CCTV - SmartPSS & Multiple Users

[CHiLL]

We have a Dahua CCTV system and we are the ones that are the admins and have access to it. Due to an increased amount of CCTV requests, we are looking at offloading this to the pastoral team by allowing them access to it. However, I am struggling to identify the best way to do this, as there are multiple areas where users are created and it's just not working.

 

In SmartPSS, I can access the "Device Cfg", which is each of the two NVRs we have. Here, I have created a user group called "Safeguarding" and assigned it only live view and playback view on all cameras (so no other permissions are granted, like user management, etc). I have created a user and selected their group as "Safeguarding". However, if I log out of SmartPSS and attempt to log in as that new user, I cannot, as it says the username and/or password is incorrect.

 

I have also noticed that there is another user section in SmartPSS called "Users", where I can add users/groups/permissions. I presume this is only affecting the specific instance of SmartPSS on my machine, such as if my machine was the DVR and was a shared machine.

 

Does anyone know how to achieve this?

[DalekSec]

You have to do it directly on the box via the web GUI, doesnt work via the SmartPSS software.

[CHiLL]

You have to do it directly on the box via the web GUI, doesnt work via the SmartPSS software.

Looking at the web GUI, I can see that the group and user I created were there from what I added via the SmartPSS software "Device Cfg". Though to be sure, I deleted them the same way I created them and manually added them in the web GUI, but I'm still having the same problem.

 

When launching the SmartPSS app on the desktop, do you log in with the same credentials you created in the web GUI?

 

Edit: If we have two NVRs, presumably I have to create the user on each NVR, if doing it through the web GUI?

Edited April 18, 2024 by CHiLL

[DalekSec]

We only have 1 NVR so can't comment on that.

 

But yes the details in the we enter in the GUI is the same as we login with, there are 2 logins to the SmartPSS a login for the software to load and one to login to it. THe software one you make when you first load up.

[CHiLL]

We only have 1 NVR so can't comment on that.

 

But yes the details in the we enter in the GUI is the same as we login with, there are 2 logins to the SmartPSS a login for the software to load and one to login to it. The software one you make when you first load up.

So to be clear, I have to:

1) Create the user in the web GUI (and it appears repeat for each NVR)

2) Install SmartPSS on the user's device

3) Configure the local SmartPSS admin account during first run (incl lost password questions)

4) Connect/configure NVRs

4) Create a local account for the user I wish to log in (same user as step 1)

 

I don't understand why I have to create the user twice, in the web GUI and also in SmartPSS as both require the permissions/access to be set separately.

 

During the original install, the contractor told us that SmartPSS requires local admin privileges to run. Is that still the case, or would modify permissions on the SmartPSS folder in Program Files be enough? I'll be testing that out, if I can get that far.

Edited April 18, 2024 by CHiLL

[whartomt01]

I have the same sort of setup.

 

I have a generic user setup on the NVR for 'Pastoral'

-install smart pss - create a local user - set to auto login

-configure nvr with the pastoral user

 

You can then export the config and import on the other 'pastoral' machines.

 

Yes you need admin rights. I've got around by giving our staff modify access to the directory "C:\Program Files\Smart Professional Surveillance System\SmartPSS"

Start menu shortcut points to a .bat below. Not sure what it actually does but works ok without needing to elevate.

 

Set ApplicationPath="C:\Program Files\Smart Professional Surveillance System\SmartPSS\SmartPSS.exe"

cmd /min /C "set __COMPAT_LAYER=RUNASINVOKER && start "" %ApplicationPath%"

 

 

 

My reminder for manually installing on specific computers...

 

install software

open software and import config

copy .bat file to "C:\Program Files\Smart Professional Surveillance System"

Give full Write access to Teaching and support staff to "C:\Program Files\Smart Professional Surveillance System"

[TLARWise]

On our system we just have an admin level account setup on the NVR's themselves, which is used to connect and configure the devices in SmartPSS (using the standard admin account), then I create a Role and User that is restricted to Playback and Live View only in the User section of SmartPSS. I then log on to the restricted user so next time the SmartPSS program is started it defaults to that user, then I just make a copy of the 'C:\Users\Public\SmartPSS' folder on a shared drive and then whenever the software is installed on another computer you just need to copy that folder over the top of the 'C:\Users\Public\SmartPSS' folder so when the program is next ran on the new computer all the device adding and user settings are already to go.

[CHiLL]

After some research and testing, we couldn't get SmartPSS to silently install without installing the storage component, as the /S switch installs everything. We found SmartPSS Lite from Dahua's wiki, which is pretty much what we want, a way to just view cameras and playback/save footage.

 

Silent install command:

General_SmartPSSLite_MultiLang_Win64-Install_IS_V1.003.0000004.4.R.231024.exe /S

 

Silent uninstall command:

C:\Program Files (x86)\SmartPSSLite\uninst.exe /S

 

Default path for config files:

C:\Users\Public\SmartPSSLite\Conf\User

We found that copying the entire "C:\Users\Public\SmartPSSLite" folder from a configured machine to another machine that had a clean install - it just worked. Auto-logged in as the admin account, connected to the NVRs with the credentials. I have identified which files specifically are required, but I'm going to creat a batch file to install SmartPSS Lite and then force copy those files too.

 

I have figure out the two main ways of managing users:

 

Method 1 - Users on the NVR

1. Log into the NVR web GUI and create a new role and user on the NVR and assign the necessary camera access
   
2. Install SmartPSS on the end user's laptop
   
3. Launch SmartPSS, configure the default admin password and secret answers and check auto login
   
4. Add the NVRs into SmartPSS using the newly created user credentials for the NVR
   

 

The application will log in as a default admin, but only have access to cameras specified in step 1). Denied cameras will show in the list, but not be accessible

 

Advantages

- Centrally controlled user management

- Don't need to create account(s) on each device it is installed on

 

Disadvantages

- If the NVR dies, all user accounts will need re-creating

 

Method 2 - Users in SmartPSS

1. Install SmartPSS on the device (uncheck Storage if you don't need it)
   
2. Launch SmartPSS, configure the default admin password and secret answers and check auto login
   
3. Add the NVRs into SmartPSS using the normal admin credentials for the NVR
   
4. Add a new user group and select necessary permission/access levels, include cameras you want
   

 

Advantages

- Users and access levels remain if the NVR dies and is replaced

 

Disadvantages

- Users must be configured on each device SmartPSS is installed on

 

I hope that info helps others in the future!