Dedicated Micro SD32 Clean install to new HDD - Need Advice

[pinnacle 0]

Hi,

 

I need some advice in doing a clean install to a DM SD32M30 (PAL). We inherited this system with no information, distributor, nothing...so want to upgrade, but also replace hard drive. Have a nice 3TB as current one is only 750GB, and we want to capability to record for an entire month and store videos longer...rather than current of 7 days!

 

To the point, i have a manual to follow which says to telnet to the unit first...however what am I connecting to as the new HDD is blank...so cannot use hostname or IP address like I would with the old HDD.

 

Can I get some advice really on a clean install...

 

I was advised of onboard flash memory by an engineer at DM who said if i put a new HDD in an d format is as FAT32 it should just copy everything across itself and take around 30 minutes or maybe longer! I tried that! I waited 2 hours and all I got was a flashing light! so that doesnt work!

 

Please advise if I need to provide more information for some help with this. I have switched old HDD back for now whilst I figure this out.

[radarthis 0]

Did you get this figured out? I believe you will need to connect to it through telnet over the serial port 1 and run some install config commands prior to connecting via FTP to transfer the files. This will reset the devices IP address and subnet info, etc.

[pinnacle 0]

hi Radarthis,

 

I had some issues trying to figure tihs out, so decided to cheat a little/lot, and got a HDD duplicator to mirror the old disk to the new one. And this has allowed the CCTV to boot up fine this way. Only issue Im having is that I was advised to format this as FAT32, however being a 3TB disk FAT32 has limitations and so it wouldnt work. I then decided to try and format as NTFS. The disk could be ready at 3TB and as I said its currently in the Netvu box and working...but the storage size on the configuration menu is still only showing as 750GB storage? Do I need to reset the settings for it to show the new HDD storage size? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards

 

Toni

[pinnacle 0]

Also i spoke with Dedicated Micro support today as I did do a update on the software using the product software search online...and donwload the relevent files for my device SD32M30 (M3G), and then after following the instructions to unzip each file, the DVR rebooted a few times and the online browser showed to be in sfae mode. Upon telneting to do the final boot software upgrade i then couldnt telnet. At first it said on the telnet command, 'safe mode codec incompatible', I couldnt type in 'engmode' as per the instructions. I then couldnt get a telnet connection long enough to do anything. the browser became unavailble and then even trying a hyper terminal connection using a seriel cable between a PC running XP and the DVR and still no luck getting into the device as safe mode to access anything. The support staff I spoke to at dedicated micro kindly advised me they dont have to support me at all. And with that suggested maybe the files I have downloaded and unzipped are corrupt or not compatible 'codec, and main application, browser8', well that is hard to believe as the files were directly from there site, as each one was unzipped using telnet, I didnt get a single error. And Ive also tried downloading them again and using a USB still to try and upgrade that way also, also downloading the shtml file for the usb option. still nothings working now. I feel disheartened and tired of failing on every attempt.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Cheers

 

Toni

[radarthis 0]

The only way I know is to telnet in using a null-modem cable on serial port 1. However if that doesn't work, then I'm not sure.

[pinnacle 0]

I managed to figure it out! I didnt go into the 'dir' using telnet before and deleting current zip files. So when I uploaded the new files it was still looking at the old ones, hence a mismatch and a safe mode error.

 

So that issue is resolved.

 

A question, dedicated Micros provide upgrade software for the hard drives, but does this software work as a clean install when a Hard disk is formatted and connected to replace the old hard disk? also whats the best way to communicate when the IP address is at a 169 when doing a clean install? I tried using a seriel cable, and hyper terminal and it showed a 169 address. I couldnt telnet because the connection was dropping.

 

Any ideas? Does the system support NTFS? Or any other format?

[cctv-dave 0]

The M3G board don't have support for a memory card so all of the software has to go on the hard drive along with recordings. In later designs the memory card was used. On the M3G it didn't have it fitted (didn't work correctly, or wasn't on the design, can't remember which).

 

They use FAT32.

If the drive is over 2Tb and the software version supports it, the drive can be partitioned into multiple partitions and is then treated as if it were multiple drives.

That's going to be hard for you, because looking at the software in your image grab, the NVD0 boot loader is at branch 12, but the browser software is at branch 18.

IIRC, branch 12 didn't get 2TB+ drive support. I forget exactly how to check as not in front of one, but IIRC fdisk or format is the command and it will recognise the bigger drive if it's working.

Try the release notes but it probably wont tell you...

 

 

The other option is to look at the debug out of serial port 1 115200 8N1 during boot up.

As the system boots the NVD0 bootloader checks the drives in the system and reports back the info.

The browser application goes through all of this again, replacing everything that was previously done via the bootloader.

You may get some good info from there. Hint: Use Putty and increase the scrollback to 20000

Hyperterminal is cack.

 

DM still use the PAR system on these because it's a damn good system (I could write essays on how craply other manufacturers handle the file system. DM nailed it).

You can set the PAR size (suggest 150Mb for a 2Tb partition) and so on via a file in the etc folder, disk.ini or drive.ini, something like that.

 

 

What I'd suggest is a smaller drive, or a compact flash, SDcard in a SATA convertor (see ebay) used as HDD0, with all of the installation files on it and your hard drive as a second drive HDD5 (these units have 4 sata ports but support port splitting so 5 drives per channel with an extra bit of kit) .

Don't record to the HDD0 drive.

But tech support will struggle to help you on that even tho it is supported - not officially.

You will need to edit the drive ini file I mentioned earlier.

 

 

 

Use the serial port for debug. If it's got a 169 and it's dropping telnet, it's rebooting most likely. Debug will tell you why.

If it's in safe mode, then it will reboot after five minutes IIRC.

Codec Incompatible mode is like engmode. The system is pissed and not running correctly as either the codec file is missing, or the browser is not compatible with it.

 

 

 

Infinitly configurable, but hard to work with unless you spend a lot of time with them.

Christ only knows why so many customers have left DM.....

[pinnacle 0]

Thanks CCTV-DAVE but after too much time wasted and not really getting anywhere and certainly no support from DM, we've decided to look at another system entirely.

 

Would have been good if DM actually gave us the time of day or supported customers who perhaps run things a little differently. They had a way of doing things and unless you were trained etc etc they werent interested. A lot of man/Woman hours wasted.

 

Thanks anyway

 

Toni

[cctv-dave 0]

No worries.

 

Your experience paints a familiar picture of former DM customers who will never go back to them again.

They are still run (owned) with the level of arrogance that they had when at the top of their game, as they fade into insignificance.

[pinnacle 0]

Well were not a huge company but are growing fast...there loss! and to not offer any support unless we have a vender or training is just rubbish!

 

When companies buy buildings sometimes you do inherit systems like CCTV...they could have been more supportive.

 

Thanks

 

Toni

[adamgreen21 0]

On 1/14/2014 at 3:03 PM, cctv-dave said:

No worries.

 

Your experience paints a familiar picture of former DM customers who will never go back to them again.

They are still run to  uk-dissertation.com (owned) with the level of arrogance that they had when at the top of their game, as they fade into insignificance.

Would have been good if DM actually gave us the time of day or supported customers who perhaps run things a little differently. They had a way of doing things and unless you were trained etc etc they werent interested.