R4P-R4V VideoX Profesional Administrator Manual

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No part of this manual may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, in whole or part, without prior written consent from Arxys.

All rights reserved. Copyright © 2023 Arxys.  

TRADEMARKS

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DISCLAIMER

This document has been generated and made available using product descriptions and specifications available at the time of publication. The contents of this document and the specifications of the products discussed herein are subject to change without notice. Arxys reserves the right to make any such changes without notice. Arxys does not: (1) guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information contained in this document; or (2) is responsible for your use of, or reliance on, the information. Arxys shall not be responsible for any losses or damages (including consequential damages) caused by reliance on the information presented herein.

Introduction #

The Arxys VideoX V3 Appliances – Professional are Network Video Recorders (NVRs) preloaded with Microsoft Windows Server operating system and are configured for ease of use by video surveillance integrators. VideoX V3 Appliances – Professional products have been tested with various VMS solutions and offer unparalleled value and performance. VideoX V3 Appliances – Professional products may ship with a specific VMS installer for the convenience of the video surveillance integrator. Please contact sales@arxys.com for more information regarding on VideoX V3 Appliances – Professional and a specific VMS solution.

The Arxys VideoX V3 Appliance – Professional R12ES product is 2U NVR that can support up to 100 cameras and up to 1,000 Mbit/s. The Arxys VideoX V3 Appliance – Professional R12E product is 2U NVR that can support up to 200 cameras and up to 1,880 Mbit/s. Both systems are configured with various storage capacities ranging from 64TB to 264TB.

The Arxys VideoX V3 Appliance – Professional is not an all-in-one video surveillance system. Viewing clients and other infrastructure roles should NOT be installed or run on the system.

Getting Help #

For questions and support regarding the Arxys VideoX Professional 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 #

Please see this section for information on opening a ticket with Arxys: https://www.arxys.com/docs/starting-ticket/

VideoX Professional Appliance Windows Password #

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

The password configured by the end user cannot be reset by Arxys.

VideoX Professional Appliance BMC/ IPMI Password #

Default IPMI Credentials: The default user is ‘admin’.

Important Notice for BMC “admin” Login Credentials

Arxys has implemented a new security feature enhancement on all VideoX V3 products. The change of the previously default ASMB10-iKVM BMC password to a unique password for the “admin” user will provide greater ASMB10-iKVM BMC security.

To access the web interface; open a web browser and navigate to https://N.N.N.N, where N.N.N.N is the IP address assigned to the management port by a DHCP server on your network. The IP address is displayed on the bottom right corner during boot up.

All VideoX V3 products will have a label with both the system serial number and unique ASMB10-iKVM BMC password on the top right hand of the system.

Arxys HIGHLY recommends that this password also be changed to a unique password known only to system administrators to prevent unauthorized access to the VideoX V3 ASMB10-iKVM BMC module.

For more information on accessing the IPMI/BMC functionality of the VideoX V3 products please go to https://www.arxys.com/company/support/ for additional documentation.

VideoX Professional Appliance Overview #

VideoX V3 R4P and R4V Front View #

Front Panel LEDs #

VideoX V3 R4P Rear View and Connectors #

Redundant Power Supply and Power cord connectors

Auto ranging for 110-240 VAC. 1+1 redundant hot swap configuration

Two (2) USB 3.2 ports

For keyboard and mouse use. Can be used for ocasional removable media, should NOT be used for storage expansion.

Out of band management port for Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI)

Dedicated out of band management RJ45 port

VGA and HDMI Video Connectors

The VGA connector should be used for initial setup and deployment. The HDMI connector can be used for initial setup and deployment, not to be used to view streams or VMS client duties

Two (2) 1 gigabit Ethernet LAN ports

Accepts Ethernet connections from two networks at speeds up to 10 gigabits. Backward compatible with 1 gigabit switch ports

RAID controller (R4P only)

Provides data resiliency for hard disk drives.

VideoX V3 R4V Rear View and Connectors #

Power Supply and Power cord connector

Auto ranging for 110-240 VAC.

Two (2) USB 3.2 ports

For keyboard and mouse use. Can be used for ocasional removable media, should NOT be used for storage expansion.

