Friday, May 30, 2014

Fishy Incidents — Industry Perspectives

Spot the fishy incidents — 10 perspectives from the industry

Panoramic fisheye cameras have seen fast growth in the surveillance industry. With the key feature in surround view monitoring and the advantage in reduction of installation cost, they are becoming the popular adoption in security system. With a promising market ahead, differentiation of product and market strategy from competitors is the way for major manufacturers to think when planning next moves.
EU and US regions
We here presented 10 worldwide providers from the security industry – VIVOTEK, Sony, Axis Communications, Hikvision Digital Technology, Samsung Techwin, Dahua Technology, Merit LILIN, EverFocus Electronics, Panasonic System Networks & AMG System.
Asia regions
VIVOTEKTaiwan
“The 360-degree cameras can be especially ideal for intercom or retail applications. Retail stores especially demand for a cost-effective and comprehensive surveillance system, which dissuades shoplifting and pickpocketing,” said Steve Ma, Executive Vice President of VIVOTEK. “With several unique features and wide surveillance coverage that can be delivered by the 360-degree fisheye camera under complicated environment, retail stores tend to deploy 360-degree fisheye camera the most.”
“The deployment of 360-degree fisheye cameras could be financially and technically beneficial. It is worth to note that just one 360-degree fisheye camera can deliver the same coverage as 6 to7 cameras that have been used in the stores. With the installation of panoramic models, the total number of cameras needed by the clients can be significantly reduced,” explained Ma.
VIVOTEK has made our fisheye camera as a pro-active smart sensor through our superior algorithms, making fisheye cameras performing intelligently, like people counting, field detection, trip wire, according to Ma. “With the technology evolvement and rising awareness of cost-effective solutions, the prevalent adoption of 360-degree fisheye camera for wide open area surveillance in the following years is foreseen. In addition, a 360-degree fisheye camera with intelligent capacity is undoubtedly to be a trend.”

SonyJapan
“With its multiple security benefits and associated cost savings for end users, it is easy to understand why the 360-degree security camera has been highlighted by IHS as one of the key drivers for the video surveillance camera market in 2014 – which is slated for double-digit growth this year. Sony also recognizes the importance of these cameras in addressing the ever changing security environments of the modern world, and will continue to advance in the 360-degree security camera market with our end users,” said Riki Nishimura, General Manager of Visual Security Solutions, Professional Solutions Company (PSAP) at Sony Electronics Asia Pacific.

AXISSweden  
“According to IHS Research, sales of network video start to overtake analog in 2014 due to the powerful functions of advanced video processing and analytics. This is especially true in the retailer sector, as 360-degree cameras allow for an overview of all activities in a given area while being affordable for users having to work with tight-budgets in for example the retail and education sectors,” said Petra Bennermark, Product Manager at Axis Communications. 
“In a study by Axis Communications, more than half (58%) of UK retailers are planning to migrate from analog to network video in order to integrate network cameras with business intelligence (BI) applications. BI application integration was considered the most significant reason for UK retailers to move to network video.”

HikvisionDigitalTechnologyChina
“Normally, SMB users may tend to use entry-level fixed cameras instead of panoramic cameras, since the latter are mainly targeted for middle-to high-end project use, and price are relatively higher. Therefore, Hikvision plans to introduce economical mini panoramic cameras to penetrate into SMB market in the middle of this year,” said Adler Wu, Product Marketing Manager of Hikvision Digital Technology.
“And for Hikvision, we forecast to increase at an annual growth rate of 60%-70% [before 2017], according to our company strategy, product planning and the market development. Panoramic camera would develop in two different ways in the future, one for SMB adoption and the other for high-end application. With more and more manufacturers joining in the competition, the price of panoramic camera may decrease to a level, allowing the cameras to enter SMB market; for high-end use, due to the wide coverage of panoramic camera, more images/ scenes could be achieved compared to common IP camera. Therefore, how to well make use of this advantage could be a breakthrough to eventually benefit the end users.”
“Considering lots of manufacturers have introduced their panoramic cameras, it becomes very important for us to provide innovative products to differ from the others at this stage.”

