Troubleshooting Verkada Cloud Storage Issues
Verkada's hybrid cloud architecture is a powerful system, providing both onboard storage for reliability and cloud-based access for convenience. However, when you encounter issues like missing footage, connection errors, or problems with archiving, it can disrupt your security operations. This guide provides a professional walkthrough to help you diagnose and resolve common Verkada cloud storage problems efficiently.
Understanding Verkada's Hybrid Cloud Model
Before troubleshooting, it's essential to understand how the system works. Each Verkada camera continuously records footage to its built-in solid-state drive (SSD). Simultaneously, it uploads video data and metadata to the AWS cloud, making it accessible from anywhere through the Verkada Command platform. This dual-storage approach ensures that even if your internet connection goes down, the camera keeps recording. The issue usually lies in the connection between the camera and the cloud.
Step-by-Step Guide to Resolving Cloud Storage Problems
Follow these steps to systematically pinpoint the source of the problem.
### 1. Verify Camera Status and Network Connectivity in Command
Your first stop should always be the Verkada Command portal.
- Check Camera Status: Log in to your Command account and navigate to the camera in question. Look at its status indicator. If the camera is marked as "Offline" or "Disconnected," it cannot upload footage to the cloud.
- Review Network Health: Verkada provides network health analytics. Check for high latency or packet loss, which can indicate an unstable network connection that would interfere with cloud uploads.
### 2. Inspect Your Local Network Infrastructure
If the camera is offline, the problem is almost always local to your network.
- Check Power: Ensure the camera is receiving power. If it's a Power over Ethernet (PoE) device, verify that the network switch port is active and providing adequate power. Look for the camera's LED status lights to confirm it's powered on.
- Verify Ethernet Connection: Check the physical Ethernet cable connecting the camera to your network switch. Ensure it's securely plugged in at both ends. Try using a different cable or port on the switch to rule out faulty hardware.
- Firewall and Port Configuration: This is a common culprit in enterprise environments. Verkada cameras need to communicate with specific cloud endpoints. Ensure your firewall is not blocking outbound traffic on port 443 (HTTPS). Refer to Verkada's official documentation for the list of required hostnames to be whitelisted.
### 3. Address Gaps in Video Footage
If you notice grey bars or gaps in your video timeline, it means the Command platform did not receive footage for that period.
- Correlate with Offline Events: The gaps will almost always align with times the camera was reported as offline in the device history.
- Onboard Storage as a Backup: Remember that during an internet outage, the camera continues to record locally. Once connectivity is restored, it will begin uploading the buffered footage. The gap will fill in automatically as the backlog is uploaded. The time this takes depends on the length of the outage and your network's upload bandwidth.
### 4. Troubleshoot Archiving and Export Failures
If you're having trouble creating video archives or exporting clips, consider the following:
- Ensure Camera is Online: An archive cannot be created if the camera is currently offline, as the footage needs to be retrieved from the device for the archiving process.
- Check Archive Storage Limits: Ensure you have not exceeded your organisation's cloud archive storage limits.
- Bandwidth Considerations: Creating a large archive requires significant upload bandwidth from the camera's location. If the network is heavily congested, the process can be slow or time out. Try creating the archive during off-peak hours.
When to Contact Verkada Support
If you have validated the camera's power, physical connections, and your network's firewall settings, and you are still experiencing persistent cloud storage issues, it's time to escalate the problem. Contact Verkada's technical support team with the camera's serial number and a description of the troubleshooting steps you have already taken. Their team can perform deeper remote diagnostics to identify the root cause.