Milestone XProtect VMS Version Upgrade Guide

Custom Video Security can upgrade your Milestone XProtect VMS license from our dashboard when you’re ready. Doing so deactivates the existing license, so we can plan this for a suitable date and time in the near future, or we can request that Milestone allow you to administer your license yourself. Most notably, the latest Milestone XProtect version (2022 R3) drops support for Windows Server 2012, and SQL Server 2012. Additionally, Intel-based hardware acceleration on Recording Servers now requires a 6th-generation Intel CPU or newer. Full system requirements can be found at https://www.milestonesys.com/support/tools-and-references/system-requirements/. Backing up the configuration database should be done before upgrading, and there are two ways to do it. Both ways should be done: Backing up via the Management Client can be done with the “Configuration Backup” feature. This is documented here: https://doc.milestonesys.com/latest/en-US/standard_features/sf_mc/sf_maintenance/mc_backingupandrestoring.htm. Back up the configuration using SQL Server Management Studio. (This is a more comprehensive backup.) The following guide from Microsoft explains how to complete a backup: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/backup-restore/create-a-full-database-backup-sql-server?view=sql-server-ver16 . The Databases you will want to back up are: Surveillance Surveillenace_IDP Surveillance_IM SurveillanceLogServerV2 Once the backups are complete, follow the upgrade best practices guide: https://doc.milestonesys.com/latest/en-US/standard_features/sf_mc/sf_upgrade/mc_upgradebestpractices.htm. For 2022 R3 Pro+, you would download the large file found here: https://www.milestonesys.com/my-milestone/download-software/?prod=1425&type=11&ver=1907&lang=27, […]

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Device No Longer Works in Milestone XProtect Plus

In order to rebuild the Drivercache: 1) Stop the recording server. 2) Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Milestone\XProtect Recording Server\DriverCache\nativedrivers\. Remove the file from that directory. 3) Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Milestone\XProtect Recording Server\offline\ and remove the files as well. 4) Restart the recording server, and let it rebuild the database.   For more support, contact us at [email protected] or call us at 310-370-9500 x1.

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Milestone XProtect Express and Professional Retired: Free Upgrade to Express+ or Pro+

                  Milestone Systems is retiring XProtect Express and XProtect Professional in order “to increase focus on solutions primed for the future.” There will be a final release and final device pack in June 2019 for 2019-R2, after which both Express and Professional (E-code) solutions will be put into a five-year “Maintenance Mode.” The E-code products will be fully terminated in June 2024. – Most new devices will still be compatible with ONVIF drivers. – The E-Code products are available for new sale until June 2022 and for expansion until June 2024. – The E-Code products remain safe and well-functioning. Customers will continue to get security patches and bug fixes during the maintenance period if Milestone detects a severe or catastrophic issue. – Authorized Milestone dealers and Milestone Support will continue to provide technical support during the Maintenance Mode period. Milestone is offering a FREE upgrade from E-Code (Express or Professional) to C-Code (Express+ or Professional+) if your SLC (software license code) has a valid Care Plus agreement. If not, then you can upgrade with the limited-time promotion of by purchasing 2 years Care Plus for your current software. This will entitle you […]

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Cameras Showing Offline in Milestone XProtect? Try Replacing Hardware with Existing Device

By Andrew Harvey, Technical Sales Engineer 310-370-9500 x1 [email protected]   This can help if for some reason the settings of the cameras get messed up in some way either through user error or Milestone misreading data from the camera. This process will also make sure it stays attached to its video database. This is one of the first things to do after making sure the camera itself is still on the network and the video/encoding settings are correct. The process I used to refresh the camera settings was using the “Replace Hardware” option. It’s done like this: In Milestone XProtect Management Client, right-click the camera which has issues and click “Go to Hardware.”             While highlighting that camera’s hardware profiles, click “Replace Hardware.”             Click “Next” and then the screen will show the camera info including IP address, Port, User name, Password, and Hardware Driver, it will almost certainly populate it with the correct password previously used, if the password was changed you input the new one here or change any of the other info if that was changed or it’s being read incorrectly.             […]

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How to Choose a Video Surveillance System in 2017

By Raymond Shadman Custom Video Security 310-370-9500 x1   1. Define objective. What do you want to see, in what level of detail, and how far away? How many megapixels and what focal lengths are required to achieve viewing objectives? Are objects moving? If so, what size are they with respect to the field of view, and how fast are they moving? How many cameras will be on the system? (Most recorders or VMSes support a maximum number of cameras.) Will more cameras be added in the future? Are there multiple locations, and if so does the corporate headquarters want administrative control of each location? If so, would there be a network admin who would want to apply modifications to each location’s server in bulk using Federated Architecture (Milestone XProtect Expert or Corporate)? Will the system be recording on a schedule, continuously, on motion detection, or both?   2. System design. How many clients will be viewing the cameras simultaneously, and from inside or outside the network? (If a lot of clients viewing multiple cameras at a time on a Milestone Expert or Corporate system, a separate Mobile Server should be used.) Are clients PCs or Macs? Are mobile clients Android, iOS, […]

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