Automation

Automation

1.0 Introduction

Automation allows you to create custom action sequences to automate system functionality. If you are familiar with Doors.NET and the Advanced Local Linkage functionality, automation is the equivalent feature in Borealis.

Automation uses triggers to action the automation sequences and a trigger can be any event that is generated by the system and appears in live events.

Examples include:
  1. One or more monitor points going into alarm state.
  2. One or more monitor points going into secure state.
  3. A door opening.
  4. A door closing.
  5. A time schedule activating.
  6. A double-card presentation from a cardholder in a specific user group.
  7. A double-card presentation from a specific cardholder.

    Note: the Double Card Presentation feature must be enabled in the reader setting.

  8. A User Command entered into a keypad

Important Notes:
  1. The Automation option will only be displayed once hardware is added to the system.
  2. Automation actions are local-only (per controller) - you cannot have a trigger from one controller executing an action on a different controller.
  3. Once programmed the automation functionality is stored in the controller's memory.
  4. Any automation actions that can be setup in Doors.NET Local Linkage can also be setup using Automation in Borealis.
  5. Local Linkage actions are not included in a Doors.NET - Borealis conversion. Local Linkage actions must be rebuilt in Borealis using Automation.


2.0 Lockout Multiple Doors When a Specific Input Goes Active

The following setup example will use a specific input located on a 4x4 module to put multiple doors into a Lockdown state. When the input goes into alarm state selected readers will be put into Lockdown by the Automation module. When that same input goes into secure state those same doors will go back to Locked mode (Card-only). This section assumes you have already added a 4x4 module to one of the controllers busses.

2.1 Name the Input that will be the Lockdown trigger

  1. In Borealis, go to Hardware >> All (to display the hardware tree).
  2. Expand the controller which has the 4x4 module connected.
  3. Select the 4x4 on the hardware tree and verify the module is online.



  4. Expand the 4x4 on the hardware tree and select the input that will be used as the trigger input.
  5. Re-name the input (for example, Lockdown - Trigger - Input 1).



  6. You should also activate the input and verify that the correct input name displays in live events.

3.0 Create the Macro to put specific doors into Lockdown

  1. From the main menu click on Automation - then click on Automation Rules.



  2. On the right-side of the screen click the CREATE MACRO ONLY button.



  3. Select the site that contains the hardware that the macro will be applied (the doors that will be put into Lockdown).
  4. Select the specific controller which has the doors that will go into Lockdown.
  5. Click NEXT.
  6. Enter a name for the Lockdown macro.
  7. Click the ADD ACTION button.



  8. On the right-side of the screen, from the Action Item Type drop-down menu, select Reader Mode Control.



  9. Action Item Prefix can be left at the default of 'Type A'.
  10. Select the first of the specific readers that will be put into Lockdown.
  11. From the Mode drop-down menu, select Lockdown.



  12. Click the ADD ACTION button and repeat the steps to select the other doors on the controller that will also be put into Lockdown.
  13. Click the SAVE MACRO button.
  14. The Automation Rules page will appear again and the macro details will also be displayed.




4.0 Execute (Test) The Lockdown Macro

Now that the macro has been setup you should execute the macro to verify that the configured doors correctly go into Lockdown mode.
  1. On the right-side of the screen, click the Actions drop-down menu.
  2. Select 'Execute Macro with Prefix A'.



  3. The macro will execute and the doors will go into Lockdown. The LED on the readers will display solid red.


5.0 Create a Trigger to Lockdown Doors

The next step is to setup a trigger. A trigger, as the name suggests, will trigger the macro that was previously created. In this example, the trigger will be an input going into alarm state and the input will be located on a 4x4 that is wired into the same controller that has the doors defined in the macro. The input to select will be the one that was renamed in section 2.1

  1. From the main menu, select Automation Rules.
  2. To the right of the Lockdown macro, use the Action drop-down menu to select Edit Rule.
  3. Click NEXT.
  4. Enter a name for the trigger (i.e Lockdown Trigger - Active).



  5. Select the Inputs menu item and then select 'Monitor Point'.
  6. Click NEXT.
  7. On the left side of the screen is the trigger source list. This is a list of all possible events types that can be generated from a monitor point.
  8. Select the source item named Alarm: Input is Active.
  9. The transaction Type will default to 'Change of State'.
  10. Click NEXT.
  11. Select the specific input that was named in section 2.1.
  12. Click NEXT again.
  13. Select a time schedule when the trigger will activate the macro. Or leave the schedule at the default of Always (if you want the input trigger to always put the selected doors into Lockdown).
  14. Click NEXT.
  15. The linked macro will be selected by default.
  16. Then select 'Execute Actions with Prefix A' (this is was the Lockdown is defined as). 
  17. Click the SAVE button to save the macro.
  18. Finally, activate the designated lockdown input and verify that both doors go into Lockdown mode (readers displaying red LEDs).


6.0 Edit the Same Macro to Re-Lock the Same Doors

When the Lockdown input goes secure the doors will not automatically go back to their normal mode. This action will also need to be created and can be done in more than one way. The first method is to edit the existing macro and create additional actions... these action will be set as Type B and will be triggered when the same input goes secure. Obviously, in this example, you would then need to rename the macro (i.e Lockdown and Re-Lock Doors).

  1. From the Automation Rules list, use the Lockdown Macro Action list and select Edit Macro.



  2. Click NEXT.
  3. Re-name the Macro so it defines the doors being put into Lockdown and the normal locked mode.



  4. Click the ADD ACTION button.
  5. From Action Item Type select Reader Mode Control.
  6. Set Action Item Prefix to Type B.
  7. Select the specific reader that will go back to Locked.
  8. Set the mode as Lock.



  9. Repeat steps 5-8 for any additional doors that need to go back to Lock mode.
  10. Save the macro.




7.0 Create the Trigger to Lock the Doors

To create a trigger to re-lock the doors requires a new automation rule to be created.
  1. From the Action Rules list click on CREATE RULE button.
  2. Select the specific site and specific controller.
  3. Click NEXT.
  4. Enter a name for the new trigger (i.e Re-Lock Trigger).
  5. Select Inputs, then select Monitor Point.
  6. Click NEXT.
  7. From the Trigger Source list on the left, select Secure: Input is Inactive.
  8. Click NEXT.
  9. Select the specific input that was named in section 2.1.
  10. Select a time schedule when the trigger will activate the macro. Or leave the schedule at the default of Always (if you want the input secure trigger to always put the selected doors into Locked mode).
  11. Select the same macro that puts the doors into Lockdown (Type A) and re-locks the doors (Type B).



  12. Save the rule.
  13. The new rule will now be displayed on the screen as well as the lockdown rule.



Now, when the lockdown input on the 4x4 module goes active the selected doors will go into Lockdown and when that same input on the 4x4 goes secure, the selected doors will re-lock. At the same time automation events will also be generated and will be displayed in live events.




Other Automation Functions


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