Expected to grow at a compound growth rate of 15.4%
though 2022 according to Research and Markets, video
surveillance solutions are transitioning to high-definition
IP-based solutions that support advanced analytic tools and
reside on integrated (versus dedicated) networks. In the face
of this change, many businesses are struggling to realize
the full potential of modern video surveillance technology
due to limitations of the underlying network. They are often
faced with long camera re-convergence times, scalability
restrictions, security concerns and the painstaking, labor-intensive process of provisioning IP services.
Shortcomings like these can result in video streaming
delays from remote monitoring stations, lapses in video as
a result of long network reconvergence times and a lack of
efficiency due to the complexity in designing, managing
and troubleshooting the IP network.
Complexity is the Challenge
The transition to IP creates opportunities and challenges. On
the one hand IP offers greater flexibility — cameras offer
enhanced resolution and can be connected to the network
with more ease and simplicity than traditional analog models.
On the other hand, IP networking is daunting even for IP
experts. The design, deployment and troubleshooting of an
IP network can require numerous protocols which must be
managed and configured individually. Particularly onerous,
IP multicast routing (often preferred to unicast routing due
to bandwidth efficiencies) relies on PIM being enabled on
all devices such as cameras, video management systems
and, of course, switches and routers throughout the entire
network. New deployments can take weeks to implement
due to the complexity.
Figure 1 shows a typical Video Surveillance Network. It
includes cameras (analog, IP or hybrid), video encoders (to
convert analog to IP), video recorders, monitoring stations,
analytic tools and edge and core IP/Ethernet network
switches. The multifaceted key to success, making all of
these components work together, is complicated to say the
least. The answer lies in the Network.
Extreme Fabric Connect represents a new way to design,
manage and troubleshoot networks. Fundamentally
different from today’s complex and static IP networks,
Extreme Fabric Connect enables a dynamic, agile and
resilient network where services can be deployed at the
edge only.
Based on an enhanced version of the IEEE/IETF standard
Shortest Path Bridging, Extreme Fabric Connect offers a
single, next generation technology that supports today’s
breadth of network services, L2, L3, routing and multicast.
Instead of multiple complex protocol overlays, there is one
next-generation protocol that supports all services. It allows
customers to streamline their networks and eliminate legacy
protocols (Spanning Tree and any PIM-based protocols)
and enable IP unicast and multicast routing with greater
ease, scale and resiliency than what has been possible in
the past.
Designed to simplify any video surveillance solution (analog,
IP, hybrid, unicast or multicast), Extreme Fabric Connect
eliminates network-wide provisioning practices and
substitutes them with very simple end point provisioning
with only one or two lines of command. Provisioning
is required on only the ports attached to cameras and
monitoring stations/receivers – with no need to provision
any core switches in between. This not only reduces the
risk of an outage due to human error during change but
also allows your video surveillance network to be deployed
faster and easier than ever before – with the ability to add,
move and change cameras on the fly. In addition, once the
end points are provisioned, the network will determine the
shortest path from source to destination – ensuring your
streaming video comes in real-time rather than delayed by
a few seconds.
Extreme Fabric Connect eliminates gaps in video streams
by delivering lightning fast recoveries from outages. While
traditional IP network reconvergence takes anywhere from
a couple of seconds to minutes, Extreme Fabric Connect
offers sub second recoveries for both unicast and multicast
routing because link and nodal failures are transparent to
the video surveillance application.
In the past you may have been limited by the number
of cameras and receivers you could support on your IP
network – especially in a multicast deployment. With
the ability to easily handle tens of thousands of unicast/
multicast streams, Extreme Fabric Connect ensures that
the network is ready to handle your current and future
surveillance needs.
Finally, for customers implementing video surveillance
over a converged backbone, Extreme Fabric Connect
provides integrated Virtual Router and Forwarding
instances – enabling the creation of an isolated IP network
over the same physical infrastructure. This IP network can
be created without adding any complex protocols (mBGP,
MPLS, etc.). Now you can keep your video surveillance
traffic completely isolated from other corporate IT traffic by
keeping it in it’s own secure zone.
The old way of networking, fraught with complexity, is out. The new way of networking, making your life easier, is in. Extreme Fabric Connect simplifies IP video surveillance deployments from small to large. In these transitional times for video surveillance technology, it’s time for you to choose the networking solution that you don’t have to think about – because it just works — Extreme Fabric Connect.
