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Installing Watcher Cluster or Single

Installation main steps

  1. Install Flussonic Watcher on the managing server. Skip the steps marked "For cluster only" if you have just one server. PostgreSQL, Flussonic Central and Flussonic Media Server are installed together with Watcher and configured automatically.

    To create a Cluster, proceed with the following steps:

  2. Install Flussonic Media Server on all streaming servers.

  3. Prepare the streamers before adding them to the Watcher settings.

All the steps are described below.

You can also update or roll back Watcher as described in Updating Watcher or rolling back to previous version.

Installing Flussonic Watcher

1) On the server where you plan to run Watcher execute the commands:


wget -q -O /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/flussonic.gpg http://apt.flussonic.com/binary/gpg.key;
echo "deb http://apt.flussonic.com binary/" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/flussonic.list;
apt update;
apt install flussonic-watcher;

2) The installation wizard will prompt you to enter the necessary data: administrator's login and password, license key, and the path to the DVR where the archive will be stored.

Installation wizard

Enter the requested information and wait for the installation to complete.

3) Open Watcher web UI at http://(Watcher server address). Use login and password you set at the installation.

Signing into Watcher web UI

The installation for single-server mode is now complete.

If you want to create a cluster, you will need to prepare streamers and set up Watcher to work as part of a cluster (see next steps).

Domain settings

For Watcher to work correctly, make sure to configure the DNS zone for the managing server. You need to add the A record in the DNS zone settings for your domain, and specify the hostname in it. This hostname must also be registered in the operating system on the managing server. This is necessary for streamers in you cluster, as well as Agents and mobile apps to access the server.

To check that the hostname resolves, run the hostname -f command on the server; it must return the correct hostname specified in the DNS settings, for example, example.com.

(For cluster only) Installing Flussonic Media Server on streamers

Flussonic Media Server is installed on all streaming servers.

Run the command:

curl -sSf https://flussonic.com/public/install.sh | sh

Now start Flussonic Media Server:

service flussonic start

Learn more about installation of Flussonic Media Server in the Flussonic documentation:

On each streamer set up HTTPS and specify the cluster key in Flussonic's settings – see Create a cluster below.

(For cluster only) Creating a cluster (multiple server mode)

Creating a cluster means to add streamers (streaming servers) in the settings of Flussonic Watcher. Streamers (streaming servers) are servers intended to stream video from IP cameras. You must add at least one streamer on which IP cameras are added to configuration. This will allow you to start receiving video from cameras in cluster mode.

The Health page in Watcher UI is essential for the cluster configuration.

Pre-conditions

  1. For each streamer, install Flussonic Media Server on a separate server, which will act as a streamer. In other words, besides the server with Flussonic Watcher, you must have at least one other server with a public IP address and Flussonic Media Server installed.

  2. After you install Flussonic on a streamer, immediately change the administrator's login and password on each streamer.

  3. Configure HTTPS on each streamer by issuing a Let's Encrypt certificate.

  4. Set identical date and time on the managing server and on each streamer. For example, you can use the timedatectl utility for that.

  5. In each streamer settings, specify cluster_key (the key must be the same as the cluster key for Flussonic Watcher; you can see it on the Health page in the profile of default localhost streamer created at installation).

Adding streamers to Watcher

When the streaming server is ready for work, you need to add it in the settings of Flussonic Watcher:

  1. Go to Health
  2. Click Create a streamer

  3. Enter the required settings:

    • API URL – the domain name of the streaming server.
    • Cluster key – the cluster key used in the cluster (the cluster_key option in the configuration file) that identifies a streamer belonging to a particular cluster.

These and other settings are described in details on the Status, settings and adding streamers page.