Storage

Manage NVR storage resources and space, including basic settings, schedule, HDD manager, advanced HDD groups, HDD detect, RAID, record estimate, and FTP.

You can manage the storage resources (such as record file) and storage space. So that it is easy for you to use and enhance storage space usage.

Basic

You can set basic storage parameters.

Open the Basic interface

Select Main Menu > STORAGE > BASIC.

The Basic interface is displayed. See Figure 4-217.

Basic storage settings with HDD Full, Pack Mode, and Auto Delete Old Files dropdowns

Set parameters

Set parameters. See Table 4-63.

Parameter	Description
HDD Full	Configure the settings for the situation all the read/write discs are full, and there is no more free disc. ⚫ Select Stop Record to stop recording. ⚫ Select Overwrite to overwrite the recorded video files always from the earliest time.
Pack Mode	Configure the time length and file length for each recorded video.
Auto-Delete Old Files	Configure whether to delete the old files and if yes, configure the days.

The auto delete file cannot be recovered!

Complete setup

Click Apply or Save to complete setup.

Schedule

You can set schedule record and schedule snapshot. NVR can record or snapshot as you specified. For detailed information, refer to Schedule Record and Schedule Snapshot.

HDD

You can view and set HDD properties and format HDD.

You can view current HDD type, status, capacity and etc. The operation includes format HDD, and change HDD property (read and write/read-only/redundancy).

⚫ To prevent files be overwritten in the future, you can set HDD as read-only.

⚫ To backup recorded video file, you can set HDD as redundant HDD.

Open the HDD Manager interface

Select Main Menu > Storage > HDD MANAGER.

The HDD MANAGER interface is displayed. See Figure 4-218.

HDD Manager list showing device name, physical position, type, health status, and free space

Select HDD and property

Select a HDD and then select a time from the dropdown list.

Apply

Click Apply button to complete the setup. System needs to restart to activate current setup if you want to format the HDD.

After you set schedule record or schedule snapshot function, set auto record/snapshot function so that the NVR can automatically record or snapshot. For detailed information, refer to Record Control.

Advance (HDD Group)

You can set HDD group, and HDD group setup for main stream, sub stream and snapshot operation.

When you are setting HDD group, set a HDD for each channel, otherwise NVR cannot save current setup.

Open the Advanced interface

Select Main Menu > STORAGE > ADVANCED.

The ADVANCED interface is displayed. See Figure 4-219.

Advanced HDD group interface with HDD, Main Stream, Sub Stream, and Snapshot tabs

Assign groups and save

Select the group for each HDD group, and then click Save to save the settings.

After configuring HDD group, under the Main Stream tab, Sub Stream tab and Snapshot tab, configure settings to save the main stream, sub stream and snapshot to different HDD group as selected by you.

HDD Detect

This function is for some series product only.

The HDD detect function is to detect HDD current status so that you can clearly understand the HDD performance and replace the malfunction HDD.

There are two detect types:

⚫ Quick detect is to detect via the universal system files. System can quickly complete the HDD scan. If you want to use this function, make sure the HDD is in use now. If the HDD is removed from other device, make sure the HDD once storage the record files when installed on current device.

⚫ Global detect adopts Windows mode to scan. It may take a long time and may affect the HDD that is recording.

Manual Detect

Open the Manual Detect interface

Select Main Menu > STORAGE > HDD DETECT > Manual Detect.

The Manual Detect interface is displayed. See Figure 4-220.

Manual Detect interface with detection type and HDD selection

Select detect type and HDD

In the Type list, select Key Area Detect or Global Detect; and in the HDD list, select the HDD that you want to detect.

Start detect

Click Start Detect.

The system starts detecting the HDD and displays the detection information.

When system is detecting HDD, click Stop Detect to stop current detection. Click Start Detect to detect again.

Detect Report

After the detect operation, you can go to the detect report to view corresponding information. Replace the malfunction HDD in case there is data loss.

Open the Detect Report interface

Select Main Menu > STORAGE > HDD DETECT > Detect Report.

The Detect Report interface is displayed. See Figure 4-221.

Detect Report list of completed HDD detection tasks

View details

Click the details icon.

The Details interface is displayed. You can view detecting results and S.M.A.R.T reports. See Figure 4-222 and Figure 4-223.

Detect Results tab showing the good/bad/block sector map and detected HDD statistics

S.M.A.R.T tab listing HDD attributes with threshold, value, worst value, and current value

RAID

RAID (redundant array of independent disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical HDD components into a single logical unit for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both.

⚫ RAID function is for some series products only. Slight difference may be found on the user interface.

⚫ The NVR supports RAID0, RAID1, RAID5, RAID6, and RAID 10. Local hot spare supports RAID1, RAID5, RAID6, and RAID10.

For the disk quantity required for each RAID type. See Table 4-64.

RAID type	Required disk quantity
RAID0	At least 2.
RAID1	Only 2.
RAID5	At least 3, and using 4 disks to 6 disks is recommended.
RAID6	At least 4.
RAID10	At least 4.

Creating Manager

RAID has different levels (such as RAID5, RAID6). Each level has different data protection, data availability, and performance grade.

You can manually create RAID or just one click one button to create RAID. For create RAID function, you can select the physical HDD that does not included in the RAID group or the created disk array to create a RAID5. You can refer to the following situations:

⚫ There is no RAID, no hotspare disk: System directly creates the RAID5 and creates one hotspare disk at the same time.

⚫ There is no RAID, but there is a hotspare disk: System creates the RAID5 only. It uses previous hotspare disk.

