The Webcam View of MSU

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The Webcam View of MSU

• LabMan VI Conference, June 2005
• Bryan Hoffman, Server Manager
• Information Technology Services
• Minnesota State University, Mankato

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- Introduction

• MSUs Academic Computer Center needed to provide
  increased security after some computers were
  broken into stolen. Web cameras became a
  reasonably priced solution.
• A new technology - we did not have experience
  with therefore was a challenge.
• Topics webcameras, Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE,
  PoL), snapshot software, strategic placement,
  Pros-Cons.

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Axis Web Cam Ad
IP Video Camera Wireless or Wired Powered or
Power over Ethernet Real Time Video - Anywhere,
Anytime Remote Control Remote Image Storage
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Agenda

• Surprising additional uses by faculty, staff,
  students others beyond security reasons.
• the webcameras have been utilized for
• security,
• long distance romance,
• NY-MN trouble shooting,
• detective investigations,
• space utilization,
• faculty assistance,
• sales marketing PR.

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Pro Cons of Web Cameras
We will present some actual footage (or
re-enactments) to demonstrate topics.
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Safety
We have not had Safety issues at the ACC, that we
have documented. Other than clutzie. Perhaps
Webcameras are not the best for Safety issues
unless they are continuously monitored.
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Security Intrusion Alarms
When a computer lab has an intrusion alarm.
Security can simply look at the web cameras
see who is in the area. Security doesnt have to
immediately dispatch personnel to investigate.
This has saved many trips this winter.
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GMW movie
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Lack of Web Cameras

• Residential Life Computer Theft.
• A computer lab in Residential Life was often
  having items stolen, including mice, networking
  connectors computer parts.
• Because there were no web cameras in that area,
  no one was ever caught.
• Since Web Cameras have been installed, nothing
  has been stolen from this lab.

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Security to Catch Bad People

• CS student setting up remote control software to
  harass other students.
• The perpetrator identified based upon time/date
  web cameras.
• He was then located in the ACC via the web
  camera, security police called,
• the student arrested while in the act of
  harassing yet another student.

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Fernando
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Walking away with the goods

• April 28th 2005, we noticed that we had a
  workstation missing from the ACC.
• Thru network logs, A.D. login records, we were
  able to identify when workstation was last used,
  and who was on it .
• Stats. web camera footage, located individual
  and called local police.
• In less than 24 hrs., had pertinent information
  with a visual image of the thief.

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Employee Theft

• One of our student workers left their coat in our
  information booth overnight
• Came in the next morning it was gone
• Thru the webcameras, we were able to see exactly
  who took it. That temporary employee is no
  longer employed by MSU.

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Webcameras Prove Innocence

• Had student was accused of sending bad emails to
  several people.
• Using Date/Time stamps of the bad emails where
  the accused student had last used a computer, the
  web camera PROVED his innocence.
• He had left the computer lab at the time he said,
  unfortunately he left his email account signed-on
  on the computer.
• Another student then canvassed the lab until he
  located that machine began using it. This
  matched the date/time stamps of the bad emails.
• The accused Student released from restrictive
  sanctions

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The Accused the Mystery Man
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Public Relations

• University of Nebraska. The ACC first observed
  Web Cameras from the U.Nebraska at Lincoln.
• 129.93.82.15 http//is-henlab-cam01.unl.edu
  Lab gym
• 129.93.213.210 http//is-harplab-cam01.unl.edu
  L room
• 129.93.29.202 http//is-nulab-cam03.unl.edu
  Student Union
• University of Wisconsin. After installing our web
  cameras, a lab manager from the University of
  Wisconsin stated that they had decided to
  purchase web cameras. After viewing ours ( our
  GLL) he was convinced of the need applicability
  for web cameras on their campus.

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GIS/LIS NEWS The Newsletter of the Minnesota
GIS/LIS Consortium

• The Geography Department at Minnesota State
  University recently opened a new 25 seat GIS Lab.
  snip- The lab is equipped with a full suite of
  ESRI products and is supplemented with Leica
  Geosystems Imagine and S-Plus statistical
  software. snip- The new lab has also been
  designated as MnSCUs only authorized ESRI
  Partner Education Center. The facility can be
  viewed in real time

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Student Recruitment

• Prospective students can view web cameras from
  Orientation web site at http//www.mnsu.edu/busof
  f/msumqtvr/

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Remote Diagnostics Installation Assistance

• Summer 2003. As the GLL was being built, Tandberg
  employees from NY communicated with their home
  office via the cell phone web cameras.
• Multiple times they needed replacement parts,
  showing the part to the web camera the NY
  office would send the part overnight.
• This greatly shortened up the installation time
  for the GLL language equipment.
• It also allowed their loved ones in NY to see
  them during their week in Minnesota.

