SSMS can show cameras from your head office, branches, warehouses and remote sites in one place. Operators watch every site from one console, instead of a separate system in each branch. This guide explains how that works and how to watch many sites well.
Before you start
- Get the list of sites connected to SSMS.
- Know who to call at each site.
- Read watching live cameras on the SSMS live wall first.
How multi-site works
- Cameras at each site connect to a local NVR, or directly to the network. An NVR (network video recorder) is the box many cameras record to.
- Each site has a network path to the SSMS server. This is usually your WAN or a site-to-site VPN. A WAN is the network that links your sites. A site-to-site VPN is a private, encrypted link between two sites over the internet.
- The SSMS server records every camera centrally.
- Operators see all sites together on one live wall at the console.
Skyline checks the network path for every site during the survey. For more detail, read auto-discovery and multi-site management.
Name cameras by site
With many sites, the site must come first in every camera name. For example: JED-Gate-01 or DMM-Store-02. Then operators always know where a camera is, even in a busy moment. Ask your Skyline engineer to use this rule for every site.
Keep a site contact sheet
When something happens at a branch, you need to call someone fast. Keep a sheet like this next to the console, and update it when people change.
| Site | Address | Contact person | Phone | Opening hours | Cameras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head office | Street and city | Facility manager | Mobile number | 24 hours | 40 |
| Jeddah branch | Street and city | Branch manager | Mobile number | 08:00 to 22:00 | 12 |
| Dammam warehouse | Street and city | Warehouse supervisor | Mobile number | 06:00 to 18:00 | 18 |
Opening hours help you judge what you see. Movement inside a closed branch at night needs a quick call.
When a whole site goes dark
Sometimes every camera at one site loses its picture at the same moment. This is usually not the cameras. It is more likely that the site's network link is down, or that the site has lost power.
- Note the time and the site.
- Check that the other sites still show pictures.
- Tell your IT admin. They check the network link to that site.
- Call the site contact. Ask about a power cut or work on the network.
- Write it in the shift log, including the time the pictures came back.
For single cameras, see what to do when a camera goes offline.
Picture quality from remote sites
Video from distant sites travels over your network links. When a link is busy, the picture can be slower or less smooth. This can be normal on a busy link. If it happens often, tell IT, so they can check the link. See estimating storage and bandwidth.
Sites in other countries or time zones
If you have sites in other countries, their local time may differ from yours. Agree one way of writing times in logs and reports. Add the place to every time, for example 14:05 Riyadh time. Ask your Skyline engineer which time the console shows for each site. When a branch reports an incident in its local time, convert it before you search the timeline.
Adding a new site
A new site goes through Skyline, in the same steps as your first setup:
- A survey of the new site: its cameras, NVRs and network.
- A network path from the new site to the SSMS server.
- A license check for the extra cameras. See the SSMS pricing page.
- Setup and discovery of the new cameras, then a short walkthrough for your operators.
Where to go next
- Connecting sites safely: VPNs, not open ports
- Estimating storage and bandwidth
- What to do when a camera goes offline
Quick checklist
- I know which sites are connected to SSMS.
- Every camera name starts with its site.
- The site contact sheet is next to the console and up to date.
- I know what to do when a whole site goes dark.
- Times in my logs show which place they belong to.
- New sites are requested through Skyline.
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