The New Security Messiah Video Storage: The New Security Messiah Jeff Whitney VP Marketing & Business Development Intransa, Inc.

Video Storage: The New Security Messiah Video storage offers the biggest cost savings & ensures project success more than most other surveillance system issues Video storage is important to consider for both existing CCTV (analog) DVR installations & for new, all-IP projects Yet storage is often the last thing considered in a surveillance system… here’s why that’s bad thinking!

How We Got Here

Storage Demands Changed from VCR Days With VCRs, retention period of video was often measured in hours or days Cost of media & manual operation limited amount recorded Rotation of tapes risked human error & worn tape media led to reduced video quality Security was biggest user of surveillance All combined to conditioned physical security into thinking of recorded video as short term in value

Video Recording Retention Demands Grow With deployment of DVRs, video retention grew to weeks & months for typical physical security users Risk of lost video from tape/human error eliminated with DVRs Video quality improved over tape DVR installation & operational simplicity major benefit NVRs followed, adding IP camera support for lower installation costs, better image resolution than analog CCTV New, non-security applications increasing demand for better resolution, longer video retention periods & more coverage

= DVRs/NVRs Limited in Storage Capability, Reliability DVRs & NVRs are where IT PCs were in late 80s / early 90s Stand-alone devices, like a PC Limited or no sharing of disk capacity among multiple DVRs Typically uses PC-grade vs. server-grade components for cost reduction External storage add-ons (USB drives, NAS expansion) often less reliable & lower performance =

DVRs/NVRs Limited in Storage Capability, Reliability DVRs & NVRs are where IT PCs were in late 80s / early 90s Entry to midrange DVRs & some NVRs largely lack reliability features Limited/no RAID protection against drive failure Limited/no hot-swap components for non-stop recording/playback If DVR fails, cameras can go dark until replacement Standard motherboard & power supply Analog-to-digital converter Captive disk drives Windows, Linux or proprietary OS

Storage is the Hidden Cost in DVRs/NVRs Storage is not particularly glamorous, compared to cameras & video management systems Video storage is often overlooked in the cost of CCTV surveillance Storage is usually considered only after rest of system chosen It’s also where the most savings can be found

Video Storage Benefits for Existing CCTV Installations

DVR Shared Storage Upgrades Grow in Adoption IT went to shared storage in 1990s, physical security moving today DVR performance, reliability & capacity improve with CCTV storage upgrades Leverage existing CCTV infrastructure (cabling, analog cameras, DVRs) Cuts cost of additional capacity to less than adding more DVRs Eliminates risk of full cutover project to IP solution Eliminates need for retraining, operations continue as before Provides many additional benefits Provides IP support, providing an easy migration to full IP in future Full RAID protection eliminates risk of video loss Hot-swap components deliver continuous operation Only failed components – not entire system – leave control of security

DVR Shared Storage Upgrades Grow in Adoption Most DVRs are based on PC platforms, making upgrade to shared storage easy Most DVRs use standard operating systems (Windows, Linux) & motherboards inside system DVR upgrades can be accomplished in 15 minutes or less, via IP port on most current DVRs, or slightly longer if require insertion of Ethernet card or HBA in DVR Ethernet port

DVR Shared Storage Upgrades Grow in Adoption Significant benefits Shared storage upgrade less expensive than adding storage captive to individual DVR Regardless of brand of DVR, deploying a shared storage upgrade typically reduces cost by 2nd or later DVR In this example, a pharmaceutical manufacturer found they could reduce their surveillance system cost by 47% by adding a shared storage upgrade to support their 5 major manufacturer-brand DVRs. Yet they opted to perform the upgrade for the increased reliability it offered, not just the cost savings.

