Data Persistence & Backups

For safety and storage reasons, all behavioral data (session data and videos) should be synchronized to a remote server or external hard drive.

Because the system runs on a microSD card with a limited capacity of 256 GB, older video files must be regularly purged to make room for new recordings. Note that behavioral task data is never deleted from the microSD card — only video files are removed.

By default, the system retains one week of video storage, but this window can be adjusted under SETTINGS → ADVANCED SETTINGS → DAYS_OF_VIDEO_STORAGE.

At the end of each behavioral session, the system automatically triggers a data synchronization routine. To specify your backup destination, configure the fields under SETTINGS → SYNC SETTINGS, where you can choose between syncing to a remote network server or to an external hard drive connected directly to the Raspberry Pi.

Warning

Corridor videos, which are recorded continuously 24/7, are not synchronized to any backup destination and are automatically deleted after one week — the same retention policy that applies to task videos. This is intentional, as continuous recordings would otherwise consume an impractical amount of storage space.

Key Configuration Fields

Two parameters govern the backup and deletion behavior:

SAFE_DELETE
- ON: Video files are only deleted after the system confirms they have been successfully backed up to the remote server or external hard drive.
- OFF: Video files are automatically purged once they exceed the retention window, regardless of whether a backup exists.
MAXIMUM_SYNC_TIME: Maximum duration (in seconds) allowed for a synchronization session to complete. If the process exceeds this threshold, it is terminated automatically. This prevents a slow network connection or a stalled transfer from blocking other animals from accessing the operant box.

Note

When synchronizing to a remote server, the SERVER_PORT field can be left blank if no specific port needs to be defined for the SSH connection.