Servers

Run video processing on Watchman‑managed infrastructure or self‑host a User Server on your network.

What is a server in Watchman?

A server runs the compute that ingests and analyzes your camera streams. You can either:
- Use a Watchman‑managed server (we host and manage it), or
- Run a User Server yourself (self‑host on your own machine).

Choose your deployment

Watchman‑managed (hosted)

Zero install, fully managed by Watchman.
Recommended if your cameras can be reachable from the internet.
Appears automatically in your Servers when provisioned.

User Server (self‑hosted)

Run within your LAN for local cameras; no internet exposure needed.
Create API key scopes in Settings → API Keys.
Use the server utility tool (not available for public download yet), then register the server.

Provision a Watchman‑managed server

Request a managed server from your Watchman contact or onboarding flow.
We provision and configure it for your workspace.
When ready, it appears in Servers with status and capacity.

Set up a self‑hosted User Server

Create an API key with appropriate scopes in Settings → API Keys.
Download and run the server utility tool (not available for public download yet).
Register the server; it will appear in Servers.

Verify status and capacity

Before attaching streams, confirm the server is healthy and has capacity.

Status is healthy/online.
Capacity: ensure current capacity is below max capacity.
Connectivity: server can reach your cameras (internet for hosted; local network for User Server).

Network requirements

If using Watchman‑managed

Your camera’s RTSP must be reachable from the public internet.
Use your public IP or DDNS, and port forward to the camera’s RTSP port.
Test the RTSP URL from mobile data in VLC.

Security tips

Change default passwords, use a random external port, and restrict by IP if your router supports it. If you prefer not to expose cameras, use a User Server in your LAN.

If using a User Server

Place the server in the same network as your cameras.
Use local RTSP URLs (e.g., rtsp://user:pass@192.168.1.50:554/stream1).
No port‑forwarding required; outbound connection to Watchman API is sufficient.

Attach streams to a server

Open Streams and add/edit a camera.
Set Run Target:
- User Server to select one of your registered servers.
- Unassigned leaves the stream unbound (used when relying on Watchman‑managed compute).
If choosing User Server, pick the specific Server to process the stream.
Save.