Effective storage of surveillance footage

CCTV Handbook 2014 Surveillance

Storage models have to be able to cope with both the sheer volume of surveillance footage acquired as well as ensure its integrity and accessibility. While there is still a place for DVRs and NVRs in the foreseeable future, this is destined to make way for options like SSD or edge storage.

Graham Goldridge, regional sales director for MEA, UK and France, says that as a software company NUUO offers both Windows and embedded Linux NVRs. The Linux offering can take on-board a maximum of 32 TB of storage, but the company does understand that the system integrator requires additional storage, so they then adopt ISCSI/SAN/DAS using EMC, HP and Proware for example.

According to Brian Wynberger, national technical manager at Reditron, the use of different storage formats is very market/application driven. The largest portion of the market is still using DVRs and NVRs, with larger drive capacities like 3 and 4 TB becoming available, they gain the advantage of longer periods of storage. For larger systems, the trend is to use the storage array to store all video images. This option is becoming more attractive as hard drive capacities increase at reduced prices.

Bruce Askham, surveillance and forensic security manager at Dell says that the size of an installation as well as the resolution of the cameras will play a large determining role in the need for DVR/NVR as opposed to alternative storage mechanisms. He adds that the retention period of data and the frame rates required will also influence the choice of storage.

Nigel Steyn, subject matter expert for EMC, says that for the meantime, while the South African government is not imposing regulations concerning the adoption of megapixel cameras, it is still acceptable to use DVRs and NVRs for storage in small to medium sized installations of CCTV, whilst the larger enterprise installations are best suited to EMC Isilon architectures. However, as megapixel cameras gain popularity, their bandwidth greedy nature will require alternative methods of storage.

Arrays designed for video

Wynberger points out that traditional storage array suppliers make their standard products available for use in CCTV systems. It is however up to the CCTV manufacturer to make sure these are integrated into the storage/recording management software for use in a CCTV system. There are companies like Promise that are providing storage arrays more specifically for the video industry and more CCTV suppliers are including storage arrays or NVR/servers with a larger number of hard drive bay capacities in their portfolios.

Steyn believes that the DVR manufacturers are putting less effort into upgrading their products as these will eventually become obsolete. Products like EMC’s Isilon are providing a suitable alternative for easily deployable surveillance footage storage.

Askham says that some of the traditional video management solution (VMS) companies are collaborating with hardware developers to find workable solutions for the security surveillance industry.

With regard to software management in storage offerings, Askham says that this is not so critical if you are using a good VMS, as the system will already be handling and manoeuvring data. Steyn agrees that storage offerings should not need to offer management capabilities as the CCTV system should be doing this. To reduce costs on systems, manufacturers are looking at ways of removing some of the non-essential technology such as reduplication capabilities.

SSD hardware is costly

Askham says that the benefit of SSD (solid state disks) for storage is that they are incredibly fast. However, cost is a factor and for the interim, a multi-tiered approach with VMS coupled with SSD for specific applications, will have to suffice.

Goldridge says that NUUO does not use SSDs locally since they find that the Seagate SV35 Series or the new Seagate Constellation HDD for surveillance is best suited for reading and writing for video.

Wynberger continues that the capacities of these SSDs are too low for use in CCTV applications. SSD would be useful for specific applications and small systems like mobile applications where robustness of storage is important.

He adds that edge storage will reduce the number of physical DVR/NVRs being used in the system. With large capacity arrays it makes storage close to the source of the video more feasible, in combination with good VMS software.

Wynberger believes that for many sectors of the market there is still the question of costliness of storage arrays over that of DVRs and NVRs. There is also the question of redundancy. Most DVR/NVRs in a system offer better redundancy than a single edge storage solution for all video. Edge storage by nature provides protection against failure but this comes at a price.

Contacts

NUUO, +27 (0)11 475 3254, graham@nuuo.com, www.nuuo.com

Reditron, +27 (0)87 802 CCTV(2288), sales@reditron.co.za, www.reditron.co.za

Dell, +27 (0)11 549 4035, bruce_askham@dell.com, www.dell.co.za

EMC, +27 (0)11 581 0000, sonelia.dupreez@emc.com, www.emc.com



Credit(s)




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Pentagon appointed as Milestone distributor
Elvey Security Technologies News & Events Surveillance
Milestone Systems appointed Pentagon Distribution (an Elvey Group company within the Hudaco Group of Companies) as a distributor. XProtect’s open architecture means no lock-in and the ability to customise the connected video solution that will accomplish the job.

Read more...
Empowering cities with intelligent security solutions
Secutel Technologies Surveillance IoT & Automation
By leveraging advanced AI analytics, real-time data collection, and seamless integration capabilities, cities can address pressing security challenges and create a safer environment for residents.

Read more...
Re-imagining business operations with the power of AI
AI & Data Analytics Surveillance
inq., a Convergence Partners company, has introduced a range of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to assist organisations across industry verticals in optimising business operations and improving internal efficiencies.

Read more...
Eight MP dome for harsh environments
Axis Communications SA Surveillance Products & Solutions
Axis Communications announced a marine-grade stainless steel camera that offers performance in harsh environments. Enclosed in an electropolished stainless steel casing, it can withstand the corrosive effects of seawater and cleaning chemicals.

Read more...
Enhance control rooms with surveillance and intelligence
Leaderware Editor's Choice Surveillance Mining (Industry)
Dr Craig Donald advocates the use of intelligence and smart surveillance to assist control rooms in dealing with the challenges of the size and dispersed nature common in all mining environments.

Read more...
Access & identity expectations for 2024
Technews Publishing IDEMIA ZKTeco Gallagher Salto Systems Africa Regal Distributors SA Reditron Editor's Choice Access Control & Identity Management Information Security AI & Data Analytics
What does 2024 have in store for the access and identity industry? SMART Security Solutions asked several industry players for their brief thoughts on what they expect this year.

Read more...
Advanced security solution for high-risk areas
Secutel Technologies Surveillance Integrated Solutions
The need for a sophisticated intrusion detection system is paramount when faced with persistent security challenges, particularly in isolated battery rooms or high-risk areas prone to vandalism, cable theft, and battery theft.

Read more...
Hikvision’s top seven trends for the security industry in 2024
Hikvision South Africa News & Events Surveillance AI & Data Analytics
As we embrace technological innovation, and adapt to evolving societal needs, we are witnessing the convergence of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and big data.

Read more...
inq. SA unveils AI, IoT solutions for the digital age
AI & Data Analytics Surveillance
inq. has announced the launch of an extensive Edge Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and the Edgedock data insights value proposition to transform business operations across various sectors.

Read more...
ONVIF releases first add-on for secure communications
Surveillance Training & Education
ONVIF has released the final version of the TLS Configuration add-on to increase the security of communications between devices and software clients within a physical security system.

Read more...