The value of network assessment

Just a few years ago, an exchange between a surveillance project leader and the IT team would be deemed far-fetched. The reason was that surveillance systems were overwhelmingly analog, and in general a DVR was responsible for the recording, so discussions on bandwidth or other IT support were not necessary. That unbelievable exchange, cooperation between surveillance project leaders and IT teams, has now become a day-to-day reality. Given that IT network teams can — and do — reprioritize bandwidth traffic and other services as demands dictate, adapting to this new reality is more important than ever. It is important to note that despite the fact that IT infrastructures are becoming less expensive (per unit) year after year, this expenditure should not be incurred lightly, especially with the cost of bandwidth over WAN and storage.

Today, more than ever, HD/IP-based surveillance projects must be incorporated into an enterprise's IT operational planning model, which includes demand/capacity planning, network operations, configuration, change management and so on. Like any high-tech system, IP surveillance systems need to have a fresh (but proven) approach to technology evaluation, system design, product selection and implementation/installation. More and more IP surveillance projects are being spearheaded with an enterprise's IT organization.

Now, and for the foreseeable future, IP surveillance is predominately a greenfield project. With that in mind, the proper selection of the right technology is critical to the successful implementation and ongoing operation of the surveillance system. Therefore, well before the technology is even evaluated, a justifiable and logical IP surveillance strategy needs to be in place, and this strategy must be compatible with the IT infrastructure that supports it. Developing an IP surveillance strategy that includes functional and technical requirements as defined in part by the IT organization goes a long way when it comes to navigating between suitable technologies.

Of course, there may be many more possible considerations that can be included in the strategic framework for an IP camera system. The key take-away is to begin the design process with key IT infrastructure people on board. Then, describe and document the technical and functional requirements to ensure the overall system is well thought out and acceptable before any serious technology evaluations are set in motion.

Technology Evaluation
Once an IP surveillance strategy is agreed upon, the next phase is technology evaluation. The goal here is quite simple; use the criteria defined in your strategy to begin the process of matching potential technologies that best suit your application. Many factors will come into play during the evaluation process, such as current standards, network limitations and constraints, video storage and archiving, cost, application considerations (for example, where will the cameras be used and under what environmental conditions), network security protocols, technical and functional integration and rules, and so on.

It is especially important to take an end-to-end, top-to-bottom view of the technology stack and the integration requirements when evaluating IP surveillance technology. A simple example: Is there the possibility that a single camera will require two channel licenses instead of one due to the integration requirements from the VMS to the security platform? Knowing the answer to a question like this would certainly help to rein in the technology evaluation process and possibly even have one rethink their strategy. Video compression and WDR requirements are also significant to evaluating technology. Even the seemingly simple task of ensuring that camera lenses are compatible with the resolution you intend to achieve is an essential consideration. A certain degree of flexibility toward alternatives and other options is warranted.

There are many technology solutions that endeavor to address the same problems; bandwidth and storage are two key elements. While it is worthwhile to explore them, prudence is certainly justified before you make such a capital investment. For example, much is being said about the notion of video storage at the camera level and certainly some clever solutions have been derived from this idea (imagine RAID-like redundancy at the camera level). The best advice is to exercise critical judgment and solicit opinions from your technical team. Keep technology “on point” by adhering to the functional and technical requirements — for the most part, this is fail-safe.

Many of the same considerations that govern the IP strategy will also govern the system design. Storage and bandwidth utilization and cost considerations are typically the primary design drivers. Especially in large deployments that span across WANs, system designs that employ local storage and use view-on-demand or activity-based event management are becoming more frequent and necessary. Likewise, image characteristics such as frames per second, resolution and so on will also influence the system design. Once again an end-to-end, top-to-bottom system design process is indispensable. Finally, the system's design may be deeply affected by the network team, who simply may not even permit such a large-scale bandwidth-utilizing system to operate on the network. You may be required to design the system to be “out-of-band” — in other words, off of the production network. This calls for additional infrastructure and costs, which may become a critical factor for your strategy.

Here are a few key factors to consider when developing an initial IP strategy:
● Security risks: Describe the security risks that the system is intended to mitigate, and also substantiate the value of the IP surveillance system.
● Function: Describe what the cameras are intended to achieve, for example, to provide video verification on an access control system alarm. Match the function to a pre-established design standard already accepted by the enterprise.
● Technical: Clarify the critical technical requirements of the system with a team that includes key IT personnel. This must be aligned with real-life cases and corresponding value propositions. For example, if you have a corporate VMS standard, then a key technical requirement is to ensure that the cameras are compatible with the VMS.

Keep Technology on Point
If the strategy as well as the technology evaluation and system design process were meticulously thought out, then matching products to the system design is, hopefully, a straightforward matter. This is not necessarily “easy,” and you should follow the road map you have laid out. Obviously, some system components will be predetermined. Oftentimes, the type of IT infrastructure used to support the surveillance system such as switches, patch panels, cabling and converters must be compliant to IT standards, and purchasing agreements may dictate the manufacturer you are required to use. There are some understated considerations that are important to note. For instance, the manufacturer's product management program and service and support model should be as important a decision factor as the capability of the camera itself. No one wants to be stuck in a technological cul-de-sac, nor do they want to be frustrated with a manufacturer's underperforming service plan. Personally, I tend to prefer technologies with some proven installations and similar design and intent to the project at hand, even if that is not always possible. Again, design and engineering standards help considerably.

Lastly, HD/IP-based systems' implementation and installation share some unique characteristics that also need to be accounted for. For instance, the qualification of the installing vendor, use of fiber-optic cable, network gear and developing a network installation plan; these are some of the things that next-generation systems integrators should be well-versed in. Fiber-optic and CAT6 cables have different bend tolerances compared to coax; hence, the equipment layout needs to accommodate this. Especially important is the ability of the systems integrator to troubleshoot network conflicts collaboratively with the network team. For this reason, a plan that requires post-installation network performance monitoring and fine-tuning must be ready for execution in order for the implementation to be truly successful.

Various industry analysts expect that the adoption of digital video systems will continue to grow and will become the dominant technology in the not-too-distant future. Who drives a surveillance project, how that project will be managed, the kind of technologist that will design the system, and the competencies of the installation company are among those elements certain to change. Implementing a structured, engineered approach from the technology evaluation process through to project delivery is certainly a guarantor of a successful project.