axxonone Axxon One Setup Checklist and Best Practices

[Nina S]

Before you install Axxon One:

1. Make sure all Servers are connected to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and have unique IP addresses.
2. To prevent frequent system updates, which can cause system inoperability, it is recommended to use Windows 10 LTSB or Windows Server (see Operating system requirements).
3. Install all the latest Windows service/update packs.
4. Synchronize the system time with world time and specify the correct time zone.
5. For each Server, specify a unique Windows host name.
6. Specify a new password for the account of local administrator.
7. Synchronize the time of all Servers and IP devices.
8. Create another administrator account for backup. Specify a password for it.

Hardware setup:

1. On each Server, install an additional SSD specifically designed for storing metadata. It is highly recommended not to store the metadata either on the system drive or on the drive to which the archive will be recorded.
2. If the total size of an archive on one Server exceeds 30 TB, then it is necessary to divide it into several logical disks less than 30 TB each. For example, if the planned total archive size is 100 TB, divide it into 4 logical disks, 25 TB each. This will increase the recording stability and eliminate the risk of data loss.
3. If you are going to use any kind of video analytics (including motion detection for motion-based recording and other detection tools), it is recommended to use an NVIDIA GPU to increase system performance. For specific GPU requirements, see Hardware requirements.
    

 

Axxon One Setup Checklist and Best Practices

Before you install Axxon One:

1. Make sure all Servers are connected to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and have unique IP addresses.
2. To prevent frequent system updates, which can cause system inoperability, it is recommended to use Windows 10 LTSB or Windows Server (see Operating system requirements).
3. Install all the latest Windows service/update packs.
4. Synchronize the system time with world time and specify the correct time zone.
5. For each Server, specify a unique Windows host name.
6. Specify a new password for the account of local administrator.
7. Synchronize the time of all Servers and IP devices.
8. Create another administrator account for backup. Specify a password for it.

Hardware setup:

1. On each Server, install an additional SSD specifically designed for storing metadata. It is highly recommended not to store the metadata either on the system drive or on the drive to which the archive will be recorded.
2. If the total size of an archive on one Server exceeds 30 TB, then it is necessary to divide it into several logical disks less than 30 TB each. For example, if the planned total archive size is 100 TB, divide it into 4 logical disks, 25 TB each. This will increase the recording stability and eliminate the risk of data loss.
3. If you are going to use any kind of video analytics (including motion detection for motion-based recording and other detection tools), it is recommended to use an NVIDIA GPU to increase system performance. For specific GPU requirements, see Hardware requirements.

Axxon One installation (see Installation):

Recommendation on how to choose the installation type:

Server and Client	Failover Server and Client
Choose this type of installation if you have no more than 5 Servers in one location, which should operate within the same Axxon-domain.	Choose this type of installation if you have 5 to 30 Servers (minimum 3) in one location, which should operate within the same Axxon-domain.

If you have more than 30 Servers in one location, or if they are spread between different locations, but you need to have unified user management across all Servers, please contact your manager or technical support for consulting.

Server and Client

1. Use the port range 20111-20210 (see Network settings utility, Ports used by the Axxon One Software Package).
2. Metadata database:
   1. The path to the metadata storage folder can be specified only once during the installation process. If you decide to change it later, you will have to re-install Axxon One (without losing your configuration or video archive).
   2. It is highly recommended to install it on SSD specifically designed for storing metadata.
      Do not install metadata on system drive because Metadata size tends to grow over time, and if the system drive space is not sufficient it might cause system issues.
      Do not install metadata on the drive to which the archive is recorded because it will affect recording performance.
   3. Consider the disk space required for the database (see Disk storage subsystem requirements). For example, ≈1.5 TB is required to store metadata for 30 days for 50 cameras.

Failover Server and Client

1. The path to the metadata storage folder can be specified only once during the installation process. If you decide to change it later, you will have to re-install Axxon One (without losing your configuration or video archive). To specify the database path during installation, select Custom installation type and specify the path in the configuration window.

2. It is highly recommended to install it on SSD specifically designed for storing metadata.

   Do not install metadata

   on system drive because Metadata size tends to grow over time, and if the system drive space is not sufficient it might cause system issues.
   on the drive to which the archive is recorded because it will affect recording performance.

Antivirus configuration (see Appendix 4. Using Axxon One with antivirus software):

1. Add the following processes to the exclusion list:

   1. consul.exe
   2. nomad.exe
   3. apphost.exe
   4. postgres.exe
2. Add the following folders to the exclusion list:
   1. C:\ProgramData\AxxonSoft\Axxon One
   2. C:\Program Files\AxxonSoft\Axxon One
   3. C:\Program Files\Common Files\AxxonSoft
   4. Postgres and metadata folders if their location is not default.
       
