Introduction #

Arxys VideoX V5 Appliances are Network Video Recorders (NVRs) preloaded with Microsoft Windows Server operating system. Arxys VideoX V5 Appliances are configured for ease of use by video surveillance integrators. VideoX V5 Appliances products have been tested with various VMS solutions and offer unparalleled value and performance.

This administrator manual applies to the following models:

Before you start #

The proper installation of the Arxys VideoX V5 Appliances will require the following hardware and resources:

1. Keyboard and mouse.
2. Display monitor capable of 1024×768 resolution with a Standard VGA connector
3. Two 110V-240VAC power ports (Preferably on different sources, UPSs, or circuits)
4. Gigabit Ethernet connectivity
5. Network IP address
6. Available space in a computer equipment rack
7. Available ports in an uninterruptable power supply (UPS).

Maximum Video Stream Rate (Max VSR) #

The maximum video stream rate (Max VSR) is the maximum camera streams that an Arxys NVR can process using our standardized “VSR” parameters for both h.264 and h.265 compression without exceeding 75% of the compute capabilities of the NVR.

The Max VSR of VX5-V100 is 25 streams

The standardized parameters per stream of Max VSR are:

• Resolution: 4MP – 2560 x 1440
• Frame Rate: 15 frames per second (FPS) or 15 image per second (IPS)
• Codec and Complexity: h264.20 (good quality) or h265.20 (good quality)
• Motion Activity: 75% motion
• Analytics: standard motion detection and metadata capture
• Retention: 30 days (18 hours per day per camera)

Exceeding these parameters may cause a suboptimal experience.

Networking #

It is recommended that cameras not be connected to the appliance until after the appropriate network configuration has been set up. Some Video Management Software (VMS) supports bonded or aggregated networking. Do not configure bonded or aggregated networking if the VMS does not support network redundancy. Verify with the network administrator that multicast has been properly configured.

Uninterruptable Power Supply #

A UPS system in an integral part of any deployment and offers protect from power issues such as; unclean power, overvoltage, undervoltage, and power loss. The UPS should be configured to signal the operating system to cleanly power off the VideoX V5 NVR when the battery power dips below the safe threshold.

Any UPS connection must include configuration to shut down the operating system on the appliance when battery power is low or there is 15 minutes of power remaining.

Dimensions #

Width x Depth x Height
430 x 536 x 43.5 millimeters

Power Usage #

The power usage listed below were measured under an typical NVR use case using a 120 VAC 60Hz power source. Actual power usage will vary depending on many factors.

The power usage listed below were measured under an typical NVR use case using a 208 VAC 60Hz power source. Actual power usage will vary depending on many factors.

Getting Help #

For questions and support regarding the Arxys VideoX Enterprise Appliance hardware, please contact Arxys using the following options:

Web: https://support.arxys.com/
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (Pacific time) Holidays Excluded

Web page: https://www.arxys.com/company/support
The primary method to receive help and support for Arxys VideoX Appliances is through the online ticket system.

Opening A Ticket #

For information on opening a ticket with Arxys see https://www.arxys.com/docs/starting-ticket/

System Serial Number Location #

The Arxys VideoX V5 Appliance will have a label with both the system serial number and unique MegaRAC SP-X BMC password on the front top right hand corner of the system.

Default Credentials #

Windows Operating System #

The Windows operating system administrator password is configured by the end user during the first boot setup procedure.

Do not lose or misplace this password. The password configured by the end user cannot be reset by Arxys.

LSA Storage Authority #

The default user name and password for LSA Storage Authority

MegaRAC SP-X BMC (IPMI) Credentials #

Each Arxys VideoX V5 Appliance has a unique MegaRAC SP-X BMC password for the “admin” user. The unique password will be listed on the system serial number label. Additionally on certain models the unique password will be on the front system pull tab.

Arxys HIGHLY recommends that this password also be changed to a unique password known only to system administrators to prevent unauthorized access to the Arxys VideoX V5 Appliance MegaRAC SP-X BMC module.

