Replacing NAS volumes in Stratocast™ - Stratocast™

Stratocast™ Integrator Guide

Applies to
Stratocast™
Last updated
2023-08-03
Content type
Guides > Integration guides
Language
English
Product
Stratocast

If you make a change that results in you needing more storage space on your existing NAS volume , you can replace your existing NAS volume for one that has more storage space and still keep your existing video recordings.

Before you begin

Do one of the following:
  • If the NAS volume has not been added, add it to the same local network that the current NAS volume is on.
  • If the NAS volume has already been added, make sure of the following:
    • The new NAS volume is connected to the same local network that current NAS volume is on.
    • The name of the shared folder on the new NAS volume is the same as the name of the shared folder on the current NAS volume.

What you should know

Replacing one NAS volume for another involves manually moving video recordings from one NAS volume to another, and then replicating specific NAS volume settings. As a result, the new NAS volume can take the place of the current NAS volume without having to reassign the camera to the new NAS volume. During the replacement process, the camera that is connected to the current NAS volume must stop recording for the duration of the replacement process; however, existing video recordings are not lost. The duration of the replacement process depends on the quantity and size of the video files that you are moving from one NAS volume to the other.

When replacing one NAS volume for another, both volumes must be connected to the same local network.

Procedure

  1. To make sure that the camera stops recording for the duration of the replacement process, power off all of the cameras that are connected to the current NAS volume.
  2. From a web browser, access the current NAS volume and the new NAS volume by entering their respective IP addresses.
  3. Move all of the video files from the shared folder of the current NAS volume to the similarly named shared folder of the new NAS volume. You must also include the index.db file that resides at the root level of the current camera's folder.
    If you copy and paste the video files, you can later delete the video files from the old NAS volume if you do not want the recordings stored on two different NAS volumes.
  4. Make sure that the following NAS volume settings are the same on both the current and new NAS volumes. Temporarily replicating these settings ensures that the new NAS volume takes the place of the old NAS volume and the camera remains untouched.
    IP address or hostname
    The IP address or hostname that is specific to your NAS volume. Like every other device on your network, the NAS volume has a unique IP address assigned to it so that it can be identified and communicate with the other network devices. The value you enter in this field appears as part of the network path for that NAS volume. IP addresses can either be static, meaning that they never change, or dynamic. Dynamic IP addresses might change over time.
    Best Practice: Because a dynamic IP address (DHCP) might change over time, it is recommended to assign a static IP address. This makes it easier for the system to always remember the IP address of your NAS volume.
    Username
    The username of the NAS volume. Create this credential so that only those that know it can access files on the NAS volume. Also, video units, such as Axis cameras, use this credential to get permission to record video on the NAS volume.
    Password
    The password of the NAS volume. Create this credential so that only those that know it can access files on the NAS volume. Also, video units, such as Axis cameras, use this credential to get permission to record video on the NAS volume. You can choose to show the password or hide it from other users. You can change this setting on the NAS volume Edit page once the NAS volume has been added.
    IMPORTANT: You must create a unique username and password for each camera on the NAS.
  5. Power on the camera.

Results

Once the camera is back online, it resumes recording video, but this time, recordings are stored on the new NAS volume. Also, all video recordings that were stored on the old NAS volume are now transferred to the new NAS volume.

Example

Watch this video to learn more. Click the Captions icon (CC) to turn on video captions in one of the available languages.

After you finish

If the old NAS volume is no longer needed, delete it from Stratocast™. If you want to use the old NAS volume, modify its settings (IP address or hostname, shared folder, username, and password) so that they differ from the settings of the new NAS volume.