Dedicated health monitoring can ensure reliable operation and the regulatory compliance of your network surveillance system. In this article, you will learn how it can monitor several installations, automatically provide live system and recording status, and alert you if there is an issue with any connected devices.
Easy operation and peace of mind are most likely at the top of your list when you invest in network camera surveillance. You want the system to perform without hassle or downtime that jeopardizes your video recordings or regulatory compliance. And certainly not the safety of the business, school, or what you are protecting.
Operation simplicity is what we want from our digital systems but not always what we get. As a result, sometimes we find ourselves asking in frustration, “how hard should it be to make sure your system is up and running?”
The short answer is, it depends. There can be several pitfalls in installing and running a network surveillance system. But there is also a more straightforward solution, and we will get to that in a bit.
A potentially complex system
If you oversee the operation of a network surveillance system – as an end-customer or as an integrator – and especially if you have more than one installation, it can be hard to verify that all your systems are running okay. In addition, maybe you have components and software from various suppliers, a potentially expensive solution that can complicate the installation and operation of the system.
As an integrator, you may not have access to the video management software (VMS). This may be due to end-customer policies, but you still want to ensure that the system runs as it should.
There is also the issue of retention time – how long you need to store recordings. Regulations vary between countries but could be 30, 60, 90 days, or even longer. Regardless, you don’t want to run out of storage, jeopardizing your recordings.
So, what about that more straightforward solution?
A solution that covers the system lifespan
Including high-quality system health monitoring in your network surveillance can provide a smoother ride throughout the lifespan of your system.
Ease-of-use is the fundamental idea behind Axis’ end-to-end solutions; systems that are easy to design, install, operate, and maintain, all hardware and software provided by Axis. You will also get helpful tools included in the AXIS Camera Station VMS. One tool is system health monitoring, which comes pre-installed and pre-configured. And it is for free.
“The AXIS Camera Station system health monitoring will always keep you aware of the status of your system, keeping your recordings safe and the system up and running,” says Bart-Jan Wolters, Product Specialist End-to-End Solutions.
Avoiding system downtime
A built-in menu shows the complete hardware solution based on all the servers and cameras connected.
“You can check system status and will get notifications if cameras or servers in the system require attention,” Bart-Jan says. “It will indicate both if you have hard-drive storage issues or if you don’t meet the retention time, risking non-compliance with local regulations. Whatever the problem, it lets you act quickly, minimizing the downtime of any part of the system.”
For all system sizes and needs
Bart-Jan says that integrators will surely benefit from the AXIS Camera Station system health monitoring, but also installers and end-customers.
The system health monitoring will provide an accessible overview dashboard, regardless of the size of the surveillance setup. “It’s definitively not just for one-server systems,” Bart-Jan says. “It can have your complete setup in it, including multi-server installations. So in theory, you can attach one system health monitoring tool to as much as you want.”
Providing many features and ease of use
Many end-customers will appreciate that the feature lets you restrict access to recorded video material. For example, if you outsource your maintenance to another company, you can set up a separate website that shows all the health monitoring – without access to the camera system.
Whatever the individual needs, all users will benefit from the ease of use. “This is an essential aspect for all our customers and partners,” Bart-Jan says. “The tool is pre-installed in AXIS Camera Station; it’s all free in your license, and you don’t need to configure it much. So, it’s pretty much good to go out of the box.”