Inner Range inception User Manual

Download

Integrated Security and Access Control

User Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction

About Inception 3

Site Details 4

System Notes 5

User Interfaces

Connecting to the Web Interface 6

Elite / EliteX Terminal 8

System Control

Area Control 9

Door Control 13

Output Control 15

Input Control 17

Users

User Management 18

Permission Groups 20

Scheduling

Time Periods and Calendars 22

System Administration

Database Backup 24

System Warnings / Messages 25

Reports 27

Review Events 28

Notications 31

Setting Date and Time 32

Network Settings 33

Dashboard Favourites 34

Introduction

About Inception

The Inception controller is an integrated access control and intruder detection system featuring a powerful built-in web server. This allows you to monitor, control and administer your site from any smartphone, tablet or computer with a network connection. If an internet connection is available for your controller, the same web interface can be easily accessed from any internet connected device.

This manual is intended to explain many of the features available to you, including connecting to the user interfaces, controlling the system, managing the users and ongoing system administration. However, the information in this manual is intended as a basic guide only. For more in-depth information, there is detailed information located at the top of each web page and in tooltips throughout the web interface.

Inception is a powerful system that can be congured in many different ways, so

some of the details in this manual may not apply to your system. Please contact your installation technician for operating instructions for your system and for

information about the features that have been provided or congured.

System Control

Introduction

Site Details

Installed By: _______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Phone: _______________________________________________

Email: _______________________________________________

Monitored By: _______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Phone: _______________________________________________

Email: _______________________________________________

Installation Date: _____________________________________________

Serial Number: IN____________________________________________

IP Address: _______________________________________________

Additional Information:

__________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________

IntroductionIntroduction

System Notes

__________________________________________________________________

System Control

User Interfaces

Connecting to the Web Interface

The web interface of Inception is the primary way of interacting with the system. Inception’s web interface is designed to be responsive, meaning that you can use the device of your choice, be it a computer, tablet or smartphone. Many different browsers are supported, however it is recommended that the browser you use is kept up to date to avoid issues.

The Inception controller’s web interface can be accessed via a local network or the Internet.

Local Network Connection

If your device is on the same network as the Inception controller, it can be accessed by typing the IP address of the controller into your device's web browser. The IP address assigned to your device should be located on the “Site

Details” page of this manual, lled in by your installation technician.

SkyTunnel Internet Connection

If the network your Inception controller is connected to has internet access, you can connect to the web interface from any internet-connected device. You will

require the serial number of your controller, which should be lled in on the

“Site Details” page. It is in the format INxxxxxxxx. To connect, navigate to https://skytunnel.com.au/inception/SERIALNUMBER, where SERIALNUMBER is the serial number of your Inception controller.

Logging In

Once you have browsed to the Inception web interface, you will be presented with a login screen. Enter your username and the password to log in. Alternatively, a PIN can be used instead of a password with PIN entry mode, which may be better suited for touch devices. On successful login, you will be taken to the Dashboard screen of Inception.

Connecting to the Web Interface (cont.)

Navigating the Web Browser

The navigation bar on the left hand side of the screen provides access to any part of the system. When browsing from a smaller screen like a mobile device, the navigation bar can be expanded by pressing the menu button at the top right of the screen.

The current page is highlighted in blue and only the pages you can visit are available. Any pages that you do not have permission to visit are automatically hidden.

• The [State / Control] section contains pages for monitoring and controlling the items in the system.

• The [Conguration] section is where the conguration pages such as user management and scheduling are located.

• The [System] section includes some system administration tasks like downloading reports and backing up the database.

Throughout this document, navigating to web pages will be indicated by bold blocks like [Conguration > Users > Manage Users].

Accessing Help Information

Throughout the web interface, a signicant amount of help information is included

in each web page. At the top of each page, a sentence gives a brief introduction to the page with a “Read More…” link that expands to show detailed information about what the page offers and how to use the page. Similar information can also be found on many of the dialogs that appear as you interact with the system.

When conguring items in the system, such as editing or adding users, tooltip

information icons are located to the right of each edit option. Clicking the icon will show a tooltip popup for that edit option. This will include information that describes what the option does, why it does it, how to use it and what considerations to make when setting the option.

Logging Out

The web interface will remain logged in while the web page is open. Closing the page will eventually close the session after some time, however for security it is recommended that the [Logout] option is pressed from the navigation menu.

System Control

User Interfaces

Elite / EliteX Terminal

In addition to the web interface, day to day control of the system is also available via an Elite Terminal. This is a keypad interface that is often used for controlling items such as security areas or automation outputs.

Using the Terminal

The keys on the terminal perform specic tasks which help you

navigate the system. The below table describes the basic key

functions. How to perform specic functions will be discussed

later in the relevant sections.

