Applies to: OnCloud

Summary

This article provides information and resources to set up cameras with OnCloud Edge Recording, including assigning licenses, configuring cameras, and storage.

Getting Started

To complete the following guide, you need:

An OnCloud Organization setup (see OnCloud: How do I add my organization? for more details).
- At least one Location must be created.

One or more supported cameras.

NOTE: Refer to the list of supported cameras in OnCloud: What cameras are supported? 
to confirm the camera model is compatible with OnCloud.

NOTE: For help with physical connections, please refer to your camera’s manual.

Physically installed with power
SD card(s) inserted in the camera
Wired cameras physically connected to the network

OnCloud Edge Recording Licenses added through the License Manager in OnCloud (see OnCloud: How do I license my cameras?).

Managing Cameras

Updating Firmware

Ensure the camera is updated with the latest Camera firmware, which can be downloaded from the camera product page or using the Wisenet Device Manager.

NOTE: To install the firmware, use the camera’s Web UI or Wisenet Device Manager. 
The Web UI is used for all actions in this guide.

To install the firmware:

Download the firmware for the camera from the camera’s product page.
Log into the Camera Web UI using admin credentials.
Select System > Upgrade/Restart.
Choose the firmware you downloaded in step 1.

Click Upgrade.

IMPORTANT: Do not disconnect the camera power during the upgrade process.

Once the camera is back online, log into the camera Web UI using your admin credentials.
Verify the Camera Firmware is updated.

Installing the OnCloud CloudConnector Application

Once the Camera is updated to the latest firmware, install the Hanwha CloudConnector App. The CloudConnector is an application that allows the camera to connect to and communicate with OnCloud. The latest CloudConnector firmware can be found at Hanwha Vision CloudConnector. Choose the CloudConnector that supports the Series of Camera you are connecting to OnCloud.

To install the OnCloud CloudConnector Application:

Download the latest CloudConnector Application for your camera model from Hanwha Vision CloudConnector.
Unzip the file and extract CloudConnector.cap from the bundle.
Log into the Camera Web UI using admin credentials.
Select Open platform > Open platform on the left hand menu.
Click on the three-dot button to select the CloudConnector.cap from step 2.
Click Install.
Click OK when prompted to confirm you want to install Cloud Connector.

When the pop up appears informing you that the installation was successful, click OK.

NOTE: Install or upgrade may fail with Open Platform error. Reboot the camera to 
resolve.

In the newly added row for Cloud Connector, click Start to launch the application on the camera.
When the application status updates to Running, click Go App to open the CloudConnector page.

Pre-Onboarding Camera Configuration Check

To connect, OnCloud requires your network configuration to support the following protocols: NTP, HTTP; MQTT, WEBRTC; RTP and SRTP; DTLS; RTSP.

Your network MUST allow the camera to connect to the Internet for OnCloud to function. The camera must be connected to the Internet for it to communicate with the OnCloud servers and transmit and receive data.

IMPORTANT: You must enable Network Time Protocol for your network. Network Time Protocol 
syncs cameras to a common, trusted, reliable source, which is necessary for the proper 
functioning of OnCloud.

NOTE: Your DNS must be properly configured and resolve the OnCloud domain names listed 
in OnCloud: Network and firewall requirements.

NOTE: For a complete list of network requirements, see OnCloud: Network and firewall 
requirements.

NOTE: Refer to your camera’s documentation for information on changing network settings. 
You may need to work with your network administrator to ensure that all required ports 
and settings are configured properly.

Claiming a Camera

Your organization’s ID and Short Name are required to connect the camera to your OnCloud.

Your organization’s ID and Short Name can be found in the following locations:

At the top of the Cloud Portal Home Page:
At the top of the Organization Page within OnCloud (the building icon):

Once you have obtained the Organization ID and Short Name, enter it in the CloudConnector Page opened earlier.

Onboarding a Camera in OnCloud

To onboard your camera:

In Cloud Portal, click OnCloud then the Building icon () at the top right.
In the Devices section, click Manage.
Click Onboard Devices.
Click Set Location, then select a location.
Click Set Area, then select an option.

Click Add.

NOTE: It may take 2-3 minutes for the camera to be fully available in the OnCloud 
platform.

In OnCloud, click Cameras to locate your camera and verify streaming.

NOTE: Cameras can also be installed using the OnCloud mobile app or using the Hanwha 
Device manager to bulk add devices. See detailed instructions for bulk adding Hanwha 
Cameras at Device Manager: How do I bulk add direct-to-cloud devices to Hanwha Vision 
Cloud?

