Using Network Storage with Windows Server IoT as a Surveillance Server

With widespread remote work, many SMB are finding that physical location security cannot be omitted even with a reduction in office size. However, a dedicated network video recording (NVR) server to manage security cameras and recorded data can be cost-prohibitive. This is where the Windows Server NAS comes into play.

Since the Windows Server IoT TeraStation NAS is not a purpose-built NVR server, it will not include features more costly dedicated network video recording systems have. But on the other hand, the TeraStation is a versatile NAS that lends itself to many utilities, so you can leverage the NAS as much more than just a surveillance server. The Windows Server IoT TeraStation is best for small-scale system environments, so there is no need to pay for extra licenses for IP channels.

Versatility of Windows Server NAS

Compared to a dedicated NVR server, the TeraStation with Windows Server IoT will not be dedicated to just video recording. However, you can use the NAS for so much more than just a NVR server.

The Windows operating system allows it to run nearly any Windows-compatible video recording software platform. Windows Server IoT does not require any Client Access Licenses (CALs) for the NAS, allowing multiple cameras to be connected to the NAS without incurring extra costs. Recorded footage can be easily and securely backed up to any Windows-compatible solution, such as to an offsite co-location. Because it’s Windows, any camera management platform software can be easily installed onto the NAS, and virtually any ONVIF-compatible camera can be connected. This provides much more flexibility than a typical dedicated NVR with its own ecosystem, while allowing you to easily maintain video feeds and video archiving.

RAID and Hard Drives

Unlike most typical NVR servers, the Windows Server TeraStation NAS offers RAID, which provides redundancy to protect your recorded videos. If you are planning to archive your recorded footage, having a NAS with RAID can help prevent data loss.

In recent years, the importance of hard drive quality and quantity has become extremely apparent with storage hardware, especially with the advent of higher-resolution surveillance video formats. Hard drive quality matters, since the better quality hard drives, the less likely it is for errors to appear when writing data to drives. Also, depending on the hours you are running your cameras, this will have an effect on how your surveillance server is run. If you are only running the cameras for a set amount of time (e.g. after business hours) then you don’t have to be as selective about your storage; if you plan on running your cameras 24/7, you will need NAS-grade hard drives that have been tested to ensure that they can work reliably every hour during the day.

The TeraStation network attached storage comes with pre-tested hard drives included to ensure drive quality and RAID pre-configured for effortless data protection out-of-the-box.

Buffalo TeraStation with Windows Server IoT 2019

With many data preservation features, the lack of client access licenses, and NAS-grade hard drives included, the TeraStation running Windows Server IoT 2019 can help serve as a cost-effective NVR server for budget-minded, small-scale system environments. Our hard drives have been pre-tested to ensure the highest quality out-of-the-box so you can store and archive recorded footage without worrying about losing data, and the many data security and backup features of Windows Server IoT 2019, along with the lack of required CALs, allow for easy recording device integration.

Buffalo’s acclaimed network attached storage is widely considered the most secure storage on the market, along with personal customer service and 24/7 North America-based support. Responsible for many industry firsts and technology standards, Buffalo has four decades of networking and computer peripheral manufacturing and design experience.