Package Contents #

• Arxys VX5-V100 NVR
• Sliding Rack Rail kit
• Power Cables

If you find that you are missing any of the above items, please contact Arxys at https://support.arxys.com

System Overview #

Front View #

Front Panel LEDs and buttons #

Rear View #

Revealing the Windows Product Key #

The product key is found on the Microsoft® Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label located on the front left corner of the appliance. Similar to the removable material commonly found on lottery tickets or prize vouchers, this concealment panel is designed to protect the consumer’s product key from being obtained and used by unauthorized individuals. Carefully scratch off the concealment coating with a fingernail or coin to reveal the entire product key.

Copy down the 25 digit product key or take a picture. The product key will need to be typed in on order to activate the system.

Rackmount Installation #

• Install the largest and heaviest items on the bottom of your rackmount rack.
• Ensure that the leveling jacks on the bottom of the rack are fully extended to the floor with the full weight of the rack resting on them and not the casters.
• In single rack installation, stabilizers should be attached to the rack. In multiple rack installations, the racks should be coupled together.
• Always make sure the rack is stable before extending a component from the rack.
• You should extend only one component at a time – extending two or more simultaneously may cause the rack to become unstable.
• Determine the placement of each component in the rack before you install the rails.
• Use a regulating uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect the server from power surges, voltage spikes and to keep your system operating in case of a power failure.
• Always keep the rack’s front door and all panels and components on the servers closed when not servicing to maintain proper cooling.
• Equipment should be mounted into a rack so that the amount of airflow required for safe operation is not compromised.
• Consideration should be given to the connection of the equipment to the power supply circuitry and the effect that any possible overloading of circuits might have on overcurrent protection and power supply wiring. Appropriate consideration of equipment nameplate ratings should be used when addressing this concern.

Removing the inner rails from the outer rails #

1. Slide the inner rail out until it clicks and locks into the extended position.
2. Pull the white locking tab forward, then pull out the inner rail.
3. Keep track of which inner and outer rail pairs.
4. Repeat these steps for the rail for the other side.

Attaching the inner rail to the system #

1. Align the right hand side inner rail key holes with the posts on the side of the system. The BLUE release tab should be oriented towards the front of the system.
2. Press the inner rail so that it is flush with the system, then slide the inner rail towards the back of the system.
3. The inner rail will click and lock into place. Make sure all keyholes are secured on all pins.
4. Use the M4x4 fasteners to completely secure the inner rails to the system.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for the other side.

Installing the outer rails in the rack #

1. Check the hole type on the rack posts. The rackmount rail kit is shipped preconfigured for 9.5 square hole racks.
   
   
2. The rackmount rail can be changed for use with rack posts using either 7.1 (B) round hole or M5 (C) threaded. See the above image for instructions on what components are required for the conversion.
   
   
3. Align the front of the (marked FRONT BRACKET) outer rail to with the rack post.
4. Pull the outer rail straight forward until the rail locking clip engages.
5. Extend or collapse the back of the outer rail and repeat steps 3 and 4 to secure the back of the outer rail to the rack post.
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for the other side.

Installing the system into the rack #

1. Align the inner rails on the system with the outer rails installed in the rack.
2. Slide the system back into the rails. There will be a click when the system is a little over halfway in and the system will lock in place.
3. Pull or push the BLUE lock release on both sides. The system will now slide all the way back.
4. Secure the chassis to the rail using the thumb screws.
5. Secure the rear rails to the rack post.

