Database structure

The video database

The G-Core video database is based on a high-performance ring buffer system that is set up on hard disks.

Archive levels: Each ring buffer can be divided into up to three archive levels. While level 1 is typically used for permanent recording (24/7), levels 2 and 3 are used for longer-term storage of videos linked to events or alarms.
Dynamic database management: A key advantage is proportional capacity allocation. Instead of assigning fixed sectors, the system automatically distributes the available space so that the configured retention times (e.g., 15 days) are achieved. In the event of overcapacity, the storage depth of all levels is automatically extended, and in the event of undercapacity, it is proportionally reduced without interrupting operation.
To comply with data protection guidelines, data can be “automatically hidden” (invisible to operators) or “automatically deleted” (physically removed) after the retention period has expired.

In parallel with the video data in the ring buffers, G-Core uses a Microsoft SQL database to manage metadata and system logs.

AuditTrail: This database seamlessly logs all user actions, including logins, setting changes, and image exports, ensuring audit-proof documentation.
Accelerated search (VCA data): Storing motion data as SQL metadata accelerates motion search (MOS). Instead of scanning video files bit by bit, the system queries the SQL tables, reducing search time to a fraction of what it would otherwise be.
Independent lifecycles: Metadata can be retained for defined periods of time (default 30 days) regardless of the physical size of the video database.

Exports are made in the proprietary GBF format (Geutebrück Backup File), which is specifically designed to be tamper-proof.

Integrity and authentication: The system uses watermarks to guarantee that the video material remains unchanged. A dedicated authentication tool in G-View allows exported files to be validated for legal purposes.
Portability: Exports can include a standalone media player so that recordings can be played back in their original quality on any Windows PC without external codecs.
Multiple or all cameras can be exported so that later, synchronized parallel playback of multiple cameras can reproduce and display the recorded sequences faithfully.
Process and event data are included in the export and can therefore also be evaluated.
A MP4 export can still be created from the GBF export at a later date.

Security Features:

Encryption: GBF files support true file encryption with keys of up to 128 characters. Without this key, the content is completely inaccessible.
Non-removable privacy zones: Privacy zones can be permanently “burned” into the exported image.
Locked export: This option prevents an exported GBF file from being saved again as a new file during viewing in order to preserve the originality of the evidence.

Scalability: The database can be expanded at any time by adding hard drives without losing existing recordings.
Efficiency: The separation of video (ring buffer) and metadata (SQL) enables fast searches and transparent logging of system usage.
Audit compliance and documentation: The audit trail uses the SQL database to log every user action (such as logins or exports) without gaps. Since this data is stored independently of the video ring buffers, evidence of access to video material is retained even if the corresponding video has already been overwritten.
Temporal linking of external data: Metadata from external systems (e.g., barcode scanners) can be precisely linked to the video material via a dynamic history. This ensures that the camera image shows the event (e.g., the scanning process) even if the data arrives late in G-Core due to network delays.