Convergence Channel: Storage Strategies, the Final Chapter
The third in a three-part series on storing video data covers flash storage and how it is advancing security technology. Virtues like greater speed, smaller form factor and cooler operation are enabling new approaches to system design such as edge-based topology.
[IMAGE]12053[/IMAGE]There are several benefits to the edge recording philosophy, not the least of which is cost. Having the storage built into the cameras drastically reduces the cost of having NVR devices centralized in a data center. Not only does edge recording reduce the amount of hardware that has to be purchased, it also eliminates the power and HVAC requirements necessary to support all those heat-generating boxes.
Another benefit to edge recording is network bandwidth conservation. In a traditional distributed IP video system, video files need to travel across the network constantly in order to be recorded. If live viewing streams are requested, that could also add to the amount of bandwidth used by each camera.
With the storage built in, the recording streams traveling across the network are all but eliminated. The only time video from each camera uses the network is for live viewing or playback.
The last benefit to edge recording is not always the most obvious one. That is the elimination of a single point of failure. This is something all system designers try to avoid as much as possible. With traditional recording solutions, a DVR or NVR may be responsible for up to 32 or even more camera streams. If that device fails, or if the network connection to that device fails, all of those cameras could be cut off from the recorder. That is a single point of failure.
Of course, there are ways to mitigate that danger with redundant devices at both the hardware and network levels, but that increases the cost and complexity of the project.
Having the recording in the camera eliminates that problem. If the camera itself fails, or the network connection to that camera fails, only that camera is lost. That’s a big deal in a critical infrastructure type of project.
Is edge recording the end all, be all? Of course not. It’s simply a new tool in the arsenal of the integrator. Although I believe it is a tool that will only increase its share of the market as storage continues to improve.
Solid State Ahead for Storage
A technology worth watching for future adoption into security equipment is the SSD, or Solid State Drive. A SSD uses a more advanced type of flash chip with greater capacity than the thumb drives found today. In fact, many newer laptops and netbook computers are taking advantage of the benefits of flash SSD storage already. They offer the benefits we’ve already mentioned, including low power draw, low heat and fast boot-up times.
It’s only a matter of time before SSD storage gains the capacity and stability needed in dedicated video recording systems.
Storage is one of the most crucial components of any video security system. The technology needs to be understood, and the requirements need to be carefully calculated. Knowing what’s under the hood is half the battle to a successful installation and happy customer.
MCSE- and CCNA-certified Steve Payne has more than 15 years of industry experience and heads Convergence Consulting, an IP and security solutions consulting firm. Be sure to also read his Integrated Thoughts blog.
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