Cloud Monitoring to be the Main Trends in Security Development

In recent years, the biggest technical revolution has taken place in the IT field. That’s cloud computing technology. Based on the architecture and implementation of cloud computing technology in this new IT services, all IT infrastructure will be virtualized. According to the needs of users, it will provide the required software, data and storage, etc. via the Internet. Cloud computing languages are: SaaS(Software as a Service), PaaS(Platform as a Service), IaaS(Infrastructure as a Service).

Cloud computing technology will revolutionize the application of network video surveillance, namely that the video service, VaaS. For users, it will greatly reduce them enormous pressure to learn IT technology. In addition, the back-end storage devices will no longer be visible to user, which avoid a huge investment in equipment maintenance by someone.
 

cloud monitoring

As we all know, real-time video is the main feature of video surveillance. And the cost of this feature to meet is the high requirements for network bandwidth and storage. As rapid deployment of network technologies such as EPON, GPON and FTTH, FTTB networks, applications of 3G, 4G LTE, WIFI wireless broadband technology, as well as the optimization for compression coding technology, bandwidth issues will no longer be the main problem. The cloud-based storage solutions will provide massive storage services. Virtualization, loading balancing and grid computing technology deployed in the back end will greatly solve the storage problem.

Currently, the architecture, deployment, products, management, security, and operation of network video surveillance based on cloud computing technology has matured, especially growing at 20-30% annual growth rate in Europe and other countries. Many domestic manufacturers have begun to deploy cloud-based computing architecture network video surveillance products in some areas. Current network video surveillance with cloud computing architecture mainly approaches by "private cloud". With the investment in safe city, digital city and the wisdom of the city by China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom, the "public cloud" of video surveillance will gradually go out into the civil security, such as small and medium enterprises, chain enterprises and individual users.

  

In addition, although intelligence is one trend of the video surveillance, intelligence analysis has been the hot spots of development, but never achieved greatly. The reason is lack of good basic of calculations, such as the CPU calculations capabilities of network camera or NVR. The cloud-based video analysis will provide the best platform and computing power.

Video content analysis only get through the clouds, the user is able to analyze the vast amounts of information with the help of huge virtual computing power, such as human face to statistics, counting, features-based quick search intelligent functions. This application is also known as IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), and this is also the main usage in network video surveillance. On IaaS, network video surveillance, based on cloud computing architecture, can provide users massive storage space and limitless computing power that can be easily extended.

Technical capabilities provided by cloud computing will realize the function that the user terminal - network cameras’ plug and play, configuration by need. That’s VsaaS. VsaaS is to configure memory space, video programs and mobile applications according to the user's own needs. All of that really realizes free access at any time and any local as the real needs.

Obviously, the convenience of network is bound to bring requirements for the security of network video data. Data security service (PaaS), the security features on the platform of cloud computing will be more perfect, in particular, can make up for almost undefended vulnerabilities of the current network camera surveillance. Opt for IPSec in the network layer or TLS in the transport layer to encrypt the secure transmission of data. Opt for S/MIME mechanism end-to-end encryption in the application layer, also opt for RSA to encrypt the dialogue during transmission, the content transmitted may be using DES, 3DES, AES encryption algorithms.
  

The data storage may encrypt by opting for 3DES, AES or SM1 algorithm for encryption. For example, there is security encrypted cameras using 128-bit SM1, SM2, DES/3DES symmetric encryption algorithm. The transmission process using 1024 RSA algorithm, supports PADDING way eligible PKCSII standard. Signature algorithm supports 1024-bit RSA algorithm, hash algorithm supports HASH including SHA-1, MD5, SCH, etc., to ensure data security.

New Blue Ocean of Civil Security - Home Monitoring Concern

In recent years, as people's living conditions continue to improve, consumers focus on focusing on improvement for the quality of life and living environment increasingly. Especially, the opinion of safety improved gradually for themselves and their families. Therefore, civil security market has been concerned by the business. Proposing the concept of wisdom community and wisdom family, greatly promote the development of civil security market.

Home Monitoring System

Many traditional security vendors increasingly concerned about the home user market, especially in high-profile home monitoring device. Young Mom and Daddy prefer to take care of child with home network camera. The motion detection can remind parents instantly that the children wake up or turn over. So that parents watch children without guarding around them all the time.

