Video Surveillance Architecture 101
Video surveillance can be designed and deployed in a number of ways. This 101 examines the most common options and architectures used in 2023.
Architectures are based on 5 fundamental decisions:
- Encoding - Where is the video encoded? Camera? Encoder? Recorder?
- Storage - Where is the video stored? Camera? Recorder? SAN? NAS? Cloud?
- Analytics - Where is the video analyzed? Camera? Recorder? Server? Cloud?
- Management - Where is the video managed? Camera? Recorder? VMS? Cloud?
- Monitor - Where is the video monitored? PC / workstation? PVM? Video wall? Phone?
In this report, we explain the tradeoffs of these 5 fundamental decisions, overview a number of the most common combinations, and what future trends are most promising.
*** ***** ***** ********* *** ******* for **** ****/********:
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*** ************ ***** ** ******* (****, this ** ******** *** *********** **** but ** *** **** ****, *** should *** ** ******* * *** guide).
************ ***** ** ***** ** ** encoded, *.*., *** ****** ****** ****** will **** ** ** ********* **** that ** *** ** *********, ********, and *********** ******* *********.
*** ********* ** *** * ******* locations ***:
- ******:******** ** *** ****** ********* ***** relative ** ****** *******. ****, ******** in * ****** ********* *** ***-**** maximum ************ ******** ** *** ***** signal. *******, ******** ** *** ****** supports ********* *** ******** ******** ******* there ** *********** * **** ******** onboard.
- *******:****** *** *** ** *** ****** camera **** * *** ** ********. Encoders **** ****** *** *** **** of ********** ******** ******** ***** **** multiple *******. ******** ******* * ******** recorder *** ***** *******.
- ********:******** * ****** *** *** ******** and *********. *** ******* **** ** directly ******, ** **** ***, ** the ******** *** ********, ***** *** increase ***** ** ************. **** ** more ****** ** ** ********* ** small *******.
*******
************ ***** **** ** ****** ** order ** ****** **** ******. ******* video ******* *** ***** ** ***** files, ***** **** *** ** ******** and ****** **** ** ****** ******** software. ******* *** ** ******* ** cameras, *********, *******-*****, ** ** *** cloud.
*** ********* ** *** * ******* locations ***:
- ******:******* ***** ** * ****** *** eliminate *** **** *** * ******** recorder. *******, ********* ******* ** ******* based ** *** ******* **** ********* (e.g. *******, ***, *****). *** **** per **** ** ****** **** ***** a ********. ************, ** * ****** is ******* ** ******, **** ** recorded ***** ** ******.
- ********:******* ***** ** * ******** *** spread *** **** ** ******* ****** multiple *******, ***** ******* *** **** per **** ******** ** ****** *******. Also, **** *** *** ******* *** storage ********** ** ***** ****. *******, isolating ******* ** ***-*********** ********* ** inefficient *** ***** *********** ***** ****.
- ***:******* ***** ** * *** ** a ***-**** ****** *** *******-******** ******* for *****-***** *******. ******* ***** *** redundancy *** ***** **** ******** ** SAN-based *******.
- ***:******* ***** ** * *** ****** large-scale ********* *** ******** ******** ****** architectures. ****** ********* ******** *** ******* will ********* ************* ******** ***** **** compared ** ****** **** ******* ** the ******* ********.
- *****:******* ***** ** *** ***** ********* (or **********) *** **** *** ******** storage. *******, ******** ****** *** ********* and ***** ********** *** ** **** during ** ******** ******. ***** *** also ********* *********** ** *** ****** of ******* **** *** ****** ***** to *** *****, ***** ** ******** bandwidth. **** *** ***** ** ******** to *** *****, ** *** ********* be ****** ******** ******* ********** ** the ***** *******/*******.
*********
************ ***** *** ** ******** ** software ** ********* ** ** ******** motion, * ******, *******, ********** * face, ***** * ******* *****, ***.
******** *********** ** ********** **** *** video ****** *** *** ** **** to ******* ******** *****, ******* ******, or ** ***** ** ******** ********** when ********* *** *****.
*** ********* ** *** * ******* locations ***:
- ******:******-***** ********* *** ** **** ******** because **** *** ** ********* ** low-compression, ****-******* *****, ****** ********. *******, powerful ********** ******** *** ******** ********* have ********* **** ******* ** ********* cameras ***/** *********** ************ (*.*. ***/****).