Video Storage Benefits for New IP Installations

Open NVRs/VMS Systems Growing In Popularity Deploy choice of Video Management System (VMS) software on open, commodity hardware Leverage benefits of open technology Standard, megapixel & H.264 cameras offer multiple imaging choices Multiple IT vendors offer server & storage platforms to choose from Multiple VMS offerings deliver for specific security application needs There are a large number of excellent VMS systems to chose from, each with unique features and benefits

IP Solutions Face Challenges of their Own Cameras & VMS solutions still often picked first, ignoring storage issues Generic servers & storage selected as an afterthought, just like in CCTV Storage should be thought of during the initial planning for a variety of reasons

New IP Surveillance System with VMS Solution Supporting 90 IP Cameras IP Cost Savings With Shared Video Storage IP surveillance systems often are limited by storage capacity & CPU performance of server choice Server limitations mean more servers, storage needed New IP Surveillance System with VMS Solution Supporting 90 IP Cameras Capital Expenditure (MSRP) Commodity IT Server Approach 18 standard servers, each with ~10TB captive storage capacity VMS system licenses from major vendor Required 128TB of non-shared storage for 90 days recording $236,250 Server + Shared Storage Approach 2 standard servers & shared storage platform with 30TB capacity 2 VMS system licenses from major vendor Eliminated 98TB capacity, 16 servers, VMS licenses $ 69,250 $167,000 Savings Actual municipal surveillance project example, using VMS vendor configuration tool for specifications - (30) 4CIF, MJPEG, 4 FPS, 30 days, 24x7, 100% Motion - (30) 2MP, MJPEG, 4 FPS, 30 days, 24x7, 100% Motion - (30) 4MP, MJPEG, 4 FPS, 30 days, 24x7, 100% Motion

Commodity Servers/Storage Complexity Servers & storage used in video surveillance can be complex, requiring experience/knowledge to get right Sizing server/storage platform Cost often drives push for less powerful servers, less storage than ideal Installing & integrating server, storage, VMS & cameras Installation procedures vary from installer to installer, location to location, resulting in risk of future support challenge Improper configuration can result in project failure even if everything else done right Support of VMS applications not a core market for IT IT and vendor support organizations often unfamiliar with common security applications, requirements & differences from IT workloads

Selecting Video Storage Platform Also Key Most servers & storage are designed for general IT Applications like word processing, email & database use Video workloads & environments vary differently from IT Typical Surveillance System 24x7x365 recording Users manage video system, not servers & storage System not tuned/optimized after initial installation Server/storage system runs unattended Large, non-sequential recording common Lost video: life safety issue, property protection issue, financial liability Typical IT System 9 to 5 activity IT manages servers, storage Systems tuned by IT, including defragmentation Unattended operation not common Large, non-sequential recording not common, can lead to reliability issues Lost data: financial, management impact

Solution to IP Complexity Select a server/storage vendor who knows physical security Simplified Operation Supports unattended operation, with email/network alerting No need for system downtime for maintenance Shared, Expandable Capacity Video storage system choices should start with as little as 2TB recording capacity, & grow as needed, when needed, without system rewiring or shutdown Support Existing CCTV & New IP System should be able to support existing CCTV infrastructure, while adding benefits of IP & migration path

Solution to IP Complexity Select a server/storage vendor who knows physical security Proven Physical Security Certifications & Alliances Unless can demonstrate knows security products, won’t be able to solve problems Membership & participation in security, retail, law enforcement, corrections, etc. organizations demonstrates commitment & knowledge of product needs Demonstrated List of Physical Security Customers Unless can demonstrate security experience, won’t be able to solve problems Simplified Installation for Physical Security Users Preload security applications on platform with common configurations, OS needs Configure server/storage with tools that function like camera configurator, not complex server/storage platforms needing IT knowledge Limited or no operator retraining requirements

Solution to IP Complexity Select a server/storage vendor who knows physical security Support Other Security Applications While video surveillance is biggest consumer, other physical security related applications should be demonstrated as supported & certified (access control, life safety, analytics, PSIM, etc.) for future cost savings & consolidation Standard Operating Environments Server/storage systems should interface with and operate in conjunction with standard operating systems (ie: Windows Vista, Windows Server, etc.) They should also offer standard data protection & availability technologies, not vendor-specific technologies (ie: RAID, hot-swap components, etc.) that need training & support from a single vendor

Summary Physical security departments & integrators can benefit from thinking of storage early in the planning process Shared video storage can reduce cost, complexity & support challenges Shared video storage can benefit existing CCTV as well as new IP installations Picking your server/storage vendor is key to ensuring long term project success & cost savings