Connect Cables #

Refer to the diagrams in the System Overview section for the location of the different connectors. Make the following connections as required:

1. Connect a KVM switch or separate keyboard, mouse and monitor to the NVR.
   • The keyboard and mouse can be connected to any USB port on the NVR.
   • The monitor should only be can be connected to the VGA port on back of the NVR.
2. Connect the NVR to your network by plugging an Ethernet cable into one of the Ethernet ports.
3. For out-of-band management access and functionality, connect Ethernet cable to the Management LAN Port – BMC / IPMI
4. Connect a power cable to each power supply at the back of the NVR.
5. Press the power button on the front of the recorder. Check that the NVR LED indicators display the correct status. For more information on the different LED status indicators, see the Front Panel LEDs and buttons section.

Log Into Windows For The First Time #

The Arxys VideoX V5 Appliances is configured with the Microsoft® Windows® Server 2022 operating system. The Windows operating system requires an initial configuration when used for the first time.

When the Arxys VideoX V5 Appliances is first powered the Microsoft® Windows® Server 2022 will begin booting. Please do not interrupt or power off the Arxys VideoX V5 Appliances during this process. The Arxys VideoX V5 Appliances may automatically reboot as the final configuration is applied to the system.

After the system reboots the Windows® Server 2022 operating system will load. Follow the onscreen instructions to continue.

Arxys VideoX V5 Appliances OS Setup #

At the “Hi there” screen select the correct home country/region, the preferred app language, and the keyboard layout to use. Once correctly selecting the options needed click the Next button to continue

At the “It’s time to enter the product key” screen enter the product key that is on the Microsoft® COA label attached to the system. The COA label is attached on the top front left corner of the system. It may be required to scratch off some of the protective/privacy silver coating to reveal the entire product key. Click on the “next” button to continue.

See section Revealing the Windows Product Key. If the product is not available (remote install) click the ‘Do this later’ link to continue. Note that Windows will not activate until the product key is entered.

At the “License terms” screen review and accept the Microsoft® Windows® Server 2022 license agreement.

At the “Customize settings” screen, set a password for the local administrator account. The password should:

1. Have a minimum length of 7 characters.
2. Meet the complexity requirements. See https://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/library/cc956977.aspx for details
3. Do not lose this password. This password will be needed to log into the system in order to continue the configuration of the server.

Type in the password twice as indicated on the screen and click on the “finish” button to continue. Arxys Support cannot reset this password and there is no default password configured.

4. Press CTRL+ALT+Delete to unlock the system. Type in the credentials created in the previous step.

5. Once logged in, the system will auto start the VMS installer (if specified) for the integrator to install and configure.

Configuring Network Settings #

The organization network administrator should be able to provide you with the information required to configure the network on the Arxys VideoX V5 Appliance. Generally, the information required is: IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS server. Some networks run the DHCP protocol which will assign all of the above settings automatically. It is recommended that the Arxys VideoX V5 Appliance be configured with a static IP address.

1. Click on the start menu, followed by settings
2. At the Windows Settings screen click on the “Network & Internet” section
3. Click on the Change adapter options link
4. The network connections of the system are displayed. From here you can configure a static IP address. For more information see the Windows Help and Support files.

Video Management Software #

If specified, Arxys preloads VMS installers for in order to speed up the deployment and setup process. The preloaded VMS installers are located in the folder:

C:\ArxysSupport\VMS

Browse to the VMS folder and double click on the VMS installer application to start the installation process. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup.

Arxys VideoX Enterprise Appliance typically ships with a preconfigured volume to use for video surveillance video called “VideoStorage” and is typically configured in Windows as drive “D:\” The VMS that is being installed should be configured to store video files here.

SQL Server and SQL Express Installation errors #

If you install any version of SQL Server on a Windows Server 2022 device and you may see errors related to installing or starting the Database Engine Services component of SQL Server. Logs will show “SQL Express failed. Error code = -2061893606′”

Additional information can be found here https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/sql/database-engine/database-file-operations/troubleshoot-os-4kb-disk-sector-size.

