MEGApix - Initial Setup of a CaaS Camera

First Time Setup of a MEGApix CaaS Camera

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Affected Roles: Owner, Administrator

Related Digital Watchdog Apps: DW Spectrum IPVMS, DW IP Finder

Last Edit: August 2, 2024

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Initial Configuration Setup

The DW MEGApix CaaS (Camera as a System) Camera Series is comprised of Digital Watchdog IP cameras that feature regular IP camera functionality but with the ability to act as its own, individual DW Spectrum Server as well.

This article will outline the initial setup process of a new DW MEGApix CaaS camera.

**NOTE: Do not merge CaaS cameras with standard DW Spectrum Systems. CaaS cameras are already acting as individual recording servers and use an ARM version of the standard DW Spectrum IPVMS program. The DW Spectrum Client (desktop version) will automatically detect the presence of the CaaS Edge Server during setup.

Supported/Affected Devices:

MEGApix® CaaS Camera Series

What to Know Before Starting

CaaS cameras use a version of DW Spectrum called “Spectrum Edge” – a version of DW Spectrum’s computing and storage resources at the location where data and video is produced.
CaaS cameras should only be merged with other CaaS cameras, up to a maximum of 30 CaaS cameras in total, per environment. Exceeding this camera limit or merging with a standard DW Spectrum Server may lead to operating issues.
CaaS cameras are designed to be used as their own server. They store data locally on a mounted DS Memory Card and are not designed for the purpose of being added to external recording solutions, such as the standard DW Spectrum Server computer version. Do not merge CaaS cameras with regular (non-Edge) DW Spectrum Systems.

For more information regarding CaaS cameras, check out the KB article – CaaS Explained.

Configuring a CaaS Camera

If this is your first time configuring a CaaS camera, use the guide below to learn about the step-by-step process.

Step 1 – Collecting Camera Information

Before mounting the camera in its installation location, collect the following information for your personal reference:

Product Model Number
Serial Number
Recording License Key

This information can be found on the physical sticker that is pasted on the camera housing. This will typically be on the underside/foot of vandal dome models or on the underbelly of bullet models.

Keep this information easily accessible in your records as it will be needed in the unlikely event of a licensing issue or other problems related to the camera.

Step 2 – Configuring Network Settings

After powering and connecting the CaaS camera to the local camera network, some networking configuration may be required. A new camera will use a DHCP addressing protocol by default.

If the camera is connected to a network router or network switch with DHCP capability, the camera will automatically be provided with an IP address to match the subnetwork.
If the camera has been connected to a device without a DHCP service, the CaaS camera will continue to use its default IP Address (192.168.1.80).

If a camera is not accessible due to not being assigned an appropriate IP Address for the camera subnet, or if you need to change the IP Address that has been assigned to the camera, install the latest version of the DW IP Finder program. This application can be used to scan and locate DW MEGApix cameras within the network. Once found, you can assign the needed IP Address changes to cameras using DW IP Finder or manually assign an IP address directly to the camera with a web browser.

Step 3 – Updating Camera Firmware

DW MEGApix cameras are shipped to distributors with the latest camera firmware version that is available at that time. However, depending on how quickly the distributor sells and refreshes their stock, the camera may not have the latest firmware release at the time of the customer’s purchase.

Using up-to-date camera firmware is recommended since each released version will contain bug-fixes, quality-of-life improvements, and necessary updates to how the camera communicates with its recording server.

When using a new CaaS camera, compare the firmware version of the camera to the version available on the Digital Watchdog website – https://digital-watchdog.com.

Use the DW Product Selector and locate the Downloads section on the product page of your camera model to find the most recent firmware version.

If the camera firmware is outdated, you can upgrade the camera firmware directly using the camera’s web interface or uploaded with DW IP Finder.

For more information about updating camera firmware, check out the article - Updating DW MEGApix Camera Firmware.

Step 4 – Updating DW Spectrum Edge Firmware

DW MEGApix CaaS cameras are devices that both create camera video streams and record video locally. As so, each CaaS camera uses two different firmware types to operate as intended.

DW MEGApix Camera Firmware – responsible for running regular IP camera services (video stream creation, security authentication, etc.)
DW Spectrum Edge Firmware – responsible for providing DW Spectrum Edge services (video record archival, system configurations, etc.)

It is important to be able to discern between these two firmware types when using CaaS cameras.

**CRITICAL NOTE: It is highly recommended that the DW MEGApix Camera Firmware is up to date before updating the DW Spectrum Edge version. This will help to reduce the likelihood of issues arising during DW Spectrum Edge updates.

While DW Spectrum IPVMS major release versions are released every year or so, there may be instances where the DW Spectrum Edge version on a new camera is outdated as distributor stock is unlikely to be updated before being sold, whenever an update is released.

Two ways that the DW Spectrum Edge version can be updated include:

Method 1: Manually Update – The current DW Spectrum Edge version can be found on the product page for all currently supported CaaS cameras. The file will be downloaded as a compressed zip format. It is not required to extract the files from the compressed folder to implement the update.

New DW Spectrum Edge firmware can be uploaded in the camera’s Edge > DW Spectrum Edge menu.

Method 2: Automatic Update – The DW Spectrum Edge version that comes pre-installed with the CaaS camera will be able to automatically scan for Edge updates if provided with Internet access. However, this method may not always have the true latest version as it is common to “soft-release” a new version before it is uploaded to the update server.