Out of band management port for Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI)

Dedicated out of band management RJ45 port

VGA and HDMI Video Connectors

The VGA connector should be used for initial setup and deployment. The HDMI connector can be used for initial setup and deployment, not to be used to view streams or VMS client duties

Two (2) 1 gigabit Ethernet LAN ports

Accepts Ethernet connections from two networks at speeds up to 10 gigabits. Backward compatible with 1 gigabit switch ports

Box Contents

The Arxys VideoX Enterprise Appliance should include the following items within the shipping box.

  1. Arxys VideoX Enterprise Appliance (R4P)
  2. Two 110V AC power cords (C13/C14)
  3. One set of adjustable sliding rails w/ mounting kit
  4. Locking front bezel and keys
  5. Documentation; Quickstart Guide, BMC Password

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

Hard Drive LEDs #

Box Contents #

The Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance should include the following items within the shipping box.

  1. Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance (R4P or R4V)
  2. Two (R4P) or One (R4V) 110V AC power cords (C13/C14)
  3. One set of adjustable sliding rails w/ mounting kit
  4. Documentation; Quickstart Guide, BMC Password

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

Installation Planning #

Before You Start #

Arxys recommends that all VideoX V3 R4P and R4V NVRs be used in conjunction with an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) in order to protect the hardware. 

A UPS system in an integral part of any enterprise 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 V3 R4P and R4V NVRs when the battery power dips below the safe threshold. 

Please consult with you facilities administrator or system administrator for a setting and configuration that takes into account the specific UPS utilized.

Please consult with you network administrator or system administrator for network settings and configurations

Installation Requirements #

The proper installation of the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance 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 AC power ports R4P, One 110V AC power ports R4V
  4. Gigabit Ethernet connectivity
  5. Network IP address
  6. Available space in a computer equipment rack 1U depending on the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance configuration.
  7. Available ports in an uninterruptable power supply (UPS).

Unpacking the VideoX Professional Appliance #

The Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance should be carefully removed from its shipping box. Inspect the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance and make sure that it was not damaged during shipping and transport. The Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance box includes removable front bezel/cover for the appliance. Adjustable sliding rails used to mount the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance server into a standard computer equipment rack are also included. 

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.

Rack Kit Contents #

This section provides information on installing the Arxys VideoX R12E and R12ES Appliance into a server rack with the quick-release rails provided. There are a variety of rack units on the market, which may mean the assembly procedure will differ slightly. You should also refer to the installation instructions that came with the rack unit you are using. 

The tool less design of the rail kit allows you to easily install the rack rails into the server rack without the need for additional tools. The kit also comes with a metal stopping bracket that should be installed to provide additional support and stability to the system. The kit includes:

Rack Kit Installation #

  1. Secure the two fixing latches to the two sides of the server using the set of latch screws. The location of the screw holes vary with different server models.


  2. Determine the desired space/location on the rack and place the appropriate rack rail (left or right) on opposite positions on the rack. A 1U space consists of three square mounting holes with two think lips on the top and the bottom.


  3. Press the spring lock, then insert the studs into the selected square mounting holes on the rack post.
  4. Press the spring lock on the the other end of the rail then insert the stud into the mounting holes in the rear rack post. Extend the rail as necessary.
  5. Use the rail screw and rail washer to secure the rack rail to the rack post
  6. Verify that the rail rail is aligned, leveled, and secured
  7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 for the other rail.


  8. Lift the chassis, align the inner rails with the outer rails and insert the chassis into the rack.
  9. Secure the system into the rack

Hard Drive Installation #

Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance R4P and R4V ship with the hard drives installed in the system chassis.

Connecting Cables #

Refer to the diagrams in the Overview sections for the location and description of the various connectors. https://www.arxys.com/docs/r4p-videox-profesional-administrator-manual/#8-toc-title
Make the following connections:

  1. Connect the VideoX V3 to either a KVM or a dedicated keyboard/mouse and monitor. The keyboard and mouse can be connected to any USB port. It is recommended that the monitor be connected to the VGA port in order to maintain the remote KVM functionality in IPMI.
  2. Connect the VideoX V3 to your network by plugging an Ethernet cable into one of the Ethernet ports. Verify that the appropriate switch port is utilized.
  3. For out of band management connect an Ethernet cable to the IPMI ports. This is high recommended.
  4. Connect a power cable to each power supply. Verify that the power cable is connected directly to a UPS or through an appropriate power distribution unit.
  5. Press the power button on the Arxys VideoX V3. Wait for a few moments for the system to power on. Allow the system to boot in the operating system without interruptions

Log Into Windows For The First Time #

The Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance is configured with Microsoft® Windows® 10 operating system. The Windows operating system requires an initial configuration when used for the first time.

