Security systems

Starting with the Macula 1.30 Access Control tab is renamed to the Security Systems tab and provides extended functionality.

Macula is integrated with several Security systems, including Access control Systems and Alarm and Security panels. The Macula server can receive events from and send requests/commands to third-party security systems software.

!! Please ensure you use the Security System connection when obtaining the license—your license must include the relevant option. Without it, you will be unable to create a security system connection.

The current integration includes the following Security systems:

  • Access controls that can be added without any restrictions:

    • Keri Doors.NET

    • Feenics

    • Visual Access System (GSF Corporation)

    • Roger RACS 5, Paxton

    • Inner Range Integriti

    • EntraPass Kantech

  • Security systems that require a checkbox 'Security system integrations' in the license:

    • Gallagher

    • Satel INTEGRA

    • RISCO LightSys

    • Generic Adapter

  • Access controls that require a checkbox 'NEDAP AEOS Support' in the license:

    • NEDAP AEOS

Macula can obtain and allow to interact with:

  • Doors: Can get and set statuses, get related events from the Cardholders list

  • Partitions: will depend on the system manufacturer

  • Zones: will depend on the system manufacturer

  • Outputs: Can Activate/Deactivate

The Macula Monitor application also provides searchable and actionable information about doors, events, cardholders, partitions, and zones.

Integrations with different security systems are more or less similar. However, there are nuances in configuration. For the specific details, please consult the Security system-specific manual. If you encounter any difficulties with the setup, feel free to contact our support engineers at support@gsfcorp.com.

Adding a Security System

Details Tab

To add a new security system, go to:

  1. Console -> Configuration -> Security systems

  2. Click the +New Security System Configuration button

  3. Inside the Details tab, you will see some fields common to all Security Systems and some exclusive to the specific manufacturer requirements. Common fields are:

    1. Title: Add a meaningful title to your Security system

    2. Security system type: Select the system you want to connect (all the other fields may warry depending on this selection).

    3. Merge checkbox: If checked, it merges multiple connected systems into one tab inside the Macula Monitor app.

  4. Also, most of the Security systems will have fields for the

    1. Host: Security system IP address

    2. Port: Security system connection port

    3. Username/password: Security system credentials

  5. For the Security system-specific fields, please consult a particular manual.

Add Access Control Configuration

In Macula Console, open the Configuration section and choose Access Control in the menu on the left. Here, you need to create a connection to the Keri server: click the New access control configuration button on the upper panel and fill in the settings, then click OK to save:

  • User-defined title

  • Type: select your access control software name

  • Host: access control server IP address (required for some types)

  • Port: access control server port

    • the default port of 37021

  • API key: Generate this key from VAS Server

  • Merge: enable this option if you have multiple access control systems and you want to have them all in a single tab in the Macula Monitor application

Provide the complete settings for your specific Security system and confirm them with the Apply button. If all the fields are filled correctly, the Macula server will get available Items and Configurations from the Security system.

Configuration Tab

After the Security system is connected, go to the Configuration tab and configure the visibility of the Security system Actions and Statuses in Macula Monitor. To do so, click on the particular item inside the middle section of the window and mark or unmark the Show in monitor checkbox. Statuses also allow to set the Severity levels that will be displayed in the Macula Monitor app.

You can map different colors for the Severity levels. To do so, go to:

  • Configuration -> Server -> Edit particular server

  • Find the Security System tab in the new pop-up window and map the colors you want for each Severity level.

Adding Security system Items

The next step is to add Security system Items such as Doors, Zones, Partitions, etc. To do so, go to:

  • Configuration -> Security Systems

  • Select the system from which you want to import items and click the Arrow down symbol beside the +New security system configuration button.

  • Select the Import security system items to import all the available items in bulk.

  • Mark all the items you want to add inside the new pop-up window and confirm with the OK button.

  • This will bring a new pop-up window where you can configure each Item by selecting it in the left tab and fill in corresponding fields inside the middle tab.

    • Title: you can add a custom title for the item

    • Use default title checkbox: If marked, server defaults will be set as a Title.

    • Add security system title: If marked, the security system title will be used.

    • Channel: allows to map Items with the particular Channel

You also can add Security items one by one by selecting the New door, New partition, New zone, and New output options from the +New security system configuration button drop-down menu.

With this approach, you can select the Security system directly when adding an Item.

  1. Click on a particular Item (Door, Zone, etc.) you want to add,

  2. Inside a new pop-up window, add a meaningful Title, select Security system from which to add Item, and give Macula a bit of time to populate lists (minute or less).

  3. Click the Change… button beside the System ID field and select your Item from the new pop-up window.

Monitoring

You can view the current states of all the added items in the Macula Console application:

  • Switch to the Monitoring section and select Security systems from the list on the left.

Use the Search field at the top right corner to filter the Item lists. You can refresh the Item list by clicking the corresponding button or F5.

Events and Actions

Events

After the necessary connection and Item have been added, it is possible to use their status changes as Events in the E&A Configurator and also send commands to the Security system server as Security system-related actions.

To add Events and Actions in Macula Console:

  • switch to the Events & Actions section and choose Events on the left;

  • click the New <item> button to add a new entry.

  • Alternatively, you can add new events/actions directly from the E&A Configurator by clicking the + New <item> button at the bottom of the leftmost and rightmost columns.

Available events:

  • Door event

  • Security output event

  • Security partition event

  • Security system event

  • Security zone event

Actions

Similarly, you can send notifications to the Security System servers based on Macula events. To do so, go to the Macula Console -> Events & Actions -> Actions, and create a new one by pressing the +New action button on the upper panel. Alternatively, press the + New action button on the E&A Configurator. The List of available Actions is:

  • Door action

  • Security output action

  • Security partition action

  • Security system action

  • Security zone action

As a target, specify the Security system configuration added earlier. The specific Item for this action will be chosen at the Rule creation step, allowing you to use this Action for many different items within the same Security system configuration.

E&A Rules

Once you have created necessary Events and Actions, combine them into Rules in the E&A Configurator for Security system items-related actions. Selected Item status changes will trigger Events in Macula, and Actions triggered by internal Macula Events will change the Item state, which will also be reflected in the Security system UI.

Maps

Apart from the dedicated Security system sections in Macula Console, it is also possible to place item markers onto Maps (either regular ones or geo maps). Markers on the Map will reflect the Item state.

To do this, select Maps in the Configuration section of Macula Console and create a Map or open an existing one. On the Marking tab, place as many markers as you need (Security System Items looks like a shield icon) from the top panel. Click any Marker to edit its settings on the right side of the dialog box: assign Linked Resource to it and adjust colors and icons for different statuses.

For more details, please see the Maps section of this document.

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