Recorder ISCSI Setup

Introduction

What is ISCSI? The technical description is ISCSI stands for Internet Small Computer System Interface and it is a transport layer protocol that defines how packets should be transmitted over TCP/IP from the initiator to a storage device.
Disclaimer: IC Realtime is not responsible for setting up or maintaining the ISCSI storage server and its performance and/or potential data loss. Please consult with our success team on the best practices for ISCSI setup.

A short, simple explanation is that ISCI is a specific way to store data on a remote device. You can think of it like an FTP server.

Setting up ISCSI

There are two parts to the setup- the first being the server/host and the second being the initiator (the one sending the data). The host or server can be installed and set up on many different platforms, such as a Windows server connected to a storage array or a Synology NAS drive with ISCI functionality built in. In-house we used a Synology NAS for our test.

Ultimately each one has different setup processes for the host, so this setup will not be able to cover all instances. This part of the equation will fall on the installer/admin responsible for the unit.

NVR Setup

Once the server and host are set up, you can configure the initiator. In this case, the initiator will be the IC Realtime NVR.

1. Log into the unit's web interface or local GUI (Do not use SmartICRSS or Mobile Apps).
2. Navigate the advanced Storage menu and select ISCSI.
3. On this page, you must enter the host/server IP Address and login information and select Add. The storage path will be auto-retrieved, as this should already be set up on the server side.

Once it says connected, you are done. See the below image for an example.

How does the ISCSI storage work with our NVRs?

The recorder treats the ISCSI storage as just another HDD added to the machine. It will auto-store and delete footage from it as if you have a physical drive installed in the server as long as the account used has the proper permissions.

What about playback?

Like any other HDD, it will pull video and display it, unlike an FTP connection.
There are some factors to consider here, such as may experience latency or issues retrieving the footage if the network or server is experiencing latency or improper HDDs are used. If the server can only handle, let's say, 5 Mbps of throughput but you requesting 10 Mbps, you will experience stuttering or inability to fast forward. Network infrastructure and server hardware are vital here, and we recommended consulting a network administrator.

What NVRs are supported?
Currently, only the 32-channel and higher Elite NVRs will support this functionality.

How many ISCSI servers can you add to a single machine?
A maximum of 8 ISCSI drives can be added.

What about maximum HDD/storage capacity?
The recorder is not powering the drives or controlling its RAID controller or any of it. It is just a client that is sending data. The storage capacity limit is on the server or hardware used to build the ISCSI server. It’s like FTP storage; by setting a path and getting registered, the device would not limit the server storage size. For example, if built correctly, you can add 160 TB of storage space to a recorder over a single ISCSI connection.