Avigilon: How to Fix Issues with Saving Video Locally

Troubleshooting Local Storage and Export Issues with Avigilon

The Avigilon security platform is renowned for its robust recording and management capabilities. However, issues can arise when attempting to save footage locally, either by exporting from the Avigilon Control Center (ACC) Client or by recording directly to a camera's onboard storage. This guide addresses common problems and provides solutions for system administrators and operators.

Problem 1: Cannot Export Video from the ACC Client to a Local Drive

You've found the video clip you need, but when you try to export it, the process fails or generates an error. This is often a permissions or configuration issue.

Solution Checklist:

1. Check User Permissions:

   • Log in to the ACC Client with an administrator account.
   • Navigate to the Users & Groups setup tab.
   • Select the user group of the affected user.
   • Under Client Privileges, ensure that the "Export video" permission is explicitly enabled.

2. Verify Local Folder Permissions:

   • The user needs to have write permissions for the destination folder on the local computer.
   • Right-click the target folder, select Properties, and go to the Security tab to verify permissions.
   • Try exporting to a different folder, such as the Desktop or My Documents, to rule out a folder-specific issue.

3. Run as Administrator:

   • Close the ACC Client.
   • Right-click on the ACC Client icon and select "Run as administrator".
   • This can overcome certain operating system-level permission restrictions.

4. Check for Sufficient Disk Space:

   • Ensure the destination drive has enough free space to accommodate the video export. High-resolution Avigilon footage can result in very large file sizes.

Problem 2: Camera Is Not Recording to its Onboard SD Card

Many Avigilon cameras support onboard storage via a microSD card, which is crucial for redundancy. If the camera isn't recording to it, the card may be full, faulty, or misconfigured.

Solution Checklist:

1. Access the Camera's Web Interface:

   • Find the camera's IP address.
   • Type the IP address into a web browser to access the camera's configuration pages.
   • Log in with the camera's administrator credentials.

2. Check SD Card Status:

   • Navigate to the Storage or SD Card section.
   • Here you can view the card's status (e.g., Normal, Error, Not Present), its total capacity, and the amount of used space.
   • If the card reports an error, it may need to be reformatted. Note: Formatting will erase all footage on the card. Use the format function within the camera's web interface.
   • If formatting fails or the card is still not recognised, the card itself may have failed and should be replaced. Use a high-endurance microSD card for best results.

3. Configure Recording and Retention:

   • In the camera's settings, ensure that recording to onboard storage is enabled.
   • You can set up recording schedules and retention policies (e.g., how many days of footage to keep before overwriting). Ensure these settings are configured to meet your organisation's needs.

Problem 3: Recorded Video Fails to Back Up to a Network Share (NAS)

If you have configured your ACC Server to back up or archive footage to a network-attached storage (NAS) device and it's failing, the issue is almost always related to network connectivity or permissions.

Solution Checklist:

1. Verify Network Path:

   • In the ACC Admin Tool or Server Setup, double-check that the network path to the share (e.g., \\\\NAS-Server\\VideoArchive) is typed correctly.

2. Check Service Account Permissions:

   • The Windows service that runs the ACC Server needs to have full read/write permissions on the network share.
   • By default, this might be the Local System account, which often does not have network access rights.
   • It is best practice to configure the Avigilon Control Center Server service to run under a dedicated service account that has been granted the necessary permissions on the NAS.

3. Test Network Connectivity and Firewall:

   • From the ACC Server machine, try to manually browse to the network share in Windows Explorer to confirm basic connectivity.
   • Ensure that no firewalls on the server, the NAS, or on network hardware in between are blocking the necessary SMB/CIFS ports (typically TCP port 445).

By systematically checking these configuration and permission settings, you can resolve most issues related to saving Avigilon footage locally or to a network drive.