IP based perimeter security surveillance

BANGALORE, INDIA: Considering size of campus for manufacturing companies, oil refineries, universities large campus area, corporate offices and buildings even residential societies, continuous and consistent watch through human even is not always accurate.

Due to this need for precision accuracy the trend is going towards the IP based security surveillance. For IP based perimeter security surveillance monitoring being done from

central control room. These perimeter securities require fiber optic the backbone network.

Along the perimeter to install the fiber cables between central control room and each of selected location along the periphery will be difficult from both feasibility as well as commercial viability point. Multi-core single fiber optic cable laid along the periphery to provide the IP backbone connectivity.

Following diagram shows the IP surveillance cameras on IP backbone on fiber optic ring, configured with X-Ring protocol.

X-Ring Functionality

X-Ring provides a faster redundant recovery than spanning tree topology. The action is similar to STP or RSTP, but the algorithms between them are not the same. In the X-Ring topology, every switch should be enabled with X-Ring function and two ports should be assigned as the member ports in the ring.

Only one switch in the X-Ring group would be set as the master switch that one of its two member ports would be blocked, called backup port, and another port is called working port. Other switches in the X-Ring group are called working switches and their two member ports are called working ports.

When the failure of network connection occurs, the backup port of the master switch (Ring Master) will automatically become a working port to recover from the failure. The switch supports the function and interface for setting the switch as the ring master or not. The ring master can negotiate and place command to other switches in the X-Ring group. If there are 2 or more switches in master mode, the software will select the switch with lowest MAC address number as the ring master.

The X-Ring master ring mode can be enabled by setting the XRing configuration interface. Also, the user can identify whether the switch is the ring master by checking the R.M. LED indicator on the panel of the switch. The system also supports the couple ring that can connect 2 or more X-Ring group for the redundant backup function; dual homing functions that can prevent connection lose between X-Ring group and upper level/core switch.

Executive summary

X-ring protocol implemented on Layer 2 managed industrial grade switches for IP based perimeter security surveillance, can provide convergence time less than standard STP/RSTP. In addition the fiber cable and accessories cost will be reduced and operation is hassle free.

The author is country manager, India & SAARC at Allied Telesis.