Estimating storage space on NAS volumes

2016-08-25Last updated

If you want to change the retention period for a camera recording onto a NAS volume, you can estimate the storage space that your camera requires, so that the recording and storing of your video files runs smoothly.

Before you begin

What you should know

For cameras that record onto a NAS volume, it is recommended to properly calculate the storage space of your NAS volume before creating the volume on your NAS. Proper planning of your NAS volume's storage space helps ensure the following:
  • The NAS volume consistently writes at an optimal speed, and the recording and storing process runs smoothly.
  • You use the available storage space on your NAS volume efficiently.
  • You do not lose video recordings because of storage overcapacity that might result from improper planning.
Once the NAS volume has been added and a camera has been assigned to it, it is recommended to estimate the storage space that your camera requires, whenever you do one of the following:
  • Change the video configuration of your camera.
  • Change the retention period of your camera's recordings.
  • Replace a NAS volume with another.
Note: For the purpose of this task, let's assume that you have already assigned a camera to record onto your NAS volume. The video configuration setting for the camera is the following: resolution of 320 x 240, frame rate of 5 fps, and an estimated storage space of 1 GB per day. The retention period for the camera is set to 30 days. To increase the video quality captured by this camera, you want to change its video configuration. Also, you want to increase the retention period, so that you can have access to the video recordings for a longer period of time. The NAS volume you are using as a storage size of 400 GB.

Procedure

  1. On the client's Devices page, click the NAS volume that the camera is recording onto.
    Based on your current settings, the Estimated storage usage field shows the following:

    The estimated storage space that the camera takes up on the NAS volume

    The color-coded estimation bar shows the storage space that the camera is estimated to take up, that is, 21.63 GB of the total storage space of 400 GB.

  2. Because the video recordings captured by Cam1 are important, you want to increase the video quality for this camera. Click Cam1 to open the camera's Edit page.
  3. On the camera's Edit page, change the video configuration to 800x600, 900 kbps, and 15 FPS.
    The estimated storage allocation changes from 21.63 to 278.09 GB, because the increased video quality settings take up more space on the NAS volume.

    Changing the video configuration for Cam1, and how that affects the estimated storage space

  4. Because of the importance of the video recordings captured by Cam1, you want to keep them stored on the NAS volume for more than 30 days. In the Retention period field, change the number of days to 45.
    With the current video configuration settings, increasing the retention period for Cam1 causes an overcapacity issue on the NAS volume. With this retention period, the estimated storage space on the NAS volume exceeds its total capacity by 17.14 GB. If you choose to continue with the current settings, you risk losing video recordings from your camera.

    Changing the retention period for Cam1, and how that affects the estimated storage space

  5. To resolve this overcapacity, you can do one or more of the following:
    • Reduce the retention period.
    • Choose lower video configuration settings for Cam1.
    • Keep the current settings and replace the NAS volume with one that has more storage space.