Common Storage Methods for Network Video Surveillance
Source：Shenzhen Kai Mo Rui Electronic Technology Co. LTD2026-08-10
Bandwidth and Storage Calculation
Bandwidth and storage are critical considerations during video surveillance project design. The following factors must be taken into account when calculating bandwidth consumption and storage capacity:
Number of camerasRecording mode: motion detection recording or 24/7 continuous recording; required recording retention daysStorage deployment: front-end edge storage via SD/TF cards, back-end storage via NVR/storage server, or hybrid deployment of bothCamera frame rateCamera image resolutionVideo encoding formatInstallation environment: static indoor scenes or dynamic outdoor scenarios with frequent motion
Common Storage Methods
表格
| Storage Type | Description |
|---|---|
| SD/TF Card Storage | Onboard Micro SD/SDHC/SDXC card storage inside cameras; generally supports a maximum capacity of 128GB currently |
| FTP Storage | Cameras or NVRs with built-in FTP function, enabling direct upload of alarm snapshot images and video clips to an FTP server |
| NVR Storage | Direct video recording onto hard drives installed in the NVR |
| NAS Storage | Cameras or NVRs support network-attached storage; network drives can be mounted directly for recording |
| VMS Storage | VMS software runs on servers and connects to storage devices via SAS, iSCSI, NAS, FC and other protocols |
| Cloud Storage | Supports public cloud storage (cloud servers) or object storage services (such as cloud disks) |
Storage Categories
Edge Storage
Edge storage means video footage is saved locally to SD/TF cards inside cameras, or on NAS/file servers.It delivers flexible recording schemes and improves system reliability. It guarantees recording quality under low-bandwidth networks, facilitates remote and mobile monitoring, and supports integration with video management software.
Edge storage works as a complement to centralized storage. Videos can be recorded locally on SD cards or NAS. If the network or remote storage server fails, footage will be retained locally on SD cards. Once connectivity is restored, recordings stored on SD cards will be automatically uploaded to the remote server, ensuring full integrity of video files on the central storage side.
In scenarios with insufficient network bandwidth, users can record the main stream locally to preserve high-quality video, while remotely accessing the sub-stream for smoother transmission under limited bandwidth.Furthermore, edge storage can operate in offline environments. Videos are stored on SD cards and automatically synchronized to the back-end management and storage center once the network becomes available.
Server-Based Storage
Storage via PC plus management software: Video surveillance management software runs on a PC, utilizing the PC’s built-in hard disks as recording space.
NAS / SAN Storage
NAS or SAN storage is recommended for large data volumes where local storage cannot meet demands. It expands overall capacity and enhances storage reliability and flexibility.NAS allows storage space to be shared with any client within the local area network; however, its transmission speed is limited due to a single network link.SAN delivers large-capacity and high-speed storage. One or multiple servers connect to multiple disk arrays via optical fiber for shared storage capacity, providing reliable data security and fast read/write performance.
Redundant Storage
- RAID array: Guarantees data security
- Data backup: Duplicate video recordings and store multiple copies
- Server cluster: Multiple servers run simultaneously with hot standby. If one server fails, another takes over seamlessly
- Multi-terminal storage: Stream videos to different storage terminals for recording
Typical Storage System Architectures
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