Similarly, the communication with the old man can achieve excellently. There is two-way audio feature of the home network devices. Users can communicate with parents anywhere via mobile phone. Wherever you go, the parents have been "accompanied" on your side, so you will not be plagued by loneliness.

Of course, home monitoring devices can care for the elderly. If the elderly accidentally fell at home, monitoring equipment can also inform the user take instant relief measures at the first time. This may avoid the elderly unattended at home, the emergence of a variety of potential risk.

The main function of the monitoring equipment is to protect the family safe. Now the home monitoring device has been equipped with 720P resolution camera, which can see everything clearly at home. Once loving family suffers hacking, you can immediately obtain the relevant warning. Protection home security is so simple!

Forecast Camera’s Trend and Future of Intelligent Development

As the current network camera technology has been a major breakthrough, the market mainstream of smart camera has turned to network cameras from analog cameras. The video technology, which has been subject to network conditions and video CODEC, has already matured and shown some features like targeted, high adaptability, etc. The main function of smart cameras is intelligence analysis. 

Currently, the intelligent video analysis can be divided into pattern recognition and behavioral analysis. Pattern recognition includes face detection, face contrast, license plate recognition, fireworks identification and detection; behavioral analysis includes crossing line, enters & leaves, lost, remnants, crowd, slipping and so on.

Safer smart high speed camera

In recent years, the development of intelligent cameras has made considerable progress in nature. Firstly, the quality is more stable. With the surveillance industry matured, technology improved, smart cameras achieve low power consumption, low heat. As we all know, low-power itself means a more stable quality. Secondly, the security is higher. The new generation of intelligent network cameras revolutionized conventional analog monitoring mode. Such mode is the bond to the network, separated the data encoding from data storage, using special data storage devices to realize remote data collection, storage and management, with a high security. Finally, it is the reliability that many users are concerned about. Just think, a constant false alarm system is tantamount to a wolf story for the security manager, which will greatly affect the user's confidence. In the past market, the performance of intelligent video analysis products on the market is uneven, and there were many false positives due to the complexity of the scene and the algorithm. As the continuous development of intelligence analysis technology and algorithm improvement, the accuracy of intelligence analysis gets greatly improved.

There accompanied some impediments with rapid development of smart cameras. Firstly, the cost is relatively high. That focuses on investment in infrastructure and the system itself. For the deployment of intelligent systems, requirement at storage, network bandwidth and other infrastructure facilities is higher than other systems. And the cost of intelligent device itself is higher than a lot of other products. For many ordinary users, the cost is an important factor affecting their further selection. Secondly, network transmission obstacles camera development. Current smart cameras move towards networking, but as network transmission obstacles fully promotion, only applies in some industries. Thirdly, the awareness of market demand is not high. The demand for intelligent network camera is certainly different among different industries. Take transportation industry as example, there are very strict requirements at vehicle capture, lane monitoring, license plate recognition, identification and even the drivers identifying. Therefore, manufacturers should introduce more subdivided and diversified products, programs to meet the needs from different users. 

The intelligent camera technology in the future will evaluate two opposing trends: the high-precision professional industry cameras and generic cameras relying on the back-end support. For high-precision professional industry cameras, the more usage scenario of smart cameras is traffic recognition and financial guard, such as license plate recognition in intelligent transportation, face recognition and trajectory tracking in financial protection. These require highly not only the production facilities of product also the professional of handling personnel. Then smart cameras will gradually be monopolized by large and medium enterprises with professional qualification and knowledge of industry needs. And its products will be increasingly targeted and with characteristics of industry application. In addition, generic cameras relying on back-end support will become the mainstream of the future smart cameras. The reason is including its relatively low technical threshold, the greater degree of intelligence and lower investment. During practical applications, there usually adds a intelligent analysis module in the existing network monitoring solutions. This module can not only be stand-alone run, also couple with the overall operation of the system. In other words, consumers do not need to transform the original facilities environment, to have the ability of intelligent analysis. Then all the cameras have become smart cameras. This method is more conducive to advance products and projects to upgrade and transform.

Currently, foreign markets have already used intelligent video surveillance systems largely. Domestic intelligent analysis and monitoring market is also growing rapidly. There will be more and more industries to introduce intelligent demand in the future. Intelligent video analysis technology is the direction of future video surveillance development, and also is the most high-end application mode in video surveillance.