[<], [^], [v], [>]

[HELP] The [HELP] key displays help text for the menu you are

[MENU]

[END] The [END] key logs you off from the terminal

[OK] Pressing [OK] is often used to accept changes or

Alpha-numeric Keys

[ON], [OFF] The [ON] and [OFF] keys are used to control the selected item.

Logging On

Before controlling the system with the terminal, users must log on to the terminal by entering their PIN (a unique number up to 8 digits long) and pressing [OK].

Code : ######

The terminal will automatically log off after 1 minute of inactivity.

The arrow keys are used to navigate within a menu. The up and down arrows typically allow you to scroll through a list of items, while left and right arrows may show additional options

currently viewing. Pressing the key multiple times shows additional help text and eventually returns you to the original screen

This key returns you to the main menu screen

acknowledge what is displayed on screen.

In addition to allowing numbers to be entered, the numeric keys are used for selecting menus. For example, [MENU] [2] [1] takes you to the Change PIN menu.

Area Control

Areas are a core part of intruder detection; if your system is intended for access control only, this topic can be skipped.

What is an Area?

An area commonly represents a physical location which groups all of the detector devices in that location together. Those detector devices could be movement detectors or magnetic door / window switches for example. When an area is armed (turned on), that location is secured and any activity in that area is considered to be unauthorised. When an intruder event occurs, sirens will often sound and alarm messages are sent to the monitoring station. To stop the sirens and acknowledge the alarm, the area needs to be disarmed (turned off).

Depending on how your system has been congured, there may be a single area

for the whole building or it could be broken up into many smaller areas. This allows some sections of the building to be secure while others are not.

Disarming an Area

Disarming the area (or turning it off) disables intruder detection for that location and allows people to move around in that area. Disarming also resets the state of the area, cancelling anything that is currently active such as sirens during an alarm or warnings during an entry procedure.

Arming an Area

When you attempt to secure an area, the system goes through an arming procedure. The system automatically checks the state of the area and the system, to ensure the area can be correctly secured. Any issues that occur during arming,

such as a door or window that is left open, will be displayed and should be xed

before attempting to secure the area again.

The common reason for a failed arm is the presence of unsecure inputs or detectors in the area. In this case, you should check each input that is listed as it could indicate that a door or window is not closed properly, or that there are still people in the area.

An area can also fail to arm if there are alarm communication path issues or hardware issues like AC Fail or battery problems. In these cases, you should contact your installation company.

If the problem can’t be xed, such as a faulty input or a hardware issue, the issue

can be overridden (isolated) and the arm attempt tried again. However the issue should be investigated as soon as possible.

System Control

Area Control (cont.)

Controlling from the Web Interface

Once you have logged in to the web interface (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section), navigate to the [State / Control > Control Areas] page. From there, live state of all areas can be seen. The “Quick Control” button can be used to easily control the area based on its current state. For example, a disarmed area will be armed, while an armed area or an area in alarm will be disarmed.

If an arm attempt fails, the reason will be shown in a dialog. As mentioned previously, the issue can be investigated, resolved and the arm attempt tried again. If the issue can’t be xed, the Isolate and Retry button will override the issue and retry the arm again.

Elite Terminal Entry / Exit Paths

If Elite Terminals are installed in the building, they can be used to control the security areas. Often, these terminals will be located inside the security area that they control so they can’t be vandalised and tampered with. However this presents the problem where the control of the area is performed within the secure area.

To achieve this, an entry / exit path is created between an exit door and the terminal. This path is still protected by detectors, but if you enter the area through a designated entry point then the path is temporarily ignored by the system for a short amount of time, enough to reach the terminal and disarm the system. Similarly, arming the area from the terminal will have a short delay (exit delay) where you can walk along the path and leave without sounding the sirens. Deviating from the path would be treated as an intruder event and cause the sirens to sound.

Area Control (cont.)

Elite Terminal Exit Procedure

To control areas from an Elite Terminal, you must rst log in with your PIN (see the

“Elite / EliteX Terminal > Logging On” section). Depending on your system setup, you may be taken straight to the area control screen, but if not, press [MENU], [0] to access area control.

Admin Area ^v Is Disarmed

Pressing [^] and [v] will scroll through each of the areas that you have permission to control. Once you have selected the area you want, pressing [ON] will attempt to arm the area. If the arm fails, the failure message will be shown, along with a scrollable list of items to investigate.

Arm Failed Area Admin Area contained 1 unsealed inputs

Unsecure Items ^v Warehouse Rear Door

On a successful arm, Exit Delay mode will begin.

Area Armed Exit Area Now

Leave the area along the proper exit path.