3. Add the following ports to the exclusion list:
   1. 20109-20210
   2. If Failover Server and Client installation type is selected, then also add ports 4000, 4646-4648, 8300-8302, 8500, 8600.

Initial setup:

1. Activate the licenses (see Creating an activation request, Activation by applying license file).
2. Change the root password (see Working with users). 
3. Create another administrator account for backup. Specify a password for it.
4. For Server only: configure Client auto-logout after 1 hour (see Configuring automatic exiting and locking of the Client).
5. Create the archive before adding cameras (see Configuring Archives).

Creating archives (see Configuring Archives):

1. Divide the archive into several volumes located on different devices.
2. It is highly recommended to create archive volumes no larger than 30 TB each.

Camera configuration (see The Video Camera Object):

1. Connect the cameras to the Servers.
2. Synchronize the time of all Servers and cameras with a single NTP Server.
3. Add the cameras to the system (see Adding and removing IP devices, Bulk creation of IP devices). Preferred protocol: ONVIF generic.

4. Multistreaming:

   1. Set different high and low quality streams for each video camera.

   2. Low quality stream settings should be lower than the High quality stream.
       
5. Codec type : H.265 or H.264 is recommended. If you plan to use the Web Client, then H.264 is recommended since using H.265 leads to the stream recompression on the Server side.
6. FPS: the Low quality stream frame rate should be at least 6 to ensure the correct operation of the detection tools.
    
7. Resolution:
   1. Aspect ratio should be the same for Low and High quality streams .
   2. The Low quality stream resolution should be no less than 640x360 and no more than 1280x720 to ensure the correct operation of the detection tools.
       
8. Bitrate: 

   1. Recommended type : VBR.

   2. Set maximum bitrate/bandwidth values

   3. Recommended bitrate: 1 Mbps per 1 MP.

9. GOV (also known as GOP, I Frame, etc.): it is recommended to have at least one keyframe per 2 seconds. 
    

May differ for different camera models.

 

Archive recording configuration (see Configuring recording to an archive):

1. Link each camera to at least one archive.
2. Configure recording to the archive (permanent or triggered by detection tools) for each camera.

3. Make sure pre-recording is enabled (> 1 sec).

4. Note that after you re-create the archive, it is necessary to re-create all recording rules in the detection tool settings or Programming settings.

Detection tool configuration (see Configuring detection tools):

1. The motion detection tool should operate on a low quality stream (see Configuring VMD).
2. Using masks, exclude the areas of the frame which constantly trigger motion detection (for example, on-screen display (OSD) or TV).
3. Create automatic rules for recording to the archive (see Automatic Rules).
4. Use a NVIDIA GPU for the detection tools operation if there is one.

Automatic notifications (see Configuring Macros):

1. Create and configure an email notification (see The E-mail notifier object).
2. Configure a cyclic macro command (once a day) to check if all cameras are recording (see Checking for archive video recordings, Cyclical macros).
3. Configure event macros based on statistical data (CPU load, free disk space, see Triggering macros by statistical data).

Users and roles (see Configuring user permissions):

1. Create and configure the roles (see Creating and configuring roles).
2. Create the users (see Working with users).
3. Create the layouts and share them to users (see Configuring Layouts).
4. Check your setup by logging in under different user accounts and verifying the interface and permissions.

Backups (see Backing up a configuration):

1. Create a new backup:
   1. After you complete the system configuration.
   2. Before you update to a new version.
   3. After you update to a new version.
   4. Periodically (recommended period is 1 month).
       

2. To restore the configuration, use the backup created on the same version of software (see Restoring a configuration). Example: if backup was created on v. 1.0 then restore it only on v. 1.0.

Web Client (see Working with Axxon One Through the Web Client):

1. Do not use H.265 in camera settings since it causes the stream recompression on the Server side. It is recommended to use H.264 for such cameras.
2. Change the HTTP port from 80 to a custom port (see Configuring the Web Server).

System check:

1. Monitor the CPU load (<= 60%).
2. Monitor the RAM load (<= 60%).
3. Monitor the disk load:
   1. Active time is lower than 50%.
   2. Average response time is lower than 1 sec.
4. Monitor free disk space: system drive has not less than 20 GB.
5. Use the statistics panel in Web Client (see Viewing Camera and Archive Statistics).