Move hardware

You can move hardware between recording servers that belong to the same site. After a move, the hardware and its devices run on the new recording server and new recordings are stored on this server. The move is transparent to the client users.

The recordings on the old recording server remain there until:

• The system deletes them when the retention time expires. Recordings that someone has protected with Evidence Lock (see Evidence locks (explained)) is not deleted until the evidence lock's retention time expires. You define the retention time for evidence locks when you create them. Potentially the retention time never expires
• You delete them from each device's new recording server on the Record tab

If you try to remove a recording server that still contains recordings, you receive a warning.

If you move hardware to a recording server that currently has no hardware added to it, the client users must log out and log in to receive data from the devices.

You can use the move hardware feature to:

• Load balance: If, for example, the disk on a recording server is overloaded, you can add a new recording server and move some of your hardware
• Upgrade: If you, for example, have to replace the server that hosts the recording server with a newer model, you can install a new recording server and move the hardware from the old server to the new server
• Replace a defective recording server: If, for example, the server is offline and will never come online again, you can move the hardware to other recording servers and thereby keep the system running. You cannot access the old recordings. For more information, see Replace a recording server.

Remote recordings

When you move hardware to another recording server, the system cancels ongoing or scheduled retrievals from interconnected sites or edge storages on cameras. The recordings are not deleted, but the data is not retrieved and saved in the databases as expected. You receive a warning if this is the case. For the XProtect Smart Client user, who has started a retrieval when you initiate moving the hardware, the retrieval fails. The XProtect Smart Client user is notified and can try again later.

If someone has moved hardware on a remote site, you must manually synchronize the central site with the Update hardware option to reflect the new configuration of the remote site. If you do not synchronize, the moved cameras remain disconnected on the central site.