Milestone XProtect NVR User Manual

Milestone Systems
XProtect® NVR
Installer's Guide
Milestone XProtect® NVR
Installer's Guide
www.milestonesys.com
Target audience
Contents
ABOUT XPROTECT NVR ................................................................. 5
GET THE XPROTECT NVR UP AND RUNNING ............................... 6
ACTIVATE THE LICENSE ....................................................................................... 6
Online activation error messages ...................................................................................... 6
HOW THE XPROTECT NVR IS CONFIGURED ........................................................... 6
Microsoft Windows .............................................................................................................. 6
BIOS ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Virus scanning ...................................................................................................................... 7
Milestone software ............................................................................................................... 7
MAKE SURE THE XPROTECT NVR IS UP-TO-DATE.................................................. 8
Service Releases .................................................................................................................. 8
Upgrade video device drivers ............................................................................................. 8
CONFIGURE YOUR SYSTEM THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT
APPLICATION ................................................................................... 9
SELECT LANGUAGE ............................................................................................. 9
ADD CAMERAS AND OTHER HARDWARE DEVICES ................................................... 9
CONFIGURE CAMERAS ....................................................................................... 10
PTZ cameras ....................................................................................................................... 10
360° lens cameras .............................................................................................................. 10
CONFIGURE SCHEDULING & ARCHIVING .............................................................. 11
CONFIGURE EVENTS & OUTPUT .......................................................................... 11
CONFIGURE CLIENTS & USERS ........................................................................... 12
USE THE BUILT-IN HELP SYSTEM ............................................... 13
INDEX .............................................................................................. 14
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Copyright, trademarks and disclaimer

Copyright
2012 Milestone Systems A/S. Trademarks XProtect is a registered trademark of Milestone Systems A/S. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. App Store is a service
mark of Apple Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are trademarks of their respective owners. Disclaimer This text is intended for general information purposes only, and due care has been taken in its
preparation. Any risk arising from the use of this information rests with the recipient, and nothing herein should be
construed as constituting any kind of warranty. Milestone Systems A/S reserve the right to make adjustments without prior notification. All names of people and organizations used in the examples in this text are fictitious. Any resemblance
to any actual organization or person, living or dead, is purely coincidental and unintended. This product may make use of third party software for which specific terms and conditions may apply.
When that is the case, you can find more information in the file 3rd_party_software_terms_and_conditions.txt located in your Milestone surveillance system installation folder.
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Copyright, trademarks and
disclaimer
Target audience
This guide is relevant for people responsible for delivering and installing Milestone XProtect NVR surveillance systems.
If you are a Milestone XProtect NVR surveillance system administrator, meaning someone who will have administrator rights and responsibilities on the Milestone XProtect NVR surveillance system once the system has been delivered and installed, see the Milestone XProtect NVR Administrator’s Getting Started Guide instead.
This guide does not contain relevant information for surveillance system end users. More detailed information about using XProtect NVR is available in the XProtect Administrator’s
Manual as well as in XProtect’s built-in help system (see "Use the built-in help system" on page 13). Note, however, that when the XProtect software is used on an XProtect NVR, the manual and help system will differ slightly from what you will experience on your XProtect NVR. This will primarily be evident in the descriptions of installation and the licensing model as well as in the descriptions of the number of cameras and other hardware devices you are able to add to the system. You will find, however, that the majority of the manual and help system content applies for XProtect NVR too.
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About XProtect NVR

