Getting Video to Play Nicely on the Network

Yes, IP video is making significant inroads into hospitals, schools and universities, but what are some of the expected advances to be seen as second-generation products/systems emerge and as physical and logical security become more intertwined? Campuses transitioning to IP solutions need to be aware of the alternative to network video recorders (NVRs), as well as video analytics deployment and IT concerns, such as bandwidth overload.

February 29, 2008 CS Staff

Getting Video to Play Nicely on the Network

The emerging footprint of Internet protocol (IP)-based video surveillance demands close attention from campus stakeholders who don’t want to be stampeded by the technology’s eventual rush. Fueled by lower costs and systems that are easier to use, the security marketplace is already fertile ground for the adoption of standalone IP video systems. As physical and logical security become evermore intertwined, campuses must gauge the status of these solutions today and beyond.

End-to-End IP Video Directed Mainly at New Construction, Security Solutions
IP-only video surveillance systems are usually deployed on new construction applications and security installations equipped with existing Cat-5e or Cat-6 wiring or a wireless communication system. These solutions make sense in new construction because of their cost savings: It is estimated that installing network cables reduces the costs of some project aspects by 50 to 60 percent.

For example, many universities and K-12 schools throughout North America have already made the investment to network classrooms and are now adding a security infrastructure where it did not exist before. Since the facilities are already wired, layering IP camera technology on the existing infrastructure is cost-effective and enables campus and district administrators to view video remotely.

Another plus associated with IP video is its reduced storage costs, which enable campuses to store additional video. Unfortunately, many that deploy IP security often want to store more video than available bandwidth allows to be transmitted over the network. Consequently, the primary barriers for the adoption of IP video systems now surround IT concerns about bandwidth, and the addition of computers and software on the network.

One approach to achieving increased storage while overcoming bandwidth issues is to incorporate the concept of recording at the edge. This technology enables storage to reside just at the perimeter of the network (such as in a camera or other device) so video does not have to traverse the network or be sent to a central location in order for it to be recorded.

RAID Devices Offer Campuses Option to Eliminate Use of NVRs
With IP video applications, another common point of failure is the NVR. Fortunately, recently improved storage devices (called Internet small computer system interface redundant arrays of independent disks storage area networks [iSCSI RAID SANs]), give campuses the option to avoid using NVRs altogether.

By eliminating NVRs, campus security and police departments are able to address IT concerns surrounding the associated multiple PCs requiring regular maintenance, such as Microsoft® operating system patches or virus updates. Some estimate that for every dollar spent on computer hardware, nearly double the amount of time is spent on maintenance. Consider now, how that time translates into money spent for a campus that has a managed services contract with an IT outsourcing company. The total cost of ownership of PC-based systems cannot be ignored.

iSCSI RAID SAN storage devices also give campus law enforcement a new way to overcome the concerns of apprehensive IT personnel because many are already familiar with the iSCSI storage networking standard.

Reliability is another plus associated with iSCI RAID SANs. Multiple cameras and encoders can share the iSCSI storage disks on a local recording network, while the main local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) remains unburdened by any recording load. Additionally, with iSCSI technology, video continues to be recorded and stored even during a network outage.

Video recording managers – known as “traffic cops” – that distribute video across all available iSCSI RAIDs on the network also positively affect IP video reliability. If one RAID unit fails, the recording manager will simply redirect video data to a backup device. Better disk utilization and better load balancing also result. Additionally, the throughput of video will be greater.

The benefits of using a video recording manager are a simpler architecture with fewer items that can fail and less hardware and software for IT personnel to manage.

Analytics at the Edge Helps Reduce Bandwidth Quandary
Video content analysis (VCA) – commonly called video analytics – embedded in an IP encoder or other device can also help reduce the amount of traffic sent across the network. With VCA at the edge of a network, it is possible to transmit alarm video only, diminishing the amount of bandwidth required while enabling all camera channels to be monitored effectively. Analytics can also be used to search for events that have already occurred.

Once an alarm is triggered, the system can automatically increase the frame rate and resolution of the recording to capture the event in more detail and send the video to storage. With VCA at the edge, some systems can be programmed to trigger alarms based on object size, object color and speed, or aspect ratio. Some systems also offer behavioral analysis that can accurately identify loitering, the removal or theft of objects from a scene, or an object that has been left behind in a scene.

This recent trend has dramatically reduced the cost of deploying video analytics while maintaining a high degree of reliability for most types of detection. An estimated tenfold reduction in cost will soon make intelligent cameras the norm, not the exception.

Video Content Analysis Can Act As a Force Multiplier
Currently, there are too many cameras for campus security staff and police to monitor, and they desperately need automated help for prioritizing alarms. Research Analyst Dilip Sarangan of Frost & Sullivan agrees that VCA is needed to help improve most security camera systems. “Security systems today are still very reactive. Most incidents go undetected, since the security staff cannot concentrate on multiple cameras at the same time,” Sarangan says. “Video analytics eliminates the need for security personnel to monitor cameras and helps increase the efficiency of the video surveillance system.”

