SSMS stands for Skyline Surveillance Management System. It is a video management system, or VMS: software that brings your security cameras together in one place. Skyline delivers, installs and supports SSMS for you. This guide explains, in plain words, what SSMS does on your site and what your team does with it.
Before you start
- You do not need technical skills to read this guide.
- If SSMS is not installed yet, read the SSMS overview first.
- Keep the name of your Skyline contact and your list of sites nearby. You will need them later.
What SSMS does
SSMS does four main jobs:
- Live view. Every camera from every site appears in one live grid, called the live wall. Your operators watch one screen instead of many.
- Recording. SSMS records video centrally, on storage attached to the SSMS server.
- Playback. You play back recorded video along a timeline. A timeline is a bar that shows time, so you can jump to the moment you need.
- Multi-site. Cameras at your head office, branches and warehouses are managed from one console over your network.
SSMS also has two helpers for setup. It can find cameras automatically when it is pointed at an NVR or at a subnet. An NVR (network video recorder) is the box many cameras already record to. A subnet is a range of network addresses. And SSMS works with many camera brands, so a mixed fleet can sit side by side on the same wall.
How the parts fit together
An SSMS system has a few simple parts. The table shows what each part does and who usually looks after it.
| Part | What it does | Who looks after it |
|---|---|---|
| Cameras | Capture the video. They can stay connected to their current NVR. | Your site team, with your installer |
| NVR | The recorder your cameras may already use. SSMS finds the cameras behind it. | Your site team |
| Network | Carries video from each site to the SSMS server. | Your IT team |
| SSMS server | Runs SSMS and records every camera centrally. You provide it. Skyline confirms the specification in the quote. | Your IT team, with Skyline |
| Storage | The disks that hold the recordings. Their size decides how many days you can keep. | Your IT team |
| Console | Where operators watch the live wall and review recordings. | Your operators |
Two useful terms: a WAN is the network that links your sites together. A VPN is a private, encrypted link over the internet. Each site needs one of these paths to reach the SSMS server.
Who uses SSMS, and for what
- Security officers and operators watch the live wall, check the cameras at the start of each shift, and review recordings after an incident.
- Facility managers decide which areas need cameras, how long video must be kept, and who may see footage.
- IT admins look after the server, the disks and the network links between sites.
How SSMS gets up and running
Skyline sets up SSMS in four steps:
- Site survey. Skyline goes through your sites, cameras, NVRs and network with you. Each camera model is checked against the supported list.
- Written quote. You receive a written quote for the license. Published prices are on the SSMS pricing page.
- Deployment. Skyline installs SSMS on your server, runs auto-discovery, and sets up your sites, live wall, recording and playback.
- Handover. Skyline walks your operators through live view, playback, and adding cameras or sites.
Ask the people who will really use the console to join the handover. Then the walkthrough matches how they actually work.
Your first day with SSMS
- Open the SSMS console the way your Skyline engineer showed you at handover.
- Look at the live wall. Check that you can see the cameras you expect for each site.
- Pick one camera and play back the last hour on the timeline. This shows that recording works.
- Write down any camera that shows no picture. Tell your supervisor or IT admin.
- Read the daily operator checklist. Keep a printed copy near the console.
What this knowledge base does not promise
These guides only describe capabilities confirmed for SSMS. Some video systems offer extras, such as mobile viewing, video analytics, or links to alarm and access-control systems. If you need one of these, ask Skyline to confirm in writing whether your SSMS deployment covers it. Do not assume it does.
Where to go next
- Watching live cameras on the SSMS live wall
- Finding recorded video with timeline playback
- Storage and retention: how long video is kept
- Getting help: what to send Skyline support
Quick checklist
- I know the four main jobs of SSMS: live view, recording, playback and multi-site.
- I know where the SSMS server and its storage are, and who looks after them.
- I can open the console and see the live wall.
- I have played back one camera on the timeline.
- I know who to tell when a camera shows no picture.
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