Features – Notification

Until now our powerful Notifications have been time consuming and difficult to configure. With each option presenting you with another ten simultaneously it quickly became technical work!

We present to you; The Notification Wizard. The Notification Wizard puts our most simple, flexible yet powerful system at your finger tips and completely changes the way you configure Notifications. Configuration has been made completely intuitive and natural. Notification is configured simply by choosing a sensor, choosing your conditions and choosing what to do under these conditions. If you wanted to monitor when the Temperature in your server room rises above
60 degrees and have an e-mail to the support team sent, it’s now as easy as saying it. Configuring notifications is made simple by selecting each variable in small steps. This simplicity coupled with the ability to expand this method to thousands of actions, sensors, conditions and contacts makes it our most powerful solution yet.

As described a Notification is based around three items, the sensor, the status of the sensor and the action to be performed for the Notification. The Notification Wizard walks you step by step through each to create a new Notification in seconds, not minutes, and with our modular approach each of the three objects, settings and configurations can be duplicated and repeated easily.

Let’s consider the example above, clicking on the Begin Notification Wizard brings you to the first part of completing your Notification.

1. Simply choose your Notification method, e-mail in this case.

2. Complete your e-mail address details. (message, e-mail server and other
settings follow).

3. Sensor Action Link Screen. On this screen you have the option to select
multiple sensors, under multiple conditions with multiple actions. All clearly
displayed and selected at the click of a button.

4. Once completed your Notification is displayed in the Sensor Action Link Page,
which acts as an overview for all completed Notifications.

This is a basic overview of configuring a common Notification for temperature alerts via e-mail completed in a matter of seconds. Configuration of all of methods is just as simple (Snmp, MMS, SMS, Telephone Call etc.)

Also included is the Notification Log which tracks all attempted Notifications for admin/testing purposes and the Notification Analyzer which allows filter of the entire collection of Notifications. The latter tool is extremely helpful in determining who receives what notifications, or what sensor statuses are set to trigger notifications. This tool is a god-send in fine tuning your Notifications to cover all eventualities.

Notification Based on Day of The Week

The calendar function provides a user friendly, yet powerful way to control system alerts.

The picture above illustrates the use of the calendar function to limit alerts in accordance with specific time of day and day of week. In the configuration shown, the calendar is set to send the notification to the targeted person every day except Sunday. It also shows that it is possible to turn notifications on or off by hours and minutes.

Now that you are familiar with the concept and power of the Notification Wizard, find out how easy it is to configure using our Notification Wizard.

Notification Time Filters

Notification Time Filters help prevent excessive, unnecessary alerts. The Time Filters hold back the alerts for a certain period, and send out the notification after the sensor status has been in effect for a configurable period of time, this results in canceling alerts if their status returns to normal within a predefined time period.

In the above illustration, the Time Filter is set to 10 seconds. In the first picture, the temperature sensor senses a temperature of 67 degrees, which has been defined as a Critical status. However, the status only stays Critical for 6 seconds before returning to Warning and then Normal. Therefore, no alarm will be sent out. The second picture indicates the temperature level in a Critical status for longer than 10 resulting in a notification being sent to targeted people.

Notification Escalation

Notification Escalation can be activated when the sensor status remains unchanged for a particular period. For example, if the Water Detector sensor on port 7 has a status of Critical continuously for 20 minutes, then the notification can be made to escalate. The SC1 and securityProbe can send a different alert to another group of staff members using the Escalation feature. Escalation is useful when the operator fails to respond to the sensor. The management can still take the necessary actions, thereby preventing a disaster.

Get Notified In Different Ways

Trap
Full SNMP function support and integration with Network Management Software is included. SNMP traps provide organizations with an important management solution for their assets. SNMP traps are sent immediately following an event condition providing the ability for a timely response. Traps will be sent by the cameraProbe8 and securityProbe and handled by the NMS for centralized event logging and automatic response to events. Traps can be sent to two different destinations.

