The live wall is where operators spend most of their time. It shows every camera from every site in one live grid. This guide explains how to watch it well, what to write down when you see something, and which picture problems to report.
Before you start
- Make sure you can open the SSMS console. See Getting started with SSMS.
- Ask your supervisor for the list of priority cameras on your site.
- Keep a pen and the shift log, or your site's incident form, next to you.
What the live wall is
The live wall is one grid of live video. Each square in the grid shows one camera. Cameras from different brands sit side by side. A Hikvision camera and a Dahua camera look the same to you. Cameras from your branches appear on the same wall as head office.
Your Skyline engineer arranges the cameras on the wall during deployment. If the order does not suit your work, ask for a change. For example, you may want all the entrances next to each other.
Watch with a fixed pattern
Eyes get tired and miss things when they wander. A fixed scan pattern makes sure you see every camera.
- Start at the same top corner of the wall every time.
- Look along the first row, camera by camera, to the end.
- Move down to the next row and repeat.
- After each full pass, look again at your priority cameras.
- Then start the next pass.
Spend more time on cameras where people move, and less on empty areas. A quiet camera still gets a quick look on every pass.
Know your priority cameras
Some areas matter more than others. Your supervisor decides which cameras are priority. Common examples are:
| Area | Why it matters | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Entrances and exits | Everyone passes here | Tailgating, doors left open, people waiting nearby |
| Cash points | Money changes hands | Unusual handling of cash, crowding, people hanging around |
| Loading bays | Goods move in and out | Vehicles at odd times, open shutters, goods left alone |
| Car parks and fences | Easy to reach from outside | People climbing, vehicles stopping for a long time |
Tailgating means a person follows someone else through a door without using their own pass.
When you see something
Stay calm and keep watching the camera. Then write down the facts straight away:
- Site: which building or branch.
- Camera name: exactly as it appears on the wall.
- Time: the time shown on screen, and the time on your watch.
- What you saw: people, vehicles, clothing, direction of travel. Write facts, not guesses.
Then follow your site procedure. That may mean calling a guard, your supervisor or the police. Do not leave the console unwatched, unless the procedure tells you to.
Clear camera names save time
A good camera name tells you where the camera is at a glance. A simple rule is site, then area, then number. For example, "RUH-Warehouse-Gate-03" means the Riyadh warehouse, gate area, camera 3.
Names like "Camera 17" or "IPC-B4F2" slow you down in an incident. Ask your Skyline engineer or IT admin to name cameras with one clear rule for every site.
Picture problems to report
A camera can be online but still useless. Report these problems to your supervisor or IT admin:
- Blur: the picture is soft or out of focus.
- Dirty lens: spots, dust, rain marks or spider webs.
- Glare: strong sunlight or car headlights wash out the picture.
- Too dark: you cannot see faces or number plates at night.
- Blocked view: stacked boxes, a parked truck, a tree branch or a sign is in the way.
- Wrong angle: the camera has moved and no longer shows the right area.
Write the camera name and the problem in the shift log. Then the next shift knows too.
Live video does not prove recording
Seeing a camera live does not prove that it is recording. Recording happens on the SSMS server and its disks. So check playback on a few cameras every shift. Play back a few minutes from earlier in the day. If you cannot find the video, tell IT at once. See Finding recorded video with timeline playback.
Look after your attention
Watching screens for a long time is tiring. Tired people miss things.
- Take short breaks as your rota allows. Hand over the console to a colleague while you are away.
- Sit at a comfortable distance from the screens.
- Keep the room quiet. Avoid using your personal phone at the console.
- Tell your supervisor if you feel too tired to watch well.
Where to go next
- Running the SSMS live wall in a control room
- Watching branches and remote sites from one console
- Daily operator checklist: start of shift
Quick checklist
- I scan the wall with a fixed pattern, row by row.
- I know my priority cameras and return to them after each pass.
- I note the site, camera name, time and what I saw.
- I follow my site procedure for any incident.
- I report picture problems and write them in the shift log.
- I check playback on a few cameras every shift.
- I take short breaks and hand over the console while I am away.
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