By default, a Genea access control system will automatically keep all of the doors and gates on your property locked and secure (access mode 'Card Only'). But what if you need certain doors at your property to have a different access mode (for instance, 'Unlocked' or 'PIN Only'), say during regular business hours or for recurring special events? You can achieve this by adding an automatic door schedule to your system.
To apply an automatic door schedule to a door, you will first need to create the schedule. Click here to learn how to do so.
Support for automatic door schedules is available for Mercury controllers, VertX controllers and Assa Abloy locks. However, there are subtle differences between them. We will look at all 3 individually.
I. Mercury Controller Door Schedules
After having created the schedule, follow the steps below to attach it to the necessary doors and gates on your property.
Click on the 'Hardware' tab on the left hand side pane in your Genea admin dashboard.
Scroll down till you see the 'Doors' section. Here, select the door which you'd like to put on an access mode schedule.
In the Door Details page, scroll down till you see the 'Door Schedule' section. Click the Edit button to the right.
A modal will pop up. Check the 'Enable Door Schedule' checkbox. As you can see in the image below, you have the following 3 additional settings:
Schedule: The schedule as per which the access mode of the door must change.
Schedule Access Mode: The access mode the door should have when the above (selected) schedule is on.
First Person In: If this is enabled, the door will change access modes only after the first authorized person is granted access when the above (selected) schedule is on. Click here for a more detailed article on First Person In.
Let's take an example to understand this. Let the selected schedule be 9 am - 5 pm on weekdays. Let the selected schedule access mode be 'Unlocked' and let 'First Person In' remain unchecked. Furthermore, assume that the default access mode of the door is 'Card Only'. With these settings, the behavior of the door will be as follows. The door will have access mode 'Unlocked' (i.e. remain unlocked) between 9 am and 5 pm on weekdays, and 'Card Only' at all other times. Alternatively, if the selected schedule access mode is 'PIN only', then the given door will have an access mode of 'PIN only' between 9 am and 5 pm on weekdays, and 'Card Only' at all other times.
Click on 'Save' when done.
(conditional) Assuming the controller to which this door is attached is online when this operation is being performed if the selected schedule is active at the moment, then you shall see the below follow-up modal. The two options are explained below:
Apply Immediately: If you select this option, the door will start operating as per the chosen schedule immediately. In continuation with the example detailed previously, if Apply Immediately is chosen, the door will promptly go to 'Unlocked' access mode.
Apply next interval onwards: If this option is selected, the door will continue to operate the same way until the schedule becomes active again in the upcoming interval. In continuation with the example detailed previously, if Apply next interval onwards is chosen, then the door will remain in 'Card Only' access mode until 9 am the following day, where it will switch to 'Unlocked' access mode and remain so till 5 pm.
Choose your preference and hit save.
The steps above illustrated how to attach a schedule to a door. There could be cases where the schedule needs to be detached. For instance, before putting a door on lockdown, it is highly recommended that any attached schedules be removed. Let's look at the process to detach a schedule from a door below.
Steps 1 through 3 are the same as above.
In the modal that pops up, uncheck the 'Enable Door Schedule' checkbox and hit Save.
(conditional) Assuming the controller to which this door is attached is online when this operation is being performed, there are some cases where you will see a warning as shown below. For instance, one such case is when you detach a schedule from a door, when that schedule is on.
As mentioned in the image, this warning indicates that the door's access mode will be reverted back to its default value immediately. In continuation with the example illustrated thus far, the door's access mode will be reverted back to 'Card Only'. This is a necessary step to eliminate security loopholes by ensuring that the door's access mode is always in a predictable state.
NOTE: Authorized users also have the option to perform remote operations on elevator doors. This functionality applies to both conventional elevator doors and DD doors (kiosks), particularly turnstiles where Genea's access control makes access decisions and operates the strike to open the door.
II. VertX Controller Door Unlock Schedules
Unlike Mercury wherein users have the freedom to choose the access mode of a door in addition to a schedule, in VertX, doors can only be put on an 'Unlocked' schedule. Here are the steps to do the same:
Click on the 'Hardware' tab on the left hand side pane in your Genea admin dashboard.
In the 'Readers' section, navigate to the door which you'd like to put on an Unlock schedule.
Scroll down till you see the 'Door Unlock Schedule' section. Click the Edit button to the right.
Check on the toggle switch next to 'Assign Door Unlock Schedule.' A drop-down menu will appear with all of your Genea system's schedules. Select the one that you would like to apply to the door, then click 'Save' to save the configuration.
With this, the door will start to get unlocked as per the selected schedule.
To detach the unlock schedule, simple toggle the 'Assign Door Unlock Schedule' switch and hit Save.
III. Assa Abloy Locks Door Unlock Schedules
Similar to VertX controllers, Assa Abloy locks can be put on an Unlock schedule only. Here are the steps to do the same:
Repeat steps 1 through 3 of the Mercury section.
A modal will pop up. Check the 'Unlock Door on Schedule' checkbox, select the schedule and then hit Save.
The lock will now start Unlocking as per the 'Maintenance Door Schedule'.
To detach the schedule, simply uncheck the 'Unlock Door on Schedule' checkbox and hit Save.
IMPORTANT: If you want multiple doors or gates on your property to remain unlocked at certain times, you will need to assign schedules to each of them individually. This is applicable to doors / gates / locks from all 3 manufacturers listed above (Mercury, VertX and Assa Abloy).
If you have any questions or concerns about door unlock schedules, you can contact the Genea Support Team at any time at acsupport@getgenea.com.