Time synchronization

For a combined VMS and camera Edge Storage recording system to work properly, it is required that all cameras and XProtect VMS servers are time synchronized.

The best method for doing this is to install and configure a time server. A time server makes it possible for the different XProtect VMS servers and the cameras to continually retrieve the current time via the NTP protocol and thus ensuring proper time synchronization.

If the system is running in a network without a domain controller or dedicated NTP server, the VMS’ management server and/or recording servers can be used as the NTP server(s) for both the other VMS servers and for the cameras. This is done by enabling the NTP service built into the OS running the VMS server (if the server runs Microsoft^® Server^®) or by installing a third-party NTP server.

If the XProtect VMS servers in the surveillance installation are all joined to a domain, the domain will include a time server, and the VMS servers will be synchronized with the domain’s time. The surveillance cameras can in this case be configured to also synchronize their time with the domain’s time. If this is not possible for the cameras, for instance due to network design, the same method as described for a setup without a domain can be used where an NTP service is enabled or installed on the management server and/or recording server(s).