About XProtect NVR
XProtect NVR is a unique out-of-the-box IP video management software solution delivered complete with computer hardware containing pre-installed operating system and optimized surveillance software. It all comes in one package with no need for additional software installation
The XProtect NVR is powered by Milestone’s market leading XProtect video management software. It
includes a wide set of easy-to-use features that allow users to view live and recorded video, and rapidly investigate incidents and export related video material from the XProtect NVR. The pre-loaded
software and system configuration wizards ensure minimal deployment effort, and XProtect NVR’s
high performance hardware and disk system ensures trouble-free operation and secure storage of video recordings.
Milestone XProtect NVR includes:
Computer hardware, which is a ready-to-use PC, pre-installed with optimized XProtect
software and Microsoft® Windows 7 Professional operating system.
XProtect NVR Management Application, which you use for configuring your surveillance
system. The Management Application is pre-installed on the PC when you receive it.
XProtect Smart Client, which you use for viewing live and recorded video. The XProtect Smart
Client is also pre-installed on the PC when you receive it, ready to show video from your network cameras. If you would rather view video on another PC, you can easily install an XProtect Smart Client on another PC, or you can access your video system using the XProtect NVR.
XProtect Web Client, which you use for viewing, playing back and sharing video from most
common web browsers. The XProtect Web Client is a website hosted by the XProtect Mobile server component. There is no installation required.
XProtect Transact, which links your live video with your transaction data. XProtect Transact is
available for installation on the desktop of your XProtect NVR. For information on how to get started with XProtect Transact, see
http://software.milestonesys.com/XProtect%20Transact%2025e/Manuals/XPT_Users_Manual. pdf. You must buy a Transact license in order to activate and use the functionality.
XProtect Mobile, which allows you to view live and recorded video from XProtect NVR on a
mobile device. The XProtect Mobile server component is pre-installed on the PC when you
receive it. For information on how to get started with XProtect Mobile, see the User’s Manual,
available at
http://software.milestonesys.com/XProtect%20Mobile%2010a/Manuals/MilestoneXProtectMobi le_Users_Manual_en-US.pdf.
XProtect NVR supports the market’s widest range of cameras. A complete list over supported
cameras and other hardware devices is available at www.milestonesys.com/support.
The XProtect NVR lets you choose between eleven different languages in the Management Application. The XProtect Smart Client and XProtect Mobile are available in more than 20 languages.
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Get the XProtect NVR Up and
Running

Get the XProtect NVR Up and Running

The XProtect NVR comes with a temporary license that has a grace period of 30 days. You must activate the license before the end of this grace period.

Activate the License

1. Ensure that your system is connected to the Internet.
2. On the Management Application's toolbar, click File, Activate License Online.
3. When your license file (.lic) is successfully updated, click Close. Your XProtect NVR is now activated and ready to use. You can see any updates in the
Hardware Device Summary table. Once activated, your system no longer needs to be connected to the Internet.

Online activation error messages

Under rare circumstances, you may receive one of the following error messages during online activation. Should you receive one, the following list of Problems and What to do will help you identify the problem:
Unable to access license server, Error activating license, License not allowed, Feature not registered, Feature already in use, Failed to login.
Problem: Online activation was not possible, either due to a problem on the online activation
server itself, a problem with your connection to the online activation server, or to a problem with the specified information (such as username or password).
What to do: If activation has already taken place on another system, activation should not be
necessary, as another system is already running with your activated licenses. If you believe that this is wrong, contact Milestone Support (support@milestonesys.com), who will investigate the issue for you.

How the XProtect NVR is configured

When you first start it, the Milestone XProtect NVR is configured as described in the following. For more detailed information, see the XProtect Administrators Manual.

Microsoft Windows

Disk 1 partition (1 HDD – C:Windows / D:Data; 2 HDD – C:Windows / D: Data / E: Data). Windows Firewall has been disabled (incl. Action Center notification). Windows Update has been disabled. Updates are available through manual Windows Update.
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Get the XProtect NVR Up and
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BIOS

AC recovery is set to Last State.

Virus scanning

No anti-virus program is installed on the XProtect NVR when you receive it. Virus scanning must be avoided in specific contexts on XProtect NVR, since virus scanning will use a
considerable amount of system resources on scanning surveillance system data, notably data in databases containing recordings.
Virus scanning may also temporarily lock each file being scanned, which may further impact system performance negatively. Virus scanning may even corrupt recording databases, and render your surveillance system recordings useless.
Therefore:
Do not use virus scanning on folders containing recording databases (by default D:¥ and all
folders under that location).
Do not use virus scanning on archiving locations. Do not use virus scanning on files with the following file extensions (which are all surveillance
system-related):
o .blk o .idx o .pic o .pqz o .sts o .ts
The organization in which the XProtect NVR will be used may have strict guidelines re. virus scanning, but it is important that the above locations and files are exempt from virus scanning. Consult the organization’s IT system administrator if in doubt.

Milestone software

For you convenience, an administrator user has been pre-defined in the XProtect Management
Application.
o User name: admin o Password: admin
The default recording and archiving paths are set to D:¥ 8- and 16-camera views have been pre-defined in the XProtect Smart Client, making it easy
for XProtect Smart Client users to begin viewing video from the surveillance system.
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Get the XProtect NVR Up and
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Language packs for the XProtect Smart Client are installed on the server, giving the user easy
access to change the language used in the XProtect Smart Client.
When XProtect Smart Clients are installed on other PCs than the XProtect NVR, language
packs can easily be downloaded from the XProtect NVR.

