ParsecNET 3: user questions and expert answers.
Of course, one of the main innovations in the Russian ACS segment continues to be the software platform of the integrated ParsecNET 3 system, sales of which started at the end of last year.
Parsec NET 3 is a distributed software and hardware complex of a new generation, capable of solving all issues related to access control and management, security and notification, dispatching and accounting, as well as video surveillance at a wide variety of sites (territorially and administratively separated, with a variety of network infrastructure, communication channels, etc.).
The software part of the system is based on PnSoft software — a unique product created by Russian developers and incorporating more than 10 years of experience in operating previous generation systems at several thousand sites in Russia and abroad. When developing this software, specialists tried to take into account all customer requests as much as possible, to create a product that is much more functional, but at the same time reliable, simple and convenient to install and work with on a daily basis.
The new version of the software for the integrated security system ParsecNET 3, released under the Parsec™ trademark, has already been installed and is functioning at a number of sites. Interest in the system has definitely increased. But users also have questions about the functionality, installation and operation of the system.
We offer the most frequently asked questions from users and answers from specialists to the attention of readers.
— ParsecNet3 is a very complex system. There is no time to figure it out, but the system needs to be launched urgently. What to do?
— ParsecNET 3 is a complex system with a large number of windows, panels, settings. But when you just need to control the passage through the door, there is the «Beginner» program interface. The «Beginner» mode hides many secondary panels, tabs and settings that are not needed in the simplest system, which makes the interface much more user-friendly.
Switching to the full «Expert» («Advanced») mode is done through the main menu of the program.
— My computer with the ParsecNET3 system has broken down. Is it possible to quickly configure the old system with the existing settings?
— If a couple dozen controllers were connected to a failed computer, then there is no problem putting another one in its place and installing the ParsecNET 3 workstation software on it. The issue with controllers is also easy to solve: in the equipment editor, you take all the controllers from the burned-out PC (like a folder in Windows Explorer) and drag them to the new workstation. A couple of seconds, and the system is fully operational again. Moreover, with the preservation of all settings, access groups, etc. Similarly, you can transfer personnel and topology elements.
— The manager needs to install the ParsecNET3 system at his workplace. It is necessary for messages to arrive about the arrival of employees. Is this possible?
— Possibly. While previous versions of ParsecNET had a server and workstations (computers to which equipment could be connected, or without equipment), the ParsecNET 3 system has four types of computers. These are:
the system server, responsible for all data and exchange with other computers. In this case, the DBMS server can be located on a separate PC in the network;
workstation — a PC to which equipment is connected, but there is no user interface;
console — PCs on which the user interface runs, but there is no equipment;
mini-console, or notification console.
This is a compact application (mini-console) that works in the system tray and animates notifications about pre-selected events, for example, about the arrival of a specific employee to work.
— There is a lot of different equipment at the facility. Now it is necessary to connect everything into one system. Is it possible to do this within the framework of ParsecNET3?
— Possibly. The new ParsecNET 3 software suite is fundamentally different from the previous version ParsecNET 2.5 and is built as a platform for integration with any hardware and software. In terms of its internal structure, data presentation and processing methods, ParsecNET 3 is completely indifferent to the type of hardware it needs to work with. With the appropriate drivers, ParsecNET 3 can manage not only security system components, but also any life support systems, etc.
— Many manufacturers talk about the user-friendly interface. How user-friendly and practical is the ParsecNET3 interface?
— Now few people remember that not long ago, when installing any board in a PC or connecting a printer, scanner, or even a mouse, it was necessary to install and configure drivers. The Plug-and-Play technology that appeared instead has radically changed the situation, and now it is not at all difficult to connect something new to a computer.
The question arose: why are security systems worse? Result: ParsecNET 3 identifies connected equipment, automatically adds it to the system, and enables it. There is no need to launch the user interface.
Additional workstations are automatically added to the system if you installed them on neighboring machines, and other equipment, including controllers with an Ethernet interface and the central network controller (CNC) together with the controllers connected to it.
Of course, the parameters set during automatic connection of equipment may not completely suit you — then they will have to be corrected manually. Plug-and-Play technology does not cancel traditional methods of system configuration. You can add equipment to the system and pre-configure it manually.
Not everyone likes to drag and drop something with the mouse — you can «drop» the moved object in the wrong place. But many cannot work on a computer without a mouse. You've probably guessed it: ParsecNET 3 supports the technology originally called Drag and Drop.