Email
Email notification is a popular way to alarm targeted people to recognize the unusual condition. Users can notify up to 6 recipient email addresses to take necessary actions.

SMS
Mobile phones play a major role in people’s lifestyles; SMS notification is one of the fastest ways to alert targeted staff. The user is able to notify multiple telephone numbers with a customized message. SMS messages can be sent via Ethernet to a SMS gateway, through an optional dial up telephone line modem to an SMS gateway or through an optional attached mobile phone or GPRS modem.

MMS
MMS notification is an easy way to reach selected people to with customized messages along with recorded images of any event. The targeted person will be able to identify the problem and find solutions as soon as they receive the notification. Sending SMS and MMS messages can be restricted to certain sensor types and severity status of the sensor to reduce costly operator fees. SMS and MMS messages can be set as an option, activated only when the Ethernet is down or when the optional telephone modem cannot dial out. MMS can also be sent via an optional attached mobile phone or GPRS modem.

Alarm Sound
Alarm Sound notification is one of the easy ways to alert designated people. Alert play time, speaker volume and sound type are all adjustable. The configuration of sound types is flexible; for example one alarm sound can be applied for all statuses or distinctive sound chosen for each level of urgency. Sound can be customized by downloading a wav file. This allows a unique sound for each sensor and for each status of every sensor. The alarm sound can be played through the included internal speaker or through an optional external speaker.

Speech
The Speech notification provides meaningful messages by letting the securityProbe talk to the user using text to voice technology. Messages can be predefined as a Default or Custom message. Speech alerts can be played through the included internal speaker or through an optional external speaker.

Telephone Call
Text to voice technology is used to dial out and deliver custom messages to multiple users. Using an optional attached telephone modem, users are delivered detailed spoken messages. The recipient can be asked for an acknowledgement, thereby guaranteeing delivery. The Telephone call is extremely customizable, for example a single listed phone number can be required to acknowledge or all listed phone numbers can be required to acknowledge receipt of the message, depending on status severity. Telephone call destinations can be a land line phone or a mobile phone, national or international.

FTP
The FTP notification allows pictures and information to be uploaded to an FTP server. This allows users to retrieve an unlimited number o f recorded events from the FTP server for further action.

Event Log
Event Log captures each event as it occurs, recording images and details of each event. The event log offers a great deal of flexibility including an unlimited number of pictures per event and customizable interval between pictures after the event. For example, whenever the security sensor indicates that the front door has been opened a recording for 2 seconds prior to the event and then for 5 seconds after the event can be recorded whereas the temperature sensor on port 3 can be configured to only record one picture when the status is critical.

Custom Script
A Custom script is the most flexible source of notification allowing users to create their own notification methods and messages. Any imaginable action can be taken. The script can have full knowledge of the event including such parameters as time of day, sensor type, sensor port, sensor description, status and many others. Scripts can be written in a variety of languages including bash and perl.

Sensor Controlled Relay
Sensor Controlled Relay can switch on/off another electronic device. Up to 8 optional external relays or included control outputs can be configured to control external equipment. For example, a motion detector can turn on a light in a computer room. Options such as the length of time the light remains on after the event occurs are all user configurable.

** To protect against excessive alerts, there are numerous filter configurations on every types of notification. An alarm can be delayed for a certain period of time. There is also an option to limit notifications in accordance with specific time of day and day of week. The AKCP designed graphical interface makes time and day filter setting very easy.

Advance Configuration

Each sensor and each state of each sensor may have its own notification settings. This is useful because different situations often require handling by different staff members. For example, Low warning and Low critical alerts can be sent to maintenance staff while High warning and High critical alert can be sent to IT support and then head of maintenance.

In addition when using comparatively expensive notifications like MMS, or potentially annoying notifications like the Sound Alarm it is may be desirable to limit their occurrence. These notifications can now be limited based upon a range of factors such as the calendar and the length of time that a particular sensor has been in a particular state. They can even be escalated. For example a temperature sensor in the High Critical status may play one sound, but if that sensor remains in that status for a period of time, then the sound will change, as will its volume.