Editing Access Groups

Access Groups are created for each loop/cluster. If you want a card to have access to doors that are on different loops, you must create separate access groups for the doors on each loop/cluster. Then during enrollment, the user can assign each loop/cluster to the access card and choose the appropriate access groups that you made in each loop/cluster. You can assign up to four (4) access groups per Loop/Cluster.

When you create the access group, you must choose the doors you want to be in the authorized set and assign the desired time schedule(s) to them. The same time schedule can be assigned to all doors -OR- you can assign different time schedule(s) to each individual authorized door.

As defined in the Terms, an Access Group is a select set of "authorized doors" that have schedules assigned to control when the access card is permitted to enter the door. Of course the authorized doors are within the same hardware loop/cluster. If the cardholder needs access to doors that are in a different loop/cluster then you must create the schedules and access groups within those other loop/clusters.

• You can add or remove a door to the authorized group at any time. You can also assign different schedules to each door.

• To add a door to an access group, move the door from the unauthorized group into the authorized group and assign a schedule. The system will grant access to "authorized doors" during the active time periods on the schedule.

• To remove a door from an access group, remove the door from the authorized group. The system will not grant access to "unauthorized doors".

• To change when access is granted to any door, you can change which schedule is assigned or you can edit the time schedule and change which time periods are active vs inactive. The system will not grant access to authorized doors during the inactive (red/gray) time periods of the assigned schedule.

When the access group is saved, the associated Loop/Cluster is updated. The panels must be online to receive the updates. Offline panels will continue to operate using the existing programming.

Ultimately, the authorized doors will allow access when the assigned schedule is in it's "active" (green) state. And the authorized doors deny access when the assigned schedule is in it's "inactive" (gray/red) state.

• ALL DOORS = SAME SCHEDULE: All the authorized doors in an access group can be assigned to the same schedule, which will provide access to all the doors at the same time periods and days. The cards assigned to this kind of access group will work the same way at all the doors in the group.

• EACH DOOR = DIFFERENT SCHEDULES: Each individual door in an access group can be assigned to different schedules, which will provide unique access permissions at each authorized door. The cards assigned to this kind of access group will work differently at each door.

• SINGLE CARD/MULTIPLE ACCESS GROUPS: You can add more doors and more schedules to the card by adding multiple access groups.

• A DOOR CAN BE AUTHORIZED IN MORE THAN ONE GROUP (overlapping privileges) - this means the same door can have different schedules assigned to it through different access groups. So cardholders in the "day-shift group" will have access to the front door during daytime hours only. Cardholders in the "night-shift group" will have access to that same door at nighttime, but not daytime.
  Since it is possible to assign more than one access group to a card, it is possible to assign extended or overlapping access privileges to a cardholder. This may or may not be desirable, depending on the cardholder roles and responsibilities.

ABOUT OVERLAPPING ACCESS PRIVILEGES: Since it is possible to create overlapping access privileges you must take care to evaluate all the privileges when you create access groups, as well as when you create the card. Be aware that the system will grant access to any authorized door if any access group has an "active" schedule when the card is presented to the reader. Likewise, be mindful of only partially removing access to a door by removing one access group when another access group on the card has access to that door, if indeed you want to remove all access to that door. The system will still grant access for the remaining groups. It may be undesirable to allow overlapping access permissions on a card. Consider creating a new access group with the specific access the cardholder needs.

Assigning a schedule to the crisis mode field is mandatory. You have several options.

1. If you assign a default system schedule (i.e., "Always" or "Never") to the crisis mode field, the Access Group will follow the assigned schedule while crisis mode is active/engaged. The access permissions will return to normal operation when crisis mode is reset or deactivated.

2. If you assign a custom-schedule to the crisis mode field, the Access Group will follow the assigned custom schedule while crisis mode is active/engaged. The access permissions will return to normal operation when crisis mode is reset or deactivated.

3. If do not want the access group behavior to change while crisis mode active/engaged, then simply assign the same schedule to the crisis mode field as is assigned to the access group. This way the access permissions will continue to operate as normal during the active Crisis Mode.

The crisis mode schedule tells the hardware/readers how to behave when crisis mode is engaged or activated.

• If the "unlimited access" schedule is assigned as the crisis schedule, all the doors in the loop will unlock when crisis mode is engaged.
• If the "no access" schedule is assigned as the crisis schedule, all the doors in the loop will lock down when crisis mode is engaged.
• If the same schedule is assigned to all doors and to crisis mode, then all doors will function as scheduled.
• You can create a specific schedule for crisis mode in the Time Schedules Wizard.

In the Access Group Editor, you can modify or delete an existing access group.

1. Modifying the access group will change the access permissions in the access control panel. Any changes made to the access group should take effect when the group is saved. All cards/cardholders that are assigned to the updated group will be immediately affected when the changes are saved/loaded to the panel.

2. Deleting an access group removes it from the access control panels that belong to the selected Loop (location). Deleting an access group does not delete the schedules or doors from the system. The doors and schedules remain in the system, but they are no longer assigned to that access group.

IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT UPDATING PANELS: Online panels should receive the updated changes when the access group is saved (or deleted from the system). Offline panels continue using the known access rules until the panels are brought back online and loaded with the new changes. Once the data is loaded to the panels, all changes are effective immediately for associated cards.

1. enter comments and service notes.
2. delete the entire access group.