Secrets of Seamless Integration of Access Control and Surveillance
Integration Requires Digital
As a disclaimer, if you are still using an analog recording system, the rest of this article will not apply to you. Many folks looking to upgrade to digital systems are still struggling with the return on investment (ROI), and perhaps the integration piece of the picture will help. Unless you’re using one of the clunky tape management systems that were around briefly in the late 1990s, integrating access control to an analog recording system is simply not possible.
However, if you do have a digital recording system, there are five main integration methods. Please note that all require synchronization of the system clocks. The CPU for the access control system must show the same time as the one for the digital recording system. There are many ways to accomplish this, from software utilities to time servers, but it will not take care of itself.
1. Clock synchronization — This is often referred to jokingly as “manual integration.” If the times are the same, when an access control alarm event occurs, the operator can simply search for the appropriate camera in the recording system by time and see the associated video. This is labor intensive but preserves the separation between the two systems.
2. Alarm contact integration — An alarm event is sent to the CCTV system through dry contact closures. This can be through a door contact or an access control alarm panel. If integrating with both recording and live viewing systems, the contact closures will have to be buffered in some manner to prevent the two systems from interacting. This method is the most wiring intensive and the least elegant, but it is often the most reliable.
3. ASCII text streams — Alarm events can also be sent to the recording system as ASCII text streams, or bursts of text characters that can be recorded, parsed and retrieved with video. The recording systems can then search on these streams and bring up associated video events. All review is done from the video system.
4. API integration — Many digital video system vendors publish an application programming interface (API) that acts as a portal to the recording system. If the access control vendor has worked with that particular system, it is possible to review live video right from the access control system workstation, often by simply clicking on an alarm event. This method is the simplest to use but brings up the departmental separation issues more than any other (see sidebar).
5. Control center — Some third-party developers take the integration challenge to another level by providing control software that sits on top of other systems. In this manner, the software would use the APIs from both the digital recording and access control manufacturers to control both systems. Other systems that utilize APIs can also be merged in this manner (such as building controls, fire, music and paging) and the control panel has tremendous control and flexibility. While these systems have been successfully deployed for years and provide real value for end users, their cost and complexity has so far kept them out of the mainstream.
The Integration ‘Gotcha’
End users and integrators have taken the idea of integration to the next level in many cases, relying on the access control system to handle alarms and auxiliary doors through alarm panels and serving as an alarm monitoring system as well. In fact, as more systems eliminate the need for a CCTV matrix switching system in favor of clusters of DVRs or IP video systems, the access control system is often the only centralized system on the premises to handle alarms. While this may be cost effective and expedient, it creates a system vulnerability that is often missed until it is too late.
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