3VR AMAG Symmetry Integration
Single Console uses the AMAG interface to search and view live and recorded videos using specific events triggered in AMAG Symmetry. The integration provides the ability to manage and view 3VR VMS Servers and associated channels.
Supported Features
The following are supported:
Manage and view 3VR VMS Servers and 3VR cameras
View live video
Play back video
Manipulate PTZ cameras
View Symmetry events in 3VR OpCenter
3VR cameras can generate events in Symmetry (motion, etc.)
Limitations
The following are not supported:
PTZ presets
Appliance online/offline notifications
Auto-discovery of 3VR appliances (recorders)
System Requirements
Below are the minimum software requirements for AMAG Symmetry integration. For Symmetry server and client requirements, please refer to the AMAG Symmetry documentation.
Software Requirements
3VR VisionPoint™ VMS version required: 7.3 and above
Symmetry versions supported: version 8.0.x or above
For more information on configuration and technical aspects of this integration, consult your 3VR sales representative. For more information on AMAG Symmetry, please visit the website (in the United States):
http://www.amag.com/en-US/
Preparing 3VR VMS for AMAG
This guide is intended for use by an experienced AMAG Symmetry user or integrator. If you need assistance completing the integration, please contact your AMAG Symmetry integrator.
Enabling Web Services
The integration uses 3VR’s web services to connect to the 3VR VisionPoint™ VMS Server. Before installing the integration software, ensure that 3VR web services are enabled on each 3VR VMS Server that will be integrated with AMAG Symmetry.
Launch 3VR System Manager.
In the Configure panel, right-click the name of the VMS server and select Start Web Services from the menu.
Click OK to confirm.
Enable Video Recording in 3VR System Manager
To enable recorded video from a camera, make sure that it is set to record through the 3VR System Manager application.
In the Configure panel of System Manager, click the plus sign next to the VMS Server name in the left-hand panel.
Click the plus sign next to Cameras to display the list of cameras on the VMS Server.
Select the camera to view its settings.
Change Continuous Recording Enabled to Yes. If this is set to No, video is only recorded when there is motion.
Creating 3VR User Account for Symmetry Integration
When adding appliances to a Symmetry system, please provide login information for an Integrator-level 3VR user account. This account should have access to all the VMS Servers you plan to use through this integration.
As part of best practices, the recommendation is to create a new user for this purpose.
Adding an Account
Click the Accounts tab in the System Manager application.
Click the New button.
In the New User dialog box, configure the details of the new user account to use for the Symmetry integration:
First Name: Enter the first name, such as “Symmetry” (or leave this field blank).
Last Name: Enter the last name, such as “User” (or leave this field blank).
User Name: Enter a descriptive user name, such as “SymmetryIntegration.”
Password: Create a password for the new user account, and then retype the password.
Role: Select Integrator from the drop-down menu.
Auto Sign Out: Select Disabled from the drop-down menu.
Verify that the Expire password at a given date and time check box is not checked.
Verify that the Authorized Regions and Appliances panel gives this user account access to all 3VR VMS Servers that will be used in the integration.
Click Save to create a new user account.
Installing 3VR Integration on AMAG Symmetry System
You need to install 3VR-AMAG integration software on the computer where the Symmetry server is installed, as well as on each computer that will be used as a Symmetry client and from which you want to access 3VR video. If there were previous versions of the 3VR integration installed, please make sure you uninstall them before installing this version.
During the installation, it might be necessary to stop certain services running on the computer. In this event, a dialog box appears and informs you of the services you need to stop. Stop these services, and then continue
with the installation.
Obtain the integration installer from 3VR. The file name is 3VR_Symmetry_Installer_1.2.0.X.zip. Where: X is the build number, which can vary. Unzip the file it contains.
Log on to the computer using a user account with administrative access.
Run the installer: 3VR_Symmetry_Installer_1.2.0.X.exe. (You need to have administrative rights to do this.)
Continue to the end of the installer steps (there should be no options to pick).
When installation is complete, click Finish to close the wizard.
Restart the computer on which you installed the 3VR-AMAG integration software.
Video Integration
Video integration allows you to view live and stored video from the 3VR VMS Server through the AMAG Symmetry Security Management System application. Perform the steps in this section to configure the integration of one or more VMS Servers and the cameras connected to those servers.
Managing 3VR VMS Servers
You need to use the Security Management System to add a new 3VR VMS Server.
Adding a New VMS Server
In the Security Management System application, click the Install tab and then click the Digital Video button.
In the dialog box that appears, select 3VR Video Recorder and then click the New button.
In the dialog box that appears, enter the values that identify the VMS Server.
