Evidence locks

Evidence locks (explained)

With the evidence lock functionality, you can protect video sequences from being deleted, for example while an investigation or trial is ongoing. This protection also covers audio and other data from devices related to the selected cameras.

Once an evidence lock is in place, the system protects the data from being deleted. This means that neither you nor other XProtect Smart Client users can delete the data until a user with sufficient user rights unlocks the evidence. With an evidence lock, the data is also protected from automatic deletion that would otherwise take place based on the system’s default retention time.

Depending on your user rights defined by your system administrator, you may or may not be able to create, view, edit and delete evidence locks.

See also

Create evidence locks

You can create an evidence lock to prevent video recordings and other data from being deleted.

1. Select the Playback tab.
2. In the timeline, click the Time Selection Mode or the Set Start/End Time button.

   

3. Select the start and end time for the video sequences you want to protect from deletion.
4. Select one or more cameras that have video sequences and data from related devices that you want to protect.
5. To the right of the timeline, click Evidence Lock and select Create.
6. In the Create Evidence lock window, give the evidence lock a headline and optionally add a description.
7. Click Select camera to add more cameras to the evidence lock.
8. Click Remove or Remove All to remove cameras from the evidence lock.
9. You can adjust the time interval and define for how long you want to keep the evidence protected.
10. Click Create.
11. A window shows if your evidence lock was created successfully. Click Details to see what went well and what did not. See Evidence lock status messages for more information.

View evidence locks

1. Click the Playback tab.
2. To the right of the timeline, click Evidence Lock and select View.
3. If you want to stay on the Live tab instead of the Playback tab, click the Status button on the application toolbar and select Evidence Lock List. A list appears with the existing evidence locks with devices that you have user rights to.
4. Search for text in the headlines and descriptions, sort the different columns and/or use the filter options to make it easier to find the wanted evidence lock.
5. Select an evidence lock and click Details to see the cameras included in the evidence lock and other information.

Edit evidence locks

You can edit evidence lock, depending on your user rights, for example the time interval, the cameras, and how long the evidence lock should apply.

1. Select the Playback tab.
2. To the right of the timeline, click Evidence lock and select View, or click the Status button on the application toolbar and select Evidence Lock List.
3. Select an evidence lock and click Details. A window appears..
4. To make the interval of the evidence lock shorter or longer, use the Evidence lock interval start and Evidence lock interval end fields.
5. To change the time that the evidence lock is valid for, select a value in the Keep evidence lock for list.
6. When done, click Update.
7. A window shows if the update was successful. Click Details to see what went well and what did not. See Evidence lock status messages for more information.

Play back video with evidence locks

You can always play back video on the Playback tab regardless if the video is protected or not. If you want to play back video sequences that are included in a specific evidence lock, do the following:

1. Click the Playback tab.
2. To the right of the timeline, click Evidence Lock and select View.
3. If you want to stay on the Live tab instead of the Playback tab, click the Status button on the application toolbar and select Evidence Lock List. A list appears with the existing evidence locks with devices that you have user rights to.
4. Select an evidence lock and click Play back. A new window opens and you can see a view with all the cameras in the evidence lock.
5. Use one of the timeline features to go to a specific time or simply click Play Forward.

Export evidence locks

When you export evidence locks, also the data from devices related to the cameras are included in the export.

1. Click the Playback tab.
2. To the right of the timeline, click Evidence Lock and select View.
3. If you want to stay on the Live tab instead of the Playback tab, click the Status button on the application toolbar and select Evidence Lock List.
4. Select an evidence lock and click Export.
5. The Export window opens. Define your settings. See Export window settings for more information.

See also

Delete evidence locks

When you delete an evidence lock, you do not delete the video sequences but do only remove the protection of them. If the video sequences are older than the system's default retention time, the system informs you about this and you can keep the evidence lock to prevent that the video sequences are automatically deleted by the system after the removal of the protection.

1. Click the Playback tab.
2. To the right of the timeline, click Evidence Lock and select View.
3. If you want to stay on the Live tab instead of the Playback tab, click the Status button on the application toolbar and select Evidence Lock List.
4. Select one or more evidence locks and click Delete.
5. A window shows if the deletion was successful. Click Details to see what went well and what did not. See Evidence lock status messages for more information.

Evidence lock settings

Name	Description
Headline	The headline of the evidence lock.
Description	A description of the evidence lock.
Evidence lock interval start	Adjust the start date and time for the video sequences you want to protect.
Evidence lock interval end	Adjust the end date and time for the video sequences you want to protect.
Keep evidence lock for	Specify for how long you want to keep the evidence protected. Depending on you user rights, you can have the following options: hour(s), day(s), week(s), month(s), year(s), indefinite or user-defined. If you select User-defined, click the calendar button to select a date and then adjust the time manually. When done, the date and time for when the evidence lock expires is shown.
Select camera	Click to select more cameras to include in the evidence lock.
Remove/Remove All	Click to remove one selected camera or all cameras from the evidence lock.

Evidence lock filters

Name	Description
Lock interval	Filter your evidence locks based on the start time of the interval they are protected in. Available options are today, yesterday, last 7 days and all.
Created	Filter your evidence locks based on when they were created. Available options are today, yesterday, last 7 days, all and custom interval. If you select custom interval, you select the start and end date in a calendar.
Expiry date	Filter your evidence locks based on when they expire. Available options are today, tomorrow, next 7 days, all and custom interval. If you select custom interval, you select the start and end date in a calendar.
Users	Filter for evidence locks created by all users or just by you.
Cameras	Filter for evidence locks with data from any camera or select one or more cameras that must be included in the evidence locks.

Evidence lock status messages

Message	Description and result	Scenarios and solution
Succeeded	All went well. Result: The evidence lock is created/updated/deleted.
Only partially successful	If the creation, update or deletion of an evidence lock was not entirely successful, an only partially successful message is shown and the progress bar is yellow. Click Details to see what went wrong. Result: The evidence lock is created/updated/deleted but without including some of the selected cameras and/or their related devices.	Scenarios: Some of the recording servers with devices included in the evidence lock are offline. Your system administrator has changed your evidence lock user rights after you logged into XProtect Smart Client. Solution: Depending on scenario. Try again later or contact your system administrator.
Failed	If the creation, update or deletion of an evidence lock is not successful, a failed message is shown and the progress bar is red. Click Details to see what went wrong. Result: The evidence lock is not created/updated/deleted.	Scenarios: All the recording servers with devices included in the evidence lock are offline. The management server is offline. Only for update and deletion: You do not have user rights to one or more devices in the evidence lock. Solution: Depending on scenario. Try again later or contact your system administrator.