SamsungTechwinKorea 
“360-degree cameras are increasingly being specified for projects where there is a requirement to monitor activity 24/7 in environments such as banks, offices, retail, transportation and warehouses. The advantage they offer is that a single 360-degree observational camera is all that might be needed to efficiently and cost effectively covers a whole area where a much larger number of standard cameras might normally be required, to avoid any blind spots,” suggested Tim Biddulph, Product Manager of Samsung Techwin Europe.
Samsung Techwin's 360 degree camera is part of the company's extensive range of IP network cameras. Tim Biddulph emphasizes the importance of fully understanding clients' needs first, before endeavoring to persuade them to migrate to 360-degree or other products and technologies.

DahuaChina  
Fisheye cameras are mostly deployed for indoor surveillance, getting more and more popular in public buildings, pointed out by Peter Pan, Product Manager from Dahua. Seen as the economic choice for security system deployment, one single fisheye camera can achieve wider coverage of monitoring than other non-panoramic camera.
This is even true to public units, hotels, and schools. They often have budget concerns; theses users are not too demanding in security image details while their purpose of surveillance system is mainly for prevention, Pan suggested. 
“At present, many surveillance camera manufacturers have proposed new thoughts of design,” he continued. Currently, end users start to use 360-degree cameras and PTZ speed domes altogether, featuring both wide-coverage and detailed monitoring views. The 360-degree cameras are going to become an essential solution in surveillance systems, according to Pan. 
“Although fisheye cameras are expecting fast growth in the near future, the 360-degree cameras won't become the majority in surveillance camera market due to their own pitfalls such as low pixel counts at the edge of images, and image distortion,” explained Pan.
However, as Pan mentioned, the technical improvement related to these pitfalls has been essential to manufacturers in the industry. Meanwhile, some manufacturers have started enhancing camera capacities in IR support for advanced day/night monitoring.

MeritLILINTaiwan
“Fisheye cameras are all about seeing everything in a scene more efficiently than with multiple cameras; therefore, providing security managers the ability to cover an entire scene in a logical way without gaps of coverage is prominent,” according to Chris Hsu, Global Marketing Manager at LILIN. “LILIN panoramic IP camera is an ideal choice for open-ended lobby areas such as entrances, exits, and lobbies.”
“The current leading technology trend in global market is ‘less is more'. We expect cameras can cover a range of area such as 360-degree fisheye camera is an ideal all-in-one product will definitely continue to shine in the following years.”

EverFocusElectronicsTaiwan
Douglass Wang, Deputy Project Manager of EverFocus Electronics, emphasized the importance of fisheye and speed dome cameras' synergy, combining advantages from both types of cameras, and adding value for wide-area surveillance without compromising the optimal image quality. “The end users can finely utilize pan, tilt, and zoom functions on speed dome to keep tracking region of interest, while monitoring the entire area through 360-degree camera view, more importantly, without any blind spot,” Wang said.
As panoramic camera is favored to be applied with speed dome in areas such as airport, warehouse, public space, and parking lot, end users might hesitate due to complicated cameras configurations. “EverFocus provides end users a 4-steps image calibration which dramatically reduces configuration time,” Wang highlighted.

PanasonicJapan 
It is forecast that a growth of more than 50% will be seen in the panoramic camera market – more than current security market trend expectation – as higher image resolution will expand the deployment and acceptance of fisheye camera in more vertical markets, commented Akihito Akiyama, product planning manager at Panasonic.
According to Mr. Akiyama, Panasonic has strengthened its 360-degree cameras by continuingly progressing at technology development, including dewarp, super dynamic function, and vandal resistance. With the solid technical base, the 360-degree cameras are capable for high-resolution image quality with even edges, stable performance under various lighting environments, and last but not least, durability.

AMGUK  
Fisheye cameras, compared to other types of cameras, offer a number of key advantages — monitoring of surround view without blind spot and reduction of installation cost and work — whilst still keeping high-resolution recording quality, David J. Myers, Technical Director of AMG, highlighted. AMG have noted that 360-degree fisheye cameras are becoming the mainstream when analog CCTV is gradually replaced by IP CCTV systems. 
“We are not sure that there is one particular market deploying the most 360 degree cameras. In the USA, the retail market is strong. And transportation is a natural market for wide-angle camera when one single camera can cover whole view of a bus, or a train carriage,” Myers said. “Banks, schools, colleges, museums, and public buildings are also the target market of 360-degree cameras. So are car parks and outdoor perimeters.”

-I would like to thanks Michelle Chu from Asmag

Friday, May 23, 2014

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication

Multi-factor authentication is a method of multi-faceted access control which a user can pass by successfully presenting authentication factors from at least two of the three categories:
Knowledge factors (“things only the user knows”), such as passwords or passcodes;
possession factors (“things only the user has”), such as ATM cards or hardware tokens; and
inherence factors (“things only the user is”), such as biometrics,
(e.g. a fingerprint or retina scan)

Knowledge factors are the most commonly used form of authentication. In this form, the user is required to prove knowledge of a secret in order to authenticate, such as a password.

A password is a secret word or string of characters that is used for user authentication. This is the most commonly used mechanism of authentication. Many multi-factor authentication techniques rely on password as one factor of authentication. Variations include both longer ones formed from multiple words (a passphrase) and the shorter, purely numeric, personal identification number (PIN) commonly used for ATM access. Traditionally, passwords are expected be memorized.

Many secret questions such as “Where were you born?”, are poor examples of a knowledge factor because they may be known to a wide group of people, or be able to be researched.
Possession factors include both connected and disconnected tokens. Connected tokens are devices that are physically connected to the computer to be used, and transmit data automatically. There are a number of different types, including card readers, wireless tags and USB tokens. Disconnected tokens have no connections to the client computer. They typically use a built-in screen to display the generated authentication data, which is manually typed in by the user.

Inherited factors are usually associated with the user, and typically include biometric methods, including fingerprint readers, retina scanners or voice recognition.
Requiring more than one independent factor increases the difficulty of providing false credentials. Two-factor authentication requires the use of two of three independent authentication factors, as identified above. The number and the independence of factors is important, since more independent factors imply higher probabilities that the bearer of the identity credential actually does hold that identity.


Multi-factor authentication is sometimes confused with “strong authentication”. However, “strong authentication” and “multi-factor authentication”, are fundamentally different processes. Soliciting multiple answers to challenge questions can typically be considered strong authentication, but, unless the process also retrieves “something the user has” or “something the user is”, it is not considered multi-factor authentication.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Accepting Real-World Access Control Challenge

I write about change quite a bit because I am fascinated with all of the various elements that make change both interesting and dreaded by most people. To write about a subject, many writers research the subject matter they are tackling. I do this too, but I prefer hands-on experience. Reality changes in a hurry in our business world. What can this principle teach us in the world of convergence security technology?
Plenty, if it means you have the responsibility of delivering sustainable security solutions your customers count on every day. So let’s use a real-life example to more closely examine the tactical side of security. The challenge was to design, sell, install and commission a replacement of a 30-year-old+ mag stripe electronic access control system with a new IP-based system. Now, for plenty of you this challenge is a walk in the park, part of your everyday security business life. For others, it is not — including yours truly. Yes, I have security system integrator experience with a large company and founded an IP video integration company, but it’s been a few years since I strapped on a 33-inch tool belt. Wisdom and waist size have both grown a bit over the years, but that didn’t stop me. I was up to the challenge and charged forward.
Changing the Mindset on Decades-Old Ways
What I know about security technology from an application and elemental building blocks perspective is much different than putting the IP system puzzle pieces together onsite at 5:30 a.m. because the customer opens for business at 11 a.m. Ladders are unsightly, liability increases and the business operations are impacted — not to mention dropping fiberglass from the ceiling tiles into someone’s glass of beer.
The pressure of doing an IP installation properly in the correct sequence, and coordinating other contractors and supplier support while wrestling with old technology, is as close to “ground truth” as you can expect in the civilian world. Schedules and timing are important when you cut over an access control system. The old system has to continue operating while a new system is readied to take over the workload on a very specific date (no pressure here to get it right!). Now add to this the expectation of your customer for a significant operational improvement and you are involved with a bare-knuckle fight with change. Did I mention that I love a good challenge with change?

Here’s how this installation tale began. An acquaintance is a controller for a chapter of a large, well-known fraternal organization that has thousands of chapters worldwide. And he is not just any controller ... he was recognized nationally in 2012 as the best in the country, a guy who knows a thing or two about business and return on investment. He knew I worked in the security field so we started talking about the mechanics and costs of membership-based organizations that restrict/permit access based on bylaws and being current with their dues. Now add some size to this challenge. This particular chapter has approximately 800 male and female members, each with separate requirements.
So how were they managing access privileges? Every year the chapter needed to order new magstripe cards for all its members. This is an old credentials technology, so you can understand some of the cost factors. These credentials had to be replaced every year when membership dues were due. To this cost add the management time for physically handing over a new credential once dues were paid. This process has obviously worked for 30+ years, but what would the future look like for 30-year-old+ magstripe readers and 24VAC electric strikes? How long would they last? Could they even be repaired? How long could they disrupt operations if they did fail? Perhaps it is time to consider a change in electronic access control technology and upgrade the system.
Analyze Your Recommended Technology Applications to Ensure They Are Appropriate
I initially recommended a biometric solution since it would entirely eliminate the cost and management of card credentials. I like cool technology that is affordable and reliable (and I just wrote about this technology a few months ago, noting that it is an obvious solution to recommend).
But not so fast — remember, blindly recommending the application of technology can be dangerous, as well as narrow-minded and myopic. Does this sound like anyone you know or work with perhaps? We all are guilty of sticking with a “true blue” product or supplier because it is the path of least resistance. Guilty as charged.
How can you avoid the automatic product choices in your comfort zone? Ask the right questions. While biometric fingerprint technology is affordable and reliable, it isn’t a panacea. There is a large percentage of chapter membership groups that evolved in the late 1950s, and using new technology can be intimidating and less effective with their older members. Consider the lifetime use of older members’ hands and the gradual deterioration of their skin.
Biometric fingerprint technology has come a long way in the past five years but still has its limitations. What about facial recognition biometrics? Yes, the technology does work better in this application, but consider the perception of the older members and their comfort level of using card credentials for the past 30+ years vs. presenting their face to a reader or camera … it might feel a bit Orwellian, no?
Applying new technology and, more importantly, the right technology means asking your prospect/customer the right questions then considering the impact of change your solution delivers.
In this particular installation challenge, what was the best choice? An RFID credential solution made the most sense from a cost, application and functionality perspective. With several good choices for reliable IP access control systems I chose a new supplier, breaking out of my comfort zone, that I had done some consulting with to test my thinking.
I started by asking the appropriate questions to ensure the technology would fit the application. For example, how simple would it be to manage from a customer’s perspective? How cost effective would it be now and in the future? Once I got the answers I needed, it was time to kick the tires and light the fires.
The hardware and software components were fairly straightforward and not overly complex to process. Actually they were quite simple, and who doesn’t love simple? The documentation gets a C+ in my book and has room for improvement.
The supplier’s customer support in the field at crunch time — you know, when the customer is looking over your shoulder — was an A. The price vs. value delivery was in the A+ range, allowing me to provide additional spare parts and lots of extra credentials, which all IP systems you sell should absolutely have. This will ensure that any future service or maintenance will be fast, which is especially pertinent for electronic access control installations. What other challenges should you consider?
Thanks to Mr. Paul Boucherle for help.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

What is difference between ORACLE and SQL-SERVER

What is difference between ORACLE and SQL-SERVER ?

1. Oracle runs on many platforms, SQL on Windows only.
2. Oracle includes IFS (Internet File System), Java integration; SQL is more of a pure database.
3. Oracle requires client install and setup (Not difficult, but very UNIX-like for Windows users)
4. SQL is #1 in Cost/Performance and overall Performance, although Oracle will refute that.
5. Replication is much easier in SQL.
6. Failover support in SQL is much, much easier
7. JDBC support is much better in Oracle, although Microsoft is working on it 
8. ODBC support in both.
9. SQL is ANSI-SQL '92 compliant; making it easier to convert to another ANSI compliant database, theoretically anyway (truth is every database has proprietary extensions). Oracle is generally more proprietary and their main goal is to keep their customers locked-in.
10. SQL natively supports ODBC, OLEDB, XML, XML Query, XML updates. Oracle natively supports proprietary connections, JDBC. Not sure about XML support though.
11. SQL Server is much easier to administrate, with GUI and command- line tools. Most of Oracle is command-line (Back in SQL, 12 days I had a customer (at Kolkata) who was so proud that after a day's worth of work he had managed to script his database. I showed him how it was a 3 click operation in SQL.
12. Oracle requires add-ons for transaction monitors, failover, etc. SQL has COM+, uses NT clustering and generally has everything built-in.
13. SQL Analysis Services is included (A very powerful OLAP server). For Oracle it is a separate purchase.

Hope this post help you to select right database for your Access Control System, Attendance System, Video Analysis etc.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

DTE & DCE / DB25 & DB9 Port

DTE & DCE / DB25 & DB9 Port


Let's talk about DCE (Data Communications Equipment) and DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) devices. The difference between DCE and DTE is largely in the Plug and the direction if each pin (input or output). Your desktop PC is termed as a DTE device.
DCE devices use a 25-pin female connector while a DTE device uses a 25 pin male connector. Also, complimentary signals lines like transmit and receive are "swapped" between the two types. Thus, a straight-through cable can be used to connect a DCE device to a DTE device.
DTEDCE
25 pin Male pinout25 pin Female pinout
Pin 1 - Shield GroundPin 1 - Shield Ground
Pin 2 - Transmitted Data (TD) outputPin 2 - Transmitted Data (TD) input
Pin 3 - Receive Data (RD) inputPin 3 - Receive Data (RD) output
Pin 4 - Request To Send (RTS) outputPin 4 - Request To Send (RTS) input
Pin 5 - Clear To Send (CTS) inputPin 5 - Clear To Send (CTS) output
Pin 6 - Data Set Ready (DSR) inputPin 6 - Data Set Ready (DSR) output
Pin 7 - Signal GroundPin 7 - Signal Ground
Pin 8 - Carrier Detect (CD) inputPin 8 - Carrier Detect (CD) output
Pin 20 - Data Terminal Ready (DTR) outputPin 20 - Data Terminal Ready (DTR) input
Pin 22 - Ring Indicator (RI) inputPin 22 - Ring Indicator (RI) output
You can effectively convert DCE/DTE devices by using a NULL Modem cable. The null modem cable swaps the complimentary signals and allows a DCE device to act like a DTE and vice-versa.
The following chart depicts the cabling of the DB9 connector found on an IBM-PC type computer.
DTE
9 pin Male pinout
Pin 1 - Carrier Detect (CD) input
Pin 2 - Receive Data (RD) input
Pin 3 - Transmitted Data (TD) output
Pin 4 - Data Terminal Ready (DTR) output
Pin 5 - Signal Ground
Pin 6 - Data Set Ready (DSR) input
Pin 7 - Request To Send (RTS) output
Pin 8 - Clear To Send (CTS) input
Pin 9 - Ring Indicator (RI) input

What are the actual speeds of GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPA, etc in Video Surveillance?

What are the actual speeds of GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPA, etc in Video Surveillance?

Theoretical maximum speeds of 4G LTE reach 100Mbps so you’re Video is Real time and no buffering... However, actual performance of mobile data is much lower, considering signal strength, frequencies used, congestion, etc.


Here are the real-life speed ranges of the various mobile wireless standards commonly used in the India today:-


GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) 2G -- 9Kbps
GPRS (General packet radio services) 2.5G -- 20Kbps to 100kbps
EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) 2.75G -- 100Kbps to 175Kbps
UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) 3G -- 175Kbps to 1Mbps
HSPA (High Speed Packet Access / software upgrade to UMTS, theoretical 42Mbps) 3.5G -- 600Kbps to 10Mbps, averages 1-3Mbps
WiMAX/LTE "4G" (theoretical 100Mbps) -- 3Mbps to 10Mbps average, 20Mbps+ peak download speeds.
5G -- 250Mbps to 500Mbps in South Korea & Japan on 2014

So select your Mode for traveling path of Video Surveillance data.

3G/4G Video Surveillance Advantages
  • 3G/4G Performance = faster upload speeds = higher frame rates & better resolution
  • Connect multiple Wired and Wireless IP cameras to 1 LAN-Cell
  • Bandwidth Management features to prioritize video traffic
  • Port Mapping, Redirection & DMZ features to minimize changes to camera configuration
  • Dynamic DNS support to access cameras by name or IP address
  • Deploy a single platform on CDMA & GSM networks worldwide

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Router Compatibility for Internet Enabled Wireless CCTV Systems

The modern replacement for old analogue CCTV cameras is the wireless internet CCTV, also known as IP CCTV. The wireless CCTV system that is internet enabled has a great advantage over old system. You can see your property from anywhere in the world. You can see live images and video of your business property or your house, from wherever you are, just with the help of internet.
The technology has come in the market, but not many people know how to best use to. In order to get the best out of your wireless internet CCTV system, we must also look at the requirements and features that a router would need in order to be used successfully with the wireless system. There are a lot of things that goes into deciding your router for the wireless internet CCTV.

Broadband Type and Router Compatibility

You can have a broadband service that can come through either a phone line or a satellite CCTV box. In case the broadband service is through a phone line, you will require an ADSL modem/router also known as the DSL modem/router. Alternatively, if your broadband comes from your cable supplier, you would then require a cable router. This is another box that plugs in to your cable box.
The router part of your DSL modem/router or the cable router is basically the same. Manufacturers just make the DSL or cable version of the router that has the same features.
Router Features for Wireless CCTV System
  • The router must be set up so that the port number, a special code, is allocated to the camera. When you type the IP address and the port number in the internet browser from any system, the router sees the port number and passes the message to the camera. Without this facility, it will not be possible to view your property through internet.
  • With broadband suppliers changing your IP address at will, DDNS i.e. dynamic DNS support comes in. It helps you to use a third-party service to link a domain name you your IP address. The router’s DDNS feature makes sure that the router will tell the DDNS provider about your current IP address. Thus, even if your IP address changes, you can contact your camera with the domain name of the DDNS.
  • Having your router remain connected is very important. This is important especially when you go out on a vacation. You don’t want to find that you cannot connect to your camera because your router disconnected due to power failure. In case of power cut, the DSL line or cable may drop for some time. Not many home routers are able to handle this, but with technology, new routers are able to reconnect by themselves after power cut. The router is able to sort itself out once the power is back and provides you hassle free access to your camera from anywhere in the world.
Thus, a router is an important device that enables you to monitor the security of your home and business’s wireless cctv systems from anywhere in the world.

Choosing Routers for Wireless Internet CCTV

Wireless Internet CCTV, also known as IP CCTV, is the modern replacement for old analogue CCTV cameras, and has the great advantage that you can see your property, live, from wherever you happen to be, using the internet. Now that the technology has become popular in homes and businesses, people need to know how to get the best out of it. In this article, I want to look at the minimum set of features that a router needs in order to be used successfully with wireless CCTV.
First, a quick note about types of broadband and router compatibility. Your broadband service is likely to come through your phone line or perhaps via a satellite CCTV box. If it’s through a phone line, you will need an ADSL modem/router, sometimes called a DSL modem/router. The modem part of the box is what talks to the phone line. On the other hand, if you have broadband from your cable supplier, you need a cable router. This is not the cable box itself, but another box that plugs into your cable box. The router part of a cable router or a DSL modem/router is usually the same, with many manufacturers making cable and DSL versions of what is essentially a router with the same features. Now, let’s take a look at the features you will need to get the most out of your wireless internet CCTV system:
  • Virtual Server/Port Forwarding. This just means having the ability to set up the router so that a special code known as a port number is allocated to the camera. When you open an internet browser window and type in the URL or address of the camera, you add this special port number onto the end of the camera’s address, (e.g. for port 8765, you would type “http://:8765″) and when the router sees the port number it knows the message is to be passed to the camera. Without this facility, you would not be able to see your property over the internet.
  • DDNS Support. It stands for Dynamic DNS and is used where the address of your home or business on the broadband system, known as the IP address, is changed at will by the broadband supplier. Most DSL broadband services have changing IP addresses, also known as dynamic IP addresses. Say you have an IP address of 91.103.218.59 (they tend to look like this) today, with dynamic IP addressing it could be something different tomorrow. This means you would never know what address to use to access your camera over the internet, and that is where DDNS support comes in. Basically, you use a third party service to link a domain name to an IP address. This service is provided by a separate DDNS provider and can be free, e.g. dyndns.com. The router’s DDNS feature means that the router makes sure it always tells the DDNS provider what your current broadband IP address is. Therefore, even if the IP address changes, you can always contact your camera by using the same dyndns address, e.g. “http://myipcamera.dyndns.com:8765″.
  • Keep alive or auto-reconnect feature. This feature is all about making sure the router stays connected. You may have a power cut, or the DSL line/ cable connection may drop for a few moments. In these scenarios, you want the router to sort itself out. Earlier models of home router did not handle this well, and even today some can still be bought that don’t reconnect after a power cut or especially a broadband fault. The last thing you want is to go on holiday and then find you cannot log into your camera because a power cut several days ago left the router disconnected, so this is important.
  • Encryption. Most routers these days offer some sort of encryption, usually known as WEP or WPA. WPA is stronger and preferable. Encryption is simply encoding the messages on your wireless network so that they cannot be intercepted easily. Make sure you get a router that offers at least one type of encryption that your wireless internet CCTV cameras offer. For example, it is no good getting a router which only does WPA encryption if your cameras can only do WEP.
As always, if what you have read here leaves you dizzy and you just want an internet CCTV system to monitor your home or business without all this technical complication, my advice is to get a fully-configured wireless CCTV camera pack from a specialist supplier.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Difference between SQL SERVER 2000,2005,2008 and 2012

SQL SERVER 2000:
1.Query Analyser and Enterprise manager are separate.
2.No XML datatype is used.
3.We can create maximum of 65,535 databases.
4.Cant compress the tables and indexes.

5.Datetime datatype is used for both date and time.
6.No varchar(max) or varbinary(max) is available.
7.No table datatype is included.
8.No SSIS is included.
9.CMS (Cenntral Management Server) is not available.
10.PBM (Policy Based Management) is not available.
11.High Availability Clustering or Log Shipping require Enterprise Edition. Expensive hardware.
SQL SERVER 2005:
1.Both are combined as SSMS(Sql Server management Studio).
2.XML datatype is introduced.
3.We can create 2(pow(20))-1 databases.
4.Exception Handling
5.Varchar(Max) data type
6.DDL Triggers
7.DataBase Mirroring
8.RowNumber function for paging
9.Table fragmentation
10.Full Text Search
11.Bulk Copy Update
12.Cant encrypt the entire database.
13.Can Compress tables and indexes.(Introduced in 2005 SP2)
14.Datetime is used for both date and time.
15.Varchar(max) and varbinary(max) is used.
16.No table datatype is included.
17.SSIS is started using.
18.CMS is not available.
19.PBM is not available.

20. High Availability Clustering, Database Mirroring or Log Shipping available in Standard Edition. Database Mirroring can use cheap hardware. 

SQL SERVER 2008:
1.Both are combined as SSMS(Sql Server management Studio).
2.XML datatype is used.
3.We can create 2(pow(20))-1 databases.
4.Exception Handling
5.Varchar(Max) data type
6.DDL Triggers
7.DataBase Mirroring
8.RowNumber function for paging
9.Table fragmentation
10.Full Text Search
11.Bulk Copy Update
12.TDE (Transparent Data Encryption) to encrypt the entire database introduced in 2008.
13.Can compress tables and indexes.
14.Date and time are separately used for date and time datatype,spatial and timestamps with internal timezone is used.
15.Varchar(max) and varbinary(max) is used.
16.Table datatype introduced.
17.SSIS avails in this version.
18.Central Management Server(CMS) is Introduced.
19.Policy based management(PBM) server is Introduced.
20. Auditing - monitoring of data access.
21. Resource Governor. Restrict users or groups from consuming high levels or resources.
22. Activity monitor: consolidates this information by detailing running and recently executed processes, graphically.
23. Backup compression.


SQL Server 2008 to SQL Server R2• Backup compression is available in R2 standard (was only in Enterprise)
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Express Edition database size limit increased to 10 GB (from 4GB)
• PowerPivot for SharePoint introduced for loading, querying, and managing PowerPivot workbooks that you publish to a SharePoint 2010 server
• PowerPivot for Excel is used to assemble and create relationships in large amounts of data from different sources, and then use that data as the basis for PivotTables and other data visualization objects that support data analysis in Excel.
• Utility Explorer introduced for centralized management of managed SQL instances.
• Master Data Services introduced to manage master (reference) data and maintain an auditable record of that data as it changes over time.
• Enhanced security to prevent an authentication relay attack.


SQL SERVER 2012:




1.The SQL Server 2012 uses 48 bit precision for spatial
2.In SQL server 2012 has unlimited concurrent connections
3.By default it supports 15,000 partitions
4.Available new string functions CONCATE and FORMAT
5.Available new conversion  functions are PARSE ,TRY_CONVERT,TRY_PARSE
6.
Microsoft.SqlServer.Dac and Microsoft.SqlServer.Dac.Extensions are introduced to perform  operations on Packages.

SQL Server 2008R2 to 2012• Inclusion of Visual Studio 2010 (BI edition)
• AlwaysOn technology – allowing automatic replication and switching to mirrored database/server in the event of problems
• In most instances, the performance is 10 times faster than the predecessor (Microsoft claim)
• Buffer rate is high in SQL Server 2012 because of data compression.
• Data visualization tool is available in SQL Server 2012.This allows snapshots of data.
• Support for persistent computed columns and extra geographical approach is possible with spatial features in SQL Server 2012.
• Allows for warm Service Patch patching – meaning SQL or server does not have to be rebooted/restarted to apply patches
• New ‘Contained Databases’ feature allowing easier movement of database instances between servers
• New ‘ColumnStore’ indexes – which turn indexes 90 degrees in use (instead of one index per row, you get multiple column indexes per row which has a major impact on performance)
• New TRY_CONVERT T-SQL command, which will perform data type conversion, but will NULL rather than error where conversion fails.
• New OFFSET/FETCH command which allows automatic capture of pages of rows (like SELECT TOP 90 * from…, but gives a starting row number for the page)
• Redesign of SQL Server management studio – providing new features, better intellisense, new viewing tools and cleaner interface
• Custom user server roles – meaning you can define roles with specific access (such as BI data reader) and assign these custom roles to defined users (therefore faster user maintenance)
• New virtual Windows FileTable commands in T-SQL lets you manage a folder like a table of documents, but still have external control over the contents: UPDATE C:\Docs\*.* SET ReadOnly = 1 WHERE Author = ‘Bob’ AND Created < ’20100101′;)
• NEGATIVE – SQL Server Management Studio will no longer run on XP. Needs Windows Vista, 7 or 8.
• NEGATIVE – SQL Server is no longer licenced on server, but either CALS or Cores in server CPU which could increase costs for large user connection scenarios.
• NEGATIVE – AWE is no longer supported, meaning your SQL Server instance on x86 with 32GB of RAM is only going to be able to use 4GB. Note – SQL now designed to run on 64bit hardware.

During the CCTV / Access Management Software installation the mail Database is on SQL based. So you must know Difference between SQL SERVER 2000,2005,2008 and 2012.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p Measure Up

360p
This is an Animoto video’s default resolution. The majority of YouTube and Hulu videos are displayed in 360p, so that’s about the video quality that 360 lines of resolution provides. This (as well as the 480p) is a great resolution for mobile devices since the mobile screen rarely has enough pixels or enough memory to support HD videos.

480p

640x480 (480p) is the resolution that almost every camera can shoot at, most digicams from the last two years shoot at least 480p. Although there are lower resolutions (typically for high speed video), 640x480 should really be the lowest resolution to consider. 640x480 is a pretty good resolution, its not HD but its the resolution of standard definition television (SDTV) and a good quality source at 480p can look pretty good. Most people will be happy with this resolution but those who love the idea of widescreen, high definition home movies will want to venture into the two HDTV options. A 480p video will play beautifully on both your laptop and desktop monitors, and though it isn’t quite HD, it is definitely good enough to view on that spiffy new flatscreen TV you just bought

How does 480p Measure Up?

§  480p vs 720p: 480p has 1/3 the resolution
§  480p vs 1080p: 480p has about 1/7 the resolution
§  Click on the full resolution sample and you'll see that a clean 480p image can be fantastic - DVD is after all "only" 480p
720p (1280x720)
1280x720 (720p) is the lowest of two HDTV resolutions. The ability for digital cameras to shoot high definition video started to pick up in 2009 and is now available on many cameras. 720p provides fantastic video quality that is perfect for large screen TVs and high definition home movies. An HD 720p Animoto video is crisp, sharp, and takes full advantage of any display you want to view it on

How does 720p Measure Up

§  720p vs 480p: 720p has 3X the resolution
§  720p vs 1080p: 720p has about 1/2 the resolution
§  720p is a fantastic high definition resolution to shoot at
 1080p (1920x1080)
1920x1080 (1080p) is the highest of two HDTV resolutions. 1080p is also known as Full HD and is very high resolution video. Because of it's extreme size it requires more storage space, faster computers to edit, more powerful camera processors and a very large TV to notice the difference. Currently 12 of 500 cameras released in the last 2 years shoot 1080p

How does 1080p Measure Up?

§  1080p vs 480p: 1080p has 7X the resolution
§  1080p vs 720p: 1080p has about 2X the resolution
§  1080p is a fantastic high definition resolution to shoot at
§  1080p is the pinnacle of HD quality - but more suited for pros and hard core enthusiasts.

High Definition Formats (I.E. HDTV):
720p - The Resolution is 1280x720 pixels, sent at 60 complete frames per second.
1080i - The Resolution is 1920x1080 pixels, sent at 60 interlaced frames per second or 30 complete frames per second.
1080p - The Resolution is 1920x1080 pixels, sent at 60 complete frames per second.