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Enterprise Bandwidth Manager

Use the Enterprise Bandwidth Manager to manage your camera’s upload bandwidth

The Enterprise Bandwidth Manager (EBM) allows you to manage and restrict the total upload bandwidth used by all cameras within a site. By configuring a maximum bandwidth limit, you can restrict the amount of network resources allocated to camera-related activities such as streaming. This allows you to optimize network performance, allocate resources efficiently, and maintain a smooth and reliable camera operation while meeting your organization’s specific bandwidth requirements.

When EBM is enabled, video playback is limited to 1× speed.

How EBM works

The EBM service lives in the Verkada cloud, which means no additional appliance or device is needed to use this feature. This service monitors all upstream traffic on each site where it is configured.

For upstream bandwidth consumption calculations, EBM considers:

  • Thumbnail and analytics upstream traffic, which is constant

  • Cloud video streaming as on-demand

Once a new cloud video stream is initiated, EBM calculates:

  • If there is still available upstream bandwidth on the site

  • If bandwidth is sufficient, where a new video stream is initiated and the video is playable for the user.

In case EBM determines that initiating a new cloud video stream will exceed the bandwidth limit configured for a site, you should get an error message and the video is only playable after there is enough bandwidth on the site. ​

When a stream of recorded video is started, it’s expected to see a spike greater than the camera bitrate, because video is prefetched for an optimal viewing experience.

Configuration

EBM is available for all cameras and you can configure it per site.

Features controlled by EBM

Cloud video streaming

Remote video streaming (live or historical) emanating from an EBM-configured site is monitored. Once the bandwidth limit has been reached, new streams from a site won’t be initiated until an existing video stream is closed.

Video archiving and cloud backup

When EBM is activated for a site, it regulates and limits the bandwidth used during the creation of archives and cloud backup for all cameras at that site.

Analytics and thumbnails

Bandwidth required for transmitting people/vehicle analytics data, thumbnails are accounted for by the EBM, and are throttled by EBM when the site upstream usage approaches the bandwidth limit.

Features outside of EBM’s scope

Local streaming

Traffic from initiating local video streams for both live and historical video is only sent through the LAN, which is why local streaming is always exempted from the configured bandwidth limit. Learn more about local streaming.

Determine bandwidth consumption

To monitor uplink usage, EBM graphs uplink usage in real-time. You can access this graph while configuring a bandwidth limit.

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Cameras.

2

Next to the site name, click the kebab .

3

Click Set Bandwidth Limit.

Use this graph to determine how much bandwidth is used at a given time by users on the site, to gain insight into uplink usage statistics, and determine optimal bandwidth usage.

By default, thumbnails are enabled, while analytics features can be toggled on or off in the camera settings. EBM considers a fixed bandwidth consumption for each feature.

Feature

Bandwidth Consumption

Thumbnails

40 kbps

Analytics

400 kbps

For stream bandwidth consumption, use this table as a quick reference:

Camera Resolution

Stream Resolution

Bandwidth Consumption

4K

HQ

Up to 5 Mbps

4K

SQ

0.6 Mbps

Non-4K

HQ

Up to 3 Mbps

Non-4K

SQ

0.3 Mbps

For precise calculations, refer to the camera’s specific bandwidth consumption requirements.

Set the bandwidth limit

Only Org Admins or Site Admins can configure or modify the bandwidth limit of a camera site. Learn more about Roles and Permissions with Cameras.

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Cameras.

2

Click the kebab icon and select Set Bandwidth Limit.

Alternatively, at the top left of the Sites page under Manage Sites, you can also check under Create Sites.

The bandwidth limit may take up to 10 seconds to apply after configuration and up to 10 minutes for a camera relocated to the site.

Required domains to allowlist

The following URL domains are required to be allowlisted for the operation of EBM. All domains require port 443 on TCP and UDP. Learn more about Camera Network Settings.

*.vnetcap.control.verkada.com

*.vstream.vnetcap.control.verkada.com

*.vosprey.vnetcap.control.verkada.com

*.vsubmit.vnetcap.control.verkada.com

*.vproxy.vnetcap.control.verkada.com

*.vprovision.vnetcap.control.verkada.com

Manage active streams

Only Org Admins or Site Admins can configure or modify the bandwidth limit of a camera site. Learn more about Roles and Permissions with Cameras.

As a Site Admin, you can manage active streams from cameras within a site. In the context of investigations, this functionality proves crucial. If you observe that the bandwidth limit is nearing its threshold or want to prioritize network resources for critical operations, you can take proactive measures by terminating active video streams.

Terminate streams

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Cameras.

2

Identify the site with active streams.

3

Click the kebab and select Set Bandwidth Limit.

4

Configure a bandwidth limit if there is none.

5

Review the list of active streams and select the stream(s) you want to terminate.

6

At the top right, click Close (x).

After you initially set up EBM on a site, you might experience there might be a brief delay before the bandwidth graph fully loads, typically taking a few seconds.

Prefer to see it in action? Check out the video tutorial.

Need more help? Contact Verkada Support.

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