I think I already know the answer to this but I am hoping someone can provide some clarification. When you use a NAS for video surveillance, and you setup the NAS in the VMS (in this case it's Spectrum/NX Witness) does the data move directly to the NAS from the cameras or is the data passing through the server first. This question is pure curiosity.
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When Using NAS, Does Data Go Direct From Camera To NAS Or Pass Through Server First?
Josh Hendricks
Jul 19, 2017There are some cameras which support saving data directly to a NAS, but for the vast majority of cameras and VMS products, the video will be going from the camera, to some component of the VMS (Recording Server in Milestone vernacular), and then to the NAS. So the VMS would be in control of the data.
There are also different NAS connection methods - samba/smb/cifs which is what Windows typically uses when you access network storage using a path like "\\nas\share\...". There is also iSCSI which requires a driver in the OS to enable configuration and connection to an iSCSI "target", and NFS is typically used by *nix-based systems.
Bosch cameras are an example of a camera vendor with products that can connect and record directly to network based storage.
JH
John Honovich
Jul 19, 2017John, I agree with Josh. Not much more that I can add there.
One other example of outliers for cameras direct to NAS is Mobotix, which historically was one of their big selling points. Here is an old MxInstaller video on that topic:
Sergey Bystrov
Jul 24, 2017I goes to the NAS through the server because of multiple reasons:
- most of cameras do not support it.
- we analyse video on the fly
- in case if live video will be requested...
- server needs to know if camera is OK.
UE
Undisclosed End User #1
Feb 24, 2018Hope it's OK to revive an old forum topic.
I would be very disappointed with IP cameras that cannot record directly to NAS. It would defeat the whole purpose of my system.
My multiple cameras record directly to NAS in MP4 format. Each camera has it's own NAS account. So clean housekeeping of recorded events is no problem. Nice and neat. Easy to find and access. No server. No NVR. Every PC in the house could be shutdown or stolen. The main wireless router could go dead or yanked out by the wires. They could steal everything out of the house. But surveillance would still chug along until the last camera is destroyed. They'll never find the NAS. It is hidden in the wall and can be accessed via a wireless extender hanging off of the PoE switch.
I do keep a PC running 24/7 with the manufacturer's management software, for the purpose of quicker live access when things go bump in the night. But it isn't necessary. In this system, the PC is of equal un-importance as a smartphone or tablet.
What is important is the operating system of each individual camera, the PoE switch and the NAS.
I never posted here before. IPVM is a great site and service. Love the humor too.
JH
John Honovich
Feb 24, 2018#1, thanks for your first comment and your kind words! Curious - what camera brand do you use and how well do you find them to work?
UE
Undisclosed End User #1
Feb 25, 2018John, I've been using various GeoVision IP cameras for many trouble-free years. They are very stable. I do have them reboot automatically once a week.
I once used their NVR, and after all the tweaks and learning curve, it ran fine. But I felt it was too complicated to be installed in friend's homes. I didn't want to be their IT guy for the rest of my life.
But when GV came out with their Edge Recording Manager software, I was intrigued with the idea of going to an NAS-only system and bypassing all those settings and instead, doing it all on the camera web interfaces. I personally won't go back to NVR. So much easier. And after several system installs at those friend's homes, I rarely get calls. Even then, it is for simple things they should already know as PC users.
If I have one gripe about the cameras, (and I'm not sure it's the camera's fault) is sometimes the Internet Time Servers don't update the clocks. So I make sure everything is manually synchronized a couple times a month. It takes just ten seconds to sync all 10 cameras at once.
The other gripe is not camera related. GeoVision's video playback software is bad. So I use the old reliable MPC-HC freeware. Can't beat it.
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