Troubleshooting Avigilon Recording Failures
An Avigilon security system is a powerful tool for protecting your assets, but its value is entirely dependent on its ability to reliably record video. When you discover that your system has failed to record, it can be a significant security concern. The cause can range from simple configuration errors to more complex hardware or network issues.
This guide provides a systematic approach to diagnosing and resolving common recording failures within the Avigilon Control Center (ACC) ecosystem.
Initial Diagnosis: Where to Start
When you notice a gap in your recordings, start with a high-level check of the system's status.
- Check Server Status: Is the Avigilon server online? In the ACC Client software, look at the site explorer on the left. The server icon should be green. If it's red or grey, it indicates the server is offline or disconnected.
- Review System Logs: The ACC logs are an invaluable resource. Navigate to the 'Site Logs' to look for specific error messages related to storage, cameras, or licensing.
- Verify Camera Connectivity: Are the affected cameras online? A camera that is disconnected from the network cannot send video to the server to be recorded.
Common Causes for Recording Failures and Their Solutions
Let's break down the most frequent culprits behind recording failures in an Avigilon system.
1. Storage Issues
This is the most common category of recording problems. If the server has nowhere to save the video data, recording will stop.
What to check:
- Full Storage Volume: The hard drive(s) dedicated to video storage may be full.
- Solution: In ACC Site Setup, go to the server and select 'Storage'. Check the status of your storage volume(s). If a drive is full, you need to either enable the 'Overwrite oldest footage' option or add more storage capacity.
- Storage Drive Disconnected or Failed: A hard drive may have failed or become disconnected.
- Solution: The 'Storage' section in ACC will show the drive as 'Unavailable' or 'Error'. You will need to physically inspect the server to check drive connections and health. You may need to replace the faulty hard drive.
- No Storage Assigned: The cameras may not be assigned to a storage volume.
- Solution: In the camera's setup section, go to the 'Recording' tab and ensure it is correctly assigned to a functioning storage volume.
2. Camera Configuration and Scheduling
The problem may not be with the server but with the settings of the individual cameras.
What to check:
- Recording Schedule: Each camera is set to record based on a schedule. It might be configured to 'Never', or the schedule might not cover the time of the incident.
- Solution: Go to the camera's 'Recording' settings. Ensure the schedule is set correctly, for example, to 'Record always' or 'Record on motion'. Verify the correct schedule is applied to the correct times of day.
- Recording Disabled: The recording for a camera might be manually disabled.
- Solution: On the same 'Recording' tab, ensure that the master 'Recording' toggle is enabled for that specific camera.
3. Network and Connectivity Problems
For video data to be recorded, it must travel from the camera to the server over the network.
What to check:
- Camera Disconnected: The camera may have lost its network connection.
- Solution: In the ACC client, the camera will be shown as 'Disconnected'. You need to troubleshoot the network path to that camera. Check the network cable, the switch port it's connected to, and its power supply (especially for PoE cameras). Use the 'Ping' command from the server to test for a network response from the camera's IP address.
- Insufficient Bandwidth: If too many cameras are streaming high-resolution video over a limited network, it can lead to packet loss and recording gaps.
- Solution: Review your network topology. Consider using the camera's secondary stream for motion detection to reduce the constant bandwidth load. You may need to segment your network or upgrade your network hardware.
4. Licensing and Software Issues
Finally, ensure your Avigilon software and licenses are in order.
What to check:
- Invalid License: A camera channel license may be missing or invalid for a specific camera.
- Solution: In the 'Site Setup' section, go to 'Licenses'. Verify that you have an available and valid license for every camera connected to the system.
If you've worked through these steps and are still unable to resolve the recording failure, it's time to contact your certified Avigilon partner or Avigilon technical support. Provide them with the system logs and the troubleshooting steps you've already taken to expedite the resolution process.