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Remote Sales Visits

• Sanako Tandberg Educational has linked our web
  cameras to their corporate web site as a live
  Case Study.
• Tandberg website

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Remote Diagnostics Repair
A student was observed having difficulty with a
printer. She was pushing buttons, opening
closing the paper drawers, walking frustrated
back forth to the computer. We noticed this
behavior over the web camera, realized that there
was probably a printer problem. We checked the
printer queue, restarted the queue watched as
the students printout started to print again.
The student was surprised happy. Problem
fixed!
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Carkoski Printer Problem
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Faculty Assistance Debugging

• Fall Semester. An English TA was having
  difficulty with the teacher equipment. She called
  Help Desk for assistance. Help Desk used the web
  camera, identified the problem responded with
  the proper item to repair the problem. This all
  happened before class began.
• Spring Semester. An English Faculty member was
  having trouble with a computer. She was observed
  struggling with the equipment via the web camera.
  An assistant was sent to help before she even
  called.

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Long Distance Romance Video Phone

• Fall 2003. An Oregon student emailed asking how
  to view the web cameras from a computer off
  campus. When asked why, he said that his girl
  friend was studying at MSU this is their way of
  seeing each other from such a long distance.

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Trung Agnes
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Flexibility and Quick Response

• May 18th 2005, 3 MSU students died in a car crash
  on their way to a engineering competition
• A message table was set up at MSU, with a webcam
  to view the memorial
• Distant relatives, friends, family and people
  from around the US sent in condolences and were
  able to view the memorial for the students
• Setup only took about hour for everything, from
  mounting camera, setting up network, PoE and
  webpage.

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Other Uses

• Remote Space Availability repair staff can see
  if room is available to do work in.
• Last Minute Room Request faculty can see if
  room is in fact available
• Resource Utilization administration can see
  that resources are being heavily utilized.
• Weather Cam
• MSU Mall Cam

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Cons (or what not to do).

• Tell faculty that Web Cameras are being
  installed.
• Focus at door ways equipment
• Do not focus on Instructor
• Repeat often that web cameras are for security of
  resources.
• Get ruling from HR about cameras in public areas.

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A Teachers Response
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Current Equipment

• 39 - Axis 2120 cameras, 7 - Axis 221, 3 - Axis
  2100
• Milestone XProtect Business edition webcamera
  management software
• Software takes snapshot from every camera once
  every 1.3 seconds to every 6 seconds (depending
  on location of camera) organized into a separate
  database for each camera
• Each database archived daily, and backed up to
  tape weekly

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Future

• Upgrade to Milestone XProtect Professional
• AXIS 290B protective housing wide angle lens
• AXIS 2191 Audio Module - Add the ability to hear
  and speak through an Axis network camera unit
• AXIS SMC2870W Wireless Bridge - 2.4GHz 54 Mbps
  Wireless Ethernet Adapter               

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Axis Web Camera Overview

• AXIS 2120 Web Camera Indoor-Outdoor
• Built in Web Server Up to 30 FPS
• 704 x 480 resolution 24 bit color
• Built in motion detection
• 898 CDWG 5/24/05

• AXIS 221 Web Camera Indoor-Outdoor
• Built in Web Server Up to 60 FPS
• 640 x 480 resolutionFull PoE support
• 1,100 CDWG 5/24/05
• Wide Angle Lens available for 139

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Axis 213 PTZ

• AXIS 213 Pan/Tilt/Zoom
• Ceiling Mount, Indoor or Outdoor
• 26X optical 12X digital zoom
• Up to 30 FPS
• 704 x 480 resolution, 24 bit color
• 1,695 CDWG 5/24/05

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Power over Ethernet (PoE)

• Need powered device for sending receiving
• Power over LAN Midspans available in 1, 6 and
  12-port versions. A Power over LAN Midspan uses
  the unused pairs in a standard Cat 5 network
  cable to supply power to PoL-enabled products 
• Power over LAN Active Splitter separates data and
  power coming over a network cable. It enables
  network video products to receive both power and
  data from a network connection. 

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Server

• Dell Power Edge 2600, Dual Xeon 2.4GHz
  hyper-threaded processors, 2 Gig ram
• 6 - 73GB SCSI Ultra 320 15K rpm HD
• SDLT 320 160GB tape drive
• 1 GB Ethernet to core switch

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Archival Software

• Milestone XProtect Business Webcamera management
  software
• 1 Folder per camera
• Each image organized in a database
• 49 cameras 138gb/week
• Under 200/camera
• Veritas Backup Exec 9.1
• Approx. 2 hrs for full database backup
• Tape backup up to SDLT 160GB cartridge

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Questions - Contact

• bryan.hoffman_at_mnsu.edu
• View our webcameras at http//www.acc.mnsu.edu/
  

Minnesota State University, Mankato