IONODES 1.3 Secure Display Station Plug-in for Milestone XProtect User Manual

IONODES 1.3 Secure Display Station Plug-in for Milestone XProtect

Product Information

Specifications

• Product Name : IONODES Secure Display Station Plug-in for Milestone XProtect
• Document Version : 1.3
• Manufacturer : IONODES Inc.
• Compatibility : Milestone XProtect

Product Usage Instructions

Installation and Configuration:

1. Installing the plug-in:
2. Follow the installation instructions provided by IONODES for the Secure Display Station (SDS) Plug-in.
3. Configuring Imaging Server:
4. Access the Tools toolbar menu in your Milestone XProtect environment.
5. Select “Options…”
6. In the Options window, go to the IONODES tab.
7. Select “Imaging Server” from the drop-down menu.
8. Set the Default Credentials of a Basic User with the necessary permissions for Smart Client logon and Cameras View Live.
9. Click OK to save the settings.

Adding a New Secure Display Station (SDS) Device:

1. After installing and configuring the IONODES SDS Plug-in, follow these steps:
2. Click on “Add New…”
3. Enter an optional description for the new SDS device.
4. Enter the SDS IP Address and select HTTP or HTTPS protocol for communication (HTTPS is recommended).
5. Provide the SDS login credentials.
6. In the Imaging Server Connectivity section, check “Use Default Imaging Server Credentials” to utilize default settings.

No part of this document may be reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, except as provided in the Software License Agreement. IONODES shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

The information in this document is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. The entire risk arising from the use of this information remains with the recipient. In no event shall IONODES be liable for any direct, consequential, incidental, special, punitive, or other damages whatsoever (including, but not limited to, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, or loss of business information), even if IONODES has been advised of the possibility of such damages and whether in an action or contract or tort, including negligence.

This software and documentation are copyrighted. All other rights, including ownership of the software, are reserved by IONODES Inc. XProtect is a registered trademark of Milestone Systems. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The following words and symbols indicate special messages throughout this manual:

WARNING: Messages set forth in this manner indicate that failure to follow the instructions may result in damage to persons or equipment.
Note:  Text designated in this manner represents special instructions that should be given attention.

Introduction

The Secure Display Station plug-in for Milestone® XProtect enables seamless integration of the Secure Display Station (SDS) device within the Milestone XProtect® VMS solution, enabling users to control the views, layouts, and cameras displayed on the SDS from within the XProtect® Smart Client application.

The diagram below shows the components involved in this integration.

The plug-in adds a set of user interface elements within the XProtect® Management Client and Smart Client allowing users to configure and control various aspects of the integration. Video streams can be retrieved from Milestone XProtect® Server via two (2) interfaces:

• Built-in Milestone Imaging Server, or
• Milestone Open Network Bridge.

NOTE : Only Imaging Server approach is described in this manual. It is recommended for all new installations. Integration using Milestone Open Network Bridge is a legacy feature that requires additional software installation and configuration. If required, please contact IONODES to obtain an earlier version of this manual describing Milestone Open Network Bridge installation and configuration.

Requirements

This integration requires Milestone XProtect 2021 R2 or later, and the IONODES SDS Plug-in for Milestone XProtect. It is supported by the following editions of the Milestone XProtect VMS: Express+, Professional+, Expert and Corporate.
Installation described in this document supports Imaging Server(s) installed on hosts other than Management Server host. It also supports selecting non- default live streams. These features require plugin version 1.0.2.3 and IONODES SDS firmware 6.8.4.5 or newer.

Warning : Streaming from devices with Privacy Masking enabled is possible by configuring RecorderConfig.xml. However, the stream will display on the SDS without mask applied.

Installation and Configuration

Installing the plug-in

1. Shutdown all Milestone XProtect® client applications, such as the Smart Client, Management Client, and any other client application.

2. Stop all Milestone XProtect® server components and services.

3. Run the IONODES SDS Plug-in for Milestone XProtect installer on the Milestone XProtect® Management server, and on any computer where the XProtect® Smart Client and/or Management Client will be used to configure SDS integration.
   Milestone requires plug-ins to be installed in a specific folder relative to its own installation location (C:\Program Files\Milestone\MIPPlugins by default). If your installation location is different, adjust the plug-in installation path accordingly.

4. Restart all Milestone XProtect® server components and services.

Configuring Imaging Server

1. Once the plug-in is installed, open the XProtect® Management Client. The new IONODES menu item will be available from the Site Navigation pane.
2. From the Tools toolbar menu.
3. Select Options…
4. In the Options window, select the IONODES tab.
5. Select Imaging Server from the drop-down menu.
6. Set the Default Credentials of a Basic User whose Role allows XProtect Smart Client logon and Cameras View Live.
7. Click OK.

Adding Secure Display Station to Milestone XProtect

Once the IONODES SDS plug-in is installed and configured, follow these steps to add a new Secure Display Station (SDS) device to your Milestone system.

1. From the XProtect® Management Client Site Navigation pane, expand the IONODES item and right-click on IONODES Secure Display Station from either the left or center pane.
2. Click Add New…
3. In the Add IONODES Secure Display Station window, enter the name under which the SDS will appear in XProtect® Smart Client.
4. Enter an optional description.
5. Enter the SDS IP Address and select HTTP or HTTPS protocol for communication between the IONODES MIP Plug-in and the SDS (HTTPS recommended).
6. Enter the SDS login credentials.
7. In the Imaging Server Connectivity, check Use Default Imaging Server Credentials to use default settings previously configured in the IONODES SDS Milestone Plug-in options. Alternatively, distinct Imaging Server settings can be configured per SDS.
8. Click OK.
9. Upon successful addition, the SDS will be added with information such as the serial number, firmware version and connection status (Imaging Server configuration shown). Click on the Save toolbar icon.

