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Auditing Sessions: Video Recording

Remote access sessions, whether initiated through a web browser or a native client, can be recorded and this video recording is made available for review via the Sessions Report. These video recordings provide a visual audit trail of the session and allow reviewers or auditors to observe exactly what occurred during a session that was designated for recording.

Reviewing Video Recordings

Users with the appropriate permissions can view session recordings using the Video Playback feature from the Sessions Report.

Sessions Report Actions

Watch a Session Video Recording

  1. Navigate to Reports > Sessions.
  2. Locate the session you wish to review.
  3. Open the Actions menu for that session.
  4. Choose one of the following playback options:
    • Play (tab): Opens the video recording of the session in a new browser tab.
    • Play (window): Opens the video recording of the session in a new browser window.
  5. The video player will launch automatically and begin playback.

Once you’ve finished reviewing the session, simply close the browser tab or window to exit the video.

Convert and Download a Session Video Recording

  1. Navigate to Reports > Sessions.
  2. Locate the session you wish to export.
  3. Open the Actions menu for that session.
  4. Select the option Video Manager.
  5. Configure the export settings:
    • Format: Choose the output format: MP4, AVI, or MOV.
    • Resolution: Choose the desired video resolutions:
      • Low (640x480)
      • Average (1280x720)
      • High (1920x1080)
    • Quality: Choose the output bitrate:
      • Low (~ 125 kB/s)
      • Average (~ 250 kB/s)
      • High (~ 500 kB/s)

        Note: Higher resolution and quality settings will increase conversion time, system resource usage, and exported file size.

    • Include Events: Enable this option to include recorded Session Events as a visual overlay in the exported video. Each event will be displayed for at least 1.5 seconds, or for the duration defined by its Start and Finish times, whichever is longer. The visual overlay will show the event’s Type: Preview value.
    • Include Metadata: Enable this option to display Session Metadata as a visual overlay during the first two seconds of the exported video. The overlay includes the Asset Name, Session Start and Finish Time, and User.
  6. Click Request Video to start the conversion.
  7. You may close the Video Manager or wait for the conversion to complete. Use Refresh to update the status.
  8. Once the conversion is complete, click Download to download the video via your browser.
  9. To close the Video Manager, click Close. To initiate another export, click Reset to clear the current settings and start a new conversion.

Video Manager Conversion Options

Customizing Embedded Visual Overlays

Advanced users can customize the embedded visual overlays used in exported videos by modifying the template located at: Configuration > Templates > video-overlay.

The template supports the following placeholders:

Placeholder Description
${title} Video title
${width} Video resolution width
${height} Video resolution height
${start} Event start time
${finish} Event finish time
${meta} Combined metadata string (e.g., asset name, session time, user)
${event} Event description displayed as Type: Preview (e.g., File Upload: my-file.txt)

The layout and styling of the overlay text are controlled using Advanced SubStation Alpha (ASS) formatting. You can customize font style, size, positioning, colors, and effects by editing the ASS code within the template. For example, \an1 positions the overlay text in the bottom-left corner, and \fs12 sets the font size to 12 pixels.

Video Overlay Template

After saving your changes, all new video exports will use the updated overlay configuration.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues when attempting to open or view video recordings, use the following troubleshooting steps to identify and resolve potential problems.

Issue: Player Displays a Blank White Screen

When attempting to play a video recording in a web browser, only a blank white screen is displayed. Potential causes for this issue include:

  • Browser Extensions: Certain browser extensions may interfere with video playback by blocking the streaming process.
  • Client-Side Endpoint Protection: Endpoint protection software installed on the client device may block streaming traffic or restrict access to the video.
  • Server Access Issues: The video may not be accessible or properly loaded from the 12Port host server.

Suggestions:

  1. Use Private/Incognito Mode: Open the browser in Private or Incognito mode to temporarily disable most extensions, which may be blocking video playback.
  2. Switch Browsers: If using a browser like Chrome, try switching to a different browser (e.g., Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox) to rule out browser-specific issues.
  3. Try a Different Device: Attempt to play the video on a different computer, particularly one that does not have endpoint protection software installed.

By following the suggestions above, you should be able to resolve the issue. If the problem persists after troubleshooting, please contact the 12Port support team at support@12port.com for further assistance.