**NOTE: The DW Spectrum Edge Server will automatically begin to run when the CaaS camera is powered ON and should not require action on the users part to do so. However, if you need to manually START or STOP the Edge Server, you can do so in the DW Spectrum Edge Control section of the camera’s EDGE menu.

Step 5 – Date & Time Configuration

When using CaaS cameras as self-contained servers, it is important to ensure that the Time Synchronization between all devices is accurate. DW Spectrum’s archive management relies upon the date and time configuration being correct to effectively retrieve recorded video for video playback. While the desktop version of DW Spectrum Server uses the computer’s local time settings for time synchronization, DW Spectrum Edge uses the date and time settings as configured within the CaaS camera itself.

To configure the Date & Time Settings, open the System > Date & Time Settings menu and confirm the following:

Camera is using the correct TimeZone setting
Camera is using the correct Date and Time (hh:mm:ss)

**NOTE: You have the option to use the Synchronize with time server (NTP) setting to have the camera automatically check its time settings, but Internet access for the camera will be required to use this setting. If the CaaS camera cannot reach the NTP server while using this setting, recording properties will be affected.

Step 6 – DW Spectrum IPVMS Setup

While the CaaS camera contains the recording media and Edge Server program, users will need to utilize the DW Spectrum Client to directly interact with the DW Spectrum IPVMS platform and to complete the CaaS setup.

Part 6.1 – Install DW Spectrum Client

If you have not already done so, install the DW Spectrum Client program on a computer.

You can find the current and previous versions of the DW Spectrum Client on the DW Spectrum IPVMS product page. Scroll down and select the Downloads tab, then locate the Software section to obtain the installation file for the DW Spectrum IPVMS Client.

**NOTE: Make sure to use the same version of DW Spectrum Client that matches the version of DW Spectrum Edge that is being used by your CaaS camera. DO NOT install the DW Spectrum Bundle or DW Spectrum Server programs as this will also install the desktop server version on your computer, which can create problems with CaaS cameras.

Part 6.2 – Finding the CaaS with DW Spectrum Client

After installing the DW Spectrum Client, launch the application.

The DW Spectrum Client will automatically scan the local network for DW Spectrum Systems and should detect the CaaS camera’s Edge Server. Select the Edge Server and enter the Owner credentials.

Default Edge login is admin|admin12345
You can change the Owner/admin password for the new CaaS system in the User settings menu within the DW Spectrum Client. Be aware that the DW Spectrum System password is a separate set of credentials from the login used when logging in to the CaaS camera directly with its web interface.

If the DW Spectrum Client does not automatically detect the CaaS Edge Server, click the “Connect to Server” tile to manually input the CaaS Edge Server’s IP address, Port (default is 7001), and Owner login.

**NOTE: If you have connected multiple new CaaS cameras to the network and the DW Spectrum Client has detected several new Edge Servers, select one to act as the lead server. The additional CaaS cameras can be merged (up to 30 CaaS cameras) in with the lead server to create a single, unified CaaS System later.

**WARNING: If you are using a pre-built DW Blackjack Server during this setup, DO NOT use the localhost tile when setting up your CaaS cameras. This may inadvertently lead you to merge CaaS cameras with the desktop server type.

Part 6.3 – Disabling Time Synchronization (optional)

If the CaaS camera does not have Internet network access, it is recommended to disable the Time Synchronization setting from within the DW Spectrum Client. This will ensure that the CaaS Edge Server does not attempt to synchronize with an NTP Server (time server), which could lead to issues with recording properties.

To disable time synchronization:

Open the Main Menu and select “System Administration”.
In the System Administration window, select the “Time Synchronization” tab.
Disable the “Sync Time with the Internet” setting.

Part 6.4 – Verifying Recording Licenses

By default, the CaaS camera will come with one (1) DW Spectrum Edge License applied. You can verify that the license has been activated by using the DW Spectrum Client.

Open the System Administration > Licenses menu and verify that there is at least one (1) DW Spectrum Edge License per added CaaS camera.

Part 6.5 – Verifying Storage

The CaaS camera’s SD Memory Card acts as the local storage for the Edge Server.

To verify that the storage is detected by the Edge Server:

Right-click on the Server (left panel) and select “Server Settings”.
Select the Storage Management tab and verify that the SD Memory Card storage is detected and enabled for recording.
If the SD Memory Card is not detected for the Server, you may need to format the SD Memory Card using the CaaS camera’s web interface (Storage Configuration menu).

Part 6.6 – Configuring Recording

If the DW Spectrum Edge License and SD Memory Card Storage have been confirmed for the CaaS camera, activate the recording function for the camera.

Right-click on the camera (left panel), select “Camera Settings”, then click on the Recording tab.

In the Recording menu, activate the “Recording” toggle to enable the license and allow the camera to record video for the Edge Server. You can configure the recording settings for the camera in the Recording Schedule section of the menu.

Be sure to click the Apply button to save any changes.

Part 7 – Merging Additional CaaS Cameras

If you have additional CaaS cameras connected to the local network, you can now merge them with the lead Server to create a single, unified CaaS System. You can merge up to 30 individual CaaS Cameras into a single system.

To merge, right-click on the System (left panel) and select “Merge Systems”.

In the Merge Systems window, enter the IP address of the additional CaaS camera that you want to merge. You can click the drop-down in the Server URL box to select a detected System.

Default Edge login is admin|admin12345

This completes the initial setup of the DW MEGApix CaaS Camera System. You may configure your System by adding it to your DW Cloud account or expand storage by adding an external DW NAS Device if needed.