AXIS Camera Station S1216 Mk II Tower Recording Server

The standard workflow to configure an AXIS Camera Station Pro recording server is:

1. Install your device.

2. Initial Windows® setup: After installing your device, you are guided through a few steps to set up the region, language, keyboard layout, an administrator account and its password.

3. Initial Axis recorder setup: After the initial Windows® setup, AXIS Recorder Toolbox is opened and you are guided through a few steps to set up basic and necessary settings, for example, computer name, date and time, and network. See Initial Axis recorder setup.

4. Configure Windows®. We recommend to:

5. • Update Windows® to the latest version. See Update Windows®.

   • Create a standard user account. See Create a user account.

6. Update AXIS Camera Station Pro to the latest version.

7. • If your system is online: open the AXIS Recorder Toolbox app and click Update AXIS Camera Station Pro.

   • If your system is offline: go to axis.com and download the latest version.

8. Start the AXIS Camera Station Pro client.

9. Connect to AXIS Camera Station Pro server.

10. Configure AXIS Camera Station Pro.

• Prepare additional accessories used for installation: monitor, mouse, keyboard and network cable.

• Understand the usage of different user accounts.

The following table lists the user accounts that can be used for installation, configuration and operation of your Axis system.

For instructions on how to install the product, see the installation guide included in the box or on the product’s support page on axis.com.

After you have configured Windows®, AXIS Recorder Toolbox is opened automatically and you are guided through the first-time configuration setup assistant. In this setup assistant, you can configure several basic and necessary settings before you manage your device in AXIS Recorder Toolbox.

1. Select Light or Dark theme and click Next (if it’s available for your product).

2. Change the computer name if you want and click Next.

3. Under Date and time, configure the following settings and click Next.

4. • Select a time zone.

   • To set up an NTP server, select NTP server and enter the NTP server address.

   • To set manually, select Manual and select a date and time.

5. Under Network settings, configure the following settings and click Next.

6. • Use automatic IP settings (DHCP) and Use automatic DNS settings are turned on by default.

   • If your device is connected to a network with a DHCP server, the assigned IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and preferred DNS are automatically displayed.

   • If your device is not connected to a network or there is no DHCP server available, enter the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and preferred DNS manually depending on the network requirements.

7. Click Finish. If you have changed the computer name, AXIS Recorder Toolbox will prompt you to restart the device.

Before you start:

• Configure your network depending on your installation. See Network configuration.

• Configure your server ports if needed. See Server port configuration.

• Consider security issues. See Security considerations.

After necessary configurations, you can start to work with AXIS Camera Station Pro:

1. Start the video management system

2. Add devices

3. Configure recording method

4. View live video

5. View recordings

6. Add bookmarks

7. Export recordings

8. Play and verify recordings in AXIS File Player

Double-click the AXIS Camera Station Pro client icon to start the client. When you start the client for the first time, it attempts to log in to the AXIS Camera Station Pro server installed on the same computer as the client.

You can connect to multiple AXIS Camera Station Pro servers in different ways.

The Add devices page opens the first time you start AXIS Camera Station Pro. AXIS Camera Station Pro searches the network for connected devices and shows a list of devices found.

1. Select the cameras you want to add from the list. If you can’t find your camera, click Manual search.

2. Click Add.

3. Select Quick configuration or Site Designer configuration. Click Next.

4. Use the default settings and ensure the recording method is None. Click Install.

1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

2. Select a camera.

3. Turn on Motion detection, or Continuous, or both.

4. Click Apply.

1. Open a Live view tab.

2. Select a camera to view its live video.

1. Open a Recordings tab.

2. Select the camera you want to view recordings from.

1. Go to the recording.

2. In the timeline of the camera, zoom in and out and move the timeline to put the marker at your desired position.

3. Click .

4. Enter the bookmark name and description. Use keywords in the description to make the bookmark easy to find and recognize.

5. Select Prevent recording deletion to lock the recording.

6. Note

   It’s not possible to delete a locked recording. To unlock the recording, clear the option or delete the bookmark.

7. Click OK to save the bookmark.

1. Open a Recordings tab.

2. Select the camera you want to export recordings from.

3. Click to display the selection markers.

4. Drag the markers to include the recordings that you want to export.

5. Click to open the Export tab.

6. Click Export....

1. Go to the folder with the exported recordings.

2. Double-click AXIS File Player.

3. Click to show the recording’s notes.

4. To verify the digital signature:

5. 1. Go to Tools > Verify digital signature.