The parameters needed for the integration are: IP Address, Username, Password, and Connection Timeout.
The Connection Timeout value is used to determine when to stop waiting for a connection with the 3VR VMS Server. A longer timeout value allows for remote connections to wait longer for the connection to the VMS Server to succeed.
Managing 3VR Cameras
After adding a 3VR VMS Server, you need to add cameras.
Adding a New Camera
After adding one or more 3VR VMS Servers, you can add cameras that belong to one of these servers.
In the Install / Digital Video dialog box, select 3VR Video Camera and then click the New button.
To add a camera, select a Video Recorder (must have been added previously) and then choose a camera from the Video Channel drop-down list.
Watching Live 3VR Video
Perform the steps below to watch live 3VR video through the AMAG Symmetry Security Management System application.
Click the Home tab and then click the Virtual Matrix button.
In the Matrix area, choose (or create) a new view.
From the Cameras and Multimedia tree, drag and drop a camera onto the view.
Watching Recorded 3VR Video
You need to enable recording for the desired camera. See the section “3.2 Enable Video Recording in 3VR System Manager” on page 6 for information on how to enable video recording.
Click the Home tab and then click the Video Playback button.
In the dialog box that appears, check all the cameras that are part of the integration, fill in the From and To times, and then click the Search button(magnifier).
If a recording exists for the specified time period, it will appear in the list at the bottom. Double click on it to start playing the video.
You can use all the controls under the video to navigate the recording:
Pause, increase/reduce speed, etc.
Drag the track bar to a desired time to view video.
You can only request playback from cameras that are recording on the 3VR appliance. You can also enable continuous recording on the appliance for specific cameras of interest.
Setting up Triggers
This section provides an example of how to configure an alarm to show video from 3VR cameras.
Setting an Alarm to Show Video from 3VR Cameras
Click the Operation tab and then click the Trigger button.
In the dialog box that appears, click the New button.
Fill in the details as desired. See the example.
Select the desired camera from the Location drop-down menu.
This example causes a “Door Forced” alarm to show an instant replay starting at 30 seconds before the event.
Event Integration
Event integration allows two-way passing of events between the 3VR VMS appliance and the Symmetry system, such that:
Access-control events occurring in the Symmetry system, such as a “Door Forced” alarm, appear as Symmetry event cards in OpCenter with data from the Symmetry system appended to video recorded by the 3VR VMS.
Alerts configured in 3VR OpCenter, such as a watched face or a motion alarm, generate Symmetry device alarms for the 3VR cameras.
Symmetry to 3VR Event Passing
To set up event passing from Symmetry to 3VR, you need to:
Install two software components
Map Symmetry devices to 3VR channels
Set up connection to Symmetry
Set up connections to 3VR Appliances
Event Integration Software Installation
For the Symmetry to 3VR event-passing direction, you need to install two software components:
The XML Open Integration Module available from AMAG.
This module installs a web service that provides the event/alarm information to third-party integrations. You need to acquire this module from AMAG and install it by referring to the AMAG documentation. You can install this module on the same computer as the Symmetry server or on a different computer.
The 3VR event adapter, available from 3VR.
You need to have administrator privileges while running the installer.
The installer is called 3VR_Symmetry_EventAdapter_1.2.0.x, where the “x” stands for the build number and can vary.
You can install this adapter on any computer that has Internet access to the Symmetry web service (described above) and the 3VR appliances that are of interest. The recommended place to install it is on the same computer as the Symmetry web services, but this is not necessary.
A new Windows service is installed (called 3VR-Symmetry EventAdapterService). If you do not reboot the computer after the installation, make sure that the service is started using the Windows Services application.
Creating Symmetry Events in 3VR OpCenter
The 3VR event adapter installs a configuration application that you need to use to set up the mapping from Symmetry devices to 3VR channels. This mapping is required to transmit events to 3VR appliances.
Run the 3VR.EventConfiguration.exe application to set up the mapping. You can also use this application later to change/edit the mappings.
The mapping screen looks like the example shown. The main table shows the existing mappings.Before adding mappings, you need to set up the connection to the Symmetry system and to the 3VR appliances of interest.
Click the Symmetry button to connect to the desired Symmetry system.
Click the 3VR Appliances button to set up the necessary parameters for the 3VR appliances of interest.
Setting Up Connection To Symmetry
Note that the connection is to the web service for the Symmetry system, so you need to know the IP address of the device where the web service is published.
Enter the URL of the computer that has the web service in the box at the bottom, and then click Add to add credentials:
Users need credentials in order to query the Symmetry system for events and devices. Different credentials provide access to different devices. In many cases, just one username/password combination is enough. If not, enter as many credentials as you need.