- ********:********* ***** ** * ******** ********* allows *** * **** ******** ********* than * ****** ****** ***** *****, which ** **** *** *** ******* connected ** *** ********. ****, *** analytics *** *********** ********** **** *** viewing ********. *******, ******** ************* ** not **** ** ****-******* *** ******** to **** *** ********'* ***** ***, and ***** *** ********* *** *******.
- ******:********* ********* ********** *** ***** ** have ********* ********* ********** **** *********, and ********* ******* ******-**** **********. *******, server-based ********* *** *********** **** *** can ** ***** *** *****-*********.
- *****: ********* ***** ** *** ***** should ********* *** ******** *********** ** recorders ** *******, *** ******* ****-******** analytics. ***** ********** *** ** *********, and *****-***** ********* ******** **** *** $25-$50 *** *****. ******** ****** ****** may ** * **********, ******** *** number ** ******* **** *** ** transmitted *** ********.
- ****** ******-*****:**** ***** ******* ****** *** ******* detection ** ****** *** *** ***** processing *** ******** ********* (****** ***********, LPR, ********** ******). **** ******* *******/****** these *** ** ********** **** **** the ***** ************ *******. ****** ********* can ******** ******** ****** ********* ** only ************ ***** ****** ** ****** and ******** ******** **-*******, ****** **** continuous *****.
**********
************ ****** ********** ******* **** **** approved ***** *** **** ***** *** it ** ****** *** *** ******* number ** ****. ** *** **** monitor ****** ************* *** ****** ******.
*** ********* ** *** * ******* locations ***:
- ******:******-***** ********** ******** **** ****** ***** without ********** *** ******* ** ********. Additionally, ****** ************* ********* ******* * free ******** ************* **** *** ******** settings. ***** *** **** ******* ** not ********** * ********/***, *** **** is ******** ******* ** **** ***** systems *** ** ********* **********.
- ********:**** ****** ********* ********** ********** ** supporting ******** ******* ******* * ****** box, ********* ** * ***** **** than ***. ********* *** **** **** feature *********** ******** ** ***. *****-******** systems ********* ******* **** ****** ** be ******* ** * ********** ****** or ***** * *** ****** ** connect ** **** ********.
- ***:**** ****** * ****** ***** ** management ****** ******** *******/*********, ***** **** a **** ********** ** ********* ******. Some ***** **** ***** ********** **********, supporting ****** ******* ** *** **** management ****** *****. **** ***** **** an ********* **** ******** ** ********** recorders.
- *****:**** ********* ****** ******* ****** ********** as * ******** *******, ***** **** offering ****** ****** ** ******* *** servers ******* *****/****** *** **********. ***** are * *********** **********: **** *********** VMSes ***** **** ******* **** ** subscription ****; *****-****** ******* ********* ****** recurring ************ ****, ****** ***** ** at***** * ***** ****** ******** **** *****. *********** *********-***** ****/******* ********** ** ****** ** ****.
*******
************ ***** ** ****** ** **** user ***** (*.*. ******** ******, *************, facilities ********) *** **** ********** *** searching *** *********. ************ ***** ** typically ********* ** ******** **** *** be *** ** * ** ** phone, ******* ********** ******** ******** *** also ** ****.
*** ********* ** *** * ******* locations ***:
- **/***********:*** **** ****** ****** *** ******* video, * ******** ** ***-***** *********** authenticates ***** *** ******* *****. ** hardware ***** *** ******** ************* ** the ****** ** ******* ****** *********, as **** ************ ********* *** ******** accelerated ********.
- ***** ****:******** ******* *** **** ** *********** view ******* ****** * ** ******** panels. ********-***** ***** ***** *** **** expensive *** ******** *********** ***** ** install. *** ******-***** ***** ***** *** less ********* *** ***** ******* ********* GPU ******* *** ********** *****.
- *****:******** ***** ******** **** ** ** Video ****, ***** ******* ********* ******* 1-4 **** ************ **** ***** *** basic ********* ****** *************. **** ***** clients ** *** ***** ******** ********* and **** ******* ***** ****** ********.
- ****** **** ********:********* ** ********* ******** ** *** general ****** (*.*. **** *********, *** terminals), ***** ***** ********* ** ***-******** users **** ** **** ** *********. Typically ***** *** ******** ******** ** small ***, *** ******* *-* *******.
- *** ***** ****** ********** ******: ********* ***** ***-******* ********* *** a *********** ** **/*********** ********** *** Video ***** ** ***** ******** ********* simultaneously. **** ******** ***** **** ***** monitoring, ***** *** ******* ****** ***** verification, ** * *********** ** ****.
Common ************ *************
*** * **** ****** ************ ************* are ***, **********, *** ******-*****.
*****/****** ******** (***) ******* ********* *** low-cost ** ******* **** ********-***** *******. Recorders **** ** ***** ******* *** also ********* ***-**** *** *** **** for **********, *** ** *** ***** analytics. ***/************ *** **** *** ******* live *** ******** *****:
********** ******* ********* **** ****** ****** (100+) ** ** ******* **** ******-***** storage *** *** * *** *** management. *********** ******-***** ********* *** **** common **** ****** ** *****-***** ********* and ********** ******** ** ***, ***** walls, ******, *** ****** **** ********:
****** ***** ******* ******** ******* **** features ** *** ** ******* ** the ****, ********* **-*** **** ** storage. ** ********* *** ********** *** provided ** *** *****. ********** ** typically ******** ** * ***-***** ******* client *** ****** ***:
** *** ****** ** *** ******, you're ******** * ******* *****. ** send **** ** *** ***, ***'** using ********, ***** *** * ******* range **** ** *** **** ******* an ****** ***** ****** *** ****.
** *** ********** ***** **** ** between ****** *** *******. * *** thinking ******* ****, ********** (*******) ** non **********. ** **** ***** **** since. ***** ***.
*** "*** ****" ******** ** *******. Digital ******* *** ** *********** ( ie ******** *****) , ** *** be **** ***** ********* - ** around *** *****. ******** ********** ********* nose *** ********** ** ****** ** repeaters ** ******* ****** ****** *********** causes *** ****** ** ** ****.
****** *** ************ ** ********* ** cameras *** ** ********* **** ********** power ****** *** ************ ******* *******?
*****, **** ******** / *******. ***, in ***** ********** (************ ******* *******), storage ** ***** ***** ****** ** the ****** ** **** ******* ********* at *** ****. ********** ***** ****** requires **** **** ** ******* ****** / ***, ***** ** *** *** cover ** **** *** *** ** certainly **** ** **** ******* - related,*** ****** ***** *** ************ *****
******** ** * ** * *** confused- ** *** ******** ******** / preference ** ** **** ** *** + *********** *** ** *** *** storage ** ******* ** **** ****** in *** *** ** ***** ***** losses ?
**** ******-*** **** **** ****** ******** drives *** ******* ** ******* **** in ****. * *** ***** ** unnecessary ****** *** **** ******* ******* capacity ****** **** *** *** *** support. * *** ***** **** ** used ***** *** **** * ******/***** PC ******* ** *********** *** ******* sufficient ******* ** ******.
** ******* ***** *** ** *** video ************ *** *** ********, **** informative ******* *** *********** ** *** the ********* *************, *** *** **** are ***** ** * *********** *********. Great ** *** *** ************* ** it ******** ** * ********* *****, budget, ***********, ****** *** ***** ** work, ***.
** *** *********, **** *** ************* links ******* ******* *** ********* *** not **** ********, *** *** **** on * ********* ********* ********. ******* (IP) *** **** ***** ** ***** installed, *** **** *** ********** ** NVR ** ****, **** ****** ** the ***** *****. **** *** ***** are ********, *** ****** ******* *** NVR ** *******, ** ******** **** the ******* *****, *** ****** *******. This ** ****** *** (********* ******* Replenishment) *** **´* **** ****** *** instance ***** ******* *** **/*** ** Wifi **** ******* ***** *** **** temporary ******* *****.
* **** **** *** **** **** between ****** **** ** ********, *** central ***. *** *** **** ** both ********* (********* **** *** ***** quality ********* ** *** ******* ****) and ** ***** ** * ** link ******* ****, *** ****** *** will **** **** ** **** ** back.
*** **** ******** ** * ****** decrease *** ***-**** ******* ************ ******** of *** ***** ******?