   2. Select Validate with password and enter your password.

   3. Click Verify. The verification result page appears.

6. Note

   • Digital signature is different from Signed video. Signed video allows you to trace video back to the camera it came from, making it possible to verify that the recording wasn't tampered with. See Signed video and the camera’s user manual for more information.
   • If stored files don’t have any connection with an AXIS Camera Station database (non-indexed files), you need to convert them to make them playable in AXIS File Player. Contact Axis Technical support for help converting your files.

Configure proxy or firewall settings before using AXIS Camera Station Pro if the AXIS Camera Station Pro client, AXIS Camera Station Pro server, and the connected network devices are on different networks.

Client proxy settings

If a proxy server is between the client and the server, you must configure the proxy settings in Windows on the client computer. Contact Axis support for more information.

Server proxy settings

If the proxy server is between the network device and the server, you must configure the proxy settings in Windows on the server. Contact Axis support for more information.

NAT and Firewall

When a NAT, firewall, or similar separates the client and the server, configure the NAT or firewall to ensure that the HTTP port, TCP port, and streaming port specified in AXIS Camera Station Service Control can pass through the firewall or NAT. Contact the network administrator for instructions on configuring the NAT or firewall.

AXIS Camera Station Pro server uses ports 55752 (HTTP), 55754 (TCP), 55756 (mobile communication), and 55757 (mobile streaming) for communication between the server and the client. You can change the ports in AXIS Camera Station Service Control if required.

To prevent unauthorized access to cameras and recordings, keep the following in mind:

• Use strong passwords for all network devices (cameras, video encoders, and auxiliary devices).

• Install AXIS Camera Station S1216 Mk II Tower Recording Server server, cameras, video encoders, and auxiliary devices on a secure network separate from the office network. You can install the AXIS Camera Station S1216 Mk II Tower Recording Server client on a computer on another network, for example, a network with internet access.

• Make sure all users have strong passwords. Windows® Active Directory provides a high level of security.

To use automatic licensing, you must register your system and connect it to an organization.

1. Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

2. Make sure Automatic licensing is on.

3. Click Register....

4. Sign in using your My Axis account and follow the onscreen instructions.

5. Click Go to AXIS License Manager to manage your licenses there. Read the My Systems user manual on help.axis.com for more information.

To license your system manually:

1. Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

2. Turn off Automatic licensing.

3. Click Export system file... and save the file to your computer.

4. Note

   You must have an internet connection to access AXIS License Manager. If your client computer doesn’t have internet, copy the system file to a computer that does.

5. Open AXIS License Manager.

6. In AXIS License Manager:

7. 1. Select the correct organization, or create one if you haven’t already. Read the My Systems user manual on help.axis.com for more information.

   2. Go to System setup.

   3. Click Upload system file.

   4. Click Upload system file and select your system file.

   5. Click Upload system file.

   6. Click Download license file.

8. Go back to the AXIS Camera Station S1216 Mk II Tower Recording Server client.

9. Click Import license file... and select your license file.

10. Click Go to AXIS License Manager to manage your licenses there.

To help keep your personal data and information more secure, we recommend that you add a password for each local account.

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add other user and click Add account.

2. Click I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.

3. Click Add a user without a Microsoft account.

4. Enter a user name, password and password hint.

5. Click Next and follow the instructions.

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other people.

2. Go to the account you want to change and click Change account type.

3. Go to Account type and select Administrator.

4. Click OK.

5. Restart your device and sign in with the new administrator account.

1. Go to Computer Management.

2. Go to Local Users and Groups > Group.

3. Right-click Group and select New Group.

4. Enter a group name and a description.

5. Add group members:

6. 1. Click Add.

   2. Click Advanced.

   3. Find the user account(s) you want to add to the group and click OK.

   4. Click OK again.

7. Click Create.

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other people.

2. Go to the account you want to remove and click Remove.

1. Log in with an administrator account.

2. Go to User Accounts > User Accounts > Manage another account in sequence.

   You’ll see a list with all user accounts on the device.

3. Select the user account whose password you would like to change.

4. Click Change the password.

5. Enter the new password and click Change password.

We recommend to create a password reset disk on a USB flash drive. With this, you can reset the password. Without a password reset disk, you can’t reset the password.

1. Sign in to your device with a local user account. You can’t create a password reset disk for a connected account.

2. Plug an empty USB flash drive into your device.

3. From the Windows® search field, go to Create a password reset disk.

4. In the Forgotten Password setup assistant, click Next.

5. Select your USB flash drive and click Next.

6. Type your current password and click Next.

7. Follow the onscreen instructions.

8. Remove the USB flash drive and keep it in a safe placet. You don't have to create a new disk when you change your password even if you change it several times.

Go to Configuration > Security > User permissions to view the users and groups that exists in AXIS Camera Station S1216 Mk II Tower Recording Server.

Before you can add a user or group, register the user or group on the local computer or make sure they have an Windows® Active Directory user account. To add users or groups, see Add users or groups.