Arxys has internally tested the add ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes resolution proposed by Microsoft successfully

Additional information regarding this is also available from Milestone here: https://supportcommunity.milestonesys.com/s/article/XProtect-fails-to-install-Windows-11-InstallationAdapterException-error-code-2061893606-troubleshooting?language=en_US

Lastly some VMS installation packages may have custom SQL initialization files that may not work for all environments. For these cases, it is recommended that the appropriate version of SQL be installed prior to installing a VMS. Once SQL is installed and confirmed to be functioning, install the VMS and have it use the existing SQL server.

Milestone VMS Best Practices #

Do not run SMART Client on a recorder.

Do not leave the Management Client open to views that display video feeds. This will cause unnecessary additional load on the recorder.

If more than 300 cameras are on the site, SQL Standard must be used. SQL Express is not recommended for a deployment this large.

Do not exceed 20,000 cameras/day per storage profile. See https://supportcommunity.milestonesys.com/s/article/when-should-I-use-archive-storage?language=en_US
This may require RAID reconfiguration which can be done using LSA.

Configure your maximum recording and archive retention limits so that video is deleted upon a set schedule, and not when the hard disk drive reaches its maximum capacity. For best performance, we recommend to maintain at least 15% of the drive free.

Configure the recording and archive hard drives to have a cluster size (block size) of 64K or higher.

Ensure RAID stripe size is set to 512K or higher.

Disable real-time antivirus scanning; instead choose to scan the system based on a schedule. Consult the XProtect Administrator’s Manual regarding which files/folders and processes to exclude. You can also find more information about anti-virus scanning and XProtect in KB 1004, “Configure anti-virus software on XProtect systems (best practices).”

If your surveillance server storage has one single storage array, do not archive. (See the corresponding KB 3614, “When should I archive?”)

Disable any non-essential Windows tasks and processes that affect the file system. These could include the indexing service and the volume shadow copy service. Also make sure to never use Windows drive compression as it will slow down all write-to-disk operations.

In the RecorderConfig.xml file, the “chunk_files” buffers should be set to 64K

Avigilon VMS Best Practices #

Before starting the ACC setup and installation it is recommended that the built in Windows Server 2022 AntiVirus software (Windows Defender or any additional AntiVirus software loaded by the end user) be temporarily disabled or suspended. During the ACC installation a Storage Configuration will create a storage layout. If Windows Defender is enabled this process will take multiple days to complete. https://help.avigilon.com/acc-setup/en/setup/configure-antivirus.htm

Do not leave the ACC client open on the system with a view tab open. This will cause unnecessary additional load on the recorder. https://assets.avigilon.com/documents/avigilon-nvr5-datasheet-en-rev3.pdf (see no local viewing)

If using analytics, verify that the GPU included with the system is operation in TCC mode.

Windows Activation Without Internet Access #

In the event that Internet access is not possible the Windows® Activation procedure can be completed via the use of the Microsoft® Windows® Activation telephone hotline.

1. Log into the system as a member of the administrative group.
   
   
2. From the Start Screen, Type ‘slui 4’ click on the icon to run the wizard.
   
   
3. Select the nearest location from the drop-down menu and click “Next.”
   
   
4. Call the phone number displayed and follow the promptings. You will have to provide the “Installation ID” and will receive a “Confirmation ID.”
   
   
5. Click “Next” and follow the onscreen instructions to continue and complete the activation process.

MegaRAC SP-X BMC #

Arxys VideoX V5 Appliances include MegaRAC SP-X BMC. MegaRAC SP-X BMC offers unparalleled remote management capabilities for Arxys VideoX V5 Appliances. This includes complete out-of-band control, power management, KVM redirection, and virtual media. MegaRAC SP-X BMC delivers seamless performance and reliability, ensuring the stability, safety, and security of your servers at all times.

In order to utilize MegaRAC SP-X BMC you need:

• A configured MegaRAC SP-X BMC
• The management port must be connected to an accessible network
• Modern Web Browser (Edge, Chrome, Firefox)

MegaRAC SP-X DHCP IP #

MegaRAC SP-X is accessed via a web browser by navigating to the baseboard management controller (BMC) IP address and logging in with the appropriate credentials.

