Glossary for Security Center - Security Center 5.10

Security Center Administrator Guide 5.10

Product
Security Center
Content type
Guides > Administrator guides
Version
5.10
Language
English
Last updated
2023-06-12

Access control

The Access control task is an administration task that you can use to configure access control roles, units, access rules, cardholders, credentials, and related entities and settings.

Access control health history

The Access control health history task is a maintenance task that reports on events related to the health of access control entities. Unlike the events in the Health history report, the events in the Access control health history report are not generated by the Health Monitor role, identified by an event number, or categorized by severity.

access control unit

An access control unit entity represents an intelligent access control device, such as a Synergis™ appliance or an HID network controller, that communicates directly with the Access Manager over an IP network. An access control unit operates autonomously when it is disconnected from the Access Manager.
Also known as: door controller

Access control unit events

The Access control unit events task is a maintenance task that reports on events pertaining to selected access control units.

Access Manager

The Access Manager role manages and monitors access control units on the system.

access point

An access point is any entry (or exit) point to a physical area where access can be monitored and governed by access rules. An access point is typically a door side.

access right

An access right is the basic right users must have over any part of the system before they can do anything with it. Other rights, such as viewing and modifying entity configurations, are granted through privileges. In the context of a Synergis™ system, an access right is the right granted to a cardholder to pass through an access point at a given date and time.

access rule

An access rule entity defines a list of cardholders to whom access is either granted or denied based on a schedule. Access rules can be applied to secured areas and doors for entries and exits, or to intrusion detection areas for arming and disarming.

Access rule configuration

The Access rule configuration task is a maintenance task that reports on entities and access points affected by a given access rule.

Access troubleshooter

Access troubleshooter is a tool that helps you detect and diagnose access configuration problems. With this tool, you can find out about the following:
  • Who is allowed to pass through an access point at a given date and time
  • Which access points a cardholder is allowed to use at a given date and time
  • Why a given cardholder can or cannot use an access point at a given date and time

action

An action is a user-programmable function that can be triggered as an automatic response to an event, such as door held open for too long or object left unattended, or that can be executed according to a specific time table.

active alarm

An active alarm is an alarm that has not yet been acknowledged.

active authentication

Active authentication is when the client application captures the user credentials and sends them through a secure channel to a trusted identity provider for authentication.

Active Directory

Active Directory is a directory service created by Microsoft, and a type of role that imports users and cardholders from an Active Directory and keeps them synchronized.

Active Directory (AD)

Acronym: AD

add-on

An add-on is a software package that adds tasks, tools, or specific configuration settings to Security Center systems.

Active Directory Federation Services

Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) is a component of the Microsoft® Windows® operating system that issues and transforms claims, and implements federated identity.

Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS)

Acronym: ADFS

Activity trails

The Activity trails task is a maintenance task that reports on the user activity related to video, access control, and ALPR functionality. This task can provide information such as who played back which video recordings, who used the Hotlist and permit editor, who enabled hotlist filtering, and much more.

Advanced Systems Format

The Advanced Systems Format (ASF) is a video streaming format from Microsoft. The ASF format can only be played in media players that support this format, such as Windows Media Player.

Advanced Systems Format (ASF)

Acronym: ASF

agent

An agent is a subprocess created by a Security Center role to run simultaneously on multiple servers for the purpose of sharing its load.

alarm

An alarm entity describes a particular type of trouble situation that requires immediate attention and how it can be handled in Security Center. For example, an alarm can indicate which entities (usually cameras and doors) best describe the situation, who must be notified, how it must be displayed to the user, and so on.

alarm acknowledgement

An alarm acknowledgement is a user's response to an alarm. In Security Center, the default and the alternative acknowledgement are the two variants of alarm acknowledgements. Each variant is associated to a different event so that specific actions can be programmed based on the alarm response selected by the user.

Alarm monitoring

The Alarm monitoring task is an operation task that you can use to monitor and respond to alarms (acknowledge, forward, snooze, and so on) in real time, and to review past alarms.

Alarm report

The Alarm report task is an investigation task that you can use to search and view current and past alarms.

Alarms

The Alarms task is an administration task that you can use to configure alarms and monitor groups.

ALPR

The ALPR task is an administration task that you can use to configure roles, units, hotlists, permits, and overtime rules for ALPR, and related entities and settings.

ALPR camera

An Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) camera is a camera connected to an ALPR unit that produces high resolution close-up images of license plates.

ALPR context

An ALPR context is an ALPR optimization that improves license plate recognition performance for license plates from a specific region (for example, New York) or from a group of regions (for example, Northeast states).

ALPR Frequency Monitor

The Stakeout - ALPR Frequency Monitor plugin tracks how often vehicles are detected by fixed Sharp cameras. The system can alert Security Desk users if vehicles without whitelisted license plates have exceed the configured threshold.

ALPR Manager

The ALPR Manager role manages and controls the patrol vehicle software (Genetec Patroller™), Sharp cameras, and parking zones. The ALPR Manager stores the ALPR data (reads, hits, timestamps, GPS coordinates, and so on) collected by the devices.

ALPR rule

ALPR rule is a method used by Security Center and AutoVu™ for processing a license plate read. An ALPR rule can be a hit rule or a parking facility.

ALPR unit

An ALPR unit is a device that captures license plate numbers. An ALPR unit typically includes a context camera and at least one ALPR camera.

analog monitor

An analog monitor entity represents a monitor that displays video from an analog source, such as a video decoder or an analog camera. This term is used in Security Center to refer to monitors that are not controlled by a computer.

antipassback

Antipassback is an access restriction placed on a secured area that prevents a cardholder from entering an area that they have not yet exited from, and vice versa.

architecture version

An architecture version is a software version that introduces significant changes to the architecture or user experience of the platform. Architecture upgrades require changes to system design and configuration settings, data migration, and retraining of users. Architecture versions are not compatible with previous versions. A license update is required to upgrade to a new architecture version. An architecture version is indicated by a version number with zeros at the second, third and fourth positions: X.0.0.0. For more information, see our Product Lifecycle page on GTAP.

Archiver

The Archiver role is responsible for the discovery, status polling, and control of video units. The Archiver also manages the video archive and performs motion detection if it is not done on the unit itself.

Archiver events

The Archiver events task is a maintenance task that reports on events pertaining to selected Archiver roles.

Archiver statistics

Archiver statistics is a maintenance task that reports on the operation statistics (number of archiving cameras, storage usage, bandwidth usage, and so on) of the selected archiving roles (Archiver and Auxiliary Archiver) in your system.

Archives

The Archives task is an investigation task that you can use to find and view video archives by camera and time range.

Archive storage details

The Archive storage details task is a maintenance task that reports on the video files (file name, start and end time, file size, protection status, and so on) used to store video archive. Using this task, you can also change the protection status of these video files.

Archive transfer

(Obsolete as of Security Center 5.8 GA) The Archive transfer task is an administration task that allows you to configure settings for retrieving recordings from a video unit, duplicating archives from one Archiver to another, or backing up archives to a specific location. Starting from Security Center 5.8 GA, Archive transfer is a page inside the Video administration task.

archive transfer

Archive transfer is the process of transferring your video data from one location to another. The video is recorded and stored on the video unit itself or on an Archiver storage disk, and then the recordings are transferred to another location.

archiving role

An archiving role is an instance of either the Archiver role or Auxiliary Archiver role.

area

In Security Center, an area entity represents a concept or a physical location (room, floor, building, site, and so on) used for grouping other entities in the system.

Area activities

The Area activities task is an investigation task that reports on access control events pertaining to selected areas.

Area presence

The Area presence is and investigation task that provides a snapshot of all cardholders and visitors currently present in a selected area.

Area view

The Area view task is an administration task that you can use to configure areas, doors, cameras, tile plugins, intrusion detection areas, zones, and other entities found in the area view.

area view

The area view is a view that organizes the commonly used entities such as doors, cameras, tile plugins, intrusion detection areas, zones, and so on, by areas. This view is primarily created for the day to day work of the security operators.

armed tile

An armed tile is a tile in Security Desk that displays new alarms that are triggered. In the Alarm monitoring task all tiles are armed, while in the Monitoring task, tiles must be armed by a user.

asset

An asset entity represents any valuable object with an RFID tag attached, thus allowing it to be tracked by an asset management software.

asymmetric encryption

See "public-key encryption".

asynchronous video

Asynchronous video is simultaneous playback video from more than one camera that are not synchronized in time.

audio decoder

An audio decoder is a device or software that decodes compressed audio streams for playback. Synonym of speaker.

audio encoder

An audio encoder is a device or software that encodes audio streams using a compression algorithm. Synonym of microphone.

Audit trails

The Audit trails task is a maintenance task that reports on the configuration changes of the selected entities in the system. The report also indicates the user who made the changes.

authentication

The process of verifying that an entity is what it claims to be. The entity could be a user, a server, or a client application.

authorization

The process of establishing the rights an entity has over the features and resources of a system.

authorized user

An authorized user is a user who can see (has the right to access) the entities contained in a partition. Users can only exercise their privileges on entities they can see.

automatic enrollment

Automatic enrollment is when new IP units on a network are automatically discovered by and added to Security Center. The role that is responsible for the units broadcasts a discovery request on a specific port, and the units listening on that port respond with a message that contains the connection information about themselves. The role then uses the information to configure the connection to the unit and enable communication.

automatic license plate recognition

Automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) is an image processing technology used to read license plate numbers. ALPR converts license plate numbers cropped from camera images into a database searchable format.

automatic license plate recognition (ALPR)

Acronym: ALPR

Authentication Service

The Authentication Service role connects Security Center to an external identity provider for third-party authentication.

Instances of the Authentication Service role are protocol-specific. One of the following protocols is selected at role creation:

  • OpenID
  • SAML2
  • WS-Trust or WS-Federation

Multiple Authentication Service roles can be created, but each must monitor a unique list of domains.

AutoVu™

The AutoVu™ automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) system automates license plate reading and identification, making it easier for law enforcement and for municipal and commercial organizations to locate vehicles of interest and enforce parking restrictions. Designed for both fixed and mobile installations, the AutoVu™ system is ideal for a variety of applications and entities, including law enforcement, municipal, and commercial organizations.

AutoVu™ third-party data exporter

The AutoVu™ third-party data exporter is a feature that uses either an HTTPS or a SFTP connection protocol to securely export ALPR events, for example reads and hits, to external endpoints.

AutoVu™ ALPR Processing Unit

AutoVu™ ALPR Processing Unit is the processing component of the SharpX system. The ALPR Processing Unit is available with two or four camera ports, with one dedicated processor per camera (if using SharpX) or per two cameras (if using SharpX VGA). This ensures maximum, per-camera, processing performance. The ALPR Processing Unit is sometimes referred to as the trunk unit because it is typically installed in a vehicle's trunk.
Also known as: trunk unit

AutoVu™ Managed Services

With AutoVu™ Managed Services (AMS), your automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) system is hosted in the cloud and experts from Genetec Inc. configure and maintain it. This reduces the need for on-site IT infrastructure and support.

AutoVu™ Managed Services (AMS)

Acronym: AMS

Auxiliary Archiver

The Auxiliary Archiver role supplements the video archive produced by the Archiver role. Unlike the Archiver role, the Auxiliary Archiver role is not bound to any particular discovery port, therefore, it can archive any camera in the system, including cameras federated from other Security Center systems. The Auxiliary Archiver role cannot operate independently; it requires the Archiver role to communicate with video units.

