Unit Data Storage Considerations
Kollector recorders store their video and audio files on internal hard drives. These hard drives are dedicated
to data file storage, separate from the operating system hard drive. When these drives become full of data,
they are configured to overwrite the oldest data. This is called FIFO, or first-in-first-out, format. It is important
to select a model with the proper hard drive capacity to satisfy the required video and audio time storage
requirements. For example, most businesses and agencies have requirements for 1 month to 1 year of video
and audio data storage; before the old data begins to be overwritten with new data.
To estimate the required hard drive storage capacity, use the following charts. They provide a guide to
manage the time storage requirement based on the number of cameras in the system and their associated
frame rates. Therefore, for any particular recorder, the cameras can be tailored to fit the desired storage time
requirement. The current range of unit storage capacity is 200 to 900 GB. The example below will detail how
a recorder can be setup to meet the storage time requirement. These principles can be used to scale large
systems incorporating several Kollector recorders and RAID storage units.
There are many variables that can directly affect the recording performance of Kollector. The performance is
measured in hard drive consumption, system network bandwidth and fps capability of the recorder. In addition
to the provided charts, the parameters below can also be fine tuned to optimize recorder performance. These
factors are as follows:
1.
Number of Cameras Recorded:
The number of recording cameras directly affects the system’s
performance. Therefore, any cameras that do not require recording should not be recorded. These
cameras can be dedicated to live view and are most commonly used by security operators for site patrol.
Fewer recording cameras will use less hard drive space.
2.
Number of Microphones Recorded:
The number of recording microphones also directly affects the
system’s performance. Therefore, any microphones that do not require recording should not be recorded.
Again, these microphones can be reserved by security operators for 2-way communication with other
security staff.
3.
Number of Recording Hours per Day:
Whether video or audio, the number of recording hours directly
affects system performance. Therefore, it is highly recommended to establish scheduled macros for
precise planning of recorded activity. The video charts provided have a vertical axis of GB/Day. However,
when a Kollector is configured with scheduled macros, cameras and microphones can be programmed to
record for portions of a day. Fractional days of recording will use less hard drive space, system bandwidth
and fps usage.
4.
Amount of Motion in Each Scene:
The amount of motion in any scene is directly proportional to system
performance. A scene with 20% motion will use fewer resources than a scene with 80% motion. There
are also subtle attributes of a scene that can be related to performance such as the speed of the motion,
the range of the motion, the change in background lighting, the change in colors, etc. In an effort to
quantify these factors, we have established levels of motion as follows:
Very High:
This is the highest activity level. This activity level is found on a busy casino floor.
This would be defined as a scene with large numbers of moving people in varied traffic patterns
with a dynamic color background and flashing lighting.
High:
This is an above average activity level. This activity level is found in a shopping mall. This
would be defined as a scene with large numbers of moving people in similar traffic patterns with a
moderate color background and contrasted lighting.
XX112-70-00 Rev 904 Kollector Pre-Installation Requirements
Unit Data Storage Considerations
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