Patent ID: 8341682

Claim:
A real-time image monitoring and recording system, comprising: a plurality of Internet protocol (IP) cameras for real-time generating video/audio data, wherein the IP cameras process anycast packets; and a plurality of surveillance servers for controlling the IP cameras and storing data generated by the IP cameras, wherein the surveillance servers process anycast packets, a peer-to-peer connection exists between each of the surveillance servers and its neighboring surveillance servers, and each of the surveillance servers stores configuration data of its neighboring surveillance servers, wherein: during establishment of connections between the surveillance servers, the surveillance servers transmit anycast packets to communicate with one another or each other; and during establishment of connections between the surveillance servers and the IP cameras, the surveillance servers and the IP cameras transmit anycast packets to communicate with one another; wherein when a new surveillance server joins, the new surveillance server generates a surveillance server joining request packet in the form of an anycast packet and responsive to not receiving a response from another surveillance server, the new surveillance server records a join time.