Badge designer

The Badge designer is the tool that you can use to design and modify badge templates.

badge template

A badge template is an entity used to configure a printing template for badges.

block face (2 sides)

A block face (2 sides) is a parking regulation characterizing an overtime rule. A block face is the length of a street between two intersections. A vehicle is in violation if it is seen parked within the same block over a specified period of time. Moving the vehicle from one side of the street to the other does not make a difference.

body-worn camera

A body-worn camera (BWC), also known as a wearable camera, is a video recording system that is typically used by law enforcement to record their interactions with the public or gather video evidence at crime scenes.
Acronym: BWC

bookmark

A bookmark is an indicator of an event or incident that is used to mark a specific point in time in a recorded video sequence. A bookmark also contains a short text description that can be used to search for and review the video sequences at a later time.

Bookmarks

The Bookmarks task is an investigation task that searches for bookmarks related to selected cameras within a specified time range.

Breakout box

The breakout box is the proprietary connector box of Genetec Inc. for AutoVu™ mobile solutions that use Sharp cameras. The breakout box provides power and network connectivity to the Sharp units and the in-vehicle computer.

broadcast

Broadcast is the communication between a single sender and all receivers on a network.

camera (Security Center)

A camera entity represents a single video source in the system. The video source can either be an IP camera, or an analog camera that connects to the video encoder of a video unit. Multiple video streams can be generated from the same video source.

camera blocking

Camera blocking is an Omnicast™ feature that lets you restrict the viewing of video (live or playback) from certain cameras to users with a minimum user level.

Camera configuration

The Camera configuration task is a maintenance task that reports on the properties and settings of local cameras in your system (manufacturer, resolution, frame rate, stream usage, and so on).

Camera events

The Camera events task is an investigation task that reports on events pertaining to selected cameras within a specified time range.

Camera Integrity Monitor

The Camera Integrity Monitor role samples video images from cameras at regular intervals, detects abnormal variations that indicate that cameras might have been tampered with, and generates Camera tampering events.

camera integrity monitoring

In Security Center, camera integrity monitoring is software that detects any form of tampering with the camera, such as moving the camera, obstructing the camera view, changing the camera focus, and so on. The software automatically generates events to alert the security team to remedy the situation.

camera sequence

A camera sequence is an entity that defines a list of cameras that are displayed one after another in a rotating fashion within a single tile in Security Desk.

canvas

Canvas is one of the panes found in the Security Desk's task workspace. The canvas is used to display multimedia information, such as videos, maps, and pictures. It is further divided into three panels: the tiles, the dashboard, and the properties.

capture rate

The capture rate measures the speed at which a license plate recognition system can take a photo of a passing vehicle and detect the license plate in the image.

Card and PIN

Card and PIN is an access point mode that requires a cardholder to present their card, and then enter a personal identification number (PIN).

cardholder

A cardholder entity represents a person who can enter and exit secured areas by virtue of their credentials (typically access cards) and whose activities can be tracked.

Cardholder access rights

The Cardholder access rights task is a maintenance task that reports on which cardholders and cardholder groups are granted or denied access to selected areas, doors, and elevators.

Cardholder activities

The Cardholder activities task is an investigation task that reports on cardholder activities, such as access denied, first person in, last person out, antipassback violation, and so on.

Cardholder configuration

The Cardholder configuration is a maintenance task that reports on cardholder properties, such as first name, last name, picture, status, custom properties, and so on.

cardholder group

A cardholder group is an entity that defines the common access rights of a group of cardholders.

Cardholder management

The Cardholder management task is an operation task. You can use this task to create, modify, and delete cardholders. With this task, you can also manage a cardholders' credentials, including temporary replacement cards.

certificate

Designates one of the following: (1) digital certificate; (2) SDK certificate.

certificate authority

A certificate authority or certification authority (CA) is an entity or organization that signs identity certificates and attests to the validity of their contents. The CA is a key component of the public-key infrastructure (PKI)

certificate authority (CA)

Acronym: CA

City Parking Enforcement

City Parking Enforcement is a Genetec Patroller™ software installation that is configured for the enforcement of parking permit and overtime restrictions.

City Parking Enforcement with Wheel Imaging

City Parking Enforcement with Wheel Imaging is a City Parking Enforcement installation of a Genetec Patroller™ application that also includes wheel imaging. The use of maps is mandatory and the mobile AutoVu™ system must include navigation hardware.

claim

A statement that a trusted third-party makes about a subject, such as a user. For example, a claim can be about a name, identity, key, group, privilege, or capability. Claims are issued by an identity provider. They are given one or more values and then packaged in a security token that is sent to relying applications during third-party authentication.

client certificate

A client certificate is an identity certificate used to authenticate the client's identity to the server. Unlike server certificates, client certificates are not used to encrypt data-in-transit. They only serve as a more secure authentication mechanism than passwords.

client-specific key stream

The client-specific key stream is the encrypted form of the master key stream. The master key stream is encrypted with the public key contained in an encryption certificate, specifically issued for one or more client machines. Only the client machines that have the encryption certificate installed have the required private key to decrypt the encrypted key stream.

cloud platform

A cloud platform provides remote computing and storage services through centralized data centers that are accessible via the Internet.

Cloud Playback

The Cloud Playback role is used by Cloud storage to stream video archives from the cloud to clients and federated users connected to the system. Cloud Playback supports the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) locally and uses TLS to retrieve video sequences from the cloud.

Cloud storage

Cloud storage is a service from Genetec Inc. that extends on premise storage for Security Center Omnicast™ into the cloud. Video archives in Cloud storage benefit from extended retention periods, secure and redundant storage, and seamless retrieval from Security Desk.

collaborative incident

A collaborative incident is an incident type that requires the collaboration of multiple teams to resolve. Each team has specific tasks to follow, which are represented by sub-incidents. The collaborative incident is resolved when all its sub-incidents are resolved.

Config Tool

Config Tool is the Security Center administrative application used to manage all Security Center users and to configure all Security Center entities such as areas, cameras, doors, schedules, cardholders, patrol vehicles, ALPR units, and hardware devices.

Conflict resolution utility

The Conflict resolution utility is a tool that helps you resolve conflicts caused by importing users and cardholders from an Active Directory.

context camera

A context camera is a camera connected to an ALPR unit that produces a wider angle color image of the vehicle whose license plate was read by the ALPR camera.

Continuous Delivery

The Continuous Delivery (CD) release track offers customers an upgrade path with ongoing innovations, introducing new features, bug fixes, performance enhancements, and support for the latest devices through minor versions. The frequency of changes introduced on the CD track may be impractical for some organizations, who opt for the long-term predictability of the LTS track.

Continuous Delivery (CD)

Acronym: CD

contract permit parking

Contract permit parking is a parking scenario where only drivers with monthly permits can park in the parking zone. A whitelist is used to grant permit holders access to the parking zone.

controlled exit

A controlled exit is when credentials are necessary to leave a secured area.

controller module

Controller module is the processing component of Synergis™ Master Controller with IP capability. This module comes pre-loaded with the controller firmware and the web-based administration tool, Synergis™ Appliance Portal.

convenience time

The convenience time is a configurable leeway time before a vehicle starts to be charged after entering the parking zone. For example, if you need to set up a 2-hour free parking period before paid time or parking enforcement takes effect, you would set the convenience time for 2 hours. For parking lots where parking enforcement begins immediately, you would still need to set a short convenience time to allow vehicle owners time to find a parking spot and purchase parking time before parking enforcement begins.

Copy configuration tool

The Copy configuration tool helps you save configuration time by copying the settings of one entity to many others that partially share the same settings.

correlation

Correlation refers to the relationship that exists between two types of events, A and B. A correlation exists between A and B if whenever event A occurs, event B is expected. For example, if whenever there is a large gathering of people, the number of new cases of COVID-19 increases in the following days, we can say that there is a correlation between large gatherings and the increase of the number of new cases of COVID-19.

covert hit

A covert hit is a read (captured license plate) that is matched to a covert hotlist. Covert hits are not displayed on the Genetec Patroller™ screen, but can be displayed in Security Desk by a user with proper privileges.

covert hotlist

Covert hotlists allow you to ensure the discretion of an ongoing investigation or special operation. When a hit is identified, only the authorized officer at the Security Center station is notified, while the officer in the patrol vehicle is not alerted. This enables enforcement officials to assign multiple objectives to the vehicle and back-end systems, while not interrupting the priorities of officers on duty.

credential

A credential entity represents a proximity card, a biometrics template, or a PIN required to gain access to a secured area. A credential can only be assigned to one cardholder at a time.

Credential activities

The Credential activities task is an investigation task that reports on credential related activities, such as access denied due to expired, inactive, lost, or stolen credentialsl, and so on.

credential code

A credential code is a textual representation of the credential, typically indicating the Facility code and the Card number. For credentials using custom card formats, the user can choose what to include in the credential code.

Credential configuration

The Credential configuration task is a maintenance task that reports on credential properties, such as status, assigned cardholder, card format, credential code, custom properties, and so on.

Credential management

The Credential management task is an operation task. You can use this task to create, modify, and delete credentials. With this task, you can also print badges and enroll large numbers of card credentials into the system, either by scanning them at a designated card reader or by entering a range of values.

Credential request history

The Credential request history task is an investigation task that reports on which users requested, canceled, or printed cardholder credentials.

cumulative security rollup

A cumulative security rollup is a periodic release that contains the latest security fixes and updates for legacy Synergis™ Cloud Link units.

custom event

A custom event is an event added after the initial system installation. Events defined at system installation are called system events. Custom events can be user-defined or automatically added through plugin installations. Unlike system events, custom events can be renamed and deleted.

custom field

A custom field is a user-defined property that is associated with an entity type and is used to store additional information that is useful to your organization.

cyphertext

In cryptography, cyphertext is the encrypted data.

Daily usage per Patroller

The Daily usage per Patroller task is an investigation task that reports on the daily usage statistics of a selected patrol vehicle (operating time, longest stop, total number of stops, longest shutdown, and so on) for a given date range.

database server

A database server is an application that manages databases and handles data requests made by client applications. Security Center uses Microsoft SQL Server as its database server.

data ingestion

Data ingestion is the means through which you can import data from external sources into Security Center without having to develop complex code-based integrations.

debounce

A debounce is the amount of time an input can be in a changed state (for example, from active to inactive) before the state change is reported. Electrical switches often cause temporarily unstable signals when changing states, possibly confusing the logical circuitry. Debouncing is used to filter out unstable signals by ignoring all state changes that are shorter than a certain period (in milliseconds).

default expiration delay

The default expiration delay is used for permits supplied by Pay-by-Plate Sync that do not include an expiration. In this case, AutoVu™ Free-Flow checks with the parking permit provider to see if the permit is still valid. Increasing this value reduces the frequency of the permit checks. For example, if the parking lot charges for parking in increments of 15 minutes, and you also set the default expiration delay to 15 minutes, the system validates the permit with the parking provider every 15 minutes.

degraded mode

Degraded mode is an offline operation mode of the interface module when the connection to the Synergis™ unit is lost. The interface module grants access to all credentials matching a specified facility code.

dependent mode

Dependent mode is an online operation mode of the interface module where the Synergis™ unit makes all access control decisions. Not all interface modules can operate in dependent mode.

dewarping

Dewarping is the transformation used to straighten a digital image taken with a fisheye lens.

Diagnostic data collector

The Diagnostic data collector is a tool that you can use to collect and package system information to send to Genetec™ Technical Assistance Center for troubleshooting purposes.

digital certificate

A digital certificate, also known as X.509 certificate, is a digitally signed document that binds the identity of the certificate owner (a person, a computer, or an organization) to a pair of electronic encryption keys. Digital certificates are used for identity verification, asymmetric cryptography, data-in-transit security, and so on. Digital certificates are the basis for the HTTPS protocol.

digital signature

A digital signature is cryptographic metadata added to video frames by the Archiver or Auxiliary Archiver to ensure their authenticity. If a video sequence is manipulated by adding, deleting, or modifying frames, the signature of the modified content will differ from the original, indicating that the video sequence has been tampered with.

