Introduction

The Axis Cloud Access (ACA) acts as an intermediary between XProtect and the connected Axis devices, relaying control commands, configuration data, and device information. Communication between the Axis Cloud and Axis Cloud Access is performed over HTTPS using OAuth 2.0 authentication to ensure a secure and encrypted connection. For video and audio streaming, which require higher bandwidth, a direct connection is established using the WebRTC protocol, with the Axis Cloud providing signaling services.

The setup process starts by authenticating and authorizing Milestone XProtect Axis Cloud Access with an Axis Cloud organization. Once authorization is completed, Axis devices are onboarded through the Axis Cloud using Axis Cloud Connect, establishing their initial connection. After onboarding, the devices can be added to XProtect and operated like any other supported device.

The Milestone XProtect Axis Cloud Access service runs locally on a server alongside the Recording Server, similar to the drivers in a Device Pack, ensuring efficient coordination between XProtect, the Axis Cloud, and the connected devices.