Licensing a Camera

After onboarding your camera it automatically receives a 5-day trial license for OnCloud. To use the camera for Edge Recording, you must attach an OnCloud Edge Recording License. We recommend attaching the Edge Recording License before proceeding. OnCloud Edge Recording Licenses are attached in the OnCloud UI, on the camera’s Settings page.

To license a camera:

In Cloud Portal, click OnCloud then the Building icon () at the top right.
In the Devices section, click Manage.
In the device listing, click on the camera to open the camera’s settings.
Click on Licenses to open the Licenses tab.

Click on Attach New License.

NOTE: An attached Cloud CVR license must be removed before attaching an Edge Recording 
License.

From the popup, select an Edge Recording License.

NOTE: Edge Recording Licenses have SD Storage in their name, for example: OnCloud 1 
Year SD Storage (default frame).

NOTE: If the license says N Days Retention, it is an OnCloud Cloud Recording license. 
These licenses are for Cloud-based recording with different settings and configuration. 
Contact your sales person to obtain the appropriate Edge Recording license.

NOTE: If the license list is empty, there are no licenses added or the added licenses 
are not compatible with the camera. Follow the steps in OnCloud: How do I license my 
cameras? to add licenses through the License Manager in OnCloud or contact your sales 
representative for assistance with obtaining the correct licenses.

Click on the radio button for the license you wish to attach.
Click Confirm to attach the license. The window closes and the license is attached to the camera. The camera is ready to setup recording to the SD card.

Setting up Camera to Record Video on the MicroSD Card

To enable OnCloud Edge Recording, install a supported SD card in your camera. If you have not completed this step, please refer to your camera’s manual for details. As a reminder, you should always purchase an OnCloud-certified MicroSD card in the capacity that best meets your needs for your desired recording retention (see OnCloud Edge Recording: How do I Select Camera and Storage? or contact your sales representative for more information).

To set up your camera to record:

Log into OnCloud.
Select Camera > Settings > Storage.

Set Enable Edge Recording.

NOTE: If the card has never been used, it will be formatted if necessary.

The SD Card status updates to Recording and recording begins.

NOTE: If the card has been used with a different system, an error appears and you must 
click Reformat SD Card to prepare the card for OnCloud Edge Recording. Reformatting the 
card will erase all previously saved data.

Once enabled, the camera starts recording video to the MicroSD Card and retains the video based on the specified retention days. For more information on camera storage and retention days, see OnCloud Edge Recording: How do I Select Camera and Storage?

Configure the number of SQ retention days to establish the minimum number of days of standard quality video stored on MicroSD Card.

To set the number of SQ retention days:

Click Edit in the Retention Days section to open the following dialog:
Enter the number of retention days.
Click Save to set the minimum number of SQ recording days. A higher number of SQ recording days reduces the number of HQ recording days the camera can stored.

The number of HQ recording days is also impacted by the recording bitrate.

To configure the recording bitrate:

Click Update Recording Video Profile Settings or switch to the Video Settings tab.
```
NOTE: Higher bitrates result in fewer HQ days being stored on the SD Card and Lower 
bitrates result in more HQ days being retained. Bitrates below 1 Mbps are not 
recommended for HQ video.
```
Your camera is set up. You may wish to make additional changes to your device settings to further customize your OnCloud system.

Device Management

OnCloud allows management of your Camera from anywhere using a browser or the OnCloud mobile app. You can adjust Camera settings, configure Analytics, update firmware, and set up and receive Camera Health alerts to be notified when an OnCloud device requires attention.

OnCloud supports configuration of the most often used Camera settings and provides important information about your Camera including status, network information, and bandwidth usage. In addition, you can proxy directly into the Camera’s local web page to configure less often managed settings. See OnCloud: How do I change camera settings? for detailed information on managing Camera settings using OnCloud.

Setting up Device Health Alerts

Administrators can be alerted when a Camera goes offline/online or for specific events such as fog, shock, defocus, and tampering.

To set up Camera event notifications:

Select the notification icon at the top right corner of any OnCloud page.
Click Notification Settings > Setup a New Notification.
Enter a title for the notification.
Select System Events > Continue.
Select the Camera events for which you want to be notified and continue setting up the notification by following the step-by-step instructions in OnCloud: How do I add a notification?

Resources

For more OnCloud knowledge articles, how-to-videos and downloads, access the OnCloud Help Center.

Apple and Play Store links to OnCloud Apps: