Borealis - Glossary of Terms

Borealis - Glossary of Terms

  • Access Control - A general term describing the control, management, and monitoring of the entrance and exit of people through secure areas.
  • Borealis - Keri Systems' access control Cloud solution.
  • Card - An identification device assigned to an individual that identifies that individual. Typically, it is the size of a credit card. See Access Card, Key Tag.
  • Cardholder – An individual who has been assigned an access control card or tag.
  • Claim - To add an item of hardware to your system (for example, a hub or a controller). Any claimed item uses a cloud subscription.
  • Control Point – An exit or entry point such as a door, turnstile, or gate, where access is controlled.
  • Controller – A microprocessor based circuit board that manages access to a secure area. The controller receives information that it uses to determine through which doors and at what times cardholders are granted access to secure areas. Based on that information, the controller can lock/unlock doors, sound alarms, and communicate status to a host computer.
  • Credential - A device used to gain access at a door (a card, key fob, fingerprint or remote transmitter).
  • DHCP - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - A protocol that automatically assigns a unique IP address to any new device added to a network. The Borealis hub needs to be added to a DHCP network.
  • Door – A generic term for a securable entry way. In many access control applications a “door” may actually be a gate, turnstile, elevator door, or similar device.
  • Door Forced Alarm – An alarm generated when a door is forced open, opening the door switch contact.
  • Door Held Open Alarm – An alarm generated when a door is held open beyond the a designated period of time (as programmed by access control software).
  • Door Held Open Time – The amount of time from when a door is opened before an alarm is generated for the door being opened too long. This is often used to monitor if a door is being propped open following a valid access request.
  • Download – Sending information from a host computer to a peripheral device in an access control system.
  • Enrollment - The process of adding a new cardholder and credential to Borealis.
  • Event – An occurrence at a controller (such as unlocking a door, requesting to exit, forcing a door open) that generates a message stored by the controller.
  • Exit Reader – A reader used to control exiting from a secure area.
  • Facility Code – Coded data in access control cards that identifies the location of the access control system.
  • GUID - A unique identifiable alpha-numeric value that is assigned to a hub and is used for registering and authenticating the hub.
  • Hub - Provides connectivity to the Borealis hardware (controllers, readers, modules, etc) - but it also performs a number of other important functions. It allows us to use Keri's existing NXT, NXT-MSC controllers and ensures that adding hardware is a very simple and easy process - by using the familiar scan function that exists in Doors.NET.
  • MAC Address - Non-editable unique address that is assigned to every network device. The MAC address is assigned to a device when it is manufactured.
  • IP Address - Editable Unique address that is assigned to every device on a TCP/IP network. Used to detected and identify devices (such as NXT controllers) on a network.
  • Operator - A registered user that has been added to a system. An operator is assigned administrative permissions that determine what tasks can be performed when the user is logged-in.
  • Operator Permissions - Operator permissions are used to enable or disable which administrative functions can be performed by each group of operators. Permissions are assigned to every user in a particular operator group.
  • Organization - An Integrator management tool to allow an Integrator to set up their company as a "tax exempt business entity" and to provide an easy, efficient method of creating new Systems.

    NOTE: An Organization only needs to be created once for an Integrator company.

  • Organization Owner - Typically the organization owner will be the person who created the organization. However, the ownership can be transferred to someone else. The owner of the organization is the only person who can edit the organization or add new organization users.
  • Organization User - The user of an organization can create new systems under that organization and when setting up a new system they can select any price list that has been authorized for the organization.
  • Personal Identification Number (PIN)
    - (1) A unique numerical code used to identify an individual when gaining access.
    - (2) A unique identification number that is assigned to a hub and is used for registering and authenticating the hub.

  • Price Model - An agreed and approved price list that is permanently assigned to an organization. The price model determines the ongoing subscription cost of the installed Borealis system(s).
  • Registration Service - Registration is the process of adding a hub or a user account to Borealis. You will not be able to use Borealis until you have register. The registration service ensures registration is simple and easy.
  • Scan Network - Scan feature in Borealis allows you to scan the network for controllers. These controllers can then easily be added (claimed) to your Borealis system.
  • Smart Card - An identification card or access control card with a built-in integrated circuit chip. This gives the card microprocessor memory and intelligence to use for storing data. Also Known As – Chip-In-Card.
  • Status - A visual representation of the online/offline status of the hardware on the system (hubs, controllers and readers).
  • System - A system is a unique Borealis installation. It can be thought of as a container related to an entire, installed access control security system. It includes everything required for a Borealis security system (operators, sites, hardware, cardholders and credentials).
  • Site - Typically defined as a subnet. Each site requires a hub that will be configured for the hardware type installed at the site. A hub is limited to 32 doors per controller type. A site will support multiple hubs configured for the same hardware type, but additional hubs would be required if:
    - the system site door count exceeds 32 doors, you would simply add another hub.
    - the system site is a mix of different hardware types. Create a site for each hardware type and add hubs as required.
    - controllers will be located in different geographical time zones.

  • Sync Service - The sync service is responsible for syncing the data between the cloud and the app server.
  • Time Schedules – A specified period of time in which access is allowed. A variety of timezones may be defined to accommodate the access needs of a variety of people.
  • Update - Sending access controller information from a Borealis to the controllers on the access control network.
  • Updater Service - It automatically updates the other services and files on the hub. For example, the updater service may need to update the sync service, the database schema or the installed version of Doors.NET.
  • The Updater of the Updater Service - The updater service cannot update itself - so there is another service that updates the update service.
  • Verification – Identifying an individual based on some type of provided information. Verification may be done using by methods such as access cards, biometric information, PIN, etc.
  • Wiegand Card – An access control card based on the Wiegand effect. Small bits of specially processed wire are embedded in the card in a pattern that uniquely identifies the card. This identification information can then be decoded by a Wiegand reader.
  • Wiegand Reader – A reader capable of reading the information encoded on a Wiegand card.

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