With intelligence at the edge, IT personnel are more comfortable using their existing network to transmit video. Integrators hired by campuses to install new IP surveillance solutions can increase this comfort level by designing fluid systems that can adjust to and accommodate traffic surges. For example, frame rates can drop temporarily while the sharpness of each image is maintained, or the same number of frames can be recorded at a lower resolution.

Michael Ficco, senior applications engineer for Security Services & Technologies (SST) of Norristown, Pa., often hears protests from IT personnel that IP video will slow down their network. “IT folks generally do not understand the throttling and parameters that can be set to make IP video work on their existing network,” he says. “We give them a piece of demo equipment to help them see how it operates on their network. It’s the No. 1 way we overcome the bandwidth objection.”

Convergence Becomes a Reality With Integration, Collaboration
IP video lends itself to greater integration among security systems, helping the convergence of disparate facility systems become a reality. Many buildings contain an assortment of electronic equipment for video monitoring, access control, fire/life safety, intrusion detection, heating and cooling, and lighting controls. As manufacturers continue to use open technology and support nonproprietary industry standards, the opportunity is growing for various equipment and building management solutions to be connected into one system.

Combining access control with video surveillance is just one example of the power of integrated systems. For instance, campus security directors can enhance their access control for sensitive areas by setting readers for video verification, minimizing the chance of someone entering a room with a stolen ID card.

Through convergence, collaboration between campus police/security and IT personnel will grow stronger an
d more common. As these partnerships expand, hospitals, schools and universities will begin to see instances of physical and logical security intertwined. As campus security personnel increasingly rely on the chief information or chief technology officer, security staff will benefit from IT being able to further justify expenditures in the underlying network infrastructure since the return on investment will be greater.

Ficco explains that spending on security systems is often more reactive than spending on information technology. “The people who control campus finances often wait until something happens before they will budget for an upgraded security system,” he says. “IT personnel are more accustomed to being proactive and explaining the business case for new technology. They understand how to communicate in dollars and cents, explaining how an investment will save the [hospital, school, university or district] money down the road.”

By working more closely with IT directors, campus security personnel can begin to think long-term about future investments and be more proactive with the types of technologies they would like to implement to improve operations.

Connecting With IT Is Key to Transitioning From Analog to IP

It is vital for campus law enforcement to engage IT personnel and physical security integrators early on in the bidding, planning and design stages of IP video installations. Additionally, campuses must be certain their integrators/installers listen to IT’s concerns and work with them to find a solution to mitigate or overcome their objections.

In light of this, it is important to select the right integrators/installers for the project. That means hiring electronic security contractors that have a strong networking background. Another option is to hire an integrator that partners with a company with a lot of network know-how.

IP-based systems are usually more sophisticated and flexible. The downside is that they are typically more complicated than analog solutions, and integrators need to be able to speak intelligently to a campus’ IT staff and understand their terms and language.

“IT folks should be involved in the project from Day 1 – at the bid stage,” says Michael Ficco, senior applications engineer for Security Services & Technologies (SST) of Norristown, Pa. “The video surveillance installation is often only 20 percent of the entire project from the IT perspective. A project that would typically take three months can be stretched out to two to three years because the IT staff will use a phased approach. It’s important to ask up front how the project will proceed, so you can plan appropriately for labor allocations and costs.”

If other groups within the organization, such as human resource personnel or facilities directors, will want to review recorded video, it is essential their input is also gathered during the initial design stages. This communication and defining of requirements will help ensure there is full understanding of the organization’s ultimate goal and the impact to the environment. In most cases, if all of these items are considered, campus law enforcement and the integrators they hire will be better able to design a system that can scale as the organization grows or expands its capabilities.

What Do You Mean by the ‘Edge’?

Transporting all video to a single location for recording and other functions like video content analysis is great for consolidated and centrally managed storage. Unfortunately, it simultaneously creates great dependency on the network and highlights the main weakness with centralized recording – any interruption in the network means you stop recording video. Not only does this approach demand continuously high bandwidth requirements, it’s also reasonable to expect some scheduled, as well as unscheduled downtime, despite the reliability of modern network switches that make an actual local area network (LAN) failure rare.

As a result, campuses may want to adopt a decentralized approach to video recording and storage to alleviate the burden on the network. Recording at what is commonly called the “edge,” or storing video at the perimeter of the network instead of transporting it to a centralized network video recorder (NVR), is a bandwidth-friendly design option for IP video systems.

This decentralized approach only uses the network to replay video at a workstation. Multiple cameras and encoders can share storage on a local recording network, while the main LAN or wide area network (WAN) used for viewing and retrieval remains without any recording load. The video does not touch the main network in order to get recorded, which means it is immune from any main network failures or congestion.

This system design is similar to those using DVRs but can use encoders and Internet small computer system interface (iSCSI) disk arrays. These add the power of streaming video over IP to countless users in different locations, with large shared plasma display video walls, PCs, Web browsers and banks of monitors.

Dr. Bob Banerjee is product marketing manager for IP video products at Bosch Security Systems Inc. Banerjee developed Bosch’s IP Resource Center; www.boschsecurity.us/ip. He can be reached at (717) 735-6637 or bob.banerjee@us.bosch.com.

Related Articles:

To subscribe to the unabridged print version of Campus Safety magazine, click here.

If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!