Directory

The Directory role identifies a Security Center system. It manages all entity configurations and system-wide settings. Only a single instance of this role is permitted on your system. The server hosting the Directory role is called the main server, and must be set up first. All other servers you add in Security Center are called expansion servers, and must connect to the main server to be part of the same system.

Directory authentication

Directory authentication is a Security Center option that forces all client and server applications on a given machine to validate the identity certificate of the Directory before connecting to it. This measure prevents man-in-the-middle attacks.

Directory gateway

Directory gateways allow Security Center applications located on a non-secured network to connect to the main server that is behind a firewall. A Directory gateway is a Security Center server that acts as a proxy for the main server. A server cannot be both a Directory server and a Directory gateway; the former must connect to the Directory database, while the latter must not, for security reasons.

Directory Manager

The Directory Manager role manages the Directory failover and load balancing to produce the high availability characteristics in Security Center.

Directory server

A Directory server is any one of the multiple servers simultaneously running the Directory role in a high availability configuration.

discovery port

A discovery port is a port used by certain Security Center roles (Access Manager, Archiver, ALPR Manager) to find the units they are responsible for on the LAN. No two discovery ports can be the same on one system.

district

A district is a parking regulation characterizing an overtime rule. A district is a geographical area within a city. A vehicle is in violation if it is seen within the boundaries of the district over a specified period of time.

door

A door entity represents a physical barrier. Often, this is an actual door but it could also be a gate, a turnstile, or any other controllable barrier. Each door has two sides, named In and Out by default. Each side is an access point (entrance or exit) to a secured area.

Door activities

The Door activities task is an investigation task that generates reports on door-related activities, such as access denied, door forced open, door open too long, hardware tamper, and so on.

door contact

A door contact monitors the state of a door, whether it is open or closed. It can also be used to detect an improper state, such as door open too long.

door side

Every door has two sides, named In and Out by default. Each side is an access point to an area. For example, passing through one side leads into an area, and passing through the other side leads out of that area. For the purposes of access management, the credentials that are required to pass through a door in one direction are not necessarily the same that are required to pass through in the opposite direction.

Door troubleshooter

The Door troubleshooter task is a maintenance task that lists all the cardholders who have access to a particular door side or elevator floor at a specific date and time.

Driver Development Kit

Driver Development Kit is a SDK for creating device drivers.

Driver Development Kit (DDK)

Acronym: DDK

duress

A duress is a special code used to disarm an alarm system. This code quietly alerts the monitoring station that the alarm system was disarmed under threat.

dynamic permit

In a system that uses the Pay-by-Plate Sync plugin, a dynamic permit holds a list of vehicles that is updated by a third-party permit provider. For example, in a system where vehicle owners pay for parking at a kiosk or using a mobile phone app, the list of vehicles are dynamically managed by a third-party permit provider.

edge recording

Edge recording is the process of recording and storing recorded videos on the peripheral device, thus removing the need for a centralized recording server or unit. With edge recording, you can store video directly on the camera’s internal storage device (SD card) or on a network attached storage volume (NAS volume).

electric door strike

An electric door strike is an electric device that releases the door latch when current is applied.

elevator

An elevator is an entity that provides access control properties to elevators. For an elevator, each floor is considered an access point.

Elevator activities

The Elevator activities task is an investigation task that reports on elevator related activities, such as access denied, floor accessed, unit is offline, hardware tamper, and so on.

encryption certificate

An encryption certificate, also known as a digital certificate or public-key certificate, is an electronic document that contains a public and private key pair used in Security Center for fusion stream encryption. Information encrypted with the public key can only be decrypted with the matching private key.

enforce

To enforce is to take action following a confirmed hit. For example, a parking officer can enforce a scofflaw violation (unpaid parking tickets) by placing a wheel boot on the vehicle.

entity

Entities are the basic building blocks of Security Center. Everything that requires configuration is represented by an entity. An entity can represent a physical device, such as a camera or a door, or an abstract concept, such as an alarm, a schedule, a user, a role, a plugin, or an add-on.

entity tree

An entity tree is the graphical representation of Security Center entities in a tree structure, illustrating the hierarchical nature of their relationships.

event

An event indicates the occurrence of an activity or incident, such as access denied to a cardholder or motion detected on a camera. Events are automatically logged in Security Center. Every event has an entity as its main focus, called the event source.

event-to-action

An event-to-action links an action to an event. For example, you can configure Security Center to trigger an alarm when a door is forced open.

expansion server

An expansion server is any server machine in a Security Center system that does not host the Directory role. The purpose of the expansion server is to add to the processing power of the system.

extension

An extension refers to a group of manufacturer-specific settings found in the Extensions configuration page of a role, such as Archiver, Access Manager, or Intrusion Manager. Most extensions are built-in to Security Center, but some require the installation of an add-on; in those situations, the extension also refers to this add-on.

failover

Failover is a backup operational mode in which a role (system function) is automatically transferred from its primary server to a secondary server that is on standby. This transfer between servers occurs only if the primary server becomes unavailable, either through failure or through scheduled downtime.

Federal Agency Smart Credential Number

A Federal Agency Smart Credential Number (FASC-N) is an identifier used in the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credentials issued by US Federal Agencies. FASC-N credential bit lengths vary based on reader configuration; Security Center natively recognizes 75-bit and 200-bit formats.

Federal Agency Smart Credential Number (FASC-N)

Acronym: FASC-N

false positive read

False positive plate reads can occur when a license plate recognition system mistakes other objects in an image for license plates. For example, lettering on a vehicle or street signs can sometimes create false positive plate reads.

Federal Information Processing Standard

Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States federal government for use in computer systems by non-military government agencies and government contractors.

Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS)

Acronym: FIPS

federated entity

A federated entity is any entity that is imported from an independent system through one of the Federation™ roles.

federated identity

A federated identity is a security token that is generated outside of your own realm that you accept. Federated identity enables single sign-on, allowing users to sign on to applications in different realms without needing to enter realm-specific credentials.

federated system

A federated system is a independent system (Omnicast™ or Security Center) that is unified under your local Security Center through a Federation™ role, so that the local users can view and control its entities as if they belong to their local system.

Federation™

The Federation™ feature joins multiple, independent Genetec™ IP security systems into a single virtual system. With this feature, users on the central Security Center system can view and control entities that belong to remote systems.

Federation™ host

The Federation™ host is the Security Center system that runs Federation™ roles. Users on the Federation™ host can view and control entities that belong to federated systems directly from their local system.

Federation™ user

The Federation™ user is the local user account on the remote system that the Federation™ host uses to connect to the remote system. The Federation™ user must have the Federation™ privilege. It is used to control what the Federation™ host can access on the remote system.

first-person-in rule

The first-person-in rule is the additional access restriction placed on a secured area that prevents anyone from entering the area until a supervisor is on site. The restriction can be enforced when there is free access (on door unlock schedules) and when there is controlled access (on access rules).

Forensic search

The Forensic search task is an investigation task that searches for video sequences based on video analytics events.

four-port RS-485 module

A four-port RS-485 module is a RS-485 communication component of Synergis™ Master Controller with four ports (or channels) named A, B, C, and D. The number of interface modules you can connect to each channel depends on the type of hardware you have.

free access

A free access is an access point state where no credentials are necessary to enter a secured area. The door is unlocked. This is typically used during normal business hours, as a temporary measure during maintenance, or when the access control system is first powered up and is yet to be configured.

free exit

A free exit is an access point state where no credentials are necessary to leave a secured area. The person releases the door by turning the doorknob, or by pressing the REX button, and walks out. An automatic door closer shuts the door so it can be locked after being opened.

fusion stream

Fusion stream is a proprietary data structure of Genetec Inc. for streaming multimedia. Each fusion stream is a bundle of data (video, audio, and metadata) streams and key streams related to a single camera. Fusion streams are generated on specific client requests. The key streams are included only if the data streams are encrypted.

fusion stream encryption

Fusion stream encryption is a proprietary technology of Genetec Inc. used to protect the privacy of your video archives. The Archiver uses a two-level encryption strategy to ensure that only authorized client machines or users with the proper certificates on smart cards can access your private data.

G64

G64 is a Security Center format used by archiving roles (Archiver and Auxiliary Archiver) to store video sequences issued from a single camera. This data format supports audio, bookmarks, metadata overlays, timestamps, motion and event markers, and variable frame rate and resolution.

G64x

G64x is a Security Center format used to store video sequences from multiple cameras that are exported or backed up simultaneously. This data format supports audio, bookmarks, metadata overlays, timestamps, motion and event markers, variable frame rate and resolution, and watermarking.

Genetec Clearance™ Uploader

Genetec Clearance™ Uploader is an application used to automatically upload media from body-worn cameras, sync folders, or other devices to Genetec Clearance™, or a Security Center video archive, depending on which .json config file is used.

Genetec Mission Control™

Genetec Mission Control™ is a collaborative decision management system that provides organizations with new levels of situational intelligence, visualization, and complete incident management capabilities. It allows security personnel to make the right decision when faced with routine tasks or unanticipated situations by ensuring a timely flow of information. To learn more about Genetec Mission Control™, refer to the Genetec™ resource center.

Genetec™ Mobile

Official name of the map-based Security Center mobile application for Android and iOS devices.

Genetec Patroller™

Genetec Patroller™ is the software application installed on an in-vehicle computer that analyzes license plate reads from AutoVu™ Sharp camera units. The application can be installed to operate in different modes to suit your specific enforcement needs and can be configured to notify the vehicle operator if immediate action is required.

Genetec™ Protocol

Genetec™ Protocol is a standard protocol developed by Genetec Inc. that third-party video encoder and IP camera manufacturers can use to integrate their products to Security Center Omnicast™.

Genetec™ Server

Genetec™ Server is the Windows service that is at the core of Security Center architecture, and that must be installed on every computer that is part of the Security Center's pool of servers. Every such server is a generic computing resource capable of taking on any role (set of functions) you assign to it.

Genetec™ Update Service

The Genetec™ Update Service (GUS) is automatically installed with most Genetec™ products and enables you to update products when a new release becomes available.

Genetec™ Update Service (GUS)

Acronym: GUS

Genetec™ Video Player

Genetec™ Video Player is a media player that is used to view exported G64 and G64x video files from Security Desk, or on a computer that does not have Security Center installed.

geocoding

Geocoding, sometimes called forward geocoding, is the process of converting a street address into geographic location, such as a latitude and longitude pair.

georeferencing

Georeferencing is the process of using an object’s geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) to determine its position on a map.

Geographic Information System

Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system that captures spatial geographical data. Map Manager can connect to third-party vendors that provide GIS services in order to bring maps and all types of geographically referenced data to Security Center.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Acronym: GIS

ghost camera

A ghost camera is an entity used as a substitute camera. This entity is automatically created by the Archiver when video archives are detected for a camera whose definition has been deleted from the Directory, either accidentally or because the physical device no longer exists. Ghost cameras cannot be configured, and only exist so users can reference the video archive that would otherwise not be associated to any camera.

ghost patroller

A ghost patroller entity is automatically created by the ALPR Manager when the AutoVu™ license includes the XML Import module. In Security Center, all ALPR data must be associated to a Genetec Patroller™ entity or an ALPR unit corresponding to a fixed Sharp camera. When you import ALPR data from an external source through a specific ALPR Manager using the XML Import module, the system uses the ghost entity to represent the ALPR data source. You can formulate queries using the ghost entity as you would with a normal entity.

global antipassback

Global antipassback is a feature that extends the antipassback restrictions to areas controlled by multiple Synergis™ units.

Global cardholder management

Global cardholder management (GCM) is used to synchronize cardholders between independent Security Center installations. With GCM, you can have a central repository of cardholder information for your entire organization, whether this information is managed from a central office or by individual regional offices.

Global cardholder management (GCM)

Acronym: GCM

Global Cardholder Synchronizer

The Global Cardholder Synchronizer role ensures the two-way synchronization of shared cardholders and their related entities between the local system (sharing guest) where it resides and the central system (sharing host).

Global Cardholder Synchronizer (GCS)

Acronym: GCS

global entity

A global entity is an entity that is shared across multiple independent Security Center systems by virtue of its membership to a global partition. Only cardholders, cardholder groups, credentials, and badge templates are eligible for sharing.

global partition

Global partition is a partition that is shared across multiple independent Security Center systems by the partition owner, called the sharing host.

grace period

You can add a grace period to a parking session for purposes of lenient enforcement. Following the expiration of the vehicle’s paid time or convenience time, the grace period gives extra time before a parking session is flagged as a Violation.

hard antipassback

Hard antipassback logs the passback event in the database and prevents the door from being unlocked due to the passback event.

hardening

Hardening is the process of enhancing hardware and software security. When hardening a system, basic and advanced security measures are put in place to achieve a more secure operating environment.

hardware integration package

A hardware integration package, or HIP, is an update that can be applied to Security Center. It enables the management of new functionalities (for example, new video unit types), without requiring an upgrade to the next Security Center release.

hardware integration package (HIP)

Acronym: HIP

Hardware inventory

The Hardware inventory task is a maintenance task that reports on the characteristics (unit model, firmware version, IP address, time zone, and so on) of access control, video, intrusion detection, and ALPR units in your system.

hardware zone

A hardware zone is a zone entity in which the I/O linking is executed by a single access control unit. A hardware zone works independently of the Access Manager, and consequently, cannot be armed or disarmed from Security Desk.

hash function

In cryptography, a hash function uses a mathematical algorithm to take input data and return a fixed-size alphanumeric string. A hash function is designed to be a one-way function, that is, a function which is infeasible to revert.

Health history

The Health history task is a maintenance task that reports on health issues.

Health Monitor

The Health Monitor role monitors system entities such as servers, roles, units, and client applications for health issues.

Health statistics

The Health statistics task is a maintenance task that gives you an overall view of the health of your system by reporting on the availability of selected system entities such as roles, video units, and access control units.

High availability

High availability is a design approach that enables a system to perform at a higher than normal operational level. This often involves failover and load balancing.

hit

A hit is a license plate read that matches a hit rule, such as a hotlist, overtime rule, permit, or permit restriction. A Genetec Patroller™ user can choose to reject or accept a hit. An accepted hit can subsequently be enforced.

hit rule

A hit rule is an ALPR rule used to identify vehicles of interest (called "hits") using license plate reads. The hit rules include the following types: hotlist, overtime rule, permit, and permit restriction.

Hits

The Hits task is an investigation task that reports on hits reported within a selected time range and geographic area.

hot action

A hot action is an action mapped to a PC keyboard function key (Ctrl+F1 through Ctrl+F12) in Security Desk for quick access.

hotlist

A hotlist is a list of wanted vehicles, where each vehicle is identified by a license plate number, the issuing state, and the reason why the vehicle is wanted (stolen, wanted felon, Amber alert, VIP, and so on). Optional vehicle information might include the model, the color, and the vehicle identification number (VIN).

Hotlist and permit editor

The Hotlist and permit editor task is an operation task. You can use it to edit an existing hotlist or permit list. A new list cannot be created with this task, but after an existing list has been added to Security Center, you can edit, add, or delete items from the list, and the original text file is updated with the changes.

hotspot

A hotspot is a map object that represents an area on the map which requires special attention. Clicking on a hotspot displays associated fixed and PTZ cameras.

identity certificate

An identity certificate is a digital certificate used to authenticate one party to another in a secure communication over a public network. Identity certificates are generally issued by an authority that is trusted by both parties, called a certificate authority (CA).

identity provider

An identity provider is a trusted, external system that administers user accounts, and is responsible for providing user authentication and identity information to relying applications over a distributed network.

illuminator

An illuminator is a light in the Sharp unit that illuminates the plate, thereby improving the accuracy of the images produced by the ALPR camera.

Import tool

The Import tool is the tool that you can use to import cardholders, cardholder groups, and credentials from a comma-separated values (CSV) file.

inactive entity

An inactive entity is an entity that is shaded in red in the entity browser. It signals that the real world entity it represents is either not working, offline, or incorrectly configured.

incident

An incident is an unexpected event reported by a Security Desk user. Incident reports can use formatted text and include events and entities as support material.

incident (Genetec Mission Control™)

A Genetec Mission Control™ incident is an undesirable or unusual situation that needs investigation and resolution, or a routine, scheduled task that requires monitoring.

incident category

An incident category is an entity that represents a grouping of incident types that have similar characteristics.

Incident configuration

The Incident configuration task is an administration task that you can use to configure the incident types, the incident categories, and the support documents for Genetec Mission Control™. You can also use this task to generate reports on the changes made to incident types.

Incident Manager

The Incident Manager is the central role that recognizes situational patterns, and triggers incidents in a Genetec Mission Control™ system. This role manages the automation workflows and keeps track of all user activities that are related to incidents.

Incident monitoring

The Incident monitoring task is an operation task that you can use to monitor and respond to incidents. From this task, you can see the incidents displayed on a map, thus improving your situational awareness.

incident owner

The incident owner is the incident recipient who took ownership of the incident. Only the incident owner can take actions to resolve the incident. An incident can only have one owner at a time.

incident recipient

An incident recipient is a user or user group that the incident has been dispatched to. Incident recipients can see the incident in the Incident monitoring task.

Incident report

The Incident report task is an investigation task that you can use to search, review, and analyze Genetec Mission Control™ incidents.

incident supervisor

An incident supervisor is a user who sees an incident in the Incident monitoring task because they supervise the incident recipients. Incident supervisors are not incident recipients themselves. A user cannot be both supervisor and recipient of the same incident.

incident trigger

An incident trigger is an event or a sequence of events that can trigger an incident. The Genetec Mission Control™ Rules Engine looks for specific combinations of events (type, time, correlation, and frequency) to determine whether to trigger an incident.

incident type

An incident type entity represents a situation that requires specific actions to resolve it. The incident type entity can also be used to automate the incident detection in Genetec Mission Control™ and to enforce the standard operating procedures that your security team must follow.

Incidents

The Incidents task is an investigation task that you can use to search, review, and modify incident reports created by Security Desk users.

interface module

An interface module is a third-party security device that communicates with an access control unit over IP or RS-485, and provides additional input, output, and reader connections to the unit.

interlock

An interlock (also known as sally port or airlock) is an access restriction placed on a secured area that permits only one perimeter door to be open at any given time.

Intrusion detection

The Intrusion detection task is an administration task that you can use to configure intrusion detection roles and units.

intrusion detection area

An intrusion detection area entity represents a zone (sometimes called an area) or a partition (group of sensors) on an intrusion panel.

Intrusion detection area activities

The Intrusion detection area activities task is an investigation task that reports on activities (master arm, perimeter arm, duress, input trouble, and so on) in selected intrusion detection areas.

intrusion detection unit

An intrusion detection unit entity represents an intrusion device (intrusion panel, control panel, receiver, and so on) that is monitored and controlled by the Intrusion Manager role.

Intrusion detection unit events

The Intrusion detection unit events task is an investigation task that reports on events (AC fail, battery fail, unit lost, input trouble, and so on) related to selected intrusion detection units.

Intrusion Manager

The Intrusion Manager role monitors and controls intrusion detection units. It listens to the events reported by the units, provides live reports to Security Center, and logs the events in a database for future reporting.

intrusion panel

An intrusion panel (also known as alarm panel or control panel) is a wall-mounted unit where the alarm sensors (motion sensors, smoke detectors, door sensors, and so on) and wiring of the intrusion alarms are connected and managed.
Also known as: alarm panel

Inventory management

The Inventory management task is an operation task that you can use to add and reconcile license plate reads to a parking facility inventory.

Inventory report

The Inventory report task is an investigation task that you can use to view a specific inventory (vehicle location, vehicle length of stay, and so on) or compare two inventories of a selected parking facility (vehicles added, vehicles removed, and so on).

I/O configuration

The I/O configuration task is a maintenance task that reports on the I/O configurations (controlled access points, doors, and elevators) of access control units.

I/O linking

I/O (input/output) linking is controlling an output relay based on the combined state (normal, active, or trouble) of a group of monitored inputs. A standard application is to sound a buzzer (through an output relay) when any window on the ground floor of a building is shattered (assuming that each window is monitored by a "glass break" sensor connected to an input).

I/O zone

An I/O zone is a zone entity in which the I/O linking can be spread across multiple Synergis™ units, while one unit acts as the master unit. All Synergis™ units involved in an I/O zone must be managed by the same Access Manager. The I/O zone works independently of the Access Manager, but ceases to function if the master unit is down. An I/O zone can be armed and disarmed from Security Desk as long as the master unit is online.

IP camera

An IP camera is a video encoder unit incorporating a camera.

IPv4

IPv4 is the first generation Internet protocol using a 32-bit address space.

IPv6

IPv6 is a 128-bit Internet protocol that uses eight groups of four hexadecimal digits for address space.

Keyhole Markup Language

Keyhole Markup Language (KML) is a file format used to display geographic data in an Earth browser such as Google Earth and Google Maps.

Keyhole Markup Language (KML)

Acronym: KML

KiwiVision™ Camera Integrity Monitor

KiwiVision™ Camera Integrity Monitor is a Security Center module that ensures cameras are operational at all times by performing regular checks of their video to detect whether the cameras have been tampered with.

KiwiVision™ Privacy Protector™

KiwiVision™ Privacy Protector™ is a Security Center module that ensures the privacy of individuals recorded by video surveillance cameras while safeguarding potential evidence.

Law Enforcement

Law Enforcement is a Genetec Patroller™ software installation that is configured for law enforcement: the matching of license plate reads against lists of wanted license plates (hotlists). The use of maps is optional.

layout

In Security Desk, a layout entity represents a snapshot of what is displayed in a Monitoring task. Only the tile pattern and the tile contents are saved, not the tile state.

license key

A license key is the software key used to unlock the Security Center software. The license key is specifically generated for each computer where the Directory role is installed. To obtain your license key, you need the System ID (which identifies your system) and the Validation key (which identifies your computer).

license plate inventory

A license plate inventory is a list of license plate numbers of vehicles found in a parking facility within a given time period, showing where each vehicle is parked (sector and row).

license plate read

A license plate read is a license plate number captured from a video image using ALPR technology.

live event

A live event is an event that Security Center receives when the event occurs. Security Center processes live events in real-time. Live events are displayed in the event list in Security Desk and can be used to trigger event-to-actions.

live hit

A live hit is a hit matched by the Genetec Patroller™ and immediately sent to the Security Center over a wireless network.

live read

A live read is a license plate captured by the patrol vehicle and immediately sent to Security Center over a wireless network.

load balancing

Load balancing is the distribution of workload across multiple computers.

logical ID

Logical ID is a unique ID assigned to each entity in the system for ease of reference. Logical IDs are only unique within a particular entity type.

Logons per Patroller

The Logons per Patroller task is an investigation task that reports on the logon records of a selected patrol vehicle.

long-term overtime

If you need to monitor long-term parking violations for vehicles that are parked for more than a certain number of days, you can configure long-term overtime settings in Genetec Patroller™ and Security Center.

Long-Term Support

The Long-Term Support (LTS) release track offers customers an upgrade path that minimizes changes to software and extends access to critical bug and security fixes. The LTS track includes major and patch versions. Minor versions are excluded. Choosing the LTS track limits your access to new capabilities, but increases stability due to less frequent code change and extends the maintenance period by two years.

Long-Term Support (LTS)

Acronym: LTS

LPM protocol

The License Plate Management (LPM) protocol provides a Sharp camera with a secure and reliable connection to Security Center. When The LPM protocol is enabled on a Sharp camera, the protocol manages the camera’s connection to the ALPR Manager role.

macro

A macro is an entity that encapsulates a C# program that adds custom functionalities to Security Center.

main server

The main server is the only server in a Security Center system hosting the Directory role. All other servers on the system must connect to the main server to be part of the same system. In a high availability configuration where multiple servers host the Directory role, it is the only server that can write to the Directory database.

major version

A major version is a software version that adds new features, behavioral changes, SDK capabilities, support for new devices, and performance improvements. Using backward compatibility mode, major versions are compatible with up to three previous major versions. A license update is required to upgrade to a new major version. A major version is indicated by a version number with zeros at the third and fourth positions: X.Y.0.0. For more information, see our Product Lifecycle page on GTAP.

man-in-the-middle

In computer security, man-in-the-middle (MITM) is a form of attack where the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communication between two parties who believe they are directly communicating with each other.

man-in-the-middle (MITM)

Acronym: MITM

manual capture

Manual capture is when license plate information is entered into the system by the user and not by the ALPR.

map

A map in Security Center is a two-dimensional diagram that helps you visualize the physical locations of your security equipment in a geographical area or a building space.

Map designer

The Map designer task is an administration task that you can use to create and edit maps that represent the physical locations of your equipment to Security Desk users.

Map Manager

The Map Manager is the central role that manages all mapping resources in Security Center, including imported map files, external map providers, and KML objects. It acts as the map server for all client applications that require maps and as the record provider for all Security Center entities placed on georeferenced maps.

map mode

Map mode is a Security Desk canvas operating mode that replaces tiles and controls with a geographical map showing all active, georeferenced events in your system. Switching to Map mode is a feature that comes with AutoVu™, Correlation, or Genetec Mission Control™, and requires a license for one of these major features.

map object

Map objects are graphical representations on your maps of Security Center entities or geographical features, such as cities, highways, rivers, and so on. With map objects, you can interact with your system without leaving your map.

map preset

A map preset is a saved map view. Every map has at least one preset, called the default view, that is displayed when a user opens the map.

map view

A map view is a defined section of a map.

Maps

The Maps task is an operation task that heightens your situational awareness by providing the context of a map to your security monitoring and control activities.

master arm

Master arm is arming an intrusion detection area in such a way that all sensors attributed to the area would set the alarm off if one of them is triggered.
Also known as: Away arming

master key stream

In fusion stream encryption, the master key stream is the sequence of symmetric keys generated by the Archiver to encrypt one data stream. The symmetric keys are randomly generated and change every minute. For security reasons, the master key stream is never transmitted or stored anywhere as plaintext.

max occupancy

The max occupancy feature monitors the number of people in an area, up to a configured limit. Once the limit is reached, the rule will either deny access to additional cardholders (if set to Hard) or trigger events while allowing further access (Soft) .

maximum session time

Setting a maximum session time helps to improve parking lot occupancy statistics. When a vehicle exceeds the maximum session time, it is assumed that the vehicle's plate was not read at the exit and the vehicle is no longer in the parking zone. The parking session appears in reports generated from the Parking sessions task with the State reason: Maximum session time exceeded.

Media Gateway

The Media Gateway role is used by Genetec™ Mobile and Web Client to get transcoded video from Security Center. The Media Gateway role supports the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), which external applications can use to request raw video streams from Security Center.

Media Router

The Media Router role is the central role that handles all stream requests (audio and video) in Security Center. It establishes streaming sessions between the stream source, such as a camera or an Archiver, and its requesters (client applications). Routing decisions are based on the location (IP address) and the transmission capabilities of all parties involved (source, destinations, networks, and servers).

minor version

A minor version is a software version that adds new features, SDK capabilities, support for new devices, bug fixes, and security fixes. Different system components can run at different minor versions, provided they share the same major version. No license update is required to upgrade to a new minor version. A minor version is indicated by a version number with a zero at the fourth position: X.Y.Z.0. For more information, see our Product Lifecycle page on GTAP.

missing file

A missing file is a video file that is still referenced by an archive database, but cannot be accessed anymore. This situation occurs when video files are deleted manually without using the Archive storage details task, creating a mismatch between the number of video files referenced in the database and the actual number of video files stored on disk.

Mobile Admin

(Obsolete as of SC 5.8 GA) Mobile Admin is a web-based administration tool used to configure the Mobile Server.

mobile credential

A mobile credential is a credential on a smartphone that uses Bluetooth or Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to access secured areas.

Mobile Credential Manager

The Mobile Credential Manager role links Security Center to your third-party mobile credential provider so that you can view your subscription status, and manage your mobile credentials and profiles in Config Tool.

mobile credential profile

A mobile credential profile links a part number from your mobile credential provider to your subscription so that you can create mobile credentials in Security Center.

Mobile Data Computer

Mobile Data Computer is a tablet computer or ruggedized laptop used in patrol vehicles to run the Genetec Patroller™ application. The MDC is typically equipped with a touch-screen with a minimum resolution of 800 x 600 pixels and wireless networking capability.

Mobile Data Computer (MDC)

Acronym: MDC

Mobile License Plate Inventory

Mobile License Plate Inventory (MLPI) is the Genetec Patroller™ software installation that is configured for collecting license plates and other vehicle information for creating and maintaining a license plate inventory for a large parking area or parking garage.

Mobile License Plate Inventory (MLPI)

Acronym: MLPI

Mobile Server

The Mobile Server role provides Security Center access on mobile devices.

monitor group

A monitor group is an entity used to designate analog monitors for alarm display. Besides the monitor groups, the only other way to display alarms in real time is to use the Alarm monitoring task in Security Desk.

monitor ID

Monitor ID is an ID used to uniquely identify a workstation screen controlled by Security Desk.

Monitoring

The Monitoring task is an operation task that you can use to monitor and respond to real-time events that relate to selected entities. Using the Monitoring task, you can also monitor and respond to alarms.

motion detection

Motion detection is the feature that watches for changes in a series of video images. The definition of what constitutes motion in a video can be based on highly sophisticated criteria.

Motion search

The Motion search task is an investigation task that searches for motion detected in specific areas of a camera's field of view.

motion zone

A motion zone is a user defined areas within a video image where motion should be detected.

Move unit

Move unit tool is used to move units from one manager role to another. The move preserves all unit configurations and data. After the move, the new manager immediately takes on the command and control function of the unit, while the old manager continues to manage the unit data collected before the move.

multi-tenant parking

If you use AutoVu™ Free-Flow to manage transient parking and contract permit parking in parking zones, you can install the AutoVu™ Free-Flow plugin to manage parking lots where parking spots are leased to tenants.

multi-factor authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security system that requires more than one method of authentication from independent categories of credentials to verify the user’s identity for a login or other transaction.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Acronym: MFA

network

The network entity is used to capture the characteristics of the networks used by your system so that proper stream routing decisions can be made.

network address translation

Network address translation is the process of modifying network address information in datagram (IP) packet headers while in transit across a traffic routing device, for the purpose of remapping one IP address space into another.

network address translation (NAT)

Acronym: NAT

network view

The network view is a browser view that illustrates your network environment by showing each server under the network they belong to.

Network view

The Network view task is an administration task that you can use to configure your networks and servers.

new wanted

A new wanted is a manually entered hotlist item in Genetec Patroller™. When you are looking for a plate that does not appear in the hotlists loaded in the Genetec Patroller™, you can enter the plate in order to raise a hit if the plate is captured.

notification tray

The notification tray contains icons that allow quick access to certain system features, and also displays indicators for system events and status information. The notification tray display settings are saved as part of your user profile and apply to both Security Desk and Config Tool.

OCR equivalence

OCR equivalence is the interpretation of OCR (Optical Character Recognition) equivalent characters performed during license plate recognition. OCR equivalent characters are visually similar, depending on the plate’s font. For example, the letter “O” and the number “0”, or the number “5” and the letter “S”. There are several pre-defined OCR equivalent characters for different languages.

officer

An officer, or wearable camera user, is an entity that identifies a person who holds a body-worn camera license and uploads video evidence to Genetec Clearance™ or a Security Center video archive. Officers are automatically added when a camera is connected to the Genetec Clearance™ Uploader, but can also be added and modified manually.

offline event

An offline event is an event that occurs while the event source is offline. Security Center only receives the offline events when the event source is back online.

Omnicast™

Security Center Omnicast™ is the IP video management system (VMS) that provides organizations of all sizes the ability to deploy a surveillance system adapted to their needs. Supporting a wide range of IP cameras, it addresses the growing demand for HD video and analytics, all the while protecting individual privacy.

Omnicast™ compatibility pack

Omnicast™ compatibility pack is the software component that you need to install to make Security Center compatible with an Omnicast™ 4.x system. Please note Omnicast™ 4.8 has reached End of Life. For more information, see the Genetec™ Product Lifecyle page.

Omnicast™ Federation™

The Omnicast™ Federation™ role connects an Omnicast™ 4.x system to Security Center. That way, the Omnicast™ entities and events can be used in your Security Center system. Please note Omnicast™ 4.8 has reached End of Life. For more information, see the Genetec™ Product Lifecyle page.

orphan file

An orphan file is a video file that is no longer referenced by any archive database. Orphan files remain on the disk until they are manually deleted. This situation occurs when the archive database is changed inadvertently, creating a mismatch between the number of video files referenced in the database and the actual number of video files stored on disk.

output behavior

An output behavior is an entity that defines a custom output signal format, such as a pulse with a delay and duration.

overtime rule

An overtime rule is an entity that defines a parking time limit and the maximum number of violations enforceable within a single day. Overtime rules are used in city and university parking enforcement. For university parking, an overtime rule also defines the parking area where these restrictions apply.

paid time

The paid time stage of a parking session begins when the convenience time expires. Vehicle owners can purchase parking time through a pay station or mobile app, and the payment system can be provided by integrated third-party parking permit providers.

parking facility

A parking facility entity defines a large parking area as a number of sectors and rows for the purpose of inventory tracking.

parking lot

A parking lot is a polygon that defines the location and shape of a parking area on a map. By defining the number of parking spaces inside the parking lot, Security Center can calculate its percentage of occupancy during a given time period.

parking rule

A parking rule defines how and when a parking session is either considered to be valid or in violation.

parking session

The AutoVu™ Free-Flow feature in Security Center uses parking sessions to track each vehicle's stay in a parking zone. A parking session is divided into four states: Valid (including convenience time, paid time, and grace period), Violation, Enforced, and Completed.

parking session states

A vehicle's parking session is divided into four states: Valid (including convenience time, paid time, and grace period), Violation, Enforced, and Completed. When a vehicle parks in a parking zone, its parking session progresses through the parking session states based on the timing that is configured for the parking rule, the validity of the paid time, and whether the vehicle's parking session incurs a violation.

Parking sessions

The Parking sessions task is an investigation task that you can use to generate a list of vehicles that are currently in violation. You can create a vehicle inventory report for the current parking zone occupancy or for a specific time in the past based on the selected time filter.

parking zone

The parking zones that you define in Security Center represent off-street parking lots where the entrances and exits are monitored by Sharp cameras.