Q&A about Video Surveillance Storage Techniques

Q: 1, what’s the main way to achieve video surveillance storage system?

A: With the rapid development of network in recent years, security surveillance moved rapidly from traditional analog system to HD digital, network intelligent. Also, the monitoring video storage recorder evolved gradually from traditional analog DVR to H-DVR with modulus mixed, and to current NVR (Network Video Recorder). Network storage NVR inherits the traditional advantages of analog DVR - friendly interface, easy to backup data, supports local queries, enables video monitoring channels expanded and unified management, convenient operation and maintenance, etc. These characteristics are welcomed by the majority of users.

Concentrated Storage

Distributed Storage

There are types of layout and ways for storage: mainly NVR storage and IP-SAN storage.

Seen from the image of concentrated storage, NVR supports certain size of centralized storage. Users can take low-cost advantages of IP network; discover police intelligence quickly via convenient NVR video playback and improve response time. It is convenient to expand monitoring scale. NVR storage architecture also supports later online storage expansion. The embedded NVR has significantly lowered construction costs. As the market of hard drivers gets complicated and diverse, it is more efficient to reduce early construction costs by improving NVR technology to support the use of low-cost hard disk. The functions of centralized configuration, upgrade and intelligent diagnosis providing by entire system also greatly reduces maintenance costs. Both distributed storage and centralized storage are nearly the same and also fully able to meet the system’s unified management.

IP-SAN storage

It is more common to opt for IP-SAN centralized storage in HD data center. SAN (Storage Area Network) is based on storage structure of fiber channel or IP standard. IP camera, media data and data visiting must pass through the server, and then visit the related storage device via bus. The middle server takes the role of store and forward. With the birth of high speed hard disk, the read-write performance of SAN data increased much. Advanced IP networking technology reduces the configuration of SAN storage device, the complexity of the maintenance. The entire system supports cross-platform data sharing and adding storage devices at any time without capacity limitation. Along with the development of IPv6 and 100Gbps Ethernet, IP-SAN's performance will go to a higher level.

IP-SAN is the storage system based on IP network. With the price of traditional Ethernet fiber to meet the cost to fiber transmission, IP-SAN realizes real plug and play without client hardware and software upgrades. It has near-zero maintenance costs, reduces project cost of ownership and maintenance.

Q: 2. what is the state of the HD storage technology?

A: In medium-sized high-definition storage project, NVR storage method is the leading direction, easy to operate and maintain when customer-oriented, low cost, relatively low storage requirements for applications. As the superiority of particular application, IP-SAN is still the main storage mode for big data, high capacity and high data requirements applications.

Q: 3. what is the core technology of HD storage?

A: Take Onvif and GB/T28181, etc. international standards access protocols, and high efficient storage read-write, retrieval management, leading encoding, transcoding, streaming distribution technology as the core.

Q: 4. at the high-definition era, what are the challenges of storage facing?

A: As the advent of high-definition era, from the original analogue of 100,000 pixels, to current 2.0MP, 3.0MP or even higher 5.0MP acquisition unit, the human’s eyes demand higher for the video quality. Compared DVR storage devices at the analog era, HD digital storage device NVR and IP-SAN get more demands. Security monitoring usually requires 30~90 days for storage, or longer at some important place. There needs higher stability and reliability for network environment, bandwidth, HD storage devices.

Q: 5. at the high-definition era, how to solve problem of storage capacity and bandwidth?

A: Storage plays an important role at the HD era. To solve problem of storage capacity and bandwidth, the best way is to reduce the stream of HD front-end equipment and accelerate the development of Ethernet. At present, there are some companies to improve the encoding mode of HD digital signal. A few years ago, there were also manufacturers initiated H.265 encoding format. The HD stream needs get a certain decline with the equal image quality between H.265 and H.264.

Q: 6. what are the new technologies and new applications for HD storage?

A: At HD era, storage will be wider further on digitization. Intelligent and big data applications combined, can dig and analyze video data recorded, and become the ready-to-use wealth of data. The H.265 encoding technology can reduce bitrates further under the same clarity, as well as reduce storage space occupied.

Q: 7. what is the future trend of HD storage?

A: One is the application of intelligent storage. Collected HD data can be searched and analyzed by keywords such as varied scene, number of people. Store effective high-definition data aimed at critical information. Another is standardization. HD storage supports various domestic and international standard access protocols, and also support plug & play further, without secondary development.