Note: The steps above show a simple deployment, where a single Imaging Server (Recording Server) is used, and all SDS connect with to it using the same user (Default credentials). It is possible to add any number of Imaging Servers and/or set different credentials for individual SDS. This can be warranted for larger deployments and / or to constrain individual SDS access to specific cameras.

Configuring a secure display station Views

Follow these steps to configure live views on an SDS.

1. From the XProtect Smart Client, select the Live tab.

2. Click on Setup to toggle it ON.

3. Select or create a View with the desired layout you wish to display in the SDS.

4. Drag and drop cameras into tiles to configure the desired view layout and camera assignments. Note that only live camera streams can be displayed. No other types of sources (static image, web content, analytics, etc.) are supported.

5. Once the view configuration is completed, toggle the Setup mode to OFF
   Selecting a non-default Live stream (optional)
   In some situations, it may be necessary or desirable to select non-default live streams. Secondary streams can be configured with lower resolutions and bitrates to reduce load on the network, server(s) and IONODES SDS decoding resources. Once secondary streams are configured from XProtect Management Client for the required cameras, they can be selected in the view and pushed to the SDS, as shown below. From the Setup mode, select a camera tile and scroll down the left pane to the Properties section. From the drop-down menu, select the desired stream.
   Note: Some versions and editions of XProtect® allow configuring live streams to start only when needed. Depending on version and cumulative patch level of the XProtect system, a live video stream request from an IONODES SDS may not trigger the ‘when needed’ condition to start the stream. If this occurs, configuring the stream’s Live mode to ‘Always’ ensures it will be available when an SDS requests it. See troubleshooting section of this guide.

6. From the MIP Plug-ins > IONODES Secure Display Stations section’s drop-down menu, select the SDS display output where the configured view shall be displayed.

7. Click on Copy view to SDS, this will copy the view configuration to the selected SDS.

Note: Secure Display Stations support a maximum of 16 tiles per view. Attempting to send a view with more than 16 tiles will return an error message.

Viewing the Secure Display Station Video Output

Once the SDS is added to Milestone XProtect and live view layout(s) are configured, your SDS Video Output Preview(s) and actual monitoring display should reflect what has been set.
The screenshot below shows how the Video Output preview in the SDS Web GUI looks like after configuring the view from XProtect® Smart Client in the previous section.

The screenshot below shows the actual Video Output on video wall.

To later change the SDS view, repeat steps described in the previous section.

Licensing

When installing the plug-in, it will activate a demo license for ten (10) Secure Display Stations. The demo license has no feature limitation, is valid for 30 days, and followed by a 30-day grace period. Production licenses can be obtained by contacting the IONODES sales team (sales@ionodes.com) or your authorized reseller. Licenses are activated following the same process as Milestone XProtect licensing.

1. From XProtect Management Client’s Site Navigation, expand the Basics menu item and open License Information.
2. Note your system’s Software License Code. This code is required when purchasing an IONODES plug-in license from IONODES or from an authorized reseller.
3. Upon purchase, licenses will be assigned to this system and available through the Milestone Customer Dashboard. Automatic, manual online and manual offline license activation are supported by the plug-in. Refer to Milestone documentation web page, under the Milestone Customer Dashboard header for detailed instructions: https://doc.milestonesys.com/latest/en-US/index.htm

Annex A Troubleshooting Guide

• Video Tiles show “Connection Lost” on the SDS
  • Logon to the SDS web UI and enable the Video Output Stream Details to display troubleshooting information overlays.
  • A continuous Connecting… error with an URI that starts with milestone:// indicates the Imaging Server connection settings, credentials and/or permissions are invalid.
  • A Connection failed error on a video tile could indicate the Milestone® Recording server lost connection with that camera.
  • Alternatively, a Connection failed error on a video tile could indicate the Live stream for that camera has not started. This is more likely to occur when setting a view with non-default live stream(s) On some versions and patch level of XProtect®, it may be required to set the streams’ Live
  • Mode to Always instead of When needed from XProtect® Management Client.
• Cannot add SDS to Milestone
  • Verify the SDS is connected, and its network settings are properly configured.
  • SDS Milestone Plug-in requires credentials for an SDS user with Power user or higher role.

Note: Milestone XProtect® Management Server and/or Smart Client may need to be restarted when settings are changed for troubleshooting.
Note: A View may need to be pushed again from XProtect® Smart Client to the SDS after settings are changed for troubleshooting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is it necessary to use HTTPS protocol for communication?
A: While HTTPS is recommended for secure communication, you can also use HTTP based on your network requirements. However, it is advisable to prioritize HTTPS for enhanced security.

Q: What permissions are required for the Default Credentials user?
A: The Basic User with Default Credentials should have permissions for Smart Client logon and Cameras View Live in XProtect to ensure proper functionality of the SDS device.

References

• IONODES | Video innovations that work for you.
• Milestone Documentation
• Milestone Documentation | Milestone Systems 2024 R1

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