Elite Terminal Entry Procedure

The entry procedure begins by entering the area through the correct entry point. At that time, Entry Delay mode begins and various devices may beep to indicate there is a short amount of time to disarm the system. Make your way to the terminal along the entry path.

To control areas from an Elite Terminal, you must rst log in with your PIN (see the

“Elite / EliteX Terminal > Logging On” section). Depending on your system setup, you may be taken straight to the area control screen, but if not, press [MENU], [0] to access area control.

Admin Area ^v In Entry Mode. Press OFF to Disarm

The area in entry mode should be shown. Press the [OFF] key to disarm the area.

System Control

Area Control (cont.)

Admin Area ^v Is Disarmed

Now, the area is disarmed. You can press [END] to log off the terminal.

Elite Terminal Quick Control

There is also a quick arm / disarm option available when using terminals. This is a shortcut feature to quickly control an area as you log in to the terminal.

Code : ######

After entering your PIN, press the [ON] or [OFF] keys instead of [OK] to log in. This will take you straight to the area control menu and attempt to arm or disarm the area, without needing to press any other keys.

This option is a simple way to speed up both the entry and exit procedures when controlling the area that the terminal is in. This depends on whether your installation technician has associated an area with the terminal; please contact them to verify if this feature is enabled.

Controlling with Access Cards

If your system utilises both intruder detection and access control, you may be able to use your access card to control the area inside a door. Presenting your card at the reader, in addition to unlocking the door, may be able to disarm the inside area.

To arm the area, the access card can be presented three times in a row at the same reader within a few seconds of each card swipe. Note that if this arm fails, for example due to unsecure inputs, you should use the web interface or LCD Terminal to attempt the arm instead. Contact your installation technician to see if this feature is available on your system.

Door Control

Doors are a core part of access control; if your system is intended for intruder detection only, this topic can be skipped.

What is a Door?

A door in the Inception system controls an electronic lock on a physical door. Doors restrict access to locations in a building. Permissions are granted to users to determine which doors they can access and when.

Doors can be congured to automatically unlock on a schedule, such as the front

doors of a shop. If the door is locked though, a user must request access via a credential reader linked to the door.

Credential Readers

Reader devices are typically located next to the door for the user to present a credential. A credential is commonly an access control card or a PIN number, but

could also refer to biometrics such as a nger or eye scan. These credentials are

used to identify a user and request access through the door.

Depending on system conguration, especially for higher security areas, more than

one credential may be required to request access. For example, both a card and PIN must be entered for access.

Door Override States

Doors will automatically unlock and lock throughout the day, based on

conguration. These states can be overridden if necessary:

• Unlocked: Overrides a normally locked door to be unlocked. This is useful if people are constantly moving through the door, saving them needing to present a credential each time.

• Locked: Overrides a normally unlocked door to be locked, restricting access.

• Lockout: Setting a door to the lockout override will prevent any access control requests from being granted. Generally used in emergency situations.

Overrides should be cleared when they are no longer needed, returning the door to normal behaviour.

System Control

Door Control (cont.)

Doors Held Open Too Long

If congured by your installation technician the Inception system can detect that

a door is held open too long and sound beepers to alert someone to close it. This feature is most commonly enabled on external doors.

This attempts to prevent doors that should be secure from having unauthorized

people gaining access through the door. If congured, after a door has been

opened, a timer will start to count. After some time, if the door has not been properly closed, the readers, terminals or other noisemakers near the door may start beeping to attract attention. This will continue for some time and if no one closes the door, may be escalated and reported as an alarm event, so that someone is contacted and the door closed.

If a door will be held open for a while, the unlock override feature should be used to prevent the held open alarm from occurring.

Controlling from the Web Interface

Once you have logged in to the web interface (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section), navigate to the [State / Control > Control Doors] page. From there, live state of all doors is displayed.

The “Quick Control” button can be used to easily control the door based on its current state. For example, a locked door will be briey granted access, an unlocked door will be overridden to locked, and a door with an overridden state will have the override cleared.

Advanced control of the door can be used to override a doors state if required. This dialog lets you unlock, lock, lockout or clear the override for a door, or grant temporary access.

Door Control (cont.)

Controlling from an Elite Terminal

To control doors from an Elite Terminal, you must rst log in with your PIN (see the

“Elite / Elite X Terminal > Logging On” section). The Door Control menu can then be accessed by pressing the [MENU], [3], [2] keys.

Front Door ^v Is Unlocked

From here, pressing [^] and [v] will scroll through each of the doors that you have permission to control. Once you have selected the door you want to control, pressing [ON] will override the door to Locked, pressing [OFF] will override the door to Unlocked and pressing [OK] will temporarily grant access to the door.

Door Linked with an Elite Terminal

If a door is linked with a terminal, several other features may be available. Once logged on, access can be requested through the door by pressing the [OK] key on most menu screens. Commonly this would be the action [PIN], [OK], [OK].