Q: 8. what’s the impact that cloud storage brings to HD storage?   

A: Cloud storage solution is a product of cloud computing technology. Cloud storage can be centrally managed, reduce maintenance costs and visit via remote access. But because of cyber attacks, hackers and other factors, there likely leads to leaks of high-definition data. Also, the security and reliability of network HD signals exists some problems.

Common Video Surveillance Interference and Ways to Deal With

When video transmission, there are often some malfunction, such as without images, video stream not smoothly, monitor screen interference, etc. In the article, there will list five common monitor screen interference and also tell you how to deal with them.

First, interference with horizontal line

The most common fault phenomenon displays on the monitor screen: black or white horizontal line scrolling up or down slowly. Then, when analysis of such symptoms, it needs distinguish two different causes of failure. There are two factors: power supply or earth loop problems. The easy way to distinguish problem is that in the control panel, getting the nearest camera output signal with good power supply. If there is no interference with the horizontal line, the control panel is OK. Next, get an available potable monitor connected to one camera’s video output terminal, and check each camera individually. If there is interference, then processes. If no, the interference is caused by earth loops or other reasons.

Second, grainy interference

When monitor displays slight grainy interference, the normal image will not be drowned. While serious, the image can not be watched (even destroy synchronization). The reasons for this failure phenomenon are more complex. Generally, there are some reasons:

A, The quality of video transmission is not good, especially poor shielding properties (shield wire is not good quality copper wire, or shield wire is too shin to shield.) Also, line resistance of this video wire is larger; the greater attenuation of signal is also one of the reasons for aggravated fault. In addition, the Characteristic Impedance of this video cable not 75Ω or beyond the prescribed parameters of 75Ω is also one of the reasons for failure. As the failure caused by bad video cable is uncertain of the reason for the grainy interference phenomenon, we should be careful to decide the cause of phenomenon. Only after we exclude other possible, we can consider problem from bad video cable. If it is the cable quality problem, the best way to solve of course is to replace all the cable with required cable.

B, Grainy interference is caused by “not clean” power supply. The named “not clean” power supply means that there is superimposed interfering signal (50Hz sine wave) on the normal power supply. Such interfering signal of power supply often comes from devices used SCR in current grid, especially SCR devices with high current and high voltage. For example, if there are high-power SCR FM speeders, SCR rectifying devices and SCR RF conversion devices, etc. all of these devices will generate pollution. The solution is relatively simple, just opting purification power supply or online UPS supplying power for the entire system.

C, There is strong interference source near the system. This can be judged by investigation. If this is the reason, to solve problem by strengthening he shield of camera and ground connection the pipeline of video cable.

Third, wavy interference

The wavy interference causes by failure of short circuit between the core wire of video cable and shielded wire. When there are deeper and messier large wavy interference, the image will be completely destroyed and won’t form an image and synchronization signals. This always happens at the BNC connectors or other types of video connectors. Therefore, every signal of the whole system won’t get problem, but those channels with bad connectors. Just check these joints one by one, problem can be resolved.

Fourth, vertical stripe interference

The fault phenomenon of vertical stripe interference causes from mismatch characteristic impedance of the transmission wire. There are several pieces of equally spaced vertical stripe interference on the monitor screen. The frequency of the interference signal is basically an integer of the line frequency, which is due to the characteristic impedance of video transmission cable not 75Ω and caused impedance mismatched. The solutions often rely on “the top series resistance” or “the terminal parallel resistance”. In addition, it is worth noting that, when the video transmission distance is very short (less than 150m), there will not be the above interference if opting video cable with impedance mismatched and larger distribution parameters. Then, the fundamental solution is to ensure the quality of purchased video cable and to do sampling inspection for the cable.

Five, other interference
There is space radiation interference introduced by the transmission wire. Such interference phenomenon mostly caused by the stronger, higher frequency space radiation source near the transmission system, system front-end or central control room. One of the solutions for such case is to learn the surrounding environment of the system created, and to try to avoid or be away from the radiation source. The other way is to strengthen shielding of the front-end and central equipment, or opt for steel pipes and ground connection for the pipeline of transmission wire, if there is no way to avoid radiation source.


