Standalone VGA Grid User Guide
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Configuration preset considerations

Configuration presets are groups of settings applied to the system, leaving other settings intact. The following considerations will help you get the most from your configuration presets.

Channel and recorder index number behavior

Each channel and recorder has an index number. The first channel created on a system is channel 1, subsequently channel 2, 3, 4, etc. Recorders are also created starting at index 1 with numbers incrementing as new recorders are created. The channel (or recorder) index number is found to the left of the channel or recorder name in the Admin panel:

Configuration presets that contain the channels configuration group specify the channels in the preset by their index number. This means if you have channels 1, 2, 3 and 4 when you save your preset, applying that preset will overwrite the configuration of your current channels with indexes 1, 2, 3 and 4. If prior to applying that preset you also had channels with indexes 5 and 6, the configuration settings for those two channels are erased when the preset is applied (because the preset only has 4 channels).

There are three areas where channel (and recorder) index numbers affect what happens when applying configuration presets. Read Recording and streaming statesRecorded files (in channels and recorders) and Deleting channels for more information.

Recording and streaming states

The Configuration groups section of this chapter shows that each channel and recorder's recording and streaming state is included in the channels configuration group. This means that if a channel is streaming or a channel (or recorder) is recording at the time you create a configuration preset, it will immediately start recording (or streaming) when you apply that preset. Similarly, if a configuration preset is saved when channels or recorders are not recording (or streaming), those channels and recorders will not be recording (streaming) when the preset is applied

This means a channel or recorder may stop recording or streaming as a result of applying the preset.

For example, when applying a preset with channel 3 set to record (the same example applies for streaming):

  • If channel 3 exists prior to applying the preset and is already recording, the file will continue recording uninterrupted unless the recording file type is different in the preset (in which case a new file is started).
  • If channel 3 exists prior to applying the preset and is not already recording, it immediately begins recording.
  • If no channel with index 3 exists prior to applying the preset, the channel is created and it immediately begins recording.

Recorded files (in channels and recorders)

Channels and recorders keep a list of files recorded in their Recordings section of the Admin panel. These files remain on the system even if the channel or recorder configuration is changed or removed as a result of applying a configuration preset.

For example, prior to applying your configuration preset, you have channels with indexes 1, 2 and 3; each of these has five recording files. When you apply a configuration preset that has channels with index 1 and 2 only, you'll notice those channels each still have the same 5 recording files. Channel with index 3 is no longer present, but the files are not lost!

Overwritten channel files are still available. To access and download/delete these recorded files, enter the following into the address bar: http://<deviceIP>/admin/channelN/archive or http://<deviceIP>/admin/recorderN/archive, where N is the index of the removed channel/recorder.

For example, if a Channel with index 3 is no longer present, its corresponding files can be accessed by entering the following into the address bar:

  • http://192.168.0.183/admin/channel3/archive

If you now create a new channel with index 3 (or load a preset that contains a channel with index 3), you'll find it starts with five recorded files in the Recordings section. These are the same recorded files that existed at the start of this example.

Furthermore, if you delete any of the recordings, you are deleting the only instance of those files. Using our previous example, if you delete one of the five recordings from channel index 1, you'll find that even after applying different presets channel 1 will have only four recorded files.

Deleting channels

Recorded files are stored on the system based on their channel or recorder number. All files saved for channel index 1 are in one folder, and all files for recorder index 2 are in another. When you delete a channel (or recorder), you permanently delete all recordings for that channel (or recorder) even if those recordings were made while a different preset is applied.

Applying a configuration preset with a different set of channels or recorders is not the same as deleting a channel.

When deleting a channel or recorder that has recorded files, the Admin panel warns you of other configuration presets that use the same channel or recorder index numbers. When you see this prompt, we recommend you take a moment to look through the Recordings list to make sure you're OK to proceed with permanently deleting all the recorded files.

Branding content

Branding content files (logos, background images, etc) are included in your configuration presets and must be present on the system when creating a preset that includes the Channels group, otherwise a failure is reported.

Configuration presets are not user profiles

Configuration presets should not be confused with the concept of user profiles. Specifically, the following issues arise from trying to use configuration presets as user profiles:

  • recorded files are not removed between application of configuration presets (users could see each other's files)
  • configuration presets can be overwritten and deleted with no password (users could affect each other's presets)
  • branding and recorded files can be deleted, affecting more than just the currently applied configuration presets (users could erase branding or recordings belonging to other users)
  • applying a configuration presets does not clear the settings from groups not part of the preset (user information is not private)