Replacing cameras - Security Center 5.9 - 5.13

Troubleshooting video units and cameras in Security Center
Product
Security Center
Content type
Troubleshooting
Version
5.13
5.12
5.11
5.10
5.9
ft:locale
en-US
Last updated
2024-11-13

If a camera fails and goes offline in Security Center, you can replace it with a compatible camera that uses the same settings.

Before you begin

  • Make sure that the role is online.
  • To replace cameras, you need the Modify video unit properties privilege.
  • You need modification privileges to all entities updated by the tool:
    • Modify alarm properties
    • Modify event-to-actions
    • Map designer
    • Modify door properties
    • Modify automation properties

    A warning is displayed if you lack a privilege that prevents the camera replacement. If you continue the process without the privilege to update an associated entity, the camera replacement operation fails.

  • 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 following error: Unit creation failed (The unit located at the following address: xxx.xxx.xxx, already belongs to another role).

What you should know

  • To prevent loss of video archives associated to the old camera, the Unit replacement tool associates them to the new camera.
    IMPORTANT: The system treats replaced cameras as new cameras. If old cameras have associations with other entities in the system, these associations must be manually re-created for the new cameras.
  • The Unit replacement tool automatically transfers configurations associated with the old camera to the new camera, including video archives, event logs, alarms, doors, maps, and event-to-actions.

    If the Automation feature is turned on, the tool also transfers the automation configurations. For more information about the Automation feature, see Security Center Automation Preview Guide on the TechDoc Hub.

  • If the old camera is included on a map, the Unit replacement tool automatically replaces those map entities with 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 camera's settings and cameras it controlled.
  2. Using the Copy configuration tool, copy the configuration settings of the old camera to the new camera.
  3. From the 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, doors, maps, and event-to-actions associated to the old cameras are now associated with the new cameras. If the Automation feature is turned on, the tool also transfers the automation configurations.
  6. Replace the associations with each old camera:
    1. Select the camera in the Area view, click the Identity tab, and click Relationships > Part of.
    2. Select a related entity and click Jump to ().
    3. On the entity configuration page, remove the association to the old camera and add the association to 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. Click the Filters tab and 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