The Server Admin - Overview page provides essential information about your Security Center license and common settings applicable to all servers, including Watchdog, Connection, and SMTP configurations. It displays the status of system components, server details, and allows for license modifications and email notifications setup.
Dashboard (top left)
The dashboard always shows the status (
=ready, 
=getting ready, 
=not
ready) of your system for the following components:
=ready, =getting ready, =not
ready) of your system for the following components:- Database
- Directory database. Click to open the Directory database configuration section.
- Directory
- Directory role. Click to start, stop, or restart the Directory role.
- License
- Security Center license. Click to activate the license or display license details.
Servers (left pane)
Displays all servers found on your system (only when connected to the main server). Click a server in the list to open its configuration page.
The function and status of each server are indicated as follows:
-
Server function (placed after the server name):
-
: Primary
Directory server (main server) -
: Secondary
Directory server - No icon: Expansion server
-
-
Server status (placed before the server name):
-
: The server is
up
-
: The server is
down
-
: The server has
problems
-
License
Displays Security Center license status and information.
- Package name
- Software package name.
- Expiration
- Date when your license expires.
- System ID
- Your System ID number.
- Company name
- Name of your company.
- Contract number
- Number of your Genetec™ Advantage contract. If you did not purchase Genetec Advantage, this field is not set.
- Genetec™ Advantage expiration
- Expiry date of your Genetec Advantage contract.
- Modify
- Click to activate or modify your Security Center license.
- Details
- Click to view details of your Security Center license.
Watchdog
Configure the Genetec™ Watchdog service. The Watchdog ensures that the Genetec™ Server
service is always running.
- Server port
- Communication port between the Watchdog and the server.
- Send email on
- Send email notifications from the Watchdog to a list of recipients for Error,
Warning, and Information events.NOTE: No email is sent if the event is caused by a manual user action, such as deactivating a role from Config Tool or stopping the Genetec™ Server service from Windows Services.
- Recipients
- Security Center users who receive Watchdog emails.
Connection settings
Configure the connection settings for Server Admin.
- Local machine only
- Enable this option to restrict the Server Admin connections to the local machine.
- Password
- Log on password for Server Admin.
SMTP
Configure the SMTP server that handles email messages in Security Center.
- Server address
- Enter the DNS name or IP address of your SMTP server.
For example, use
smtp.office365.comfor Microsoft Exchange Online. - Server port
- The server port is usually 587, 465, or 25 (default), though your mail server might use a different port.
- 'From' email address
- Email address used to send health notifications through the Genetec™ Watchdog
service or to send messages and reports using Email actions. The name should
clearly identify the sender as Security Center.CAUTION:Ensure the email address is valid for the SMTP server, preferably one that belongs to the sending account or domain. Using an unauthorized or non-existent address increases the risk of spoofing and may cause messages to be marked as spam or rejected.
- Encryption
- Enable secure communication with the mail server. You have three options:
- None, unless StartTLS is available
- The connection starts without encryption and switches to TLS only if the server supports StartTLS. If StartTLS is not supported, the session remains in plain text, which is insecure. This option is typically used for backward compatibility and is not recommended for production environments.
- StartTLS
- Upgrades an existing unencrypted connection to TLS after the initial
handshake, using port 587. This is the most common method for securing
SMTP.NOTE: StartTLS is the only acceptable option if you are using Microsoft's SMTP server.
- SSL or TLS
- Establishes encryption from the start of the connection (implicit TLS) using
port 465. SSL is deprecated; modern implementations use TLS.NOTE: Implicit TLS is incompatible with Microsoft's SMTP server.
- Requires authentication
- Enable this option if your mail server requires authentication. You have two options:
- Basic authentication
- Enter the username and password of the email account authorized by your IT
department to send emails on behalf of Security Center.NOTE: Microsoft is deprecating Basic authentication in Exchange Online. If you use Microsoft as your SMTP server, you must switch to Microsoft Entra OAuth.
- Microsoft Entra OAuth
- Use OAuth 2.0 authentication with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory). This option requires the help of your IT department. For more information, see Configuring Microsoft Entra OAuth authentication.
NOTE: If you change the main server machine or the Genetec™ Server service user, you must reconfigure the SMTP authentication settings to keep the email service functioning properly. For Basic authentication, you must re-enter the password. For Microsoft Entra OAuth, you must sign in again. - Send test email
- To validate your SMTP configuration, enter a valid email address to send a test email.