Make sure the XProtect NVR is up-to-date

Service Releases

The XProtect NVR is installed with the latest released software at the time of production. To check if a software service release for the XProtect NVR has been made available in the meantime, we recommend that you visit www.milestonesys.com.

Upgrade video device drivers

Video device drivers are small programs used for controlling/communicating with the cameras and other hardware devices connected to the XProtect NVR. Video device drivers are installed on the XProtect NVR at the time of production. However, new versions of the video device driversDevice Packs—are released and made available for free on Milestone Systems’ website from time to time.
To check if a new Device Pack has been made available since the XProtect NVR was produced, visit
www.milestonesys.com (look under Support > Download device packs) and download the latest
Device Pack. When updating video device drivers, there is no need to remove the old video device drivers first; simply install the latest version on top of any old version on the XProtect NVR.
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Configure your system through
the Management Application

Configure your system through the Management Application

The Management Application is the XProtect NVR’s server-side user interface; all management of your surveillance system is handled here.
In the Management Application, wizards guide you through common tasks, such as adding cameras and other hardware devices to the system. Detailed configuration, without wizards, is of course also possible. You can configure multiple cameras, events, users, etc. in one go.
You access the Management Application by double-clicking the Management Application desktop shortcut. Alternatively, use Windows' Start menu: Start > All Programs > Milestone > Management Application.

Select language

To select required language for the Management Application, do the following:
1. In the Management Application’s menu bar, select Application Settings > Application Behavior… to open the Application Behavior window.
2. In the Application Behavior window, select Language, and then select required language from the list.
3. Click OK.
4. Restart the Management Application. After restart, the new language settings will become effective.

Add cameras and other hardware devices

You add cameras and other hardware devices, such as video encoders, to your XProtect NVR system through a wizard. The maximum number of cameras you are able to add to your XProtect NVR solution depends on the specific version you have purchased.
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Configure your system through
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If video encoders are to be used on the system, bear in mind that video encoders can have more than one camera connected to them. For example, a fully used four-port video encoder will count as four cameras.
If microphones are attached to your hardware devices, they are automatically added as well. Note that you can only use one microphone at a time with XProtect NVR.
Before adding hardware devices, make sure you have configured their IP addresses, passwords, etc. as described by the hardware manufacturers. Then do the following:
1. In the Management Application, click the large Add Hardware Devices… button to start the Add Hardware Devices wizard.
2. Select a hardware detection method, and follow the wizard.
Tip: We recommend the Express option: it scans the network for relevant hardware devices, and helps you quickly add them to the system. Note, however, that the Express option only scans for hardware devices supporting device discovery (a method with which hardware devices make information about themselves available on the network), and only on the part of your network (subnet) where the XProtect NVR server itself is located.

Configure cameras

You can specify a wide variety of settings for each camera connected to your XProtect NVR system. Settings include video format, resolution, motion detection sensitivity, where to store and archive recordings, any PTZ preset positions, association with microphones, etc.
You configure cameras under Advanced Configuration > Cameras and Storage Information in the Management Application’s navigation pane.

PTZ cameras

You can easily use PTZ (Pan/Tilt/Zoom) cameras with XProtect NVR. Such cameras can be operated manually as well as by selecting pre-defined presets. Check the Device Pack Release Notes, available from the Downloads section of the Milestone website (http://www.milestonesys.com/Support/Technical-Support/Self-Help/downloads), to see exactly which PTZ features are supported for the PTZ camera hardware and firmware used in your installation.
You configure PTZ presets and automated PTZ operations individually for each PTZ camera: Under
Advanced Configuration in the Management Application’s navigation pane, select Cameras and Storage Information, then double-click the required camera.
Tip: If you have analog PTZ cameras attached to video encoders, you can use them too. However,
they require a bit more initial configuration: In the Management Application’s navigation pane, expand
Advanced Configuration > Hardware Devices, double-click the required hardware device and specify PTZ Device properties.

360° lens cameras

If required, you can also use dedicated cameras for 360° panoramic images with XProtect NVR:
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Configure your system through
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1. Under Advanced Configuration in the Management Application’s navigation pane, select Hardware Devices, then double-click the hardware device to which the 360° lens camera is
attached, and verify that the 360° functionality is enabled.
2. Under Advanced Configuration in the navigation pane, select Cameras and Storage Information, double-click the required camera, and configure the 360° view.