Door Access Requested

Similarly, if a door requires a Request to Exit button to be pressed to unlock the door, a terminal can be congured to allow the [OK] button to act as a request to exit button when logged off.

System Control

Output Control

Outputs may be available to be controlled directly by users in the system using the Inception interfaces. These could be connected to devices like room lighting, air-conditioning, water sprinkler systems and many more.

Control Options

The control of outputs is fairly straightforward, allowing an output to be turned on or off. Also, timed control can be used to automatically change the state of an output after a period of time. This allows the water sprinklers to be turned on for 10 minutes for example, without needing to remember to turn them off.

Controlling from the Web Interface

Once you have logged in to the web interface (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section), navigate to the [State / Control > Control Outputs] page. From there, live state of all outputs that can be controlled is displayed.

The “Quick Control” button can be used to easily control the output based on its current state. This will turn on an output that is off, or turn off an output that is on.

Advanced control of the output can be used for timed control, ranging from seconds to hours.

Controlling from an Elite Terminal

To control outputs from an Elite Terminal, you must rst log in with your PIN (see

the “Elite / Elite X Terminal > Logging On” section). The Output Control menu can then be accessed by pressing the [MENU], [3], [1] keys.

Admin Lighting ^v Is On

Pressing [^] and [v] will scroll through each of the outputs that you have permission to control. Once you have selected the output you want to control, pressing [ON] will turn the output on and pressing [OFF] will turn the output off.

Also, pressing [<] or [>] will let you control the output for time. Pressing left will let you control for minutes, pressing right will let you control for seconds. Type in the duration with the numeric keypad and then press [ON] or [OFF] to control.

Admin Lighting ^v For: 030 Mins

Input Control

Inputs in Inception typically relate to the security detectors connected to the system. The state of the Inputs cannot be controlled directly, as that is the detectors job. However, if a detector is faulty, then the input can be isolated so the system ignores the state.

Isolating Inputs

If an input is isolated, then the system will ignore its state and treat it as always secure. Generally, isolation of inputs should only be done under the direction of your installation technician, as it may compromise the security of the system. If the input is faulty however, it could stop areas from being armed or cause alarms, so isolating allows the input to be excluded from the system until it can be properly

xed. Once isolated, it will remain isolated until someone manually de-isolates it.

Controlling from the Web Interface

Once you have logged in to the web interface (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section), navigate to the [State / Control > Control Inputs] page. From there, live state of all inputs can be seen.

Isolating inputs is only available via the Advanced Control button, showing a dialog to allow control.

Controlling from an Elite Terminal

To control inputs from an Elite Terminal, you must rst log in with your PIN (see the

“Elite / Elite X Terminal > Logging On” section). The Input Control menu can then be accessed by pressing the [MENU], [3], [4] keys.

Admin Detector ^v Sealed

From here, pressing [^] and [v] will scroll through each of the inputs. Once you have selected the input you want to isolate, pressing [OFF] will isolate the input, excluding it from the system. Pressing [ON] will de-isolate the input, returning it to normal operation.

System Control

Users

User Management

A user is any person who interacts with the Inception system by either presenting an access card, entering a PIN number, using a remote RF Fob or logging into the web interface. User management is performed from the web interface. Once you have logged in to the web interface (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section), navigate to the [Conguration > Users > Manage Users] page

What Do Users Have

Users have a number of congurable options:

• Name: The name of the user. This is logged whenever the user performs an action in the system, can be searched on for editing and must be unique.

• Security PIN: If using Elite Terminals or keypads, this unique code can be used to identify the user. By default, the PIN should be between 2 and 8 digits long. The Generate button can be used to generate a unique, unused PIN.

• Credentials: This is the card or fob that can be presented to readers to request access through a door. To help with adding a new card to a user, recently presented unknown cards are displayed and can be selected. This involves presenting the card to a reader and then when adding a new credential to the user, the Add From Recent Card Reads button can be pressed.

• Remote Fob: If RF Remote Fobs are used on site, they can be assigned here. Similar to cards, a button on the new RF remote can be pressed and when adding a new remote to the user, the Add From Recent Fob Event button can be pressed.

• Web Login Details: If the user is allowed to access the web interface,

their username, password and web page prole can be congured. The prole determines what pages they are allowed to see when they are

logged in.

• Email Address: Required for the user to receive email notications for

events. See the “Notications” section for more information.

• Permissions: Permissions determine what items a user can interact with in the system and when they are allowed to. Multiple permissions and permission groups can be added to each user. See the “User Permissions” section later in this manual for more information.

User Management (cont.)

