Elphel Camera Sandbox
This section describe some ideas on how to build a Sandbox of Elphel 3xx Network Reconfigurable Cameras.
Please feel free to contribute and discuss on the proposed architecture.
Contents
Needed hardware
To build our Sandbox we need:
- a manageable POE switch
- a server with at least one HD, Core2duo CPU suporting VT instructions, 4 GB RAM, 2 network cards, DVDROM
- different combinations of Elphel 3xx cameras connected to the POE switch
The server
The server will be installed under some virtualisation solution. (the reason for CPU supporting VT) We can use Xen, Vmware, virtualbox, Bosh, KVM, ...
Virtualisation will allow us a flexible way to manage LiveDVD sessions .
The server will comport minimum 3 virtual servers:
Resident web server
In fact it's not only a web server. It's just a installed virtual server with a global interface and scripts to control the Sandbox.
The web interface should present those futures:
- to reserve an access to sandbox of a camera or of a LiveDVD distribution or both.
- control the firewall and open or close connections to cameras / virtual servers.
- control the POE switch (power up/down cameras, why not some statistics from the switch, like traffic, POE consumption, ...)
- soft (reflash.php) and hard ("pressed" button and power up/down)
- store/restore users/developers configs from cameras / LiveDVD on the resident server.
- reboot a LiveDVD session
- bug report
Firewall
What's why the computer need 2 network cards, one of the virtual servers will act as firewall. He will be connected to both Internet and the dedicated Sandbox network.
A part of the firewall rules will be controlled truth the global web interface to allow temporary connection to chosen cameras and Virtual servers.
LiveDVD
Where can be one or more LiveDVD running modified versions of Knoppix or Ubuntu.
The LiveDVD session can be saved/restored/reseted truth the global web interface
Some HD space is temporary dedicated for compilation and recording tests.
Elphel Network Cameras
Different models or combinations of boards can be connected to the switch.
We can map on the switch different ports to different VLANs and map them to different LiveDVD sessions.
Hardware reflashing unit
This is just an idea.
Andrey, pls tell me if it's realistic and how to do it.
The idea is to connect a 10333 / 10353 + some custom board connected under the button to allow to simulate button pressure on one or several cameras truth network. Coupled with the POE control it's a perfect solution to reflash a camera what is not correctly booted or configured... --Polto 21:31, 30 November 2007 (CST)
I believe it is enough to program "without button" and consider requirement to reflash as an abnormal condition (maybe analyzing logs can help to find out - what went wrong). So that will require human attention that I believe is OK in that case.--Andrey.filippov 21:31, 30 November 2007 (CST)
Ok, we can start like what. But it is sufficient to miss a something for example in init scripts or in network config to make it unavailable.
--Polto 21:58, 30 November 2007 (CST)
Buttonless camera
Actually, thank you. I thought a little bit and our next camera revision will have no buttons at all. Four small components taking the same PCB area as a switch will do the job (2 capacitors, dual diode and a MOSFET transistor). To turn camera in programming mode you'll have to power-cycle it ~5 times (in a minute or so). A very simple and robust solution, no problems with broken buttons, easy to do manually or with the PoE switch, will not happen accidentally.--Andrey.filippov 23:28, 30 November 2007 (CST)
wow! :) --Polto 06:14, 1 December 2007 (CST)
