fail to install the AXIS Video Motion Detection application

    AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 or 4 can’t be installed. The built-in motion detection will be used for motion recording.

    To install the application manually, go to Install camera application in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    Fail to retrieve current Motion Detection

    AXIS Camera Station can’t retrieve motion detection parameters from the camera. The built-in motion detection will be used for motion recording.

    To install the application manually, go to Install camera application in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    Motion detection not configured

    Motion detection can’t be configured in the listed cameras.

    • To configure motion detection manually, go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    • Select the camera and click Motion settings to configure motion detection.

    Motion detection is not enabled

    Motion recording is not enabled for the listed cameras.

    • To enable, go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    • Select the camera and turn on Motion detection to enable motion detection recording.

    The motion detection detects too many or too few moving objects

    This section describes possible solutions if you expected more or fewer detections in your Video Motion Detection related recordings.

    Adjust motion settings

    The area where moving objects are detected can be adjusted by selecting motion settings.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select the camera and click Motion Settings.

    3. Choose settings according to the camera firmware.

    Adjust trigger period

    The trigger period is an interval time between two successive triggers, this setting is used to reduce the number of successive recordings. The recording will continue if an additional trigger occurs within this interval. If an additional trigger occurs, the trigger period starts over from that point in time.

    To change the trigger period:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select the camera and use the slider to adjust Trigger period.

    Audio

    No audio in live view

    If there is no audio in live view, check the following:

    • Check that the camera has audio capabilities.

    • Check that the computer has an audio card and that the card is enabled.

    • Check that the profile in use is configured for audio (see below).

    • Make sure the user has access rights to audio (see below).

    Configure profiles for audio
    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles.

    2. Select the camera.

    3. Select MPEG-4 or H.264 under Format in the video profile settings.

    4. Select a microphone under Microphone in the audio settings.

    5. Select when to enable audio under Use microphone for in the audio settings. Audio can be applied for Live view and recording, Live view only, or Recording only.

    6. If applicable, select a speaker under Speaker in the audio settings.

    7. Click OK.

    Check and change user access rights
    Note

    To follow these steps you must have administrator rights to AXIS Camera Station.

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > User permissions.

    2. Select the User or Group and click Edit.

    3. Click Advanced.

    4. Select Audio.

    5. Click OK.

    No audio in sequences

    Audio can be disabled in streaming profiles. For more information, see Stream profiles in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles.

    2. Select the camera.

    3. Make sure that audio is enabled in the profile used for the first view in the sequence. This profile is used for all views in the sequence.

    No audio in playback

    Audio is available in playback if audio was enabled in the profile used for the recording.

    Note

    Audio can't be used with M-JPEG video. Select another video format.

    To enable audio in recordings:

    1. Ensure the video profile you want to use has been set with MPEG-4 or H.264 format.

      1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles.

      2. Select the camera.

      3. For the video profile that you want to use, select MPEG-4 or H.264 from the Format drop-down list.

      4. Click Apply.

    2. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    3. Select the camera.

    4. Select the profile with MPEG-4 or H.264 from the Profile drop-down list.

    5. Click Apply.

    Rule-triggered recordings

    To enable audio in an existing rule:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Select the rule and click Edit.

    3. In step Actions, select the Record action and click Edit.

    4. Select a profile where audio is enabled.

    5. Click Finish to save.

    Login

    Unable to log in or connect to server

    This section describes login and connection problems that occur when connecting to a single server. When logging in to multiple servers the client will start and the connection status will be shown in the status bar. For more information about the connection status, see Connection status in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    The username or password is incorrect

    The username and password combination is not valid to log in to the specified server.

    • Check the spelling or use a different account.

    • Check that the user has access rights to the AXIS Camera Station server.

    • Check that the clocks in the AXIS Camera Station server and client are synchronized. For domain users, also check that the domain server clock is synchronized with the server and client.

    • A user who has not been added to the server, but is a member of the local administrators group on the server, must run the client as administrator.

    • For information about user access rights, see Configure user permissions in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

    User is not authorized to log in to the server

    The username is not authorized to use AXIS Camera Station on the specified server.

    Add the user in the user permission dialog.

    Unable to verify message security

    An error occurred when setting up the secure connection to the server, most likely caused by the client or server time being out of sync.

    Make sure server and client UTC times are reasonably synchronized. Adjust the client and server time to be within 3 hours from each other.

    No contact with the server

    The client is unable to establish any kind of connection to the server.

    • Make sure that the server computer is connected to the network.

    • Make sure the server computer is running.

    • Make sure the firewall is properly configured.

    • Check the spelling of the server address.

    • Check the client proxy settings.

    No response from the server

    The client is able to contact the server computer but no AXIS Camera Station server is running.

    Make sure that you are connecting to the right computer and that the AXIS Camera Station server is running.

    Client can’t connect to the server

    The client is not able to connect to the server and an error message is displayed.

    Make sure that your network is properly configured:

    • Verify that the OS is supported.

      • Check the AXIS Camera Station release note for a full list of supported OS.

    • Verify that AXIS Camera Station server is running.

      • Start the server from Service Control.

    • Verify that the client and the server are connected to the same network.

      • If not, the client should use the server’s external IP address.

    • Check if there is a proxy server between the server and the client.

      • Configure the server proxy in Service Control.

    • Check if there is a proxy server between the server and the client.

      Configure the client proxy settings.

      • At the log in page, in the left lower corner, select Change proxy settings.

      • Or configure it in the Windows Internet Options and select to use the default option in Change Proxy settings.

    Unable to connect to the server

    An unknown error was encountered when connecting to the server.

    • Check that the address and port of the AXIS Camera Station server are correct.

    • Check that there is no NAT, firewall or antivirus software blocking the connection to the server.

    • Use AXIS Camera Station Service Control to check that the server is running.

      • Open the Service Control by double-clicking the icon in Windows notification area. See AXIS Camera Station Service Control in the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

      • The server status is displayed in the General tab. If status is "Stopped", click Start to start the server.

    Unable to find the server

    The client is not able to resolve the address entered to an IP address.

    • Check that the server computer is connected to the network.

    • Check that the address and port of the AXIS Camera Station server are correct.

    • Check that there is no NAT, firewall, or antivirus software blocking the connection to the server.

    The server and client version differs

    The client is running a newer version of AXIS Camera Station than the server.

    Upgrade the server to run the same version as the client.

    The server and client version differs

    The server is running a newer version of AXIS Camera Station than the client.

    Upgrade the client to run the same version as the server.

    Unable to connect to server. Server is too busy.

    The server is not able to respond because of performance issues.

    Make sure that the server computer and the network is not overloaded.

    The local AXIS Camera Station server is not started

    You tried to connect using This computer but the installed AXIS Camera Station server is not running.

    Start AXIS Camera Station using the Service Control in the system tray or select a remote server to log in to.

    AXIS Camera Station server is not installed on this computer

    You tried to connect using This computer but there is no server installed on this computer.

    Install the AXIS Camera Station server or choose a different server.

    The selected server list is empty

    The server list selected for login was empty.

    Add servers to the server list by clicking the Edit link next to the server list selection.

    Licenses

    License registration issues

    If automatic registration fails, try the following:

    • Check that the license key has been entered correctly.

    • Change the client proxy settings to allow AXIS Camera Station to access the internet.

    • Select the option The server is not connected to the internet.

    • Make a note of the Server ID and activate AXIS Camera Station from axis.com/licenses/systems.

    • Make sure that the server’s time is up to date.

    For more information, see axis.com/products/axis-camera-station/license.

    Users

    Can't find domain users

    If the domain user search fails, change the Service logon account:

    1. Open Windows Control Panel.

    2. From the System & Security category, select Administrative Tools and then Services.

    3. Right-click AXIS Camera Station and select Properties.

    4. Click the Log on tab.

    5. Change from Local System account to This account.

    6. Select a user with access to Windows Active Directory.

    Certificate errors

    AXIS Camera Station can't communicate with the device until the certificate error is solved.

    The certificate errors can be:

    Certificate Not Found –
    if the device certificate has been removed. If you know why the certificate was removed, click Repair to repair the certificate. If you suspect unauthorized access, investigate the issue before clicking the button. Click Advanced to display certificate details. The certificate could have been removed because:
    • The device was reset to factory default.

    • Secure HTTPS communication has been disabled.

    • An unauthorized person has accessed and modified the device.

    Untrusted Certificate –
    if the device certificate has been modified outside of AXIS Camera Station. This can indicate that an unauthorized person has accessed and modified the device. If you know why the certificate was modified, click Trust This Device. If not, investigate the issue before clicking the button. Click Advanced to display certificate details.

    Missing passphrase for certificate authority

    If you have a certificate authority in AXIS Camera Station and no passphrase is stored with it, you will get an alarm:

    You need to provide a passphrase for the Certificate Authority certificate. Read the AXIS Camera Station User Manual for more information.