The above are some common interference happened on the screen of video monitor. Do you know all the phenomenon and how to solve the related cases? Well, it is not hard! Welcome your kindly comments!

How to Pick Home Monitoring Device? There are Tricks to Select Quickly!

During the recent two years, home surveillance industry is very hot. The status that the generation after 80s are willing to accept new things and most of them have been parents, have accelerated the development of this industry. It also reflects that the modern emphasis on security. The joint of traditional security manufacturers and IT vendors promotes the development of home monitoring and smart home. But facing complex products, how do consumers in the end choose the most suitable home monitoring equipment?

Is Dual Camera helpful?

We must define our needs when buying home monitoring. And now some home monitoring devices are equipped with two cameras front and rear. Some products’ post cameras are just used for scanning the two-dimensional code to download and install client software to phone. And there are no more functions during common usage. This will not only increase the cost of purchase, low the utilization, so it is not recommended to buy this slick configuration.

It is necessary to have PTZ rotation!

To place device at home, we need confirm a problem that whether there requires PTZ rotation function. If no PTZ, the device just can monitor one position. Device with PTZ can control the rotation of the device through computer and the mobile client software. This can reach the area needed to view the video surveillance. From convenient and intelligent perspective, it is necessary to select device with PTZ rotation. But to choose 180 degrees or 355 degrees depends entirely on the demand of purchase.

Voice intercom plays a role of loud hailers.

Voice intercom function depends on personal preference. I personally still prefer this feature. If baby is at home, parents can still dialogue with baby at lunch time through this function. Also, if there encounters unexpected situations, the device can also play a role of loud hailers by voice intercom, thereby preventing further deterioration of the matter.

Night vision function extends the working hours.

Some home monitoring devices now have not night vision function. That is, the monitoring products become "illiteracy" at night without surveillance function. Surveillance device should also have night vision capabilities. When choose the function, we need to look at the parameters of low illumination. That is to say, at much of the low illumination, the device can continue to work.

Because device is used in the home, the aesthetics can not be ignored when choose product. It should be consistent with the overall home decor. There are also wide dynamic (WDR), strong light inhibition, etc. functions, which are chosen according to the needs of the users and our budget and the frequencies of function usage. It will be not necessary if we do not use some function, also the cost effective of products will be reduced.

What are the Difference & Advantage between Array Camera and Infrared Camera?

Array camera is one of the infrared cameras. A common infrared camera is composed of many LED lights, but array camera has less than 10 lights. Then what are the differences between array infrared camera and common infrared camera, and also the advantage?

Advantages of array infrared camera compared with common infrared camera

Pros one: Long life.

Array infrared technology ensures CCD good working condition, and its usage life is nine times the life of common LED infrared cameras. As the ordinary LED infrared camera places LED light tube and camera in the same cavity, the heat from LED tube can not be disseminated effectively through PCB. The temperature problem restricts the usage life of CCD severely.

 

Pros two: High efficiency.

Semiconductor light-emitting efficiency and thermal performance is benign cycle. The better thermal performance, the lower operation temperature, then better protect luminous efficiency. On the contrary, it is stuck in vicious cycle of constant decay in efficiency.

Pros three: High brightness.

The higher brightness is, the longer light shining distance. A single LED output optical power is 5~15mW. Of course, we can increase the brightness via adding current progress. But with the limitation of material itself, infrared photoelectric conversion efficiency is not high only 20 of the light, the remaining 80 is the heat. In addition, multiple LED lights are carried on PCB board with poor thermal performance. Dozens of high efficiency and high power epistar packages on a plane and configure good thermal device. The light source of array infrared camera has brightness more than 100 times that of a single LED.

Pros four: Even light.

When multiple infrared LED rounds the camera lens, brightness of the stack part will be particularly high, and also composed of one circle. But the array infrared camera is just a quite big point light source. Through special optical imagination, the light shines monitored object evenly, the brightness between the monitor screen of intermediate and round is uniform.

Pros five: Small size.

Array infrared camera opts for highly integrated advanced packaging technology. An array infrared chip packaged dozens of wafer, assuming that dozens of infrared light source consisting with single LED installs on high speed dome camera, the effect can be imagined.

All the advantages of array infrared camera compared with common infrared camera are the above five points. They are long life, high efficiency, high brightness, even light, small size. In summary, the market is mainly oriented to the array camera; infrared camera will be eliminated gradually.