When a user is part of a group, the user gets the highest role permission assigned to the individual or the group. The user also gets the access granted as an individual and receives the rights as part of a group. For example, a user has access to camera X as an individual. The user is also a member of a group that has access to cameras Y and Z. The user therefore has access to cameras X, Y, and Z.

Microsoft Windows® and Active Directory users and groups can access AXIS Camera Station S1216 Mk II Tower Recording Server. To add a user to AXIS Camera Station S1216 Mk II Tower Recording Server, you must add users or a group to Windows®.

To add a user in Windows® 10 and 11:

• Press the Windows key + X and select Computer Management.

• In the Computer Management window, navigate to Local Users and Groups > Users.

• Right-click on Users and select New User.

• In the popup dialog, enter the new user’s details and uncheck User must change password at next login.

• Click Create.

If you use an Active Directory domain, consult your network administrator.

Add users or groups

1. Go to Configuration > Security > User permissions.

2. Click Add.

   You can see the available users and groups in the list.

3. Under Scope, select where to search for users and groups.

4. Under Show, select to show users or groups.

   The search result doesn’t display if there are too many users or groups. Use the filter function.

5. Select the users or groups and click Add.

Configure a user or group

1. Select a user or group in the list.

2. Under Role, select Administrator, Operator, or Viewer.

3. If you selected Operator or Viewer, you can configure the user or group privileges. See User or group privileges.

4. Click Save.

Remove a user or group

1. Select the user or group.

2. Click Remove.

3. In the pop-up dialog, click OK to remove the user or group.

There are three roles you can give to a user or group. For how to define the role for a user or group, see Add users or groups.

Administrator

Full access to the entire system, including access to live and recorded video of all cameras, all I/O ports, and views. This role is required to configure anything in the system.

Operator

Select cameras, views, and I/O ports to get access to live and recorded. An operator has full access to all functionality of AXIS Camera Station S1216 Mk II Tower Recording Server except system configuration.

Viewer

Access to live video of selected cameras, I/O ports, and views. A viewer doesn’t have access to recorded video or system configuration.

Cameras

The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator or Viewer role.

Views

The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator or Viewer role. You can select multiple views and set the access privileges.

I/O

The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator or Viewer role.

System

You can’t configure greyed out access privileges in the list. Privileges with check mark means the user or group have this privilege by default.

The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator role. Take snapshots is also available for the Viewer role.

Access control

The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator role. Access Management is also available for the Viewer role.

The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Viewer role.

System health monitoring

The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator role. Access to system health monitoring is also available for the Viewer role.

Windows® periodically checks for updates. When an update is available, your device automatically downloads the update but you've to install it manually.

To manually check for updates:

1. Go to Settings > Windows Update.

2. Click Check for updates.

It is possible to change how and when Windows^® do its updates to suit your needs.

1. Open the Run app.

2. • Go to Windows System > Run, or

3. Type gpedit.msc and click OK. The Local Group Policy Editor opens.

4. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.

5. Configure the settings as required, see example.

Example

To automatically download and install updates without any user interaction and have the device restart, if necessary, at out of office hours, use the following configuration:

1. Open Always automatically restart at the scheduled time and select:

2. 1. Enabled

   2. The restart timer will give users this much time to save their work (minutes): 15.

   3. Click OK.

3. Open Configure Automatic Updates and select:

4. 1. Enabled

   2. Configure Automatic updates: Auto download and schedule the install

   3. Schedule Install day: Every Sunday

   4. Schedule Install time: 00:00

   5. Click OK.

5. Open Allow Automatic Updates immediate installation and select:

6. 1. Enabled

   2. Click OK.

1. Prepare the device:

2. 1. Shut down the system and disconnect the power cord.

   2. Place the device on its side with the two thumb screws on the back facing upward.

   3. Unscrew the two thumb screws on the back of the chassis.

   4. Slide the cover off by gently pulling the handle on the side panel, then lift it off.

   5. Unsnap the three hinges to remove the front panel.

3. Attach the hard drive:

4. 1. Lift the hard drive bracket upward to remove it.

   2. Unscrew the four blue rubber mounting screws from the primary hard drive bracket.

   3. Attach the four mounting screws to the sides of the new hard drive. Don't use the middle hole on each side.

   4. Insert the hard drive into the bracket with the SATA connectors facing outward, then push it gently until you hear a click.

   5. Reattach the bracket to the chassis, starting with the front-facing side.

   6. Connect the free SATA cables to the hard drive (both data and power).

5. Close and restart:

6. 1. Reattach the front panel.