Parking zone activities

The Parking zone activities task is an investigation task that you can use to track the parking zone-related events that occur between the time the vehicle's plate is read at the entrance and at the exit of the parking zone.

parking zone capacity

The parking zone capacity is the maximum number of vehicles that can be parked in a parking zone.

parking zone capacity threshold

The parking zone capacity threshold setting determines at what point a capacity threshold reached event is generated. For example, if you lower the threshold to 90%, the system generates an event when the parking zone reaches 90% capacity.

partition

A partition is an entity in Security Center that defines a set of entities that are only visible to a specific group of users. For example, a partition could include all areas, doors, cameras, and zones in one building.

patch version

A patch version is a software version that adds support for new devices, bug fixes, and security fixes. Patch versions do not affect system compatibility, as long as all your system components are at the same major version. If you are on the Long-Term Support (LTS) track, patch versions only include critical bug and security fixes. A patch version is indicated by a version number where the fourth position is not a zero. For more information, see our Product Lifecycle page on GTAP.

patrol vehicle

A patrol vehicle monitors parking lots and city streets for parking violations or wanted vehicles. A patrol vehicle includes one or more Sharp automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras and an in-vehicle computer running Genetec Patroller™ software.

patroller entity

A patroller entity in Security Center represents a patrol vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle computer running Genetec Patroller™ software.

Patroller Config Tool

Genetec Patroller™ Config Tool is the Genetec Patroller™ administrative application used to configure Patroller-specific settings, such as adding Sharp cameras to the in-vehicle LAN, enabling features such as Manual Capture or New Wanted, and specifying that a username and password are needed to log on to Genetec Patroller™.

Patroller tracking

The Patroller tracking task is an investigation task that you can use to replay the route followed by a patrol vehicle on a given date on a map, or view the current location of patrol vehicles on a map.

People counting

The People counting task is an operation task that keeps count in real-time of the number of cardholders in all secured areas of your system.

perimeter arm

Perimeter arm is arming an intrusion detection area in such a way that only sensors attributed to the area perimeter set the alarm off if triggered. Other sensors, such as motion sensors inside the area, are ignored.

permit

A permit is an entity that defines a single parking permit holder list. Each permit holder is characterized by a category (permit zone), a license plate number, a license issuing state, and optionally, a permit validity range (effective date and expiry date). Permits are used in both city and university parking enforcement.

permit hit

A permit hit is a hit that is generated when a read (license plate number) does not match any entry in a permit or when it matches an invalid permit.

permit restriction

A permit restriction is an entity that applies time restrictions to a series of parking permits for a given parking area. Permit restrictions can be used by patrol vehicles configured for University Parking Enforcement and for systems that use the AutoVu™ Free-Flow feature.

plaintext

In cryptography, plaintext is the data that is not encrypted.

Plan Manager

(Obsolete) Plan Manager is a module of Security Center that provides interactive mapping functionality to better visualize your security environment. The Plan Manager module has been replaced by the Security Center role, Map Manager, since version 5.4 GA.

Plate Reader

Plate Reader is the software component of the Sharp unit that processes the images captured by the ALPR camera to produce license plate reads, and associates each license plate read with a context image captured by the context camera. The Plate Reader also handles the communications with the Genetec Patroller™ and the ALPR Manager. If an external wheel imaging camera is connected to the Sharp unit, the Plate Reader also captures wheel images from this camera.

plugin

A plugin (in lowercase) is a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing program. Depending on the context, plugin can refer either to the software component itself or to the software package used to install the software component.

plugin role

A plugin role adds optional features to Security Center. A plugin role is created by using the Plugin role template. By default, it is represented by an orange puzzle piece in the Roles view of the System task. Before you can create a plugin role, the software package specific to that role must be installed on your system.

Plugin

Plugin (with an uppercase, in singular) is the role template that serves to create specific plugin roles.

Plugins

The Plugins task is an administration task that you can use to configure plugin-specific roles and related entities.

primary server

The primary server is the default server chosen to perform a specific function (or role) in the system. To increase the system's fault-tolerance, the primary server can be protected by a secondary server on standby. When the primary server becomes unavailable, the secondary server automatically takes over.

privacy protection

In Security Center, privacy protection is software that anonymizes or masks parts of a video stream where movement is detected. The identity of individuals or moving objects is protected, without obscuring movements and actions or preventing monitoring.

Privacy Protector™

The Privacy Protector™ role requests original video streams from Archiver roles and applies data anonymization to the original video streams. The privacy-protected (anonymized) video stream is then sent back to the Archiver role for recording.

private IP address

A private IP address is an IP address chosen from a range of addresses that are only valid for use on a LAN. The ranges for a private IP address are: 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255, 172.16.0.0 to 172.16.255.255, and 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255. Routers on the Internet are normally configured to discard any traffic using private IP addresses.

private key

In cryptography, a private or secret key is either an encryption or decryption key known only to one of the parties that exchange secret messages.

private task

A private task is a saved task that is only visible to the user who created it.

privilege

Privileges define what users can do, such as arming zones, blocking cameras, and unlocking doors, over the part of the system they have access rights to.

Privilege troubleshooter

The Privilege troubleshooter is a tool that helps you investigate the allocation of user privileges in your Security Center system. With this tool, you can discover:
  • Who has permission to work with a selected entity
  • What privileges are granted to selected users or groups
  • Who has been granted a privilege, has access to a specific entity, or both

public key

In cryptography, a public key is a value provided by a designated authority as an encryption key that, combined with a private key that is generated at the same time, can be used to effectively encrypt messages and verify digital signatures.

public-key encryption

Public-key encryption, also known as asymmetric encryption, is a type of encryption where two different keys are used to encrypt and decrypt information. The private key is a key that is known only to its owner, while the public key can be shared with other entities on the network. What is encrypted with one key can only be decrypted with the other key.

public-key infrastructure

A public-key infrastructure (PKI) is a set of hardware, software, people, policies, and procedures needed to support the distribution and identification of public encryption keys. This enables users and computers to securely exchange data over networks such as the Internet and verify the identity of the other party.

public-key infrastructure (PKI)

Acronym: PKI

public task

A public task is a saved task that can be shared and reused among multiple Security Center users.

reader

A reader is a sensor that reads the credential for an access control system. For example, this can be a card reader, or a biometrics scanner.

read rate

The read rate measures the speed at which a license plate recognition system can correctly detect and read all of the characters in an image of a license plate.

Reads

The Reads task is an investigation task that reports on license plate reads performed within a selected time range and geographic area.

Reads/hits per day

The Reads/hits per day task is an investigation task that reports on license plate reads performed within a selected time range and geographic area.

Reads/hits per zone

The Reads/hits per zone task is an investigation task that reports on the number of reads and hits per parking area for a selected date range.

realm

In identity terms, a realm is the set of applications, URLs, domains, or sites for which a token is valid. Typically a realm is defined using an Internet domain such as genetec.com, or a path within that domain, such as genetec.com/support/GTAC. A realm is sometimes described as a security domain because it encompasses all applications within a specified security boundary.

record cache

The record cache is the database where the Record Caching Service role keeps copies of records ingested from external data sources in Security Center. You can generate reports on the cached records using the Records investigation task.

Record Caching Service

The Record Caching Service role is used for data ingestion. Using this role, you can import records from external data sources into Security Center. You can share the ingested data across the entire unified platform to enhance awareness and response, to provide contextual information on dynamic maps, or to visualize in operational dashboards.

Record Fusion Service

The Record Fusion Service is the central role that provides a unified querying mechanism for data records that come from a wide variety of sources, such as Security Center modules or third-party applications. All record requests go through this role, which then queries their respective record providers.

record provider

A record provider is either a Security Center role or an SDK application that connects a data source to the Record Fusion Service role.

record type

In Security Center, a record type defines the data format and display properties of a set of records that you can share across the entire system through the Record Fusion Service role.

recording mode

Recording mode is the criteria by which the system schedules the recording of video streams. There are four possible recording modes:
  • Continuous. Records continuously.
  • On motion/Manual. Records according to motion detection settings, and when a user or system action requests it.
  • Manual. Records only when a user or system action requests it.
  • Off. No recording is permitted.

recording state

Recording state is the current recording status of a given camera. There are four possible recording states: Enabled, Disabled, Currently recording (unlocked), and Currently recording (locked).

Records

The Records task in an investigation task that you can use to query the record providers registered in Security Center and find relevant information based on known or suspected correlations.

redirector

A redirector is a server assigned to host a redirector agent created by the Media Router role.

redirector agent

A redirector agent is an agent created by the Media Router role to redirect data streams from one IP endpoint to another.

redundant archiving

Redundant archiving is an option to enhance the availability of video and audio archives during failover and to protect against data loss. If you enable this option, all servers assigned to an Archiver role archive video, and audio, at the same time.

Remote

The Remote task is an operation task that you can use to remotely monitor and control other Security Desk applications in your system that are running the Monitoring task or the Alarm monitoring task.

Remote configuration

The Remote configuration task is an administration task that you can use to configure federated Security Center entities without logging off from your local Config Tool.

rendering rate

Rendering rate is the comparison of how fast the workstation renders a video with the speed the workstation receives that video from the network.

Report Manager

The Report Manager role automates report emailing and printing based on schedules.

report pane

The report pane is one of the panes found in the Security Desk workspace. It displays query results or real-time events in a tabular form.

request to exit

Request to exit (REX) is a door release button normally located on the inside of a secured area that when pressed, allows a person to exit the secured area without having to show any credential. This can also be the signal from a motion detector. It is also the signal received by the controller for a request to exit.

request to exit (REX)

Acronym: REX

restricted camera

Restricted cameras are cameras that Genetec Inc. has identified as cybersecurity risks.

reverse geocoding

Reverse geocoding is the process of converting a geographic location, such as a latitude and longitude pair, into a human-readable address.

Reverse Tunnel

The Reverse Tunnel role is used on the federated system to connect to the Federation™ host residing in the cloud. The connection is established using a keyfile generated from the cloud system. The keyfile can only be used once to ensure maximum security.

reverse tunneling

Reverse tunneling is a technique used on servers protected behind a firewall to avoid having to open inbound ports to receive requests from clients found on the other side of the firewall. Instead of having the client contact the server, the communication is reversed. The client generates a keyfile that includes an identity certificate about itself that the server uses to contact the client, hence, eliminating the need to open any inbound port on the server.

role

A role is a software component that performs a specific job within Security Center. To execute a role, you must assign one or more servers to host it.

roles and units view

The roles and units view is a browser view that lists the roles on your system with the units they control as child entities.

route

A route is a setting that configures the transmission capabilities between two end points in a network for the purpose of routing media streams.

Rules Engine

The Rules Engine is the component of the Genetec Mission Control™ system that analyzes and correlates the events collected by Security Center, based on predefined rules. The Rules Engine uses these events to detect and trigger incidents in the Genetec Mission Control™ system.

same position

The same position regulation is a type of parking regulation characterizing an overtime rule. A vehicle is in violation if it is seen parked at the exact same spot over a specified period of time. Genetec Patroller™ must be equipped with GPS capability to enforce this type of regulation.

schedule

A schedule is an entity that defines a set of time constraints that can be applied to a multitude of situations in the system. Each time constraint is defined by a date coverage (daily, weekly, ordinal, or specific) and a time coverage (all day, fixed range, daytime, and nighttime).

scheduled task

A scheduled task is an entity that defines an action that executes automatically on a specific date and time, or according to a recurring schedule.

