|
|
|
|
Welcome to the Open Options
Access Control Glossary of terms.
The purpose of
this site is to assist you in learning the terms commonly used in the access
control industry and within the Open Options system.
- Access Area
- A specific defined area wherein all access points to the area are secured by the
system, and the access points can be configured and adjusted to set parameters on occupancy and
permission attributes.
- Access Credential
- A medium that contains encoded information (which is recognized by the access
control system) such as ID cards, key fobs, biometrics, and smart chips.
- Access Level
- A logical group of doors paired with a time schedule used to determine when and
where a card is granted access in the system.
- ACM (Access Control Model)
- A group of objects that when associated together form a point of entry that is
normally associated with a door or elevator.
- ADA (American Disabilities Act)
- Indicates that a setting or card designation is compliant with the American
Disabilities Act, which provides specific parameters for access for personnel with disabilities. Cards
with the ADA setting checked, enable ADA parameters to take effect when the card is badged.
- Administrator
- Person responsible for adding operators and assigning the specific privileges to
the operators’ profiles, and determining operator levels.
- APB (Anti Pass Back)
- Control prohibiting a card from entering an access area more than once without
the system recognizing that the card has first exited the access area.
- Authorization Server
- The Authorization Server maintains all client license and sub-controller license
info. Also manages concurrent clients.
- Badge
- An identification card usually displaying a cardholder’s photo, signature or
other specific identifying characteristics.
- Badging Station
- A hardware and software system used to obtain and save personal data about a
cardholder (e.g., photo or signature).
- Bar Code
- A array of machine readable rectangular bars and spaces arranged in a specific
way to represent letters, numbers, and other human readable symbols.
- Biometrics
- A machine readable technology that allows for the unique identification of
individuals by reading biological features (fingerprints, retina scans, etc.).
- Bumping
- Sending an alarm to an alternate site or station following a user-defined time
during which the
alarm is unacknowledged.
- Cardholder
- Anyone who has been given an access credential.
- Channel
- The path in which the SSP controller communicates with the host or driver.
- Command
- An operator-initiated event that causes a change or action within the access
control system.
- Controller
- The data-gathering panel that makes local access decisions. Includes the SSP,
SSP-C, and SSPE.
- Download
- An “update” action to send saved information to the SSP. See Save.
- Group
- A logical set of common data objects such as cardholders or hardware points.
- Host
- Generally, it is the machine on which the driver resides. Sometimes refers to a
given client machine, e.g. in reference to a host-based macro.
- Host Settings
- The settings which determine the behavior of the application at the host or
workstation.
- Info-Ready Reporting
- A software development architecture that presents relevent system data directly within the application
rather than having to run multiple external reports. NPower DNA allows operators to filter system events through simple
drag and drop function as well as making common reports, such as "who has access", available from the right click context menu.
- Landscape
- Horizontal orientation of pages, screen displays or badges.
- Logo
- A graphic symbol used to represent a company or organization
- Machine Readable
- A code or characters that can be read by machines.
- Magnetic Stripe
- Magnetic material, usually applied as a stripe on a card, used to encode
cardholder information.
- Macro
- A defined set of actions or commands that can be manually executed by the
operator or is based on a trigger event.
- Masking
- Hiding or suppressing alarms that the operator does not wish to be viewed.
- MPG (Monitor Point Group)
- A collection of monitor points that typically have been grouped for common
manageability.
- Operator
- Anyone with access to the application. The Administrator is also an Operator,
though generally distinguished in the documentation due to the difference in responsibility and
permissions.
- Panel
- Synonymous with an SSP. See Controller.
- Password
- The permission level of the operator environment. Required for permission to log
on to the application.
- Portrait
- Vertical orientation of pages, screen display or badges.
- Pre-Alarm Held
- An alert given before an opened door reports “held open” alarm.
- Proximity
- A non-contact system for reading cards. Data is exchanged between card and
reader by radio frequency, fiber optics, induction, laser or other non-mechanical contact
technology.
- Reader
- A device that can read the encoding on a card or badge.
- SSP (also SSP-C, and SSP-E)
- Synonymous with panel and controller. See Controller.
- Save
- An action to record information in the database. See Download.
- Shunt
- Length of time an input will be ignored when it goes active during an access
granted event. This only applies to inputs that are specified as the Door Contact.
- Smart Card
- A plastic card with an embedded microchip, which can be used to store
information about the cardholder or record card transactions as they occur.
- Sub-controller
- One of a series of circuit boards that communicates information about field
devices like readers, contacts, motion detectors, etc., upstream to the SSP. (RSC-1, RSC-2, RSC-T,
ISC-16, and OSC-16)
- Tamper
- (1)A digital input that, if open, signals a cabinet tamper alarm at the device.
(2)A digital input that signals power loss alarm at the device.
- Time Schedules
- Consist of time ranges that are associated with days or holidays. Time Schedules
are used in connection with access levels and often as trigger events.
- Trigger
- A system event that causes another event or macro to occur.
|
 |
|
|
