Globalisation

07 Feb 2010

by: By Staff

Cardax FT version 6 delivers a robust enterprise security management solution with new multi-server functionality allowing global support for enterprise applications.

WITH the release of version 6 of Cardax FT access control and intruder alarms security management platform, Cardax has delivered a solution that enables multi-national or enterprise organisations with distributed sites to better manage their security system costs by bringing their various sites onto one centralised security management system. Using IT infrastructure, remote bases can be managed from a central Cardax FT system, no matter how many buildings an organisation has or where they are in the world.

While each building might have a Cardax FT server, these servers can be linked to create seamless security right across the entire enterprise. For example, a head office in Sydney, Australia, could revoke access for an employee in its New York office. Furthermore, it doesn’t matter if an employee is working in the Tokyo plant or the Dublin office – they are able to use the same Cardax access card or biometric fingerprint to gain access. Centralised access control and alarm monitoring can significantly reduce telecommunication and monitoring expenses.

Multi-Server functionality supports peer-to-peer communications between multiple servers, which enables Cardax FT to operate effectively in a distributed environment. This ‘distributed environment’ may include multiple sites separated by large geographical distances and connected via low bandwidth and/or intermittently available networks. These connections can be managed in a hierarchical manner (where a head office may want operational visibility/control capability over subsidiary sites) and / or in a peer-to-peer matrix structure where any site could temporarily monitor or manage another site’s security.

Cardax FT Multi-Server delivers full site autonomy of local site operations in the event of WAN failure and cross site operational cover. Shared sever functions include peer-to-peer server communications, meaning any site can be configured to control and monitor any other site.

FT Multi-Server also allows cardholder management – managing cardholders and their access for multiple sites, as well as aggregation evacuation reporting – useful for reporting on cardholder whereabouts in emergency situations.

Multi-Server also facilitates global monitoring of the status of remote alarms and hardware, processing remote alarms and overriding remote hardware. The solution features new efficient communications protocol to transfer data between sites and reduced data transferred over WAN when operating locally.

Importantly, Multi-Server functionality utilises highly efficient communications protocol to transfer data between sites, by reducing data transferred over WAN when operating locally. The Cardax FT Multi-Server framework implements strong, open encryption algorithms, secure authentication techniques and long key lengths, such as RSA 2048 bit keys and AES 256 bit encryption keys to deliver a robust security solutions throughout the organisation.

Additional capabilities

A key feature of FT Multi-Server is Cross-site Operational Cover. This means that Cardax FT remains fully operational in the event of network failure because the local server remains fully operational. An authorised operator can view certain information from the Remote Server, and override items as if they were connected directly to the Remote Server. This allows organisations to provide cross-site operational cover to their sites worldwide.

Global access for cardholders means staff can use their same cards/fingerprints/PINs across all sites within a Multi-Server network, for example, a manager with appropriate access rights can travel between sites controlled by separate Cardax FT Servers, seamlessly using the one card for entry.

Another strong feature is evacuation reporting. In the event of a disaster at one Server’s site, one or multiple Aggregation Servers can provide Evacuation Reports detailing the last known locations of Cardholders at the disaster affected site. Any server can keep an up-to-date status on the location of all Cardholders over a Multi-Server network.

From a network perspective disaster recovery is vital. The Cardax FT Multi-Server feature can be used in conjunction with third party hot standby server options, to provide a comprehensive disaster recovery solution.

Where a disaster event causes a Cardax FT Server to swap to its hot standby server, other Cardax FT Servers on the Multi-Server network are able to communicate directly with the hot standby server. This allows Operators at the other Cardax FT Servers to quickly gauge the severity of the disaster event on the affected site’s physical security, and to temporarily provide operational cover (e.g. alarms monitoring and management, monitoring and overrides of site items and equipment etc.) for the disaster affected site.

“At a time, when other security manufacturers are cutting back on R&D, we’re investing in the future with more resources and people to ensure Cardax FT is the security system of the future,” says Cardax product manager, Daniel McVeagh.

“FT Multi-Server also allows cardholder management – managing cardholders and their access for multiple sites, as well as aggregation evacuation reporting – useful for reporting on cardholder whereabouts in emergency situations”