SDK certificate

An SDK certificate is what an SDK application (or plugin) needs to connect to Security Center. The certificate must be included in the Security Center license key for the SDK application to work.

secondary server

A secondary server is any alternate server on standby intended to replace the primary server in the case the latter becomes unavailable.
Also known as: standby server

Secure Socket Layer

The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a computer networking protocol that manages server authentication, client authentication and encrypted communication between servers and clients.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

Acronym: SSL

secured area

A secured area is an area entity that represents a physical location where access is controlled. A secured area consists of perimeter doors (doors used to enter and exit the area) and access restrictions (rules governing the access to the area).

Security Center

Security Center is a truly unified platform that blends IP video surveillance, access control, automatic license plate recognition, intrusion detection, and communications within one intuitive and modular solution. By taking advantage of a unified approach to security, your organization becomes more efficient, makes better decisions, and responds to situations and threats with greater confidence.

Security Center Federation™

The Security Center Federation™ role connects a remote independent Security Center system to your local Security Center system. That way, the remote system's entities and events can be used in your local system.

Security Center Mobile

(Obsolete) See Mobile Server and Genetec™ Mobile.

Security Center Mobile application

(Obsolete) See Genetec™ Mobile.

Security Center SaaS edition

The Security Center SaaS edition is Security Center offered by subscription. Subscription-based ownership simplifies the transition to cloud services and provides an alternative way to purchase, deploy, and maintain the Genetec™ Security Center unified platform.

security clearance

A security clearance is a numerical value used to further restrict the access to an area when a threat level is in effect. Cardholders can only enter an area if their security clearance is equal or higher than the minimum security clearance set on the area.

Security Desk

Security Desk is the unified user interface of Security Center. It provides consistent operator flow across all of the Security Center main systems, Omnicast™, Synergis™, and AutoVu™. The unique task-based design of Security Desk lets operators efficiently control and monitor multiple security and public safety applications.

security token

An on-the-wire representation of claims that is cryptographically signed by the issuer of the claims, providing strong proof to any relying party as to the integrity of the claims and the identity of the issuer.

Security video analytics

The Security video analytics task is an investigation task that reports on video analytics events that are triggered based on analytics scenarios.

self-signed certificate

A self-signed certificate is an identity certificate that is signed by the same entity whose identity it certifies, as opposed to a certificate authority (CA). Self-signed certificates are easy to make and do not cost money. However, they do not provide all of the security properties that certificates signed by a CA aim to provide.

server

In Security Center, a server entity represents a computer on which the Genetec™ Server service is installed.

server certificate

A server certificate is an identity certificate used to authenticate the server's identity to the client. Server certificates are also used to encrypt data-in-transit to ensure data confidentiality.

server mode

The server mode is a special online operation mode restricted to Synergis™ units, in which the unit allows the Access Manager (the server) to make all access control decisions. The unit must stay connected to the Access Manager at all times to operate in this mode.

Server Admin

Server Admin is the web application running on every server machine in Security Center that you use to configure the Genetec™ Server settings. You use this same application to configure the Directory role on the main server.

sharing guest

A sharing guest is a Security Center system that has been given the rights to view and modify entities owned by another Security Center system, called the sharing host. Sharing is done by placing the entities in a global partition.

sharing host

A sharing host is a Security Center system that gives the right to other Security Center systems to view and modify its entities by putting them up for sharing in a global partition.

Sharp Portal

Sharp Portal is a web-based administration tool used to configure Sharp cameras for AutoVu™ systems. From a web browser, you log on to a specific IP address (or the Sharp name in certain cases) that corresponds to the Sharp you want to configure. When you log on, you can configure options such as selecting the ALPR context (for example, Alabama, Oregon, Quebec), selecting the read strategy (for example, fast moving or slow moving vehicles), viewing the Sharp’s live video feed, and more.

Sharp unit

The Sharp unit is a proprietary ALPR unit of Genetec Inc. that integrates license plate capturing and processing components, as well as digital video processing functions, inside a ruggedized casing.

SharpOS

SharpOS is the software component of a Sharp unit. SharpOS is responsible for everything related to plate capture, collection, processing, and analytics. For example, a SharpOS update can include new ALPR contexts, new firmware, Sharp Portal updates, and updates to the Sharp's Windows services (Plate Reader, HAL, and so on).

SharpV

SharpV is a Sharp unit that is specialized for fixed installations and is ideally suited for a range of applications, from managing off-street parking lots and facilities to covering major city access points to detect wanted vehicles. SharpV combines two high-definition cameras (1.2MP) with onboard processing and illumination in a ruggedized, environmentally sealed unit. Both lenses are varifocal for ease of installation and the camera is powered via PoE+.

SharpX

SharpX is the camera component of the SharpX system. The SharpX camera unit integrates a pulsed LED illuminator that works in total darkness (0 lux), a monochrome ALPR camera (1024 x 946 @ 30 fps), and a color context camera (640 x 480 @ 30 fps). The ALPR data captured by the SharpX camera unit is processed by a separate hardware component called the AutoVu™ ALPR Processing Unit.

single sign-on

Single sign-on (SSO) is the use of a single user authentication for multiple IT systems or even organizations.

single sign-on (SSO)

Acronym: SSO

Software Development Kit

The Software Development Kit (SDK) is what end-users use to develop custom applications or custom application extensions for Security Center.

Software Development Kit (SDK)

Acronym: SDK

soft antipassback

Soft antipassback only logs the passback events in the database. It does not restrict the door from being unlocked due to the passback event.

standalone mode

Standalone mode is an operation mode where the interface module makes autonomous decisions based on the access control settings previously downloaded from the Synergis™ unit. When the module is online, activity reporting occurs live. When the module is offline, activity reporting occurs on schedule, or when the connection to the unit is available. Not all interface modules can operate in standalone mode.

standard schedule

A standard schedule is a schedule entity that can be used in all situations. Its only limitation is that it does not support daytime or nighttime coverage.

static permit

In a system that uses the Pay-by-Plate Sync plugin, a static permit holds a list of vehicle license plates that is not updated by a third-party permit provider. For example, a list of employee vehicles that are authorized to park in the lot are manually maintained as a static list.

strict antipassback

A strict antipassback is an antipassback option. When enabled, a passback event is generated when a cardholder attempts to leave an area that they were never granted access to. When disabled, Security Center only generates passback events for cardholders entering an area that they never exited.

supervised mode

Supervised mode is an online operation mode of the interface module where the interface module makes decisions based on the access control settings previously downloaded from the Synergis™ unit. The interface module reports its activities in real time to the unit, and allows the unit to override a decision if it contradicts the current settings in the unit. Not all interface modules can operate in supervised mode.

SV appliance

A Streamvault™ is a turnkey appliance that comes with an embedded operating system and Security Center pre-installed. You can use Streamvault™ appliances to quickly deploy a unified or standalone video surveillance and access control system.

SV Control Panel

SV Control Panel is a user interface application that you can use to configure your Streamvault™ appliance to work with Security Center access control and video surveillance.

symmetric encryption

Symmetric encryption is a type of encryption where the same key is used for both encryption and decryption.

synchronous video

A synchronous video is a simultaneous live video or playback video from more than one camera that are synchronized in time.

Synergis™

Security Center Synergis™ is the IP access control system (ACS) that heightens your organization’s physical security and increases your readiness to respond to threats. Synergis™ supports an ever-growing portfolio of third-party door control hardware and electronic locks. Using Synergis™, you can leverage your existing investment in network and security equipment.

Synergis™ appliance

A Synergis™ appliance is an IP-ready security appliance manufactured by Genetec Inc. that is dedicated to access control functions. All Synergis™ appliances come pre-installed with Synergis™ Softwire and are enrolled as access control units in Security Center.

Synergis™ Appliance Portal

The Synergis™ Appliance Portal is the web-based administration tool used to configure and administer the Synergis™ appliance and upgrade its firmware.

Synergis™ Cloud Link clustering

Synergis™ Cloud Link clustering is a feature designed for large systems to optimize the way that cardholder synchronization is handled between Access Manager roles and Synergis™ Cloud Link units. When the feature is enabled, only active cardholders managed by the same Access Manager, based on access rules, are synchronized to the Synergis™ Cloud Link.

Synergis™ IX

Synergis™ IX (pronounced "eye-ex") is a family of hybrid controllers and downstream modules used to manage both access control points and intrusion points. The Synergis™ IX product line is only available to the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Synergis™ Master Controller

Synergis™ Master Controller (SMC) is an access control appliance of Genetec Inc. that supports various third-party interface modules over IP and RS-485. SMC is seamlessly integrated with Security Center and can make access control decisions independently of the Access Manager.

Synergis™ Master Controller (SMC)

Acronym: SMC

Synergis™ Softwire

Synergis™ Softwire is the access control software developed by Genetec Inc. to run on various IP-ready security appliances. Synergis™ Softwire lets these appliances communicate with third-party interface modules. A security appliance running Synergis™ Softwire is enrolled as an access control unit in Security Center.

Synergis™ unit

A Synergis™ unit is a Synergis™ appliance that is enrolled as an access control unit in Security Center.

System Availability Monitor

With System Availability Monitor (SAM) running, you can collect health information and view the health status of your Security Center systems to prevent and proactively resolve technical issues.

System Availability Monitor (SAM)

Acronym: SAM

System Availability Monitor Agent

The System Availability Monitor Agent (SAMA) is the component of SAM that is installed on every Security Center main server. SAMA collects health information from Security Center and sends health information to the Health Monitoring Services in the cloud.

System Availability Monitor Agent (SAMA)

Acronym: SAMA

System

The System task is an administration task that you can use to configure roles, macros, schedules, and other system entities and settings.

system event

A system event is a predefined event that indicates the occurrence of an activity or incident. System events are defined by the system and cannot be renamed or deleted.

System status

The System status task is a maintenance task that you can use to monitor the status of all entities of a given type in real time and to interact with them.

task

A task is the central concept on which the entire Security Center user interface is built. Each task corresponds to one aspect of your work as a security professional. For example, use a monitoring task to monitor system events in real-time, use an investigation task to discover suspicious activity patterns, or use an administration task to configure your system. All tasks can be customized and multiple tasks can be carried out simultaneously.

taskbar

A taskbar is a user interface element of the Security Center client application window, composed of the Home tab and the active task list. The taskbar can be configured to be displayed on any edge of the application window.

task cycling

A task cycling is a Security Desk feature that automatically cycles through all tasks in the active task list following a fixed dwell time.

task workspace

A task workspace is an area in the Security Center client application window reserved for the current task. The workspace is typically divided into the following panes: canvas, report pane, controls, and area view.

temporary access rule

A temporary access rule is an access rule that has an activation and an expiration time. Temporary access rules are suited for situations where permanent cardholders need to have temporary or seasonal access to restricted areas. These access rules are automatically deleted seven days after they expire to avoid cluttering the system.

third-party authentication

Third-party authentication uses a trusted, external identity provider to validate user credentials before granting access to one or more IT systems. The authentication process returns identifying information, such as a username and group membership, that is used to authorize or deny the requested access.

threat level

Threat level is an emergency handling procedure that a Security Desk operator can enact on one area or the entire system to deal promptly with a potentially dangerous situation, such as a fire or a shooting.

tile

A tile is an individual window within the canvas, used to display a single entity. The entity displayed is typically the video from a camera, a map, or anything of a graphical nature. The look and feel of the tile depends on the displayed entity.

tile ID

The tile ID is the number displayed at the upper left corner of the tile. This number uniquely identifies each tile within the canvas.

tile mode

Tile mode is the main Security Desk canvas operating mode that presents information in separate tiles.

tile pattern

The tile pattern is the arrangement of tiles within the canvas.

tile plugin

A tile plugin is a software component that runs inside a Security Desk tile. By default, it is represented by a green puzzle piece in the area view.