If the management port is connected to a DHCP enable network, the MegaRAC SP-X will automatically be assigned an IP address.

The IP Address will be displayed during the system’s power on self test (POST) screen in the lower left corner.

MegaRAC SP-X Static IP #

When a DHCP network is not availble a static IP will need to be configured.

1. Plug in a network cable into management port on the server. See the appliance overview section for more details on the location of the port.
2. Power cycle the server (remove AC power, wait 5 seconds, and then plug the AC power back in)
3. During POST, enter the BIOS by pressing the “DEL” key.
4. Once in the BIOS navigate to the “Server Mgmt” menu using the right arrow key
   
   
5. Then select the BMC network configuration from the options
   
   
6. By default the BMC is configured to use DHCP.
   
   
7. To configure a static IP, select the Configuration Address source and press ENTER.
8. From the sub menu select “Static” and press enter
   
   
9. Use the new options to set:
   • the Station IP address (BMC IP Address)
   • The subnet mask of the network
   • The router or gateway address for the network
10. Press escape and navigate to the “Save & Exit” menu.
11. Select “Save Changes and Reset” and press <enter>.
12. The system will reboot.
13. The configured IP address will be displayed on the bottom left corner of the screen.

access MegaRAC SP-X #

1. Open a supported web browser
2. Navigate to the BMC IP address
   • example: https://10.10.1.57
3. A privacy error will come up due to the usage of a self signed certificate.
   • click advanced and then continue to the site
     
     
     
4. The MegaRAC SP-X log in screen will be presented
   • enter the default user name ‘admin’ (case sensative)
   • enter the factory set unique password in the password section (case sensitive)
5. Click “sign me in” to continue
6. Use the left hand menu to navigate to the various sections

Review Sensor Health #

To review the status of the system’s sensors click on the “Sensor” item from the menu on the left.

Any sensors that have detected a problem will be highlighted in the “Critical Sensors” section. If the message “All thrshhold sensors are normal” is displayed, all sensors are in a healthy state. Scroll down to see the values and status of the monitored sensors. Some sensors will also have a graph displaying sensor trends.

Click on any sensor to display additional details about that specific sensor. For temperature sensors this will start a real time monitor.

Remote Control #

MegaRAC SP-X allows administrators to remote control system by simulating a keyboard, video, mouse (KVM) connetion through the BMC. This will allow for console level control of the sytem remotely.

1. Click on the “Remote Control” option from the menu
   
   
   
2. Click on the “Launch H5Viewer” button
   
   
   
3. After a few moment a remote KVM window will appear
4. Use the keyboard and mouse to control the system.

Maintenance  #

Capturing System Logs #

It may be necessary to capture logs in order to start a support ticket with Arxys. For instructions on how to do this see https://www.arxys.com/docs/capturing-logs-2

Video Storage Drive Replacement #

Video recordings are saved on the hard drives. VX5-V100 NVRs do not have RAID. When a drive fails all data will be lost.

1. Identify which HDD has failed and note the slot number shown
   
   
2. Press the release button on the drive carrier matching the slot number identified. This extends the drive carrier handle
3. Use the handle to pull the drive carrier out of the chassis 1-2 inches
4. Wait 10 seconds to allow the drive to spin down
5. Pull the drive tray out of the chassis
6. Swap out the failed HDD with the replacement HDD
   • Remove the single fastener securing the hard drives to the tray from the underside
   • Pull the failed hard drive out of the tray
   • Align the replacement hard drives with the tray. Ensure that the dimples on the tray match the hard drive
   • Reinstall the single fastener to secure the hard drive to the tray
7. Insert the replacement drive tray with the replacement hard drive into the chassis. Make sure to press the drive carrier handle closed until it clicks in place.
8. After a few moments the new drive will appear in disk management as a unallocated disk
9. Use disk management to initialize the disk and create a file system.