Adding New Users – Guided Tour

If you are unfamiliar with adding users to the system, the best way to learn is via the built-in guided tour of the web interface. This will take you through the full process and will add the actual user along the way.

From the [Dashboard] page, a Guided Tour shortcut should be available at the bottom of the page.

Clicking this button will automatically take you to the [Manage Users] page and begin the tour. The tour will ask you to name the user, congure their credentials and assign their permissions, before saving the user to the system. The tour can be re-run as many times as needed.

Updating Existing Users

After navigating to the [Conguration > Users > Manage Users] page, the user

you wish to edit can be selected from the list on the left. A search eld and sort button is available to help nd the desired user. Once found, click on the user to

begin editing.

Make any changes as required to the user, such as updating their credentials or permissions. Once complete, the changes can be saved to the system using the Save button in the toolbox at the top of the screen.

Users can also be deleted using the Delete button in the toolbox.

Changing PIN from LCD Terminal

A user is also able to change their security PIN via an Elite Terminal. After logging in with their current PIN (see the “Elite / Elite X Terminal > Logging On” section), the change PIN menu can be accessed by pressing the [MENU], [2], [1] keys. Type the new PIN with the number keys and then press [OK]. The PIN number must then be

re-entered to conrm the PIN and the [OK]

key pressed.

Set New PIN: _

Conrm New PIN:

User PIN Changed

System Control

Users

User Permissions

Permissions are used to determine what areas, doors and outputs a user can access and control within the system and when those actions are allowed to be performed.

Permissions

Permissions are created using a What and When structure. The What determines the items they are allowed to control and in what way. The When determines when this permission applies. For example, a user is only able to access a door during working hours.

Permissions can be assigned to users in one of two ways. The rst method is

to add individual items such as doors, areas or outputs directly to a user. This

method offers a lot of exibility, however, it can become difcult to manage once

the site grows to more than a few users. The second and preferred method is to use permission groups.

Permission Groups

As a system grows in size, it is common for multiple users to share the same sets of permissions, for example if they work in the same department or have similar roles. In this case, permission groups can be used to create a set of permissions once and then assign that set of permissions to many users. That set can also be updated in future and the changes will automatically be applied to all users with that permission group.

Permission Groups can be congured via the web interface. Once you have

logged in to the web interface (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section), navigate to the [Conguration > Users > Permission Groups] page.

User Permissions (cont.)

Managing Permissions

Permissions across the site can be managed in many ways. When creating permission groups it is recommended to rst identify what is common between users. Many permission groups can be assigned to the same user and permissions groups can also reference other permission groups, opening up many options to manage the site permissions. Some common examples are

listed below:

• Role Based: Permission groups could be created based on the users’ role in the company, such as IT Staff, Admin Staff, Warehouse Staff etc. In this case, all of the doors, areas and outputs that a warehouse worker needs access to can be assigned to the Warehouse Staff group. As new personnel are hired, they can be assigned a permission group that matches their role.

• Hierarchy Based: A hierarchy can also be used to manage permissions. A Basic level group could be created with all doors and areas that everyone requires. Then different permission groups can include that basic group and add extra permissions, like for a management level. Then, the correct level can be assigned to a user.

• Building/Department Based: A site with multiple buildings, oors or departments could create different permission groups for each individual section. Users can then be assigned the multiple different permission groups based on the sections of the site that they need to acess.

These techniques could also be combined to help organize the site’s permissions and simplify user management.

System Control

Scheduling

Time Periods and Calendars

Time Periods and Calendars are the main tools used to provide scheduling functionality in the Inception system. A time period will become active and inactive based on the current date and time. They can then be used for many reasons, such as to restrict when a user is allowed to do certain actions, automatically

unlock doors or automatically arm areas. Time periods are only congured from the

web interface. Once you have logged in to the web interface (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section), navigate to the [Conguration > Scheduling > Time Periods] page.

Time Periods

Time periods are broken up into two parts. First are the weekly recurring times

where time blocks can be congured for each day of the week when the time

period should be active. This could allow Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm to be

congured for example. The second part is the exceptions to those rules, which

override the weekly recurring times.

Calendar exceptions are the most common exception for time periods. In this case, the exception time range is set and a Calendar item is created to provide the dates when this exception should occur.

Calendars

As mentioned, calendars are intended to be active on specic dates of the year,

which can then be used with time periods for exceptions. Calendars are available from the [Conguration > Scheduling > Calendars] page. There are 3 types of

dates that can be congured:

• Single Dates: Individual dates can be set that optionally occur annually.

• Date Ranges: All days between a start and end date would be active.

• Calculated Dates: A calendar event that isn’t a specic date or date range.

Allows for example, the “second Tuesday of every month” to be congured.