When the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance is first powered the Microsoft® Windows® 10 operating system will begin booting. Please do not interrupt or power off the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance during this process. The Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance may automatically reboot as the final configuration is applied to the system.

After the system reboots the Windows® 10 operating system will load. Follow the onscreen instructions to continue.

VideoX Professional Appliance OS Setup #

At the “Let’s start with region. Is this right?” screen select the correct home region. After correctly selecting the option needed click the Yes button to continue

At the “Is this the right keyboard layout?” screen select the correct keyboard layout. After selecting the correct option, click the Yes button to continue.

At the “Want to add a second keyboards layout?” add the layout required (not typical) or click the Skip button to continue.

At the “Windows 10 License Agreement” screen review and accept the Microsoft® Windows® 10 license agreement. Click the Accept button to continue

At the “Sign in with Microsoft” screen, click on the “Domain join instead” option at the bottom left of the screen to create a local user.

At the “Who’s going to use this PC?” screen enter a memorable user name. The user name can’t be “Administrator” or “administrator.” After entering a user name click the Next to continue

At the “Create a super memorable password” screen, type a password for the local 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 Next button to continue

Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the “Create security questions for this account” screen.

At the “Choose privacy settings for your device” screen; review the options and selected the correct settings. Click Accept to continue.

After a few moments the system will display the desktop indicating that Windows 10 is now setup and usable.

Configuring Network Settings #

Your organization network administrator should be able to provide you with the information required to configure the network on the Arxys VideoX Professional 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 Professional 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.

Checking RAID Health #

Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance will ship with storage resources pre-configured if the configuration is specified at the time of ordering. Before utilizing the storage resources provided by the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance, the health of the solid-state disk (SSD), hard disk drives (HDD), and RAID arrays should be verified. 

Video Storage RAID (Broadcom RAID Models) #

Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance ships with the LSI Storage Authority (LSA) utility pre-installed. This utility will be used to verify the status of the HDDs configured for video storage. A shortcut is placed on the desktop. It can also be accessed via the start menu. LSA uses the local web browser. Use any local or domain administrative account to log in.

  1. Log in to the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance as the local user and the password that was configured during first boot.
  2. From the desktop or start menu locate the LSI Storage Authority (LSA) shortcut. Double–click the shortcut to start the utility.


  3. Log in to the utility as “administrator” (using the password that was configured during first boot). Allow the utility to load.


  4. The status of the raid controller and its volumes are displayed on the top-left corner. The status should display “Optimal.” If the status displays anything other than “Optimal” immediately stop and power off the system. Then verify that:
    • Only the drives labeled for use with the system being installed are installed in the system.
    • ALL of the drives labeled to use with the system being installed are installed in the system.
    • The drives should be installed in the system BEFORE powering on the system.
  5. Background operations are also displayed in the same menu under the raid controller ID. “Check consistency” and/or “initializing” procedures run on schedules to preemptively correct any errors. If “Check Consistency” or “Initializing” operations are in progress, the video storage array remains in an optimal condition.
  6. After verifying the optimal status of the video storage array, exit the utility.

Video Storage RAID (MicroChip RAID Models) #

  1. Log in to the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance as the local user and the password that was configured during first boot.


  2. From the desktop or start menu locate the maxView Storage Manager shortcut. Double–click the shortcut to start the utility.
  3. Accept the connection by clicking on the “Continue to localhost” link


  4. Log into maxView using the local account name and password created during first boot
  5. From the menu on the left hand side, expand the Enterprise View and select the host.


  6. In the main pane, look for the status; is all is well the status will read Optimal.
  7. After verifying the optimal status of the video storage array, exit the utility.

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 Professional 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.

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 10 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.

IPMI Configuration and Usage #

Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance include Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) 2.0 compliant interface that allows you to monitor, control, and manage a remote server from the locally or remotely via the local network. With IPMI you can completely and efficiently monitor your server in real time. IPMI includes remote KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) support.