Time and attendance

The Time and attendance task is an investigation task that reports on who has been inside a selected area and the total duration of their stay within a given time range.

timed antipassback

Timed antipassback is an antipassback option. When Security Center considers a cardholder to be already in an area, a passback event is generated when the cardholder attempts to access the same area again during the time delay defined by Presence timeout. When the time delay has expired, the cardholder can once again pass into the area without generating a passback event.

timeline

A timeline is a graphic illustration of a video sequence, showing where in time, motion and bookmarks are found. Thumbnails can also be added to the timeline to help the user select the segment of interest.

transfer group

A transfer group is a persistent archive transfer scenario that lets you run a video transfer without redefining the transfer settings. These transfers can be scheduled or executed on demand. Transfer groups define which cameras or archiving roles are included in the transfer, when the archives are transferred, what data is transferred, and so on.

transient parking

Transient parking is a parking scenario where the driver must purchase parking time as soon as the vehicle enters the parking lot.

Transmission Control Protocol

A connection-oriented set of rules (protocol) that, along with the IP (Internet Protocol), is used to send data over an IP network. The TCP/IP protocol defines how data can be transmitted in a secure manner between networks. TCP/IP is the most widely used communications standard and is the basis for the Internet.

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)

Acronym: TCP

Transport Layer Security

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a protocol that provides communications privacy and data integrity between two applications communicating over a network. When a server and client communicate, TLS ensures that no third party may eavesdrop or tamper with any message. TLS is the successor to the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

Transport Layer Security (TLS)

Acronym: TLS

twilight schedule

A twilight schedule is a schedule entity that supports both daytime and nighttime coverages. A twilight schedule cannot be used in all situations. Its primary function is to control video related behaviors.

two-person rule

The two-person rule is the access restriction placed on a door that requires two cardholders (including visitors) to present their credentials within a certain delay of each other in order to gain access.

unit

A unit is a hardware device that communicates over an IP network that can be directly controlled by a Security Center role. We distinguish four types of units in Security Center:
  • Access control units, managed by the Access Manager role
  • Video units, managed by the Archiver role
  • ALPR units, managed by the ALPR Manager role
  • Intrusion detection units, managed by the Intrusion Manager role

Unit Assistant

The Unit Assistant is the central role that manages system-wide security operations on supported video and access control units.

Unit discovery tool

Starting with Security Center 5.4 GA the Unit discovery tool has been replaced by the Unit enrollment tool.

Unit enrollment

Unit enrollment is a tool that you can use to discover IP units (video and access control) connected to your network, based on their manufacturer and network properties (discovery port, IP address range, password, and so on). After you discovered a unit, you can add it to your system.

Unit replacement

Unit replacement is a tool that you can use to replace a failed hardware device with a compatible one, while ensuring that the data associated to the old unit gets transferred to the new one. For an access control unit, the configuration of the old unit is copied to the new unit. For a video unit, the video archive associated to the old unit is now associated to the new unit, but the unit configuration is not copied.

unit synchronization

Unit synchronization is the process of downloading the latest Security Center settings to an access control unit. These settings, such as access rules, cardholders, credentials, unlock schedules, and so on, are required so that the unit can make accurate and autonomous decisions in the absence of the Access Manager.

University Parking Enforcement

University Parking Enforcement is a Genetec Patroller™ software installation that is configured for university parking enforcement: the enforcement of scheduled parking permits or overtime restrictions. The use of maps is mandatory. Hotlist functionality is also included.

unlock schedule

An unlock schedule defines the periods of time when free access is granted through an access point (door side or elevator floor).

unreconciled read

An unreconciled read is an MLPI license plate read that has not been committed to an inventory.

user

A user is an entity that identifies a person who uses Security Center applications and defines the rights and privileges that person has on the system. Users can be created manually or imported from an Active Directory.

user group

A user group is an entity that defines a group of users who share common properties and privileges. By becoming member of a group, a user automatically inherits all the properties of the group. A user can be a member of multiple user groups. User groups can also be nested.

user level (Security Center)

A user level is a numeric value assigned to users to restrict their ability to perform certain operations, such as controlling a camera PTZ, viewing the video feed from a camera, or staying logged on when a threat level is set. Level 1 is the highest user level, with the most privileges.

User management

The User management task is an administration task that you can use to configure users, user groups, and partitions.

validation key

A validation key is a serial number uniquely identifying a computer that must be provided to obtain the license key.

Vault

The Vault is a tool that displays your saved snapshots and exported G64, G64x, and GEK (encrypted) video files. From the Vault, you can view the video files, encrypt and decrypt files, convert files to ASF, or package files with the Genetec™ Video Player.

vehicle identification number

A vehicle identification number (VIN) is an identification number that a manufacturer assigns to vehicles. This is usually visible from outside the vehicle as a small plate on the dashboard. A VIN can be included as additional information with license plate entries in a hotlist or permit list, to further validate a hit and ensure that it is the correct vehicle.

vehicle identification number (VIN)

Acronym: VIN

video analytics

Video analytics is the software technology that is used to analyze video for specific information about its content. Examples of video analytics include counting the number of people crossing a line, detection of unattended objects, or the direction of people walking or running.

video archive

A video archive is a collection of video, audio, and metadata streams managed by an Archiver or Auxilliary Archiver role. These collections are catalogued in the archive database that includes camera events linked to the recordings.

video decoder

A video decoder is a device that converts a digital video stream into analog signals (NTSC or PAL) for display on an analog monitor. The video decoder is one of the many devices found on a video decoding unit.

video encoder (Security Center)

A video encoder is a device that converts an analog video source to a digital format by using a standard compression algorithm, such as H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, or M-JPEG. The video encoder is one of the many devices found on a video encoding unit.

video file

A video file is a file created by an archiving role (Archiver or Auxiliary Archiver) to store archived video. The file extension is G64 or G64x. You need Security Desk or the Genetec™ Video Player to view video files.

Video file explorer

The Video file explorer is an investigation task that you can use to browse through your file system for video files (G64 and G64x), and to play, convert to ASF, and verify the authenticity of these files.

video protection

Video can be protected against deletion. Protection is applied on all video files needed to store the protected video sequence. Because no video file can be partially protected, the actual length of the protected video sequence depends on the granularity of the video files.

video sequence

A video sequence is any recorded video stream of a certain duration.

video stream

A video stream is an entity representing a specific video quality configuration (data format, image resolution, bit rate, frame rate, and so on) on a camera.

Video

The Video task is an administration task that you can use to configure video management roles, units, analog monitors, and cameras.

video unit

A video unit is a video encoding or decoding device that is capable of communicating over an IP network and that can incorporate one or more video encoders. The high-end encoding models also include their own recording and video analytics capabilities. Cameras (IP or analog), video encoders, and video decoders are all examples of video units. In Security Center, a video unit refers to an entity that represents a video encoding or decoding device.

video watermarking

Video watermarking adds visible text to live, playback, and exported video processed by Security Center. This text includes identifying information that is intended to deter unauthorized users from leaking video recordings.

(Obsolete) Beginning in Security Center 5.9.0.0, video watermarking no longer refers to the use of digital signatures for tampering protection. Tampering protection is now called digital signature.

virtual alarm

We call virtual alarm, an alarm on an intrusion detection area that is activated through a virtual input.

virtual input

A virtual input is an input on an intrusion detection unit that is physically connected to an output so that Security Center can trigger it through the Trigger output action.

virtual zone

A virtual zone is a zone entity where the I/O linking is done by software. The input and output devices can belong to different units of different types. A virtual zone is controlled by the Zone Manager and only works when all the units are online. It can be armed and disarmed from Security Desk.

Visit details

The Visit details task is an investigation task that reports on the stay (check-in and check-out time) of current and past visitors.

Visitor activities

The Visitor activities task is an investigation task that reports on visitor activities (access denied, first person in, last person out, antipassback violation, and so on).

visitor escort rule

The visitor escort rule is the additional access restriction placed on a secured area that requires visitors to be escorted by a cardholder during their stay. Visitors who have a host are not granted access through access points until both they and their assigned host (cardholder) present their credentials within a certain delay.

Visitor management

The Visitor management task is the operation task that you can use to check in, check out, and modify visitors, as well as manage their credentials, including temporary replacement cards.

visual reporting

Visual reporting is dynamic charts or graphs in Security Desk that deliver insights that you act on. You can perform searches and investigate situations using these visual and user-friendly reports. The visual report data can be analyzed to help identify activity patterns and enhance your understanding.

visual tracking

Visual tracking is a Security Center feature that lets you follow an individual in live or playback mode through areas of your facility that are monitored by cameras.

VSIP port

The VSIP port is the name given to the discovery port of Verint units. A given Archiver can be configured to listen to multiple VSIP ports.

Watchdog

Genetec™ Watchdog is a Security Center service installed alongside the Genetec™ Server service on every server computer. Genetec™ Watchdog monitors the Genetec™ Server service, and restarts it if abnormal conditions are detected.

Wearable Camera Manager

The Wearable Camera Manager role is used to configure and manage body-worn camera (BWC) devices in Security Center, including configuring camera stations, adding officers (wearable camera users), uploading content to an Archiver, and setting the retention period for uploaded evidence.

web-based authentication

Web-based authentication (also known as passive authentication) is when the client application redirects the user to a web form managed by a trusted identity provider. The identity provider can request any number of credentials (passwords, security tokens, biometric verifications, and so on) to create a multi-layer defense against unauthorized access. This is also known as multi-factor authentication.

Web-based SDK

The Web-based SDK role exposes the Security Center SDK methods and objects as web services to support cross-platform development.

Web Client

Security Center Web Client is the web application that gives users remote access to Security Center so that they can monitor videos, investigate events related to various system entities, search for and investigate alarms, and manage cardholders, visitors, and credentials. Users can log on to Web Client from any computer that has a supported web browser installed.

Web Server

The Web Server role is used to configure Security Center Web Client, a web application that gives users remote access to Security Center. Each role created defines a unique web address (URL) that users enter in their web browser to log on to Web Client and access information from Security Center.

Web Map Service

Web Map Service (WMS) is a standard protocol for serving georeferenced map images over the Internet that are generated by a map server using data from a GIS database.

Web Map Service (WMS)

Acronym: WMS

wheel imaging

Wheel imaging is a virtual tire-chalking technology that takes images of the wheels of vehicles to prove whether they have moved between two license plate reads.

whitelist

A whitelist is a hotlist that is created to grant a group of license plates access to a parking lot. A whitelist can be compared to an access rule where the secured area is the parking lot. Instead of listing the cardholders, the whitelist applies to license plate credentials.

widget

A widget is a component of the graphical user interface (GUI) with which the user interacts.

Windows Communication Foundation

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) is a communication architecture used to enable applications, in one machine or for multiple machines connected by a network, to communicate. Genetec Patroller™ uses WCF to communicate wirelessly with Security Center.

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)

Acronym: WCF

X.509 certificate

X.509 certificate and digital certificate are synonyms. In Security Center, these two terms are used interchangeably.

zone

A zone is an entity that monitors a set of inputs and triggers events based on their combined states. These events can be used to control output relays.

Zone activities

The Zone activities task is an investigation task that reports on zone related activities (zone armed, zone disarmed, lock released, lock secured, and so on).

Zone Manager

The Zone Manager role manages virtual zones and triggers events or output relays based on the inputs configured for each zone. It also logs the zone events in a database for zone activity reports.

Zone occupancy

The Zone occupancy task is an investigation task that reports on the number of vehicles parked in a selected parking area, and the percentage of occupancy.