Master Technician Series: How Software Relieves Strains of Storage Complexity
Virtualization software and common management structures can ease installation quandaries for integrators and administration requirements for end users. Virtualization brings the advantages of the cloud infrastructure with reduced IT complexity. It enables streamlined installations and system configuration while still reaping the benefits of advanced IT functionality.
Vendors in today’s market incorporate IT systems and streamlined functionalities into video surveillance technologies that do away with the complexities normally associated with IP deployments. In particular, virtualization software is viable for easing installation quandaries, saving physical server costs, and greatly improving fault-tolerance for integrators and administration requirements for end users.
Virtualization brings the advantages of server consolidation and reduced IT complexity to both the integration community and end users. It permits streamlined installations and system configuration while allowing users and installers to reap the benefits of advanced IT functionality.
Virtualization allows software systems from various m
anufacturers to be integrated and consolidated onto one appliance enabling more efficient and more agile service delivery without compromising control, yet reducing overall costs. For the end user, video capture and playback options are enhanced, video availability is maximized and cost savings are realized — through energy savings and physical datacenter reduction. Systems that incorporate virtualization are also easier to install and manage — even for those without storage or IT management experience.
This approach also simplifies installations. Consider the tasks of camera and video management system (VMS) integration, camera placement and video storage and calculation requirements: Scaling storage performance and capacity together eliminates the tedious chore of configuring each individual camera. In an enterprise with upwards of 1,000 cameras, that makes all the difference.
Making Virtualization Tangible
It is safe to say that the term virtualization is not commonly used in the physical security industry. However, it has been used for years in the IT market and has proven to be a significant benefit to system administrators. Why? It has helped streamline usability, management and reliability, and offers many of these same benefits to the surveillance community as well. It’s safe to say that as video surveillance systems becomes more IT-centric, they will become increasingly virtualized.
First, what is virtualization? For the sake of this discussion, it is defined as a method of making a physical entity act as multiple, independent logical entities. This concept conjures up visions of IT applications light years away from the world of video surveillance cameras and access control. Rather than associating it with complexity, let’s simply think of it as replacing hardware.
For example, think of your car’s antilock braking system, a safety system that prevents the wheels on your car from locking up. This computerized all-wheel solution enables braking power to be applied to all four wheels at one time, saving the driver from having to apply braking power to these wheels separately. Some sophisticated systems even incorporate Electronic Brake Differential to help a car steer into corners more precisely. The ability for the physical braking system to be logically configured to act differently through the software brain is the essence of virtualization. This approach also reduces the amount of hardware, as separate braking systems do not have to be placed on each wheel, leading to significant cost reduction. Think of the effort this also saves because there is no need for four brake pedals!
You can also look to the early days of multitasking on a PC to help grasp the concept of virtualization. Before the advent of multitasking, a desktop PC had such limited CPU power that it was necessary to shut down one application before starting another. As Intel-powered CPUs became faster and hard disk storage capacities increased, operating system companies like Microsoft and Apple introduced multitasking operating systems that made it possible to run applications simultaneously in graphical “windows.” Multitasking technology eliminated single-purpose machines because it became possible to simultaneously run word processing and spreadsheet applications on a single piece of hardware. This concept of applications sharing common hardware is a very similar to the idea of virtualization.
In the video storage world, virtualization helps IP-based surveillance systems meet their full potential. With a virtual server approach, video recording or archiver software shares hardware with video storage appliances to allow customers to realize both consolidation and reliability benefits. By eliminating standalone physical servers and their corresponding power, cooling and cost, virtualization introduces consolidation benefits of approximately 25% in upfront costs, 40% in power and cooling, and 40% in rack space.
Concurrently, virtualization improves uptime and lowers support costs through reliability improvements so that self-healing systems minimize video system downtime. We can safely estimate that the reliability improvement from virtualization saves users an average of $100,000 for every 500 cameras from avoidance of litigation and liability claims due to lost video during system downtime.
6 Real Virtualization Advantages
Are there additional benefits to virtualization? You bet. Let’s take a look:
Consolidation — Virtualization shrinks the server and storage infrastructure required for physical security systems by allowing server and storage resources to share common hardware. In the past, video management software, access control software and video analytics required separate physical servers that were purchased, maintained and supported individually. As video resolution increased and retention periods lengthened, storage capacity grew to where storage systems were similarly purchased, maintained and powered separately. This separation of physical storage and physical servers often accounted for more than 50% of a video surveillance project, and possibly more if existing cameras were left in place.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Security Is Our Business, Too
For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.
A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.
