Replacing cameras - Security Center 5.9 - 5.12

Troubleshooting video units and cameras in Security Center
Applies to
Security Center 5.9 - 5.12
Last updated
2023-10-17
Content type
Troubleshooting
Language
English
Product
Security Center
Version
5.12
5.11
5.10
5.9

If a camera fails and is offline in Security Center, displayed red in the area view, you can replace it with a compatible camera using the same settings.

Before you begin

  • You need the Modify video unit properties, Modify alarm properties, and Modify event-to-actions privileges.
  • Copy the configuration settings of the old camera to the new camera.
  • To replace a SharpV ALPR unit, the new unit must have a unique IP and Port configuration. If the unit is behind a NAT, configure a unit on a different port. If the unit is not behind a NAT, configure a new IP address. If you do not configure a new IP address and port combination, you receive the error: Unit creation failed (The unit located at the following address: xxx.xxx.xxx, already belongs to another role).

What you should know

  • To ensure that the video archives associated to the old camera are not lost, the Unit replacement tool re-associates them to the new camera.
    IMPORTANT: Replaced cameras are treated as new cameras by the system. If associations exist between old cameras and other entities in the system, these associations must be manually re-created for the new cameras.
  • The Unit replacement tool automatically transfers the alarm and event-to-action configurations associated with the old camera to the new camera.
  • You can create an event-to-action using the Unit replaced event.

Procedure

  1. Add a new video unit to the Archiver that controls the old unit.
    The new unit must be compatible with the old unit in terms of settings and cameras they control.
  2. Using the Copy configuration tool, copy the configuration settings of the old camera to the new camera.
  3. From Config Tool homepage, click Tools > Unit replacement.
  4. From the Unit type option, select Cameras.
  5. Swap each pair of old and new cameras:
    1. Select the Old camera and the New camera.
    2. Click Swap.
    The video archives, event logs, alarms, and event-to-actions associated to the old cameras are now associated with the new cameras.
  6. Replace the associations with each old camera:
    1. Select the camera in the area view, click the Identity tab and then click Relationships > Part of....
    2. Select a related entity and click Jump to ().
    3. In the entity configuration page, remove the association to the old camera and add the association to the new camera.
    4. If the camera is represented on a map or used for visual tracking, replace the old camera with the new camera.
  7. Verify that the old camera is replaced with the new camera:
    1. In Security Desk, open the Activity trails task.
    2. In the Filters tab, select Activities > Video > Video unit replaced.
    3. Click Generate report.
      The replaced cameras are displayed in the report pane.
  8. Verify that the video archives are associated with the new camera:
    1. In Security Desk, open the Archives task.
    2. Select a camera.
      All days that include video archives for the selected camera are listed in the All available tab.
    3. Select a day and click Generate report.
  9. In the Config Tool Video task, right-click the old unit and select Delete ().
  10. Click Continue to confirm deletion.
Parent topic: Troubleshooting video units and cameras in Security Center