Scheduler

The Scheduler page (available from [Conguration > Scheduling > Scheduler]),

can be used to congure when doors should automatically unlock and lock, when areas should automatically arm and when lift oors should be in free access. This

page allows those schedules to be changed directly, without accidentally changing core conguration settings.

Time Periods and Calendars (cont.)

Example – Trading Hours

A common example of time periods and calendar exceptions is a trading hours time period that controls the front door of a shop. During trading hours, this door should be unlocked, so a time period is used to control this. Each week, the door should be open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, so weekly recurring times are used. Many days throughout the year, extended trading hours occur from 7 am to 7 pm. For this, a calendar exception is used where the 7am-7pm range is

congured with an “extended trading hours” calendar. Then, any days when

extended trading hours should occur can be entered into the calendar. Similarly, several days occur in the year when the shop should be shut. In this case, another calendar can be used to represent that, when the time period should not activate at all.

Once set up, the calendar items can be edited each year without needing to touch the time periods directly. Those calendar items can also be used in many other time periods, making managing of the business schedule much easier.

Calendar Preview

To verify if your time periods and calendars are congured correctly, there is a

Calendar Preview option available on each page. This can be used to look at any day in the future, to see what times a time period would be active, or what days a calendar is active on.

System Control

System Administration

System Warnings / Messages

System Warnings and Messages are the Inception controller’s way of notifying users about important events. If there are any issues, the system administrator or the installation or maintenance technician should be contacted.

System Warnings

A system warning highlights any issues that are currently present in the system. These could indicate issues with connected modules, such as connectivity issues

or power issues. Warnings should be xed as soon as possible, as they could be

preventing the system from running optimally. Your installation or maintenance

technician should be contacted when warnings occur to ensure issues are xed

completely.

System Messages

Where system warnings highlight current issues in the system, system messages are used to notify about important events that happened in the past and are no

longer present. Often when a system warning is xed, a message is created to

ensure someone knows the issue occurred. This ensures that the information about those events does not go unnoticed. A message can also occur following an alarm that includes an alarm summary. When a system message occurs, the message just needs to be acknowledged by someone to remove it.

System Messages

Once you have logged in to the web interface (see the “Connecting to the Web

Interface” section), notication icons will

be shown at the top of every page if any warnings or messages are present. The messages and warnings can be seen on the [System > System Overview] page,

or the notication icons can be clicked as a shortcut to that page.

System messages and warnings can then be seen, with messages in blue and warnings in orange. Messages will detail the event and will include an Acknowledge button.

Warnings will include any available information about the event and if possible, some information about how to resolve the issue and shortcut buttons to

help resolve or nd more information.

System Warnings / Messages (cont.)

Viewing from an Elite Terminal

Warnings can be viewed and messages can be acknowledged from an Elite Terminal, however the amount of detail is limited. The web interface should be used to see more detailed information.

To interact with system warnings and messages from an Elite Terminal, you must

rst log in with your PIN (see the “Elite / Elite X Terminal > Logging On” section). If

there are messages or warnings present, and no currently active alarms, the warnings and messages menu should automatically open. Alternatively, the warnings and messages menu can be accessed by pressing the [MENU], [6], [1] keys.

Sys Events: ^v Messages 1 >

Sys Events: v Warnings 2 <

This menu will show both the messages and warnings in the system, with the arrow keys used to navigate and view the information. The [<] and [>] keys switch between Messages and Warnings modes. The [^] and [v] are then used to scroll up and down through the events. For warnings, the information can only be viewed, they can’t be interacted with. For messages, pressing [OK] will acknowledge the selected message. As there could be many messages, scrolling to the top will give an option to acknowledge all messages at once.

Press OK to v Acknowledge all messages

System Control

System Administration

Database Backup

A database backup allows a copy of all of the conguration options in the system

to be downloaded. Taking regular database backups of the system is important

so that if something happens to the system, the latest conguration and changes

aren’t lost.

If something happens to the Inception system, such as environmental issues like a power surge, the backup can then be restored without data loss. Similarly, if

an accidental programming change is made that is difcult to undo, restoring the

database backup can revert the change quickly.

Backups should be taken regularly and stored in a safe location as losing the user updates over the last few months can be frustrating to re-add.

Backup from the Web Interface

Once you have logged in to the web interface (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section), navigate to the [System > Backup / Restore] page. From there, the “Download Backup” button will download the backup to your device. The “Download Backup to USB Drive” option is only used if there is a USB drive connected to the controller.

Reports

The Inception system can generate many different reports. They can be used to summarise conguration settings for the system or retrieve a history of user interactions with the system. Reports can only be generated by the web interface. To generate the reports, login to the web interface (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section) and navigate to the [System > Reports] page.

Generating Reports

For each report type, various lter information can be congured to customize the report output. For example, the access history report could be ltered to only include specic doors to see who accessed a room, or specic users to see where

they have been.

To generate a report, select the type of report

you want, choose the report le format, lter as

required and then press the Create Report button in the toolbox at the top of the page. This will download the report to your device.

Report Formats

Inception can generate reports in PDF and HTML formats. PDF reports are limited in size, while a Multi-PDF option can create many PDFs that are packaged together

into a zip le. HTML reports do not have the size limitation and can be as large as

necessary. New reporting formats may be added to the Inception system in future

rmware updates.

Review Event Reports

In addition to the built-in report types, the review events page can be used to

retrieve history about the site. With the search and category ltering, review can be shown about many aspects of the system. Once ltered as desired, the visible

review events can be downloaded as PDF or CSV to your device. See the “Review Events” section for more information.

System Control

System Administration

Review Events

Review events are a historical log of every event that has occurred in the Inception system. These events are often viewed when issues occur, when investigating incidents or to see who has interacted with the system. The Inception controller can store up to 250,000 review events and when the limit is reached, the oldest events are automatically removed. Depending on how busy the site is, this could allow many months of activity to be stored.

Events

Each event is made up of a number of parts: the event message, when the event

happened, who generated the event, what was affected and where the event occurred. Depending on the event, there may not be a relevant who, what or

where. An event is grouped into one of ve categories, namely security, access,

hardware, system and audit events. These categories can help in focusing on the type of events you are interested in.

Viewing Events

Events are most commonly viewed from the web interface. The events can be viewed by logging into the web interface (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section) and navigating to the [State / Control > Review Events] page.

The events that occurred in the last 24 hours (up to a maximum of 500 events) will automatically be loaded, with new events dynamically added to the top of the list. More events can be loaded by pressing the Load More button in the toolbox, loading an additional 500 events each time the button is pressed. Alternatively, clicking Load all will load all events to the web browser; however this may take some time.

Review Events (cont.)

Filtering Events

Several ltering options can be used to nd particular events in the system. Events can be ltered by time, content or category and the lters can be used individually

or combined for advanced searching. The text-based content search will search across the Message, Who, What and Where columns and each word entered can appear in different columns.

Exporting Events

Review events can be downloaded in either CSV or PDF formats via the buttons in the toolbox. The downloaded events are affected by the applied

lters and will only include what has

been loaded and is visible.

Exporting Events

An Elite Terminal can also be used to view past review events if required. After logging in with your PIN (see the “Elite / Elite X Terminal > Logging On” section), the events menu can be accessed by pressing [MENU], [1]. From there, all events can be seen by pressing [1], or the event category can be selected with [2-6].

Event Logs: 1=All 2=Security 3=Access 4=Hardware 5=System 6=Audit

Once selected, the [^] and [v] keys can be used to scroll through the messages one at a time.

System Control

System Administration

Area Walk Test

Area walk tests allow for periodic testing of the detectors and buttons within an area to ensure they are functioning correctly. This includes all of the movement, door and window detectors. More importantly, it also includes the infrequently used inputs like medical, smoke, emergency or duress buttons. When arming (turning on) an area, the detectors are only checked to see if they are secure. However if an input has become faulty, it may always report as secure and won’t be protecting the building.

Starting a Test

Area walk tests can only be started from the web interface. Once logged in (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section), navigate to the [State / Control > Area Walk Test] page.

Each area in the system is displayed and from here, walk tests can be started and stopped. Multiple areas also can be tested at once if desired.

During a Test

An area walk test allows the inputs to be activated without triggering an alarm, allowing the emergency response inputs to be tested without the emergency response.

Once a test has been started, all inputs that need to be tested are listed. To test an input, it must change from an active state to a secure state. This could involve walking in front of a movement detector, opening and closing a window or pressing and resetting the emergency or duress button for example. As they are tested, they will automatically move to the “Passed” list.

A test will automatically complete when all inputs in the area have been successfully tested. If some inputs can’t be tested, then the test can be cancelled early.

For more information about starting and performing walk tests, see the help information on the area walk test page in the web interface.

Notications

Inception is capable of sending notication messages via email using clear, easy to read language. Conguration of notications is incredibly exible, allowing different users to be notied about different events at different times.

When multiple events are to be sent to the same person, they are automatically consolidated into a single email message.

Email Server – Technician Only

To send emails, the Inception controller needs the details of an SMTP server. The

conguration options for this server are located on the system settings page, which requires the installation technician to congure.

Notiers

Conguration of email notications can only be made from the web interface. Once

logged in (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section), navigate to the [Conguration > General > Notiers] page.

A notier is congured with a list of recipient users to send message to, an optional schedule for when to send the messages and what events should be notied on. Users can be notied on almost any type of event in the system. Area notications

can be sent when alarms occur, when arm or disarm attempts are made or when abnormal behaviour occurs like an area being armed or disarmed at the wrong time. Doors can be monitored for unauthorized access attempts or when doors have been left open too long. Repeated failed login attempts to the Web Interface or Terminals can also be sent, along with many other system health issues.

Multiple notiers can be congured with different recipients and different schedules to allow exibility. Unauthorized access requests can be sent to

administrators, while other events like low battery for RF devices can be sent to maintenance personnel for example.

System Control

System Administration

Setting Date and Time

Keeping the date and time of the Inception controller correct is important to ensure that any scheduled events occur at the correct time. User permissions and automatic door unlocking or area arming can be controlled based on a schedule, so problems could occur if the controller time is out by even a slight amount.

Any conguration or modications of the system date and time is achieved via the

web interface of Inception. Once logged in (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section), navigate to the [Conguration > General > Date and Time] page.

NTP Server

By default, Inception is congured to keep its time automatically in sync with NTP

(Network Time Protocol) servers if an internet connection is available. This is the same way that computers keep in sync. This is the recommended way to keep the Inception controller’s time accurate, so either an internet connection should be provided or if one is not available, a local NTP server to sync with.

Manually set the time

If no NTP server is available, either due to no internet access or no server available on site, then the date and time can be updated manually.

Pressing the Set Date/Time Manually button will show a dialog window where the

time can be congured. The current time of the browser can also be used with this method. Pressing OK will set the specied time to the Inception controller.

Time Zones and Daylight Savings

Specifying the time zone where the controller is located will allow the NTP time syncing to convert correctly to the local time. Also, Daylight Savings for the

Inception Controller is automatically handled with the time zone that is specied.

Network Settings

If the web interface of the Inception controller becomes inaccessible or the network address of the controller needs to change, editing of network settings may be required.

The Inception controller includes a built-in Ethernet connection that can be

congured with a static address or as DHCP. Changes to the Ethernet settings can

be made from either the web interface if it is accessible or an Elite Terminal.

If the Inception Wireless Adapter has been purchased (available separately),

Inception can connect as a client to the local Wi-Fi network. Conguration of the

wireless settings can only be made from the web interface with an Ethernet connection.

Conguring via the Web Interface

If a connection can be made to the web interface, log in (see the “Connecting to the Web Interface” section) and navigate to the [Conguration > General > Network] page. On this page, both the Ethernet settings and the Wi-Fi settings are

congured.

Conguring via an Elite Terminal

The Ethernet settings can be checked and updated via an Elite Terminal. After logging in with your PIN (see the “Elite / Elite X Terminal > Logging On” section), the network settings menu can be accessed by pressing [MENU], [5], [2].

IP Addr Type ^v DHCP <>

If set to DHCP, the [^] and [v] keys can be used to view the automatically assigned network settings. The [<] and [>] keys can be used to change between DHCP and Static modes. If set to static, the IP Address, Subnet Mask, Gateway and DNS Server can be congured. When conguring an address, the [<] and [>] keys are used to change the focused number and the number keys enter the value. When all settings have been congured, the [OK] key will commit the changes to the system. Up to 1 minute may be required for the changes to take effect.

System Control

System Administration

Dashboard Favourites

The web interface for Inception is the primary way of interacting with the system, allowing full control and viewing of live state from a computer, tablet or smartphone. This can be enhanced further with dashboard favourites, where the areas, doors and outputs which are often interacted with can all be shown in one place.

The [Dashboard] page is the default

rst page that is shown after logging

in. If the favourite items are congured, then the full system status can be seen and controlled at a glance without needing to navigate to other pages.

Conguring Dashboard Favourites

Dashboard favourite items are linked to web page proles. Web page proles are

assigned to users and determine what pages they are allowed to see when they

users, so managing and updating of favourites can be done in one place. Different

favourites can also be congured for different proles, allowing some users such

as managers to see more items and other users to have a simpler interface with only a couple of items.

Web proles and dashboard favourites are congured on the [Conguration > Users > Web Page Proles] page of the web interface. The prole you wish to edit

can be selected from the list on the left. Once found, click on the prole to begin editing. The dashboard favourites are congured in the Dashboard Content

section, with the Items to View/Control option. Click the Add Items button and select the items to include as a favourite. If you want a specic order for the favourites, add the items one at a time. Once complete, the changes can be saved to the system using the Save button in the toolbox at the top of the screen.

Note: Including an item as a favourite item only allows it to be displayed on the

dashboard. A user’s ability to control the item will still depend on their permissions.

System Control

Inception, SkyTunnel and SIFER are registered trademarks of Inner Range Pty Ltd. Product specifications subject to change without notice.

Inner Range inception User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual