Reliable storage to cover high-resolution video data stream

Irina Chan, Product Marketing Specialist for the Storage Division of Toshiba Electronics Europe, Analyze the advantages and uses of hard drives for video surveillance, that offer continuous operation, Reliable and higher capacity.

Video surveillance systems incorporate an increasing number of cameras and resolution. As a result, The data volumes that generate do not stop growing; a trend that implies that the storage media used in this environment respond to significantly higher demands, With Reliability 24/7 and in harsh weather conditions.

To the greater demand for security of companies and citizens are added new applications in the field of video analytics. As an example, Intelligent algorithms are able to analyze video streams to count the number of visitors, to identify vehicle license plates or detect the presence of smoke.

The result is that the number of cameras deployed on public roads and in business facilities is increasing dramatically.. According to a study conducted by Mordor Intelligence, It is expected that the European Video Surveillance Market Experience a Annual growth rate Composed (CAGR) of the 15,5% from current to 2027.

Like the number of cameras, They also increase the resolutions of these devices. Currently, even the simplest models on the market already offer Full HD, and the 4K and 8K resolution has spread in the professional sector, to which is added its use 24/7, and the amount of data that accumulates.

In the latter respect, LThe data must be kept for an extended period of time, without losing frames, and be available for review at any time. These requirements pose specific challenges to storage systems and the media on which they are based..

Hard disk drives (HHD) Conventional desktop are insufficient in this environment, as they are designed for an operating time of between eight and sixteen hours per day and for annual workloads of about 55 Tb. In a video surveillance system they would generally exceed these values and wear out quickly., since the probability of failures during the warranty period would increase considerably.

Faced with this situation., HDD manufacturers offer Special models optimized for video surveillance that support continuous operation. These units are much more robust, what allows them to manage Until 180 TB of data per year.

Moreover, Hard drives for video surveillance usually have a Mean failure time (MTTF) of one million hours, which equates to an annual failure rate (AFR) of the 0,88 %. This means a probability of failure per year of, Approximately, nine in a thousand of these units. In comparison, Desktop hard drives, in continuous operation, have an MTTF of 600.000 Hours, I mean, an AFR of 1,46 %.

Like this, of every thousand of these units, Probably, Fifteen would fail within a year. As a result, lower-priced HDD models would only save money in the short term, since in the long run they would incur higher maintenance and service costs, that end up adding to the total cost of ownership (Tco). Hard drives for video surveillance have a Longer warranty period, generally, three years.

Reliability and robustness

Given the large volumes of data involved in video surveillance activities, Digital video recorders (Dvr), networked (Nvr), Servers and video management systems must provide large storage capacity. That's why, these computers often have multiple hard disks.

The problem is that in conventional installations, their rotational vibrations reinforce each other. In extreme cases, This can even lead to damage to the drives. For this reason the specific hard drives for video surveillance incorporate sensors to identify vibrations.

Desktop hard drives, which are usually only installed independently, can operate without such sensors and control mechanisms. However, Their useful life will be substantially reduced if they are used in storage systems intended for video surveillance.

Unlike the latter, Surveillance hard drives undergo extensive compatibility and functional testing on various different types of video recording equipment. This allows manufacturers to ensure that their models run smoothly and provide optimal performance., What is not guaranteed in the case of desktop hard drives.

In addition, Desktop hard drives are only designed for an operating temperature range of 0 at 60°C, may be insufficient for video surveillance functions, as recording equipment is not always installed in server rooms or air-conditioned data centers, not even in normal office environments.

In some cases, Systems are located in storage rooms with poor ventilation conditions or in safety cabinets within production and storage areas, where they may be exposed to elevated temperatures. For its part, Video surveillance HDDs are Designed for higher operating temperatures, with a covered margin of 0 at 70°C.

Boost performance

To allow high-resolution video streams to be processed in parallel, Video surveillance hard drives have a firmware Optimized And, generally, Have a larger buffer memory than desktop with comparable storage capacity.

In this way, Hard drives for video surveillance can withstand Until 64 video streams, While the exact performance will ultimately depend on the resolution, The codec used and the content captured. An example may be a camera located in an underground parking lot, that generates smaller amounts of data than one on the street monitoring a constant flow of vehicle traffic.

Some video surveillance hard drives work at speeds of 5.400 Or 5.700 revolutions per minute, Sufficient speed for many applications, Even if the video material sometimes needs to be read for review in parallel to the recording. Firmware ensures that write operations are not slowed down and that all streams are recorded reliably.

Low rotational speeds also make the units very energy efficient and help companies reduce their consumption.. However, when higher performance is required, there is also video surveillance HDD with a speed of 7.200 Rpm.

It should be noted that when there are high and frequent read loads it may make more sense to use enterprise-grade HDDs instead of video surveillance., as they not only provide higher data rates, they can also cope with annual workloads of up to 550 Tb.

In addition, are equipped with vibration sensors and control mechanisms, but they are designed for operating temperatures between 5 and 55°C, so they should be installed only in air-conditioned rooms.

Towards the smart city

With access to high-resolution video data, A large number of new use cases have also been generated.. The analysis of such data will have more and more value as we move towards the smart city of the future, in which video surveillance allows, For example, alleviating traffic congestion or better allocating resources to particular areas.

Another example is residential buildings and workplaces., as it provides occupancy data that helps reduce energy use, activating heating and lighting in places where it is needed.

Irina Chan

Product Marketing in Storage Division Toshiba Electronics Europe

 

Other articles on Mordor Intelligence, Toshiba, Toshiba Electronics Europe