Motorola solutions Avigilon VMA-AIA1-CG1 User manual

User Guide
Avigilon Artificial Intelligence Appliance
VMA-AIA1-CG1 and VMA-AIA1-CG2
(ACC6.10 and later with firmware releases 3.2 and later)

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PDF-VMA-A1A1-B
Revision: 2 - EN
20200611
ii

Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Before YouStart 1
Overview 2
Front View 2
Back View 3
System Requirements 3
Camera Frame Rate 3
Web Browser 3
Networking 4
Installation 5
Package Contents 5
Installing the Sliding Rack Rails and Cable Management Arm 5
Installing the Bezel 5
Connecting Cables 6
Starting the Avigilon AIAppliance for the First Time 7
Moving the Avigilon AIAppliance to a Site 10
Configuring the Appliance 11
Launching the ACCESAdmin Web UI 11
Managing ACC Services and Storage 13
Providing Service Logs for Support 13
Rebooting the Device and Managing Device Settings 14
Connecting the Device to Users and Cameras 15
Providing Device Logs for Support 16
Advanced Features 17
LED Indicators 18
Diagnostic Indicators 18
Power Status Indicators 19
Managing Certificates 20
Replacing the Web Certificate 20
Upload a Trusted CA Certificate 22
Upgrading the Firmware 23
Restoring to Factory Default Settings 25
iii

Troubleshooting 26
Cannot Discover the Device 26
Network Configuration 26
Checking System Health 26
For More Information 28
iv

Introduction
The Avigilon AIAppliance (Avigilon AIAppliance) provides Avigilon's patented self-learning video analytics
and Avigilon Appearance Search™ on existing multi-megapixel IPcameras that are not already analytic-
enabled when paired with the Avigilon Control Center software (ACC). The Avigilon AIAppliance features:
lAvigilon's self-learning video analytics with no manual calibration, as available on Avigilon analytic
cameras.
lPre-integrated with Avigilon Control Center High Definition Network Video Management System for
simple setup.
lHigh capacity video analytic processing that accepts video sources from 320 × 240 to 3264 × 2448
pixels.
This guide describes how to configure the system after the Avigilon AIAppliance has been powered and is
connected the local area network.
Before YouStart
Avigilon recommends the use of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system to protect your video
surveillance system hardware. A UPS system is used to protect critical equipment from mains supply
problems, including spikes, voltage dips, fluctuations and complete power failures using a dedicated
battery. It can also be used to power equipment during the time it takes for a standby generator to be
started and synchronized.
Any UPS connection must include configuration to shut down the operating system on the appliance when
battery power is low or there is 15 minutes of power remaining.
It is recommended that cameras not be connected to the appliance until after the appropriate network
configuration has been set up.
Introduction 1

Overview
Front View
1. Diagnostic indicators
Provides information about system operations.
For more information, see LED Indicators on page18.
2. Bezel
Must be installed on site.
3. Bezel Lock
Protects against unauthorized physical access.
4. Power button
Controls the power supply to the appliance.
5. Video connector
Accepts a VGA monitor connection.
6. Information tag
Pull-out tag that provides the product service details and support information.
Overview 2

Back View
1. Out-of-Band Management (OOBM) connector
Accepts an OOBM RJ-45 connection.
2. Serial connector
Accepts connections to serial devices.
3. Video connector
Accepts a VGA monitor connection.
4. USB connectors
Accepts USB connections to external devices.
5. Four (4) RJ-45 1 Gbps Ethernet ports
Accepts Ethernet connections to multiple networks. Any port can be used.
6. Power supply
Two hot swappable redundant power supply.
System Requirements
Camera Frame Rate
The Avigilon AIAppliance can provide analytics for non-analytics cameras. For optimal analytics
performance, the source camera should stream a minimum of 10 frames per second (fps).
Web Browser
Basic administration settings for the Avigilon AIAppliance are managed through its Web Interface. However,
most configuration is done with the ACC Client.
The Web Interface can be accessed from any Windows®, Mac or mobile device using any of the following
web browsers:
Back View 3

lMozilla Firefox® browser version 3.6 or later
lGoogle Chrome™ browser 8.0 or later
lMicrosoft Edge™ browser 25 or later
lSafari® 5.0 or later
lChrome on Android™ 2.2 or later
lSafari on Apple® iOS 5 or later.
lWindows Internet Explorer® browser version 7.0 or later
Note: Your web browser must be configured to accept cookies or the Web Interface will not
function correctly.
Networking
When locating where to install the Avigilon AIAppliance, consider the following items:
lThe Avigilon AIAppliance only requires a single network connection for full video analytics
processing throughput, but up to four network connections are available to accommodate advanced
site networking deployments.
lThe Avigilon AIAppliance must be installed with network connectivity to all ACC Site member
servers.
lAt initial setup time, the ACC Client PC must be on a network with connectivity to the Avigilon
AIAppliance.
After the Avigilon AIAppliance has joined the ACCsite, this is no longer a requirement (ACC Client PC
will still require network access to at least one site member).
lTo limit cross-network traffic, it is best if the Avigilon AIAppliance is co-located with the ACC Server
connected to the cameras on which the Avigilon AIAppliance will be performing video analytics.
Networking 4

Installation
Before starting the installation, copy down the serial number and MAC address from the label on the
underside of the appliance. You will need this information during the installation procedure.
Package Contents
Ensure the package contains the following:
lAvigilon AIAppliance
lRack sliding rail assembly kit
lCable management arm assembly kit
lBezel and key
lPower cables (may be provided in a separate box)
Installing the Sliding Rack Rails and Cable Management Arm
If the Avigilon AIAppliance will be kept in a server rack, install the Sliding Rack Rails and the Cable
Management Arm (CMA) provided in the appliance package. Follow the procedures outlined in the Rack
Installation Instructions and the CMA Installation Instructions provided in the assembly kits.
Note: The supplied Sliding Rack Rails are compatible with square and round hole racks.
Installing the Bezel
The bezel can be installed on the front of the Avigilon AIAppliance to help protect against unauthorized
access.
Installation 5

1. Align and insert the right end of the bezel until it clicks into place.
2. Push the left end of the bezel into the front of the unit until it clicks into place.
3. Use the provided key to lock the bezel.
Connecting Cables
Refer to the diagrams in Overview on page2 for the location of the different connectors. Make the following
connections, as required:
1. Connect the Avigilon AIAppliance to your network using an Ethernet cable.
Note: It is recommended that the Avigilon AIAppliance follow a similar network
configuration to the site NVRs. You can connect up to 4 Ethernet cables.
2. Connect a power cable to each power supply at the back of the Avigilon AIAppliance.
Connecting Cables 6

Starting the Avigilon AIAppliance for the First Time
Install the Avigilon AIAppliance in a location free of dust and particles, vibration, and within the specified
operating temperature range. Otherwise any issues that arise will not be covered by the warranty.
You must configure the device for the first time before connecting it to your security network.
Important: If static IPs are required, a laptop computer is required to manually configure the IP
address for the device. Ensure the laptop is not assigned any of these IP addresses: 169.254.100.99
or 169.254.100.100, and has an IP subnet mask of 255.255.0.0.
1. Connect power to the device and wait for it to start up. It may take several minutes to start up the first
time it is powered on.
Check that the appliance LED indicators display the correct status. See LED Indicators on page18 for
more information.
2. If you are configuring the device with a static IP address, connect a DHCP enabled port on your
configuring laptop with an Ethernet cable directly to the camera network (eth0) port on the device.
Otherwise, connect the device to the corporate network using the corporate network (eth1) port.
3. On the connected laptop or network workstation, discover the appliance. Use File Explorer on a
Windows computer or Finder® on a Macintosh computer.
You are looking for a device labeled “VMA-AIA1-CGx-xxxxxxxxxx”, where xxxxxxxxxx is the serial
number of your appliance. If you cannot locate the appliance, see Troubleshooting on page26.
4. Click to open the device in a supported web browser. For a list of supported web browsers, see
System Requirements on page3.
Important: The Avigilon AIAppliance is configured with a self-signed certificate, which
generates a connection warning in the web browser.
Starting the Avigilon AIAppliance for the First Time 7

5. Click past any connection messages displayed by the browser. You will see two warning messages
that differ slightly depending on the browser. If the browser is:
lChrome—Click Advanced on the first screen and Proceed to <IPaddress>(unsafe) on the
second screen.
lFirefox—Click Advanced on the first screen and Add Exception on the second screen, check
Permanently store this exception, and click Confirm Security Exception.
6. You will see a security warning from the browser informing you that the connection between the
WebUI and the device is untrusted because the device is using a self-signed Web Certificate. This is
expected and you can safely ignore the warning and proceed to the ACCESAdmin Web UI.
The level of security provided by the certificates included with the device should be sufficient for
any organization that does not deploy a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) on its internal servers.
Important: For organizations that deploy their own PKI, the device's certificates can be
managed from the ACCESAdmin Web UI after the device is installed and powered. The
default self-signed Web Certificate can be replaced, signed certificates from Certificate
Authorities (CAs) that are not provided with the device can be added, and the signed
certificates from CAs for public servers such as Google Mail that are provided with device
can be disabled. For more information, see Managing Certificates on page20
7. When you are prompted by the Web Interface, enter a new password for the administrator username.
The Strength meter measures the complexity of your password: Red is too simple, yellow is
reasonably complex, and green is complex. Complexity measures the difficulty to discover your
password, not how secure your password is. A complex password is recommended.
The page refreshes and you are prompted to log in.
8. Enter administrator as the username and your new password.
The Dashboard panel of the Web Interface is displayed.
9. Set the language for the Web Interface, a user-friendly hostname, and the time zone. In the navigation
sidebar, click Device to open the Device panel . In the:
a. General pane, select the Language from the drop-down.
b. Hostname pane, optionally replace the serial number of the appliance with a descriptive
hostname for the appliance.
c. Time pane, specify the Time Zone and identify the time source in the NTP drop-down and
Servers list.
For more information see Rebooting the Device and Managing Device Settings on page14.
Starting the Avigilon AIAppliance for the First Time 8

10. Select how the appliance obtains IPaddresses from the network. On the navigation sidebar, click
Network to open the Network panel. For each network port used, select Automatic or manually enter
the settings.
For more information, see Connecting the Device to Users and Cameras on page15.
11. If a laptop was used to configure the device:
a. Connect an Ethernet cable from the device to the corporate network port.
b. Disconnect the configuring laptop from the camera network port.
12. Connect the cameras to the PoE ports.
For more information about the Web Interface, see Configuring the Appliance on page11
You are now ready to connect the Avigilon AIAppliance to an ACC site. For more information, see Moving
the Avigilon AIAppliance to a Site on the next page
Starting the Avigilon AIAppliance for the First Time 9

Moving the Avigilon AIAppliance to a Site
On its own, an Avigilon AIAppliance has no functionality. At initial setup time, the ACC Client workstation
must be on a network with connectivity to the Avigilon AIAppliance. After the appliance has joined the ACC
site, this is no longer a requirement, although the ACC Client PC will still require network access to at least
one site member.
After you log on to the ACC Client for the first time, you must move it into the site connected to the non-
analytics cameras for whose feeds you want the appliance to provide analytics processing.
1. In the site Setup tab, click .
The Site Management tab lists all the sites that you can access and all the devices that are connected
to each site.
If you do not see the site you want, you may need to add the site.
2. Locate the ACC site in the list into which you want to move the Avigilon AIAppliance.
3. Select the Avigilon AIAppliance. You will see the available options at the bottom of the application
window.
4. To add the Avigilon AIAppliance into a site:
lSelect the Avigilon AIAppliance and drag it into the ACC site.
lOr, select the Avigilon AIAppliance then click Connect to Site… at the bottom-right corner
of the tab. In the following dialog box, select the site you want the appliance to connect to.
Note: More than one Avigilon AIAppliance can be connected to an ACC site. Each
appliance will appear separately in the system tree.
Moving the Avigilon AIAppliance to a Site 10

Configuring the Appliance
The Avigilon AIAppliance can be configured through the ACCESAdmin Web UI that is accessible from any
compatible browser on the network. The ACCESAdmin Web UI allows you to configure the Avigilon
AIAppliance server settings, set how the server keeps time, and allows you to remotely restart or upgrade
the server.
Start backing up the system settings for the recorder after you configure it. These settings include the ACC
password, and the settings for the camera connections. For more information on backing up the site and
server configurations, see the Avigilon ACC Client User Guide.
Throughout this section, the term device is used to identify the appliance.
Launching the ACCESAdmin Web UI
You can access the ACCESAdmin Web UI from a network workstation with network access to the device.
The first time you access the ACCESAdmin Web UI of your device, use one of the following methods:
lDiscovering the Device
1. Open the Network tab in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Macintosh) to locate the device.
You are looking for a network device labeled “VMA-AIA1-CGx-<serial number>".
2. Right click and select View Device Webpage to open the device sign in page in your default
web browser.
lUsing the IP Address or Hostname
1. Open a web browser from a network workstation with network access to the device.
2. Enter its IP address or hostname into the web browser to open the device sign in page:
https://<Device IP address >|<Device hostname>/
For example: https://169.254.100.100/ or https://my_AvigilonDevice/ ,
where my_AvigilonDevice/ is the hostname configured in the Device panel.
Note: If you forgot the IPaddress or hostname that was configured during the
installation process, the information is listed in the ACC Client software, in the server
Setup tab.
Tip: Bookmark the URLof sign-in web page for the device.
To log in to and out of the ACCESAdmin Web UI:
Configuring the Appliance 11

1. To log in, enter the ACCESAdmin Web UI username and password.
The username is always administrator. Use the password you configured when you logged in to
the device for the first time. For more information, see Starting the Avigilon AIAppliance for the First
Time on page7.
The ACCESAdmin Web UI launch page is displayed in your web browser.
2. To log out of the ACCESAdmin Web UI, click the log out icon on the right side of the top banner.
On the ACCESAdmin Web UI launch page, Dashboard is selected in the side navigation bar, and the
Dashboard status panels are displayed:
lSystem — Displays Ready when the device is fully operational, and Rebooting then Initializing when
the device is restarting. The panel provides technical information about your device:product name,
part number, serial number, and firmware version.
Use the menu options under Services and System in the Dashboard navigation bar to access all the other
web interface panels.
lServices — Expand ACC in the left sidebar to navigate to
lThe Server page to control the ACC Server on the device. See Managing ACC Services and
Storage on the next page
lThe Logs page to view ACC Server service logs. See Providing Service Logs for Support on
the next page.
lSystem — Access the five options to configure the device and view its status:
lDevice. See:
lRebooting the Device and Managing Device Settings on page14
lUpgrading the Firmware on page23
lManaging Certificates on page20
lNetwork. See Connecting the Device to Users and Cameras on page15.
lLogs. See Providing Device Logs for Support on page16
Launching the ACCESAdmin Web UI 12

Managing ACC Services and Storage
On the Server panel use the:
lGeneral pane:
To... Do this...
Shut down all the services before you shut down the device. Click Stop.
Start up all the services after they have been shut down. Click Start.
lService and RTP Ports panes
To change the UDPand TCP ports used to communicate with the appliance:
lIn the Service Ports pane, enter the Base value to use for the HTTP, HTTPS, and UDPports and
click Apply. The list of ports is updated.
lIn the RTP Ports pane, enter the Base value to use for the UDPports and click Apply. The
range of ports available for RTP is updated.
Important: These changes can only take effect after the system restarts. When you are
prompted, allow the system to restart.
Providing Service Logs for Support
Use the Logs page to view service logs. The logs are typically requested by Avigilon Technical Support to
help resolve an issue.
By default, the page displays 100 warning messages from the logs.
Typically, Avigilon Technical Support assists you to access and filter the logs on this panel to isolate the logs
that they require. You then copy and paste the logs into a text file, save it and send it to Avigilon Technical
Support.
You can filter the logs to display the information that you need:
1. In the drop down list, select the type of application log that you need. The options are:
oAnalytics Service Exception Logs
oAnalytics Service FCP Logs
oAnalytics Service Logs Analytics Service Logs
oException Logs
oFCP Logs
oServer Logs
oWebEndpoint Logs
Managing ACC Services and Storage 13

2. In the Maximum Logs drop down list, select the number of log messages you want to display each
time.
3. Enter text in the Filter field to apply a filter to the log listings.
4. Click the Sync button to display the updated logs.
Rebooting the Device and Managing Device Settings
On the Device panel use the:
lGeneral pane to:
lReboot the device from the ACCESAdmin Web UI. You can monitor the progress of the
device as it reboots from the ACCESAdmin Web UI launch page (see . For more infomation
see, Launching the ACCESAdmin Web UI on page11).
lSelect a Language for the ACCESAdmin Web UI from the drop down list.
lHostname pane to enter a new Hostname. Click Apply to make the change.
The default hostname is the same as the server name. The server name is in the form <Model>-
<Serial Number>
lPassword pane to change the administrator password:
Note: You cannot change the default administrator username on the ACCESAdmin Web UI,
only the password.
1. To change your password, confirm your identity by entering your current password in the Old
Password field.
2. Enter the new password in the New Password field.
3. Re-enter the new password in the Confirm Password field.
CAUTION — You will lose configuration data if you forget your password. To reset the administrator
password, you must reset the device to the factory default settings. This will delete the configuration
data. For more information on performing a factory restore, see Restoring to Factory Default Settings
on page25.
lTime pane to customize how the device keeps time:
lSelect your Time Zone from the drop-down list. The time zone that you set here is used by the
recording schedules defined in the ACC Client software.
lSelect whether you want to keep synchronized time through a Network Time Protocol (NTP)
server (recommended) in the NTP field.
Select:
Rebooting the Device and Managing Device Settings 14

lDHCP to automatically use the existing NTP servers in the network.
lManual to enter the address of NTP servers in the Servers list. Controls to add and
delete addresses in the list, and reorder them are activated.
lOff if you do not use an NTP server.
Note: The default set of NTP servers is always present in the Servers list. The default
list cannot be rearranged or deleted:
l0.pool.ntp.org
l1.pool.ntp.org
l2.pool.ntp.org
l3.pool.ntp.org
Click Apply to save the time settings.
lUpgrade Firmware pane to install the latest version of the firmware on your device, or to reinstall the
firmware if it becomes corrupted. For more information, see Upgrading the Firmware on page23.
lCertificates pane to manage the certificates used by the ACCESAdmin Web UI and the device. For
more information, see Managing Certificates on page20.
Connecting the Device to Users and Cameras
On the Network panel, you can change network connections of the appliance. Four network connections
are supported. Any of the network connections can be used to join the Avigilon AIAppliance to an existing
ACC site. The appliance must be on a network where it can be discovered by the ACC Client and can be
clustered to other ACC servers. Users who administrate the appliance through the ACC Client software
connect to the device through this network.
Important: Before adding the appliance as a new ACC site, or merging the appliance to an existing
ACC Site, first set its IP address. It is highly recommended to be in the same IP subnet as the other
servers in the ACC Site.
The camera network is a closed network that typically only contains cameras. This reduces the amount of
interference with video recording.
You can perform any of the following actions in each of the panes in the Network panel:
To... Do this...
Set how the
device obtains an
IP address for
In each of the panes in the Network panel, toggle Automatic IP on to discover
connected networks automatically (the default setting), or off to manually specify the
connections. Enter the appropriate values in the following fields if you are manually
Connecting the Device to Users and Cameras 15

To... Do this...
each network. entering the connection settings:
lIP Address
lSubnet Mask
lDefault Gateway
Click Apply to save your changes.
Set how the
device obtains a
named address
from a DNS
server.
Toggle Automatic DNSon to discover connected DNSservers automatically (the
default setting), or off to manually specify the DNSservers. Controls to add and
delete addresses in the list, and reorder them are activated when Automatic DNS is
toggled off.
Providing Device Logs for Support
Use the System Logs panel to view the device logs. The logs are typically requested by Avigilon Technical
Support to help resolve an issue.
By default, the page displays 100 warning messages from the Logs.
Typically, Avigilon Technical Support assists you to access and filter the logs on this panel to isolate the logs
that they require. You then copy and paste the logs into a text file, save it and send it to Avigilon Technical
Support.
You can filter the logs to display the information that you need:
1. In the drop down list, select the type of application log that you need. The options are:
oSystem Logs
oBoot Logs
oWeb Server Logs
2. In the Maximum Logs drop down list, select the number of log messages you want to display each
time.
3. Enter text in the Filter field to apply a filter to the log listings.
4. Click the Sync button to display the updated logs.
Providing Device Logs for Support 16