Management server (explained)

The management server is the central component of the VMS system. It stores the configuration of the surveillance system in an SQL database, either on a SQL Server on the management server computer itself or on a separate SQL Server on the network. It also handles user authentication, user permissions, the rule system and more. To improve system performance, you can run several management servers as a Milestone Federated Architecture™. The management server runs as a service and is typically installed on a dedicated server.

Users connect to the management server for initial authentication, then transparently to the recording servers for access to for video recordings, etc.