VMS architecture (Genetec Security Center / Omnicast)
Directory, Archiver, Auxiliary Archiver, Media Router and other roles; scaling and failover; edge recording; cloud and hybrid.
- Describe the job of the Directory, Archiver and Media Router roles
- Plan scaling and failover for a multi-server system
- Explain edge recording and archive transfer
- Compare on-prem, hybrid and SaaS deployment models
Security Center, Omnicast and Synergis
Genetec Security Center is a unified platform. Omnicast is its video management system, Synergis its access control system, and AutoVu its license plate recognition system. They share one Directory, one set of users and permissions, one alarm system and one operator client, which is what makes integration between video and access control native rather than bolted-on. Functionality is delivered by roles: software services that can be hosted on one server or spread across many.
Core roles
| Role | What it does (per Genetec documentation) | Design notes |
|---|---|---|
| Directory | Identifies the system and manages all entity configuration and system-wide settings: client authentication, license enforcement, central configuration, event and alarm management and routing, audit and activity trails, incident management, scheduled tasks and macros. | Only one Directory role per system. The server hosting it is the main server; others are expansion servers. Configured via Server Admin (web). Directory failover and load balancing (up to five Directory servers) are managed by the Directory Manager role. |
| Archiver | Manages cameras (video units), the video archive and motion detection. Created by default on the main server when Omnicast is licensed. | Add more Archiver roles on separate servers to distribute load. Supports failover to up to two secondary servers, each with its own database. Handles edge-recording archive transfer. |
| Auxiliary Archiver | Records a supplementary archive with its own recording settings, independent of the main Archiver. | Use for a second copy at another location, a different retention, or recording specific cameras on specific schedules. |
| Media Router | Central role for all audio/video stream requests. Establishes sessions between sources (cameras, Archivers) and clients and chooses the best route, performing transport changes such as unicast to multicast or IPv4 to IPv6. | Only one per system; created by default on the main server. Default RTSP port 554; redirectors use 560 (RTSP) and 960 (RTP). Supports failover to a standby server. Secure communication uses RTSP over TLS. |
| Access Manager | Synchronizes and monitors access control units (Synergis). | See the Access Control track. |
| Media Gateway | Transcodes video for Genetec Mobile, the Web Client and Genetec Web App, and exposes RTSP so external applications can request streams. | Needed for web/mobile clients and third-party RTSP consumers. |
Clients: Security Desk (operators: live, playback, alarms, investigations), Config Tool (administration), Server Admin (web, server-level settings) and web/mobile apps.
Scaling and resilience
- Size Archivers by camera count, total bitrate and storage throughput, following Genetec's system requirements and the Archiver capacity guidance for your version. Many designs assign cameras by building or floor to make troubleshooting simple.
- Use Archiver failover (standby servers) and Directory failover for critical systems; consider redundant archiving (recording on both primary and secondary) where evidence loss is unacceptable.
- Keep the database (SQL Server) on supported, backed-up infrastructure; the Directory and Archivers rely on their databases.
- Run the system on its own network segments with documented firewall rules; Genetec publishes the port lists per role.
- Federation lets one Security Center system view and monitor entities from other independent systems (e.g. a central SOC monitoring many sites) without merging them into one Directory.
Edge recording
With edge recording, the camera writes video to its own storage (usually an SD card). Security Center's archive transfer can copy edge recordings to an Archiver on a schedule, on demand, or after a network outage, and can also transfer between Archivers. Typical uses:
- Fill gaps after a network outage so evidence is not lost.
- Small remote sites over low-bandwidth links: record locally, transfer only what is needed.
- Combine with a central Archiver for normal continuous recording.
Cloud and hybrid
| Model | How it works | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| On-premises Security Center | Servers and storage on site or in the customer's data center; customer manages updates and infrastructure | Large or high-security sites, strict data-residency rules, existing data center |
| Hybrid | On-prem system with cloud services added (e.g. cloud storage for long retention, cloud-based apps), or edge appliances at sites managed centrally | Multi-site organisations, off-site copies, gradual move to cloud |
| Security Center SaaS | Genetec-hosted SaaS edition; sites connect through Genetec Cloudlink appliances, which provide local recording and cloud management; cameras can record to the appliance or the cloud depending on configuration | Distributed sites with limited IT staff, organisations preferring subscription and managed updates |
For any cloud model, check: available upstream bandwidth per site, data residency and compliance, which features are available in that edition, how live viewing behaves if the internet link drops, and the subscription cost over the full contract term.
Common mistakes
- Putting every role on one server for a large system, then fighting performance and single points of failure.
- Creating multiple Archivers on one server without unique RTSP ports (the role turns yellow with an entity warning).
- No failover on the Directory or Archivers for a system that must not lose video.
- Choosing cloud recording without checking each site's upstream bandwidth.
- Assuming every feature in the on-prem edition exists in the SaaS edition (or vice versa).
Check your understanding
1.How many Directory roles can a Security Center system have?
2.Which role manages cameras, the video archive and motion detection?
3.Which role chooses the route for a video stream and can convert unicast to multicast?
4.Give two reasons to use edge recording with archive transfer.
5.What should you verify before recommending cloud recording for a retail chain?