Linux-based NVR Recording/Export Video/Schedule Backup, A Linux-based Network Video Recorder (NVR) is a standalone hardware device running a custom, embedded Linux operating system designed specifically to manage, record, and stream video from IP security cameras.

Unlike PC-based NVRs that run on standard Windows desktop or server environments, Linux NVRs are purpose-built “black box” appliances.

These systems are the industry standard for most commercial and residential surveillance installations due to a few core architectural advantages:

[Linux-based NVR] What characters are allowed in the Backup FTP Server’s authorization?

Question

If the issue “Failed to back up recordings” occurs, please check whether the configured username and password contain any characters that are not within the supported specifications.

This article explains which characters are allowed in the Backup FTP Server’s authorization (Username and Password).

Answer

Only the following characters are allowed in the Backup FTP server’s username and password: [0–9] [a–z] [A–Z] [-].
If the password contains any characters outside this list, the NVR will not be able to recognize it, and the recording backup to the FTP server will fail.

[Linux-based NVR] Is there a function that can allow me to delete the NVR recordings manually?

Question

Is there a function that can allow me to delete the NVR recordings manually?

Answer

There is no specific function the NVR that allows users to manually delete recordings in the NVR. While there isn’t a dedicated command for this function, you can manage your recording storage effectively by setting the number of days the recordings should be kept on the Hard Disk Drive (HDD).

Please follow the next steps to configure the video retention settings for your NVR device.

Step 1. Log in to your NVR device’s interface.

Step 2. Access the NVR configurations by clicking on the gear icon in the web interface.

Step 3. In the configuration interface, go to the Camera > Recording section.

Step 4. Select the camera you would like to configure and locate the section titled ‘Keep recording data’. Here, you can set the number of days you wish to retain the recordings on the HDD of this specific device.

When you modify the retention settings, the system will begin deleting recordings starting from the oldest folder. This means you won’t lose your most recent recordings in the process. If you choose ‘1 day,’ the NVR will wait until one full day is recorded and then it will start deleting. For example, if recordings were performed on Monday, 1/1/2023, the recordings will be deleted on the next day, Tuesday, 2/1/2023.

[Linux-based NVRs] How to read the old recording disks on new NVR?

Question

How to read the old recording disks on new NVR?

Answer

Please notice that following steps are only for same NVR models:
1. Restore new NVR to default and power it off
2. Export old NVR configuration and power it off*
3. Remove the disks from old NVR and remember their order
4. Insert disks to new NVR with the same order and power it on**
5. Import old NVR configuration to new NVR***

​
*Our NVR doesn’t support hot swapping, please remember to power it off before remove or insert disks.
**If you operate above steps via local monitor not web browser, please click “Skip setup” to avoid disk being formatted.

***If you import old NVR configuration before inserting disks to new NVR, the disks settings won’t be applied because there is no disk on new NVR.

How to keep the recording file after reset the NVR?(from local display user interface)

Question

How to keep previous recording file if I want to reset the NVR? (from web user interface)

Answer

[Linux-based NVRs] Why does the used space still show 0 GB even though there are some recordings on the disk?

Question

Why does the used space still show 0 GB even though there are some recordings on the disk?

Answer

For our NVR, the used disk volume is displayed as an integer instead of a decimal. Therefore, when the used disk volume is less than 1 GB, it will show as 0 GB.

[Linux-based NVRs] How to export videos from NVR HDD to a Windows PC

QUESTION

How to export videos from NVR HDD (Linux based) to a Windows PC?

ANSWER

This guide will explain how to export or copy files from the NVR’s HDD (Linux based) to a Windows PC. A ND8322P and Windows 7 PC will be used for this guide. Important note: turn the NVR OFF before extracting the HDD otherwise it could get damaged.

Steps:

Step 1. Connect the HDD to a Windows PC (you can use an external enclosure or connect it directly to the Mother board)

Step 2. Download a Linux reader to read ext4 files contained in the HDD, in this guide we will use Diskinternals Linux reader (Download link: http://www.diskinternals.com/download/Linux_Reader.exe ).

Step 3. After you open the Linux reader, it will automatically read all the drives connected to your PC

Step 4. In the Hard Drive section, you will find two Linux Ext drives, each one of them represents a partition in the NVR HDD.

Step 5. One partition contains the media data in where all the videos are stored (/opt/medi/volume0) and one partition contains database information (/opt/database).

Step 6. After opening the /opt/medi/volume0 partition you will find multiple folders, each one containing the recordings accordingly to the camera numbers (Please see NVR camera number designation).

Step 7. For example, If you want to export the recordings of camera 11, open the REC-10 file (Note: Cameras are denominated starting from 0, not 1),

Then select the folder with the recording you are looking and click the “Save” button.

Step 8. Select a folder in where you want to save the recordings, then click the “Next” button.

Step 9. After you select the destination folder, the wizard will show you a list of the documents that are going to be exported.

Step 10. When the exporting process if finished, you can go to the destination folder and play the recordings.

Important Notes: If the NVR was configured in RAID 3 or 5 you will need to attach all the disks otherwise the software won’t be able to read the partition.

[Linux-based NVR] How long does it normally takes to sync a HDD to a RAID volume

QUESTION

How long does it normally takes to sync a HDD to a RAID volume?

ANSWER

When installing or configuring the NVR HDD for the first time, you will need to create volumes. These volumes will serve as the area used for recording. When syncing an HDD to a volume, the NVR reformats each data block to conform to the volume’s format. Data blocks are like bricks that make up the volume. Depending on the volume configuration (RAID 0, 1, or 5), the blocks will be assigned differently—some will be divided, while others will be combined.

The syncing process time depends on the size of the HDD used and the time it takes to write each block of data (HDD format).

The NVR’s format at a rate of 20MB/s (block write speed) in order to avoid affecting the NVR functionalities. So, by using the above formula, if you have a HDD of 4TB it will take 27.8 hours to finish syncing.

[Linux-based NVR]I forgot my password for NVR, how to access HDD to obtain recording without password?

QUESTION

[Linux-based NVR]I forgot my password for NVR, how to access HDD to obtain recording without password?

ANSWER

If you were recording with single disk, without doing RAID：
You could directly remove the HDD from NVR to other PC, and read the content with LINUX reader e.g. https://www.diskinternals.com/linux-reader/ 

A Linux-based Network Video Recorder (NVR) is a standalone hardware device running a custom, embedded Linux operating system designed specifically to manage, record, and stream video from IP security cameras.

Unlike PC-based NVRs that run on standard Windows desktop or server environments, Linux NVRs are purpose-built “black box” appliances.

These systems are the industry standard for most commercial and residential surveillance installations due to a few core architectural advantages: