Before you install Axxon Next:

• Ensure Servers are connected to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
• Install all the latest Windows service/update packs.
• Synchronize the system time with world time and specify the correct time zone.
• For each Server, specify a unique Windows hostname.
• Specify a new password for the account of local administrator.
• Synchronize the time of all Servers and IP devices.
• Create another administrator account for backup. Specify a password for it.

Axxon Next installation (see Installation, Update):

• Use the new port range 20111-20210 (see Network settings utility, Ports used by the Axxon Next Software Package).
• PostgreSQL:
  1. Do not install it on the same disk to which the archive is recorded.
  2. If possible, install it on SSD.
• VMDA database:
  1. If possible, do not install it on the system drive.
  2. If possible, install it on SSD for faster archive search.
  3. Consider the disk space required for the database (see Disk storage subsystem requirements). 30 days / 100 cameras ~ 500 Gb.

Antivirus configuration (see Appendix 4. Using Axxon Next with anti-virus software):

• Skip all scans/verifications regarding the following processes:

  1. consul.exe;
  2. nomad.exe;
  3. apphost.exe;
  4. postgres.exe.
• Skip all scans/verifications for the following folders:
  1. C:\ProgramData\AxxonSoft\AxxonNext;
  2. C:\Program Files\AxxonSoft\AxxonNext;
  3. C:\Program Files\Common Files\AxxonSoft;
  4. Postgres and VMDA folders if they are not default.
• Skip all scans/verifications on the following network ports:
  1. 20109-20210;
  2. 4000 (only for Failover installation type);
  3. 4646-4648 (only for Failover installation type);
  4. 8300-8302 (only for Failover installation type);
  5. 8500 (only for Failover installation type);
  6. 8600 (only for Failover installation type).

Initial setup:

• Activate the licenses (see Creating an activation request, Activation by applying license file).
• Сhange root password (see Working with users).
• For Server only: add Client auto-logout after 1 hour (see Configuring automatic exiting and locking of the Client).
• Create the archive before adding cameras (see Creating archives).

Camera configuration (see The Video Camera Object):

• Connect the cameras to the Servers.
• Ensure that the time of all cameras and Servers is synchronized.
• Add the cameras to the system (see Adding and removing IP devices, Bulk creation of IP devices). Preferred protocol: ONVIF generic.

• Multistreaming:

  1. Make sure that for each camera different stream IDs are selected as High quality and Low quality streams.

  2. Low quality stream settings should be lower than the High quality stream.
• Codec type: do not use MJPEG*.
• FPS: Low quality stream fps >= 6.
• Resolution:
  1. Aspect ratio should be the same for Low and High quality streams*.
  2. Low quality stream resolution >= 640x360.
  3. Low quality stream resolution <= 1280x720.
• Bitrate:

  1. Recommended type*: VBR + limit.

  2. Recommended bitrate: 1 mbps per 1 MP.

• GOV (also known as GOP, I Frame, etc.): it is recommended to have at least one keyframe per second. 
  
  *May differ for different camera models.

Archive configuration (see Configuring Archives):

• Each archive should consist of two or more volumes. The size of one volume should not exceed 20 TB.

• Link each camera to at least one archive.

• Configure recording to the archive (permanent or triggered by detection tools) for each camera.

• Make sure pre-recording is enabled (> 1 sec).

• Note that after you re-create the archive, it is necessary to re-create all recording rules in the detection tool settings or Programming settings.

Detection tool configuration (see Configuring detection tools):

• The motion detection tool should operate on a low quality stream (see Configuring VMD).
• Add privacy masks:
  1. For the time indicator.
  2. For uninformative areas of the frame (for example, for a TV).
• Create automatic rules for recording to the archive (see Automatic Rules).
• Use a GPU for the detection tools operation if there is one.

Automatic notifications (see Configuring Macros):

• Create and configure an email notification (see The E-mail Object).
• Configure a cyclic macro command (once a day) to check if all cameras are recording (see Checking for archive video recordings, Cyclical macros).
• Configure event macros based on statistical data (CPU load, free disk space, see Triggering macros by statistical data).

Users and roles (see Configuring user permissions):

• Create and configure the roles (see Creating and configuring roles).
• Create the users (see Working with users).
• Create the layouts and share them to users (see Configuring Layouts).
• Check your setup by logging in under different user accounts and verifying the interface and permissions.

Backups (see Backing up a configuration):

• Create a new backup:
  1. After you complete the system configuration.
  2. Before you update to a new version.
  3. After you update to a new version.
  4. Periodically (recommended period is 1 month).

• To restore the configuration, use the backup created on the same version of software (see Restoring a configuration). Example: if backup was created on v. 4.3 then restore it only on v. 4.3; if you also need to update to 4.5 then first restore it on 4.3 and then update to 4.5.

Web Client (see Working with Axxon Next Through the Web Client):

• Do not use H.265 in camera settings — it will cause the stream recompression on the Server side. It is recommended to use H.264 for such cameras.
• Change the HTTP port from 80 to a custom port (see Configuring the web server).

System check:

• Monitor the CPU load (<= 60%).
• Monitor the RAM load (<= 60%).
• Monitor the disk load:
  1. Active time is lower than 50%.

  2. Average response time is lower than 1 sec.

• Monitor free disk space: system drive has not less than 20 GB.
• Use the statistics panel in Web client (see Viewing Camera and Archive Statistics).