System Requirements

Minimum and recommended hardware, storage, network, and browser requirements for Kalytera VMS.

Generated 2026-07-28 17:37 UTC

Minimum Hardware

These are the minimum specifications required to run Kalytera VMS:

Component	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	4-core (Intel/AMD x64)	8-core modern CPU (Intel i7/Xeon, AMD Ryzen 7/EPYC)
RAM	4 GB	16 GB (32 GB for large deployments)
Storage (OS + App)	20 GB SSD	SSD for OS and app; separate HDD/NAS for recordings
Network	100 Mbps Ethernet	Gigabit Ethernet; cameras on a dedicated VLAN
Operating System	Windows 10 / Windows Server 2016	Windows Server 2022 / Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

For deployments with 16+ cameras or AI analytics enabled, use the recommended (or higher) specifications. CPU usage grows primarily with the number of cameras using AI object detection.

Storage Calculator

Recording storage requirements depend on resolution, frame rate, bit rate, and retention period. Use this as a rough guide:

Resolution	Typical Bit Rate	GB per camera per day
1080p (Full HD)	2–4 Mbps	21–43 GB
4MP	4–6 Mbps	43–65 GB
4K (8MP)	8–12 Mbps	86–130 GB
720p (HD)	1–2 Mbps	11–22 GB

Kalytera uses H.264 passthrough recording (no re-encoding), so storage usage matches the camera's configured bit rate exactly. Lower the camera's bit rate in its own web interface to reduce storage consumption.

Network Requirements

Camera bandwidth: Each camera's stream bit rate × number of cameras. Plan for at least 1.5× headroom.
Viewer bandwidth: Each live viewer adds another stream's worth of bandwidth from the server. WebRTC direct paths reduce server load.
Recommended: Place cameras on a dedicated VLAN, isolated from general office traffic.
Remote access: Port-forward 5099 on your router, or use a VPN for secure remote access. Avoid exposing the server directly to the internet without proper firewall rules.

GPU for AI Analytics

Kalytera's AI object detection uses OpenVINO (Intel) or ONNX Runtime (CPU fallback). A dedicated GPU is not required, but improves throughput with many cameras:

Intel CPU / iGPU: OpenVINO runs efficiently on Intel CPUs and integrated GPUs via the Intel HD/Iris/Arc driver stack. No additional software required.
NVIDIA GPU: Not natively supported via OpenVINO in the default build. Use the ONNX Runtime CPU path as a fallback.
CPU-only: Adequate for up to 8–12 cameras at 4 FPS analytics without a GPU.

Browser Support

Kalytera's web interface requires a modern browser with WebRTC support:

Browser	Support Level
Google Chrome 90+	Full (recommended)
Microsoft Edge 90+	Full
Firefox 90+	Full
Safari 15+	Full (WebRTC may require HLS fallback on some camera profiles)

Supported Camera Brands

Kalytera supports cameras via native protocols and ONVIF:

Hikvision — native SDK + ONVIF + RTSP
Dahua — ONVIF + RTSP (AUD filter applied automatically)
Axis — native ONVIF + RTSP with WebRTC optimization
Bosch — ONVIF + native RTSP stream override
Generic ONVIF — any ONVIF-compliant IP camera
Generic RTSP — any camera exposing an RTSP stream