Recorders
Recorder
Screen Overview
The Recorder screens in BluSKY allow administrators to search, view, and create video recorder definitions used across systems and facilities. The search panel supports precise filtering (by system group, system, facility, recorder type, region, status, and technical identifiers), and the results grid lists matching recorders with key attributes and camera-health indicators. These pages are accessed from Setup and are central to managing video recording infrastructure.
Field Definitions
| Field Label | Definition | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| System Group | Limits results to recorders within the selected System Group. | Dropdown; refresh icon reloads allowed values. |
| System | Filters recorders by a specific System. | Dropdown; refresh icon reloads allowed values based on System Group. |
| Facility | Filters recorders by Facility. | Dropdown; refresh icon reloads allowed values based on System. |
| Type | Filters by recorder platform/type (e.g., Milestone, Avigilon, Salient, BluBox). | Dropdown. |
| Region | Filters recorders by geographic or logical region. | Dropdown. |
| Search Text | Free-text search; default search field is Name. | Includes help (?) and clear (X) controls. |
| Search Setup Key | Filters by the recorder’s setup key identifier. | Exact match recommended; clear (X) control available. |
| Search Media DNS | Filters by the recorder’s media DNS/host name. | Partial matches allowed; clear (X) control available. |
| Site Manager Version | Filters by the installed Site Manager/agent version. | Useful for upgrade audits. |
| Media Server License Id | Filters by the media server license identifier. | Enter full or partial ID; clear (X) control available. |
| Search | Status filter determining which records are returned (e.g., Active, All). | Defaults to Active. |
| Stream Route | Filters by configured stream routing option. | Dropdown with clear (X) and refresh icons. |
| Name (results column) | The recorder’s display name. | Click to open the recorder’s detail page (where available). |
| Type (results column) | Recorder platform/type shown for each result. | Read-only. |
| Server (results column) | The associated BluSKY Server hosting the recorder services. | Click-through may open the server (where available). |
| System (results column) | System to which the recorder belongs. | Read-only. |
| Facility (results column) | Facility to which the recorder is assigned. | Read-only. |
| Cameras (results column) | Color-coded counts indicating camera state/health per recorder. | Green/red coloring highlights status at a glance. |
| Media/Service (results column) | Service/media type indicator for the recorder. | Label may appear truncated based on screen size. |
Screen Actions and Functions
- Create – Opens the add-new Recorder workflow.
- Submit – Executes the search using the current filter values.
- Reset – Clears all filter values back to defaults (e.g., Search = Active).
- Refresh picklists – Circular-arrow icons next to dropdowns reload permitted values based on your scope and recent data changes.
- Clear field – X icon clears the adjacent text field.
- Context help – ? icon next to Search Text explains the targeted search field.
Usage Instructions & Examples
How to find a recorder by name
- In Search Text, leave the selector set to Name and enter part of the recorder name.
- Optionally select System or Facility to narrow the scope.
- Click Submit. Review the matching rows in the results grid.
How to filter recorders by platform and status
- Choose a System Group and System.
- Set Type to the desired platform (e.g., MilestoneXProtect).
- Ensure Search is set to Active (or change to All to include inactive).
- Click Submit to update results.
How to create a new recorder
- Click Create.
- Complete required fields in the Recorder form (name, platform, server, facility, and any platform-specific parameters).
- Save. The new recorder appears in the results grid after you click Submit.
How to locate a recorder by license or DNS
- Enter the Media Server License Id or Media DNS value in the respective field.
- Optionally set Facility or Region.
- Click Submit to return precise matches.
System Behaviors and Edge Cases
- Filters are cumulative; combining System Group, System, and Facility dramatically narrows results.
- Search defaults to Active to avoid returning decommissioned items. Set to All to include inactive/retired recorders.
- The refresh icon beside dropdowns reloads permitted options according to your current access scope; use after adding new Systems/Facilities.
- Clear (X) icons remove only the text of that field and do not affect other filters.
- The results grid uses color cues in the Cameras column to highlight camera status counts; exact color semantics may vary by platform.
- If no records match, the grid displays an empty list; verify that Search is not restricting results (e.g., switch from Active to All).
- Field availability in results (click-through to details) may depend on permissions and tenant configuration.
- Very large result sets may paginate or require scrolling; apply additional filters to improve load times.
Permissions
- Accessible to Global Administrators, System Administrators, and Tenant Administrators with video management rights.
- Create/Edit/Delete recorder actions require write-level permissions for the target System/Facility.
- Users with read-only access can search and view results but cannot create or modify recorders.
- Visibility of Systems, Facilities, and Regions in picklists is restricted to the user’s scope.
Linked Workflows
- Servers – Open the associated Server record to manage host details, sync settings, and applications.
- Cameras/Channels – After creating a recorder, add or map cameras/channels to the recorder.
- Access Levels/Regions – Align recorders with Facilities and Regions to support monitoring and reporting.
- Health/Alarms – Use Control/Intelligence modules to monitor camera and recorder health surfaced from these records.
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