PVC2300 - Video Monitoring System (3 urgent questions)

Question

Hi there,
I'm pretty sure these questions have been asked before - but could not find answers to these.
Setup:
When running a Video Surveillance setup, with up to 16, PVC2300 cameras connected to the Video Monitoring System (LBAVMS16):
1. Does the PC running LBAVMS16 need to be "on" all the time for the video feed to be stored on a NSS device?
2. Is there any difference between the "old Linksys" monitoring software and "LBAVMS16"?
3. Can you run a mixed camera (WVC2300 and PVC2300) environment using "LBAVMS16"?
I have a partner testing the solution and I would guess they are not the only ones facing these same questions.
Many thanks in advance!
Rasmus Almqvist, Territory Market Manager
Phone: [phone]
Email: [email protected]

Answer 1

Hello,
First, you want to use SWVMS16.  Its the newer Small Business Software Video Monitoring System that will work with WVC210, PVC2300, WVC2300, and PVC300 (new).
http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/solutions/small_business/products/security/small_business_video_surveillance_cameras/index.html
The 'latest' version you will find here is 1.0.0, but when we announce the PVC300 orderable, that should go to 1.0.1.
Please upgrade both the PVC2300 and WVC2300 to 'Camera' FW version 1.0.1 for it to work with SWVMS16.
This SW is free so just come back and check in the coming weeks for the update.
The older LBAVMS16 will not support the PVC300 and has the old Linksys SKIN and is actually a different SW completely.   The newer one is the Cisco small business offering we will have going forward.   The older SW would allow you to set up the motion detection and then it would run in the task bar, and it would record as motion occurred, even though it was not open.
The new SWVMS16 has a concept of a MAIN console (role based access) and after you define the 'Always' on or 'Motion Detection' configuration, you will then need to click on START/STOP in the Recordings GUI Drawer and select START RECORDING SCHEDULE and then all the cameras will have a Green LED indicator on the screen showing they are active and ready and will follow the configuration.   You can minimize it at this point, but you cant close it.  CLosing it will stop the schedule.   The datasheet should show the PC requirements to run this application, and to be honest, if you have more than 4 cameras, this is not a part time task.  Of course, it will depend on the Video quality you set up on each camera, but you will find monitoring 8 cameras will use your CPU and Memory (run the Windows Task manager to see).  This is why for 16 cameras, we recommed a very powerful PC with alot of RAM.
I am running a Dual Intel Core 2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13GHz Machine with 1 GB or RAM and with 4 cameras at Highest quality it runs at 45-55% CPU utilization, just as an example.    So the point is this PC should be pretty much dedicated to this function of monitoring, recording, playback.
Now keep something else in mind.  The Cameras (all of ours) dont need the SWVMS16 to do motion detection to NSS, or EMAIL.  The cameras themselves can FTP (client) motion detection (MPEG4 or MJPEG) direct to NSS (FTP server) or SMTP Mail.  Its configured on the Camera.   And with a PC Browser, you can monitor the Camera, or QuickTime, etc.  The SWVMS just makes it easy to monitor them all in one place with all the convenience and functions you would use in a SMB.  So technically SWVMS16 is not needed to operate motion detection to the NSS, but if you are running SWVMS, then yes, it needs to be on.
In fact, I run BOTH on my cameras.  That is, I have them set to FTP to my NSS, and I also have them monitored by SWVMS.  Our Cameras are dual stream, dual codec, and have no problem with this, and can be monitored from up to 10 HTTP servers as well (RTSP increases that), which is usually enough.
An interesting twist, which is also practiced and supported, is defining the NSS File Share as the SWVMS16 Video Storage location.  Just another option to consider.
Hope this clarifies a little?
Steve DiStefano
SE US Field Channel