Milestone XProtect Integration

Milestone XProtect is one of the most popular Video Management Systems. U-alarm is able to send Alarms to this system so you can manage incidents in your well known platform.

In order to integrate U-alarm in your Milestone XProtect VMS you have to configure three components:

U-alarm => Connector => Milestone XProtect

Alarm signals will flow in the order as described above. Configuration should be made in the reversed order:

1. Setup Milestone XProtect
2. Setup U-alarm / Milestone XProtect Connector
3. Setup U-alarm

Note: This guide has been tested on Milestone XProtect 2020 R1 and 2020 R3.

Before starting

In this guide it is assumed that Milestone XProtect is installed a computer in your network and you know how to configure it when using it without U-alarm. For further details please visit the official site of Milestone.

Requirements:

• All cameras and each device running Milestone XProtect and U-alarm are in the same network.
• Please make sure that each camera is registered in Milestone XProtect which should use U-alarm.
• You have administrator privileges on the device running Milestone XProtect (both for Windows and within Milestone XProtect).

Milestone XProtect

User

U-alarm requires access to Milestone XProtect therefore a new user should be created.

Alternatively you can use your current windows user credentials. In this case proceed to the next step.

1. In the Milestone XProtect Management Client go to the Site Navigation panel => User => Basic User.

2. Right-click on the Basic User panel => Create Basic User

4. Fill the form with new user credentials and click OK. Remember the password because it will be used later.

5. Click the Save button in the top left corner (if enabled).

Event

1. In the Milestone XProtect Management Client go to the Site Navigation panel => Rules and Events => Analytics Events.

2. Right click on the Analytics Events panel => Add new

4. The name should be U-alarm.

   Note: It is very important to set this exact name without dot or any white spaces.

5. Click the Save button in the top left corner.

Rule

If your system is not recording continuously it is recommended to start recording on each triggered alarm. A Rule should be created for this purpose.

Tip: If your system has a custom recording logic you can skip this step.

1. In the Milestone XProtect Management Client go to the Site Navigation panel => Rules and Events => Rules.

2. Right-click on the Rules panel => Add Rule

3. Set any Name.

4. As a Type of rule select Perform action on event. Click on the blue underlined "event" word in the lower panel.

5. In the pop-up select Events => Analytics Events => ... U-alarm. Click OK.

6. Click on the blue underlined "devices/..." word in the lower panel (after "from").

7. In the pop-up select Cameras => All cameras. Click the Add button. Click OK.

8. Click Next.

9. Skip the Conditions Step (2). Click Next again.

10. In the Actions Step (3) select Start recording on devices. Click on the blue underlined "recording device" word in the lower panel.

11. In the pop-up select Use devices from metadata. Click OK.

12. The recording will start immediately on alarm. You can set other (even negative) values by clicking on the blue underlined "immediately" word in the lower panel.

13. Click the Next button.

14. In the Stop Criteria (4) step select Perform stop action after time. Click the blue underlined "time" word in the lower panel and set the length of the recordings. Click OK.

15. Click Next.

16. Skip the "Stop actions" (5) step. Click Finish. The new rule is created.

Alarm

Now an Alarm has to be configured in Milestone Xprotect.

1. In the Milestone XProtect Management Client go to the Site Navigation panel => Alarms => Alarm Definitions.

2. Right-click on the Alarm Definitions panel => Add new.

3. Fill the form. Make sure that the alarm is Enabled.

4. Set any Name for the alarm.

   This alarm will represent all notifications which come from U-alarm.

5. Set the Triggering event to Analytics Events then set U-alarm in the drop-down list below.

6. At the Sources setting click the Select... button. A pop-up appears.

7. Click on the Servers tab. Select the All Cameras node and click the Add button. Click OK.

   

8. If you are familiar with Milestone XProtect you can configure the rest of the settings as you wish or you can leave them as they are.

9. Click the Save button in the top left corner (if enabled).

Connector

Install

1. Download U-alarm - Milestone XProtect Connector installer.
2. Install it on the computer which runs Milestone XProtect.

Configure the Connector

1. Run the connector as Administrator.

2. The Server address should be Milestone XProtect server's address.

3. Set the Authentication type. You can use Windows authentication (current user on this machine). Alternatively you can set Basic Authentication with the Milestone XProtect credentials you have created before. Click the Connect button.