    You can resolve this issue in three different ways:

    • Enable HTTPS on a device

    • Import an existing certificate authority

    • Let AXIS Camera Station generate a new certificate authority

    To enable HTTPS on a device:

    1. Open a Configuration tab.

    2. Go to Devices > Management.

    3. In the list, right-click and device and go to Security > HTTPS > Enable/Update.

    4. Click Yes to confirm.

    5. Enter the certificate authority passphrase. And click OK.

    To import an existing certificate authority:

    1. Open a Configuration tab.

    2. Go to Security > Certificates.

    3. Click Import....

    4. Click OK to confirm that you want to replace your existing certificate authority.

    5. Note

      AXIS Camera Station loses its connection to the devices, and some system components restart.

    6. Locate and open your existing certificate authority.

    7. Enter the certificate authority passphrase. And click OK.

    To let AXIS Camera Station generate a new certificate authority:

    1. Open a Configuration tab.

    2. Go to Security > Certificates.

    3. Click Generate....

    4. Click OK to confirm that you want to replace your existing certificate authority.

    5. Note

      AXIS Camera Station loses its connection to the devices, and some system components restart.

    6. Create a new certificate authority passphrase. And click OK.

    Time synchronization

    Windows time service isn’t running

    The Windows Time service is not synchronized with the NTP server. This can be because it can’t reach the NTP server. Make sure that:

    • The NTP server is online.

    • The firewall settings are correct.

    • The device is on a network that can reach the NTP server.

    For assistance, contact your system administrator.

    Detected a time difference of {time} on {device}

    The device is out of synchronization with the server time.

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Time synchronization and check the server time offset of the device.

    2. If the server time offset is more than 2 seconds:

      1. Make sure that Enable time synchronization is selected.

      2. Make sure that the device can reach the specified NTP server.

      3. Reload the device under Configuration > Devices > Management.

    3. If the server time offset is smaller than 2 seconds, the device might not send sufficient data for time synchronization.

      1. Clear Send alarm when the time difference between server and device is larger than 2 seconds to disable alarms.

      2. The device is not properly synchronized with the server. The recording is time stamped with the time when the server received it instead of the time of when the device recorded it.

    For assistance, contact Axis support.

    Technical support

    Technical support is available for customers with a licensed version of AXIS Camera Station. To contact technical support, go to > Help > Online Support or axis.com/support

    We recommend that you attach the system report and screenshots to the support case.

    Go to > Help > System report to create a system report.

    Escalation process

    When you have issues that can’t be solved using this guide, escalate the issue to Axis online helpdesk. In order for our support team to understand your issue and be able to solve it, you must include the following information:

    • A clear description on how to reproduce the issue or under what circumstances does the issue happen.

    • The time and the concerned camera’s name or IP address where the issue happens.

    • An AXIS Camera Station system report generated directly after the issue happens. The system report must be generated from the client or server where the issue has been reproduced.

    • Optional screenshots or recordings from showing the. Enable the debug overlay function when taking the screenshots or making the recording. See below for more information.

    • Only include the database files if needed, excluding these makes uploading the case go faster.

    Sometimes additional information is required and will be requested by the support team.
    Supply the following information if requested:

    Note

    If the file is larger than 100 MB, for example, network trace or database file, send the file using a secure file sharing service that you trust.

    Debug level logs –
    Sometimes we must turn on debug level logging to collect more information. This is only done by request from an Axis support engineer. You can find Instructions on Axis online helpdesk.
    Live view debug overlay –
    Sometimes it is beneficial to provide screenshots of the overlay information or a video showing the change of values in the time that is of interest. To add overlay information do as follows:
    • Press Ctrl + i one time to display overlay information in the live view.

    • Press Ctrl + i two times to add debug information.

    • Press Ctrl + i three times to hide the overlay.

    Network trace –
    If requested by the support engineer, the following information should be generated at the same time as when the AXIS Camera Station system report is taken.
    • Network traces taken over the time the issue happens if it’s reproducible. This includes:

      • A 60 sec Network trace taken on the camera (only applicable to camera firmware 5.20 and above)

        Use the following VAPIX command: Change the login, IP address and duration (in seconds) if needed:

        http://root:pass@192.168.0.90/axis-cgi/debug/debug.tgz?cmd=pcapdump&duration=60

      • A 10-30 sec Network trace taken on the server showing communication between the server and the camera.

    Database files –
    In cases where we need to examine or manually repair the database. Select Include database in the report before the system report is generated.
    Screenshots –
    Use screenshots when it’s a live view issue, related to UI. For example when you want to show a timeline for recordings or when it is difficult to describe.
    Screen recordings –
    Use screen recordings when it’s difficult to describe the problem in words, for example when lots of UI interactions are involved to reproduce the issue.