   2. Reattach the side panel and tighten the thumb screws

   3. Reconnect the power cord and start the system.

7. Next steps:

8. • If you want to use RAID, continue with Create RAID volume.

   • If you don’t want to use RAID, skip to Add a new recording storage.

1. Make sure that the disks to be used in the RAID volume are detected.

2. 1. Turn on your device and instantly press F12 until the Axis logo appears.

   2. In the UEFI boot menu, select Device Configuration and press Enter.

   3. In the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology menu, make sure that the disks are correctly displayed under Non-RAID Physical Disks.

3. Note

   Only RAID 0 and RAID 1 are available on devices that have physical space for just an additional single drive.

4. In the Intel Rapid Storage Technology menu, select Create RAID Volume and press Enter.

5. Type a name for the volume.

6. Choose the RAID level.

7. 1. Select RAID Level and press Enter.

   2. In the popup dialog, select the RAID level you want to use and press enter.

8. Include the disks to be used in the volume.

9. 1. Select a disk and press enter.

   2. Select X to include this disk in the volume.

   3. Repeat until you have selected all the disks you want to use.

10. Leave Stripe Size and Capacity to the default values, unless specified.

11. Select Create Volume and press enter.

12. In the Intel Rapid Storage Technology menu, the newly created RAID volume appears under RAID Volumes.

13. Press Esc and then press Y to save and exit to the UEFI menu.

14. Press CTRL + ALT+ DELETE to restart your device.

1. Create and format a new hard disk partition in Windows:

2. 1. Right-click the Start menu and select Disk Management.

   2. Click OK if the Initialize Disk popup appears. If it doesn’t, right-click on the new hard drive and select Initialize Disk.

   3. Right-click on an unallocated region on the newly initiailized disk and select New Simple Volume.

   4. Follow the wizard to set the volume size, assign a drive letter, and format the partition.

   5. Complete the wizard to create the new simple volume.

3. Add a new recording storage in AXIS Camera Station Pro:

4. 1. Open AXIS Camera Station Pro.

   2. Go to Storage > Management.

   3. Click Add...

   4. Select the newly added drive and click OK.

   5. Go to Storage > Selection.

   6. Select which devices you want to transfer recording data to the new drive.

   7. In the Store to drop-down list, select the new drive and click Apply.

For more information about storage management, see AXIS Camera Station Pro – User manual.

To check the current BIOS:

1. Power on the device and repeatedly press F2 until the Axis logo appears.

2. The version number is shown as first entry under Overview.

You should upgrade the BIOS only when you are instructed by Axis technical support.

1. Go to the support pages on dell.com and enter your service tag. Go to Drivers & Downloads, filter on BIOS, and download the latest .exe file.

2. Launch the executable in Windows and follow the instructions provided on screen.

If the device has had a system failure, perform an internal recovery to restore the system.

1. Open Windows Settings.

2. Select System.

3. In the menu, select Recovery.

4. Under Recovery options select Reset this PC.

5. Select Keep my files or Remove everything.

6. • Keep my files will keep all your personal files and user data, as well as all Axis installed software.

   • Remove everything will remove all your personal files and user data, but will keep all Axis installed software (factory default).

7. Follow the onscreen instructions.

8. Note

   Before selecting Reset, you can view a list of apps that will be removed in the process. Axis apps will be restored after the recovery, but if you've installed other apps, they won't be restored.

9. Important

   After a successful recovery, it’s important that you log in to Windows with an Administrator account to finalize the recovery process.

If the device has had a complete system failure, you must use a recovery image to recreate the Windows® system. To download the AXIS Network Video Recovery Kit, contact AXIS Technical Support and supply the serial number of your device.

1. Download the AXIS Network Video Recovery Kit and an ISO to USB writing tool of your choice.

2. Insert a USB drive into your computer.

3. • Use a USB drive with a minimum of 16 GB.

   • The USB drive will be formatted, and all existing data will be erased.

4. Run the ISO to USB writing tool and follow the onscreen instructions.

5. • Writing data to the USB drive takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t remove the USB drive until the process is complete.

6. After the ISO to USB tool is complete, remove the USB drive from your computer and plug it into your device.

7. Start your device. When you see the Axis splash screen, press F12 to open the boot menu.

8. Select your USB drive and press Enter. The system boots into the AXIS Network Video Recorder Recovery Kit.

9. Click Start and follow the onscreen instructions.

10. • The recovery takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

For information about how to troubleshoot AXIS Camera Station Pro, go to the AXIS Camera Station Pro user manual.

• AXIS Camera Station Pro user manual

• Sign in to AXIS Secure Remote Access

• Sign in to AXIS Secure Remote Access v2

• What to include in an Antivirus allow list for AXIS Camera Station

If you need more help, go to axis.com/support.