⚫ There is RAID: System cancel the previous RAID setup and then create the new RAID5. System creates the hotspare disk if there is no one. System uses previous hotspare disk if there is hotspare disk available.

⚫ The background will format the virtual disk.

You can create different types of RAID as needed.

Open the RAID interface

Select Main Menu > STORAGE > RAID > RAID.

The RAID interface is displayed. See Figure 4-224.

RAID interface with Create RAID and Create Manually options and disk list

Create RAID

You can click Create RAID or Create Manually, and all the disks involved will be formatted.

⚫ Click Create RAID, the system will create RAID automatically.

If there is no existing RAID and no hot spare disk, the system will create RAID5 and a hot spare disk automatically.
If there is no existing RAID, but existing hot spare disk, the system will only create RAID5 and use the existing hot spare disk automatically.
If there is existing RAID and existing hot spare disk, the system will delete the original RAID and create RAID5 with all the disks and use the existing hot spare disk automatically.

⚫ Click Create Manually.

Select RAID type and disks as system instructed.
Click Create Manually, and then the format disk notice is displayed.
Click OK.

Select working mode

After creating RAID, the disks need to sync with each other to finish the process. For RAID5 and RAID6, you can select different working mode.

⚫ Self-Adaptive: Automatically adjust the RAID sync speed according to the business status.

When there is no business running, sync is performed at a high speed.
When there is business running, sync is performed at a low speed.

⚫ Sync First: Resource priority is assigned to RAID sync.

⚫ Business First: Resource priority is assigned to business operations.

⚫ Balance: Resource is evenly distributed to RAID sync and business operations.

Raid Info

You can view the existing RAID information, including type, disk space, hot spare, and status.

Select Main Menu > STORAGE > RAID > RAID Info.

The RAID Info interface is displayed. See Figure 4-225.

RAID Info interface showing RAID type, disk space, hot spare, and status

Hot Spare Disk

You can add a hot spare disk to a specific disk in the RAID or to the entire RAID, and the hot spare disk is switched into operation if any disk fails.

Open the Hotspare Disk interface

Select Main Menu > STORAGE > RAID > Hotspare Disk.

The Hotspare Disk interface is displayed. See Figure 4-226.

Hotspare Disk interface with the disk list and add icons

Add a hot spare disk

Click the add icon behind a disk.

Open the New Hotspare interface

The New Hotspare interface is displayed. See Figure 4-227 (New hot spare (local)) or Figure 4-228 (New hot spare (global)).

New Hotspare dialog with Type set to Local Hotspare and Add to disk selection

New Hotspare dialog with Type set to Global Hotspare

Select hotspare type

You can select Local Hotspare or Global Hotspare.

⚫ Local Hotspare: Select the target disk, and the new disk will serve as the hot spare disk of the selected disk.

⚫ Global Hotspare: the new disk will serve as the hot spare disk of the entire RAID.

Confirm

Click OK.

Click the delete icon behind a hot spare disk to delete it.

Record Estimate

Record estimate function can calculate how long you can record video according to the HDD capacity, and calculate the required HDD capacity according to the record period.

Open the REC ESTIMATE interface

Select Main Menu > STORAGE > REC ESTIMATE.

The REC ESTIMATE interface is displayed. See Figure 4-229.

REC ESTIMATE interface listing channels with resolution, frame rate, and bit rate

Edit channel settings

Click the edit icon.

The Edit dialogue box is displayed. See Figure 4-230.

You can configure the Resolution, Frame Rate, Bit Rate and Record Time for the selected channel.

Edit dialog with Channel, Resolution, Frame Rate, Bit Rate, and Record Time fields

Save

Click Apply to save the settings.

Then the system will calculate the time period that can be used for storage according to the channels settings and HDD capacity.

Click Copy to copy the settings to other channels.

Calculating Recording Time

Open the Known Space tab

On the REC ESTIMATE interface, click the Known Space tab.

The Known Space interface is displayed. See Figure 4-231.

Known Space tab with Capacity, Select button, and resulting Time field

Open the Select HDD(s) interface

Click Select.

The Select HDD(s) interface is displayed.

Select HDD

Select the check box of the HDD that you want to calculate.

In the Known Space tab, in the Time box, the recording time is displayed. See Figure 4-232.

Known Space tab showing the calculated recording time in days

Calculating HDD Capacity for Storage

Open the Known Time tab

On the REC ESTIMATE interface, click the Known Time tab.

The Known Time interface is displayed. See Figure 4-233.

Known Time tab with Time and Capacity fields

Enter the record time

In the Time box, enter the time period that you want to record.

In the Capacity box, the required HDD capacity is displayed.

FTP

You can store and view the recorded videos and snapshots on the FTP server.

Preparations

Purchase or download a FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server and install it on your PC.

For the created FTP user, you need to set the write permission; otherwise the upload of recorded videos and snapshots will be failed.

Open the FTP interface

Select Main Menu > STORAGE > FTP.

The FTP interface is displayed. See Figure 4-234.

FTP interface with Enable, FTP type, Server, Port, Anonymity, User Name, Password, and schedule settings

Configure FTP parameters

Configure the settings for the FTP settings parameters. See Table 4-65.

Parameter	Description
Enable	⚫ Enable the FTP upload function. ⚫ Select FTP type.
FTP type	⚫ FTP: Plaintext transmission. ⚫ SFTP: Encrypted transmission (recommended).
Server	IP address of FTP server.
Port	⚫ FTP: The default is 21. ⚫ SFTP: The default is 22.
Anonymity	Enable the anonymity function, and then you can login anonymously without entering the user name and password.
User Name	Enter the user name and password to login the FTP server.
Password	Enter the user name and password to login the FTP server.