Rules (explained)

Rules specify actions to carry out under particular conditions. Example: When motion is detected (condition), a camera should begin recording (action).

The following are examples of what you can do with rules:

• Start and stop recording
• Set non-default live frame rate
• Set non-default recording frame rate
• Start and stop PTZ patrolling
• Pause and resume PTZ patrolling
• Move PTZ cameras to specific positions
• Set output to activated/deactivated state
• Send notifications via e-mail
• Generate log entries
• Generate events
• Apply new device settings, for example a different resolution on a camera
• Make video appear in Matrix recipients
• Start and stop plug-ins
• Start and stop feeds from devices

Stopping a device means that video is no longer transferred from the device to the system, in which case you cannot view live video nor record video. In contrast, a device on which you have stopped the feed can still communicate with the recording server, and you can start the feed from the device automatically through a rule, as opposed to when the device is manually disabled in the Management Client.

Some rule content may require that certain features are enabled for the relevant devices. For example, a rule specifying that a camera should record does not work as intended if recording is not enabled for the relevant camera. Before creating a rule, Milestone recommends that you verify that the devices involved can perform as intended.

Rule complexity

Your exact number of options depends on the type of rule you want to create, and on the number of devices available on your system. Rules provide a high degree of flexibility: you can combine event and time conditions, specify several actions in a single rule, and very often create rules covering several or all the devices on your system.

You can make your rules as simple or complex as required. For example, you can create very simple time-based rules:

Example	Explanation
Very Simple Time-Based Rule	On Mondays between 08.30 and 11.30 (time condition), Camera 1 and Camera 2 should start recording (action) when the time period begins and stop recording (stop action) when the time period ends.
Very Simple Event-Based Rule	When motion is detected (event condition) on Camera 1, Camera 1 should start recording (action) immediately, then stop recording (stop action) after 10 seconds. Even if an event-based rule is activated by an event on one device, you can specify that actions should take place on one or more other devices.
Rule Involving Several Devices	When motion is detected (event condition) on Camera 1, Camera 2 should start recording (action) immediately, and the siren connected to Output 3 should sound (action) immediately. Then, after 60 seconds, Camera 2 should stop recording (stop action), and the siren connected to Output 3 should stop sounding (stop action).
Rule Combining Time, Events, and Devices	When motion is detected (event condition) on Camera 1, and the day of the week is Saturday or Sunday (time condition), Camera 1 and Camera 2 should start recording (action) immediately, and a notification should be sent to the security manager (action). Then, 5 seconds after motion is no longer detected on Camera 1 or Camera 2, the 2 cameras should stop recording (stop action).

Depending on your organization's needs, it is often a good idea to create many simple rules rather than a few complex rules. Even if it means you have more rules in your system, it provides an easy way to maintain an overview of what your rules do. Keeping your rules simple also means that you have much more flexibility when it comes to deactivating/activating individual rule elements. With simple rules, you can deactivate/activate entire rules when required.