4. In the next view please make sure that the Server status is RUNNING (if not, click the Start server button).

5. The Connector uses port 10000 by default. Optionally you can set an other unused Port for the connector:
   • Click the Stop Server button. This will enable the Port setting.
   • Set any other unused Port number
   • Click the Start Server button.
6. Remember the static IP address of this machine and the port you have set for it will be used in U-alarm later.
7. Everything is set. Please do not close the window of the Connector because it will shut down the service.

Additional information:

• Last Heartbeat: Updated in every 30 seconds while the server status is RUNNING. Indicates that the connection between U-alarm and the Connector is present.
• Camera ID-s: lists the registered cameras in Milestone XProtect and shows their unique identifier (GUID).
• LOGOUT button: press the button to change credential settings.
• Stop server button: You can modify the Port only when the server is stopped (do not forget to update U-alarm settings if the port is changed).
• Received messages: Contains the most recent metadata coming from U-alarm. Useful in troubleshooting.

U-alarm

Now U-alarm can be configured along the User's guide with a few extra steps. Please come back to this article after you have finished the setup.

Cameras

Each cameras' Technical name in U-alarm should match its GUID in Milestone XProtect. Camera GUID can be obtained from both the Connector or from Milestone XProtect.

How to get the GUID

Option 1: Get the GUID from the Connector

1. Open the Connector.
2. Click on the Camera ID-s button.

3. Copy the GUID of the appropriate camera.

Note: In this version camera list cannot be refreshed unless you restart the Connector.

4. Paste in U-alarm as the Technical name. Please create or update each camera setting in U-alarm accordingly.

Option 2: Get the GUID from Milestone XProtect

1. In the Milestone XProtect Management Client go to the Site Navigation panel => Cameras.

Note: This can be a little bit tricky so please follow this guide carefully.

2. In the Devices panel find the Cameras root node and click on it.
3. Now (without clicking anywhere else) hold CTRL key and click on the specific camera.
4. In the Properties panel on the right, under the Info tab you will find the ID (GUID).

3. Select the ID value and copy it to your clipboard.

Note: Make sure that you don't copy any leading or tailing spaces. It is recommended to create a note about these ID-s.

4. Paste in U-alarm as the Technical name. Please create or update each camera setting in U-alarm accordingly.

Alarms

1. Create a new or start to modify an existing Alarm in U-alarm.
2. Enable HTTP client settings in the form by clicking on the switch.
3. Set the Target url to the Connector's address using the location and the port you have memorized before e.g. http://192.168.1.123:10000.
4. Submit your settings.

Receiving alarms in Milestone XProtect

All done. Whenever an Alarm is triggered by U-alarm it should be visible in Milestone XProtect Smart Client under the Alarm Manager tab with annotations.

The metadata in the alarms:

• Name: the name of the alarm in Milestone XProtect.
• Message: U-alarm (cannot be changed)
• Type: The name of the alarm in U-alarm

Troubleshoot

Milestone XProtect does not receive Alarms from U-alarm

• Please double check all settings in Milestone XProtect.

Please check whether the U-alarm Connector is

• Running
  • If not, please start the Connector and make sure that it is in RUNNING state
• Milestone XProtect credentials are set well in the Connector.
  • Please update the credentials if needed.
• The table in the Connector's window is updated each time U-alarm triggers.
  • If not, it means that U-alarm Connector does not receive Alarms from U-alarm. Please proceed to the next issue.

U-alarm Connector does not receive Alarms from U-alarm

• Please check that the Last heartbeat timestamp is updated each time in U-alarm Connector. If not, make sure that the network location of the connector is set well in U-alarm's Alarm.
• Please double check that U-alarm camera's Technical name matches its GUID in Milestone XProtect.
• Under the [Events] view in U-alarm please check whether U-alarm detects incidents. If you can not find a record recently it means U-alarm does not trigger Alarms. In this case please proceed to the next issue.

U-alarm does not trigger Alarms

• Please double check the configuration of your Alarm in U-alarm especially the Sensitivity and the Filter Area (ROI) settings.