In order to utilize IPMI you need:

  • A configured BMC
  • Available network port (RJ-45)
  • Modern Web Browser (Edge, Chrome, Firefox

Configuring IPMI Network in the BIOS #

  1. Plug in a network cable into IPMI 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 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, IPMI will grab an IP address from DHCP. If the IP assigned is acceptable note the IP and skip to REMOTELY ACCESSING THE SERVER


  7. To change to a static IP; select the Previous start option and press ENTER.
  8. From the sub menu select Static and press enter


  9. Use the new options to set:
    • The IP address for IPMI
    • The subnetmask of the network
    • The router or gateway address for the network


  10. Press escape and navigate to the “Exit” menu. Select “Save Changes and Reset” and press <enter>. The system will reboot.

Remotely accessing the System #

  1. Utilize a web browser to browse to the IP address set listed in the IPMI section of the BIOS making sure to start with https://
    • Example: https://192.168.1.100


  2. A log in prompt will be presented.
  3. IPMI is now configured and accessible.
  4. The default user is ‘admin’ the password will be unique for each system. The password is located on a silver label attached to the top right-hand side of the system near the serial number. See https://www.arxys.com/docs/videox-v3-administrator-manual/arxys-videox-enterprise-ipmi-password

Starting A Remote KVM Session #

In troubleshooting or remote managing the system it may be required to establish a remote KVM sessions with the system. A remote KVM sessions will simulate having a keyboard, video display, and mouse connected to the system. This will allow you enter the BIOS of the system and other pre-OS sections of the system. Not that post operating system video will ONLY be displayed if there is a display connected to the VGA connector of the system.

  1. Establish a web GUI session using https://IP_address
  2. Log in


  3. Click the Launch H5Viewer button to start the session. A new browser window will be opened. Note some browsers/settings may block this popup. Make sure to enable all popups from this site. For information on how to do this consult your web browsers documentation


  4. A remote KVM session is now established. Use the Send Keys drop down menu to send a CTRL+ALT+DEL key stroke to the system to unlock.

Maintenance #

Although the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance requires minimal maintenance, basic maintenance will increase the lifespan of the hardware. Like the majority of equipment installed in a computer hardware rack, the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance uses a front intake and rear exhaust cooling design. It is very important that the airflow of the cooling system is not blocked or hindered in any way. The most common way that a server’s cooling system is blocked is by the accumulation of dust in the front air intake passages of the server. At regular intervals the dust should be wiped from the front bezel. Additionally, using compressed air to blow out the dust that has settled on the drives bays will assist in keeping the Arxys VideoX Professional Appliance’s cooling system running at its highest efficiency.

System Health #

The health of the system can be checked via IPMI

  1. Establish a web GUI session using https://IP_address
  2. Log In
  3. From the menu on the left click on Sensor
  4. A list of all system sensors and their status will be displayed

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 with are protected by RAID on R4P models. In R4P models the RAID level is 5. In R4V models there is no RAID. A RAID 5 array is able to continue to operate with single drive failure.

If your VideoX V3 R4P/R4V is still under warranty, contact Arxys to replace the failed hard drive.

  1. Open the Broadcom LSA utility or MicroChip utility
  2. Check which HDD has failed and note the slot number shown


  3. Press the release button on the drive carrier matching the slot number identified. This extends the drive tray lever

  4. Use the tray lever to pull the drive carrier out of the chassis 1-2 inches
  5. Wait 10 seconds to allow the drive to spin down
  6. Pull the drive tray out of the chassis
  7. Swap out the failed HDD with the replacement HDD
    • 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

  8. 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.
  9. After a few moments the rebuild process will begin automatically. This will be visible in LSA or maxView
  10. After 20-30 hours (depending on drive capacity and system load) the rebuild process will complete.

Power Supply Replacement (R4P Only) #

If either of the two power supply modules fails, the other module will take the full load and allow the system to continue operation without interruption.

Replacement power supply modules will ship directly from Arxys. The power supply units have a hot-swap capability, meaning you can replace the failed unit without powering down the system.

If your VideoX V3 R4P is still under warranty, contact Arxys to replace the failed power supply.

Removing a Power Supply Module #

  1. Identify the failed power supply (Red LED)
  2. Unplug the AC power cord from the failed power supply module.
  3. Hold the power supply module lever and press the PSU latch, then pull the power supply module out of the system.

Installing a Power Supply Module #

  1. Replace the failed hot-swap unit with another identical power supply unit.


  2. Push the new power supply unit into the power bay until you hear a click.
  3. Finish by plugging the AC power cord back into the unit.

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