Configure scheduling & archiving

Do you want some cameras to transfer video to XProtect NVR at all times, and other cameras to transfer video only within specific periods of time, or when specific events occur? With the scheduling feature, you can specify this as well as when you want to receive notifications from the system.
Archiving is an integrated and automated feature that helps you store recordings beyond the
capabilities of XProtect NVR’s standard database. With XProtect NVR’s default settings, archiving
takes place once a day or whenever databases become full; you can specify additional archiving times if required.
You configure scheduling and archiving under Advanced Configuration > Scheduling and Archiving in the Management Application’s navigation pane.

Configure events & output

Events, for example based on input from sensors, can be used to automatically start/stop recordings, to automatically send notifications, etc. Output can be used for activating external units, such as sirens or lights; output can be triggered automatically by events. Users can also activate events and output manually from their clients.
The use of most input events, and all types of output, requires that external sensors are wired to input/output (I/O) connectors on the hardware device in question, and that I/O operation on the hardware device is supported by XProtect NVR. Check the Device Pack Release Notes, available from http://www.milestonesys.com/Support/Technical-Support/Self-Help/downloads to see if I/O operation is supported for the hardware and firmware used in your installation.
You configure events and output under Advanced Configuration > Events and Output in the Management Application’s navigation pane. Once you have configured events, you can use them with features throughout XProtect NVR, regardless of where sensors, users, etc. are physically located.
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Configure your system through
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Configure clients & users

Two client applications, the XProtect Smart Client and XProtect Mobile client, are included with XProtect NVR. To quickly and easily configure how client applications should be able to access the XProtect NVR server, and which users should be able to use the client applications, start the Configure User Access wizard. Note, however, that the wizard gives users access to all cameras on your system; if you require different rights for individual users, you should use Advanced Configuration instead:
Under Advanced Configuration > Server Access in the Management Application’s navigation pane, you can specify whether you want clients to be able to access the XProtect XProtect NVR server from the internet, how many clients you want to be able to connect simultaneously, etc.
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Use the built-in help system

Use the built-in help system
XProtect NVR features a very comprehensive built-in help system, with help and advice on many levels.
The built-in help system in XProtect NVR comes from the XProtect software. When the XProtect software is used on an XProtect NVR, the help system will differ slightly from what you will experience on your XProtect NVR. This will primarily be evident in the descriptions of installation and the licensing model (you basically do not have to worry about installation or licensing on an XProtect NVR) as well as in the descriptions of the number of cameras and other hardware devices you are able to add to your system. You will find, however, that the majority of the help system’s content applies for XProtect NVR too.
The help system will provide you with information on:
Concepts (such as What is a PTZ camera?) Procedures (such as How do I configure a PTZ Camera?) Basic facts (such as Can I use the character # when I name a PTZ camera?) Useful tips (such as keyboard shortcuts, etc.)
The help system matches the tasks you work on, and a search feature quickly lets you find related information.
To access the help system from anywhere within the Management Application, click the Help button in the toolbar. Alternatively, press F1 on your keyboard.
The XProtectSmart Client features a similar help system.
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Index

P
Index
3
360° lens cameras • 12
A
About XProtect NVR • 7 Activate the License • 8 Add cameras and other hardware devices • 11
B
BIOS • 9
C
Configure cameras • 12 Configure clients & users • 14 Configure events & output • 13 Configure scheduling & archiving • 13
PTZ cameras • 12
S
Select language • 11 Service Releases • 10
T
Target audience • 5
U
Upgrade video device drivers • 10 Use the built-in help system • 5, 15
V
Virus scanning • 9
Configure your system through the
Management Application • 11
Copyright, trademarks and disclaimer • 4
G
Get the XProtect NVR Up and Running • 8
H
How the XProtect NVR is configured • 8
M
Make sure the XProtect NVR is up-to-date • 10 Microsoft Windows • 8 Milestone software • 9
O
Online activation error messages • 8
About Milestone Systems Founded in 1998, Milestone Systems is the global
industry leader in open platform IP video management software. The XProtect platform delivers powerful surveillance that is easy to manage, reliable and proven in thousands of customer installations around the world. With support for the widest choice in network hardware and integration with other systems, XProtect provides best-in-class solutions to video enable organizations – managing risks, protecting people and assets, optimizing processes and reducing costs. Milestone software is sold through authorized and certified partners. For more information, visit:
www.milestonesys.com.
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