system crashed after linking to first camera (Esxi 8)

michaelsandy

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Hi, I don't have any experience with Blue Iris but it everything was fine (% CPU, % memory not overloaded) after installation on an ESXi virtual machine, until I attempted to link the first camera.
After that, not only that virtual machine but the host as a whole seems to have fallen over...cant ssh into or even ping the Esxi host
I'm logged in remotely at present so can't get to the host.
Any tips on what I should do...?
Camera = HikVision
Windows = 64 bit professional.
Could it be bandwidth related?
Thanks
MichaelSandy
 

looktall

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What's the specs on the host and guest?
And what model camera?
My guess is the data from your camera is overwhelming it.
 

michaelsandy

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thanks...camera is Hikvision DS-2CD2583G2-IS 8MP 4K POE
windows Virtual Machine is 64 Bit Pro, 8 gigs RAM, 4 CPU's of a xeon 2.6 Ghz allocated
no other virtual machines are configured or running.
network card (shared between host and the virtual machine) is Intel I210 PCI-Ex1 1000Mbps Gigabit 'Dual Port' although its only got one port...
 

TonyR

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Does that Xeon provide Intel Quick Sync Video? If not, insure BI is not configured to use that under each cam's hardware acceleration.
 

michaelsandy

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not sure what Quick Sync Video is.
Is it advisable to have a separate network port for the camera - I have three - so a separate network port for each of the 3 cameras?
 

TonyR

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not sure what Quick Sync Video is.
It's hardware acceleration built-in to many Intel CPUs. BI can use it to lower CPU usage but newer versions of BI use camera substreams instead which actually works better.
Is it advisable to have a separate network port for the camera - I have three - so a separate network port for each of the 3 cameras?
Not necessary but many BI users employ 2 NICs; one for IP cams on one subnet that cannot access Internet and another NIC for a different subnet that has access to the Internet.
 

michaelsandy

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had thought about separate subnets...
no thoughts then as to whether this is an overload situation and how to troubleshoot..?
 

looktall

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Does the system come back when you disconnect the camera?
You haven't said what specs of the host are.
What's your disk performance like?
How much memory overall?
 

TonyR

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Honestly, I'm not your VM guru...I set up Windows Virtual machine on a Win 7 laptop years ago to run XP for a client who had a lot of software for land surveying, plotting, GPS input, etc. and the s/w would run only on XP....and that's been it.

Hopefully another member will come in that has VM experience (there are several).
 

michaelsandy

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Does the system come back when you disconnect the camera?
**Haven't been back to the office to power cycle
You haven't said what specs of the host are.
***32gb ram, e5-xeon 2660 @2.6Ghz

What's your disk performance like?
***Was ok before the loss in response
How much memory overall?
*** yes, its fading as I'm getting older...
*** seriously, 8gb of the 32 gb is dedicated to Windows
Please see responses above
Would it be worth contacting Blue Iris directly?
edit -typo
 
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wittaj

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Please see responses above
Would it be worth contacting Blue Iris directly?
edit -typo
BI is one person and the help file is clear that networking and hardware support is beyond what they provide support for.

Since it isn't recommended to run it in a VM (although many have successfully), BI would either tell you that or ignore your question.
 

fenderman

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Generally when Blue Iris crashes after adding a camera it's the result of enabling hardware acceleration when your processor doesn't support the acceleration for example enabling hardware acceleration on an older Intel processor that doesn't support h265 and setting the camera to h265... The solution is to delete the camera from the registry... No idea why your host is crashing but it sounds like you have something misconfigured if that can happen.... You're not going to get any support from the developer on your unusual setup..
 

looktall

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Generally when Blue Iris crashes after adding a camera
My understanding from the first post is that it's not crashing BI so much as it is the VM guest and also the host.

Please see responses above
When you answer questions don't put them inside the quote of the post.

It makes it really hard to follow up.

what sort of disks are you using?
What spec?
How many?
What configuration?
What os is the guest VM?

The disk performance may have been fine before adding the camera but it wasn't really doing much before then.

How do you manage the host?
Can you access it remotely?
 

michaelsandy

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My understanding from the first post is that it's not crashing BI so much as it is the VM guest and also the host.
yes, I can't see anything and even the host configuration window is not visible; cant ping the host
When you answer questions don't put them inside the quote of the post.
It makes it really hard to follow up.
sorry, yes, I was answering using my mobile phone after midnight local time and its difficult


what sort of disks are you using?
What spec?
How many?
I think its a thin provisioned disc; this is the only virtual machine on the ESXi host at present
4 CPU's allocated (total of 10 available); 8 Gb of Ram allocated (out of 32 available)
Haven't got the other specs at hand
What configuration?
What os is the guest VM?
The disk performance may have been fine before adding the camera but it wasn't really doing much before then.
Guest VM is windows 64 bit professional, activated.
In terms of the config...thats a lot of info to copy and paste here....anything in particular thats important?

How do you manage the host?
Can you access it remotely?
its managed onsite or remotely (via a SSH tunnel)
thanks for the interest
 

michaelsandy

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Generally when Blue Iris crashes after adding a camera it's the result of enabling hardware acceleration when your processor doesn't support the acceleration for example enabling hardware acceleration on an older Intel processor that doesn't support h265 and setting the camera to h265... The solution is to delete the camera from the registry... No idea why your host is crashing but it sounds like you have something misconfigured if that can happen.... You're not going to get any support from the developer on your unusual setup..
thanks...I've changed the stream to h264 and rebooted the camera but still can't access the host; will have to connect a monitor and check
edit: re deleting the camera from the registry...you mean Window's Registry or Blue Iris' registry?
 

michaelsandy

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Oh..Esxi OS is on a 500gb ssd, VM's on a 1Tb SSD, surveillance storage is a 6Tb hdd but not yet added to BI...
 

looktall

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How's your network managed?
Is the host server sharing the same network as the guest and the camera network?

Is it possible you're having a network address conflict between the host server and the camera you plugged into the network?
 

michaelsandy

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Is the host server sharing the same network as the guest and the camera network?
yes...192.168.1.x range
I understand this is allowed?

Is it possible you're having a network address conflict between the host server and the camera you plugged into the network?
no, the camera has a static ip which is outside of the dhcp range (the host acquires its IP via DHCP).

The host and also the windows virtual machine seems to be stable until BI is started, even without any cameras attached (the only camera that was linked to BI has been powered down).
About 2 minutes after BI is started, the host then crashes (purple screen).
Maybe BI doesn't like the 'thin provisioned' virtual disK?

The crash messages on the purple screen don't mean much to me...eg
Code:
cache hierarchy  - Level 0 Data cache eviction error
cache hierarchy  - Level 0 Data cache read error
machine check exception...vmnic0...
(note - vmnic refers to the network card)
edit -typo
 
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