In 2009, when the Grand Casino in Baden in Switzerland upgraded and expanded its video system it chose a Geutebruck high availability IP solution designed by local system integrators Honegger System Technik. It was a design incorporating 35 1,3 megapixel cameras into the 250-camera system and introducing virtual GeViScope platforms to handle the generated data with ease and efficiency as well as high redundancy. The complex upgrade was made without any interruption to operation of the system or business and has met with the full satisfaction of the casino management.
The Geutebruck IP solution exploits two technologies in particular which enable it to handle and store the complete video history from all cameras including megapixel ones at full available resolution for 28 days on a 320 terabyte instant access database.
The first of these is Geutebruck’s own CCTV-optimised video compression process MPEG4CCTV. This is an MPEG-4 compliant process which uses standard MPEG-4 compression tools in unusual ways for the specific purpose of improving performance and image handling for security users. As a result, systems using MPEG4CCTV are very fast, delivering top quality video images without any perceptible latency; as well as lean and efficient with low network and storage requirements.
The second is the IT technology of virtualisation which is used to produce virtual devices. With the aid of Microsoft’s Hyper-V tool, Geutebruck can generate several virtual GeViScope servers on a single piece of hardware. These virtual servers are then linked into clusters with so-called ‘failover’ functionality to ensure that if one of them fails another automatically and instantly takes over without any effect on service.
In the server room at the Grand Casino Baden there is now less hardware using less power and less emergency capacity on standby. Fewer hardware devices are throwing out less waste heat, so less air conditioning is required and again less energy is needed. By saving considerable space, energy and costs virtualisation is significantly reducing the total cost of ownership.
System design
CAM2IP video encoders which support MPEG4CCTV compression and its efficient video management features were added to link a dozen or so existing analogue speed domes and a hundred antilog box cameras to the existing Cat5 Ethernet cabling. 35 new 1,3 megapixel cameras enable close observation of the roulette, poker and black jack tables. A hundred new VIPCAMs monitor the gaming machine area, the cashier’s desks and provide general views. (VIPCAMs are high resolution day/night IP-cameras with automatic IR-cut filters for crisp sharp pictures even with widely varying light conditions.)
All data streams are handled by two Intel modular servers, each of which incorporate five high-performance computers. Together these run a total of 21 virtual GeViScope video system platforms operated in cluster formation. These virtual GeViScopes record to the high redundancy RAID Level 6 databases mounted on 21 Promise SAS storage systems currently using sixteen 1TB capacity server disks each, but which can take more if needed. Thanks to the high-availability design, if - despite all care and cutting-edge technology – something fails, then the full functionality of the system is re-established automatically without any significant down-time.
Close-up clarity
The high resolution of the new megapixel cameras provides increased picture quality along with increased security and operational efficiency. The peak resolution support for zooming in for close-ups is used by the supervisors who have 30-inch monitors and access to all of the 250 cameras from each workstation. They can pull up live and recorded footage of identical quality in milliseconds.
Although technically complex, supervisors at the Grand Casino Baden find the system simplicity itself to operate. They use GSCView, Geutebruck’s user-friendly software for display and operating. Its extreme flexibility supports the extensive customisation which maximises security as well as operator comfort and convenience.
For more information on Geutebruck products and solutions visit: www.geutebrueck.com
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