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Update for Velocity 3.0 (KB120) Release Notes |
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January 31, 2007 |
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Update for Velocity 3.0 (KB120) Released 03/22/2007 contains file changes to address the following knowledge base articles:
Download and install the update by executing the EXE file on the Velocity Security Domain server which will launch the update wizard. Once the update completes, as each client re-connects to the Velocity Security Domain, updates will automatically be applied. You do not need take the update to each Velocity client and run it.
Note: Requirements & planning for a system update
Before applying an update to the Velocity server, you must plan for independent client down time until the the update has been applied to each client respectively, in order for each client to stay in sync with the server system to prevent application errors and possible database corruption.
Before you install Velocity updates, the following requirements must be met:
Applying updates to the Velocity Server:
You must be logged into the Velocity server computer with a Windows account that has local Administrative privileges in order to install updates. Velocity Update may install new files and register them with the local Windows environment. On a Windows member server, you must be a member of the local Administrators group. On a domain or backup controller, you must logged in as Administrator or be a member of Domain Admins.
You must also be logged into the Velocity server computer with a Windows account that has 'sysadmin' privileges in the Velocity SQL Server. Updates may include schema changes to the Velocity database or modifications to SQL Server system databases. In order to make those changes, 'sysadmin' privileges is required. If the SQL Server used by Velocity is located on another computer on the network, your Windows account must have local Administrative privileges as well as 'sysadmin' privileges on the remote SQL Server.
Applying updates to the Velocity Client:
When updates are applied to the Velocity server, you will be advised that all Velocity clients will be updated the next time they are launched. In order for the updates to be applied to the client computer, the person logged into Windows at the time Velocity is launched must have local Administrative privileges. This is required in order for Velocity Update to apply file and folder and possibly Windows Registry changes to the Windows environment. If a non Administrator launches the Velocity client after an update has been applied to the Velocity server, they will be advised that the update cannot be run without local Administrative privileges and Velocity will exit.
KB122 - PRB: Networked SNIB2 port offline/online messages every 20 minutes
Symptom: On some WAN networks, SNIB2 ports will go offline and then immediately come back online every 20 minutes. When this occurs all controllers are logged off and then logged back on. This generates a stream of events in the Event Window.
Cause: This problem has only been reported when SNIB2 units are communicating over a WAN network. The cause of the problem has not been identified and is still being investigated.
Solution:
Important: SNIB2 Firmware v5.72 or later is required for this update
Although the cause of this problem is still under investigation, modifications have been made to Velocity’s polling engine and to the SNIB2 firmware to allow for silent recovery and preemptive socket maintenance which can reduce or eliminate the above mentioned symptoms. This new behavior is controlled by settings that are specified in a PollingEngine.ini file (Contact Technical Support).
Copy PollingEngine.dll dated March 9, 2007 and download SNIB2 firmware update v5.72 or later. These files are available in Update for Velocity 3.0 (KB120) which should be applied to the Security Domain only.
SNIB2 firmware must be manually imported into Velocity and then downloaded to SNIB2.
Applies To: DC4194
KB124 - SNIB2 Release Notes Version 5.92
SNIB2 Release Notes Vn. 5.92
April 10, 2007Customers that may benefit from this SNIB2 release have one or more of these:
- Large, globalized installations with high traffic: more than 40,000 globalized events per hour. Multiply the number of access grant transactions per hour times the number of controllers on that SNIB2 port to determine the global traffic load. For example, 1200 access grants per hour times 35 controllers = 1200x35 = 42,000 globalized events per hour.
- The need to set an IP address before physically moving it to another controller
- More than 31 addresses at 9600 bps
- RS-232 connection, directly from Velocity to SNIB2 or over a leased-line or NET*MUX4 connection. (Not dial-up.)
- XBox upstream of a SNIB2
Defects fixed
- Controllers reconnecting every 20 minutes fixed [Also requires Velocity Pollingengine.DLL and Pollingengine.INI files, dated 03/27/07] - Defect 255
- Controllers at large sites with globalized user management were not responding to downloads in a timely manner during peak periods and appeared to be non-responsive, despite their online status and event traffic. Increased the size of command queues to allow credential and command downloads to operate during times of high event traffic - Defect 267 (see also Recommended Practices, first item)
New Features
- IP address is now written to flash memory when a SNIB2 is reflashed. This allows you to set an IP address on a SNIB2, use the SNIB2 reflash feature, unplug the SNIB2 from power and send it somewhere else; the "Cold Start" feature will use the flashed IP address as its default.
- LEDs reassigned to indicate data transmission trouble, firmware reflash, etc. See "SNIB2 Troubleshooting Guide" for explanation of LED light patterns.
- 19200 bps no longer available. 9600 bps setting allows addresses 1-63 instead of 1-31. 38400, 57600, and 115200 continue to allow addresses 1-63. (Note that NET*MUX4 is still limited to 9600 bps.)
- RS232 support officially released
- XBOX support officially released. CCM and SNIB2 Firmware download works, including SNIB2 emulation of a SNIB1 downstream from an XBOX.
- SNIB2, Rev D has gone into production
- Download Command Queue increased in size, it's now 24 times as big as it used to be.
- Downloads of credentials, configurations, and command sets will go down to the controllers even if they are very busy with globalized user transaction messages.
Recommended Practices
- We do not recommend stopping and starting the services during peak traffic times. When there are many events flowing though the system, it is difficult to get all of the controllers online - RP 267
- Large installations should reset the default value of the SNet host timeout (located in the Communications tab of the Controller Properties window in Velocity) from the default value of 10 seconds to a number higher than the number of controllers on the loop - RP 250, 256
This document covers changes to the SNIB2 since Vn. 5.28.
KB127 - PRB: Globalization heavy traffic
Symptom: Controllers at large sites with globalized user management were not responding to downloads in a timely manner during peak periods and appeared to be non-responsive, despite their online status and event traffic.
Cause: This behavior occurs when the traffic level on the globalized system is high enough that SNET Host Timeout value needs to be larger than the default value of "10".
Solution: We have increased the size of command queues to allow credential and command downloads to operate during times of high event traffic. To resolve this problem, you must download and install SNIB2 5.92 Firmware Update Released 04/10/07
NOTE: It is not recommend stopping and starting the services during peak traffic times. When there are many events flowing though the system, it is difficult to get all of the controllers online.
References: For additional information about SNIB2 5.92, click the article number below to view the article in the Velocity Knowledge Base:
KB124 - SNIB2 5.92 Release Notes
Applies To: DC 267-H
KB128 - PRB: RQE triggered twice doesn't work (CCM)
Symptom: When RQE is set to "Mask Only", DOTL alarm was not reporting if a second RQE was sent in 8 to 12 seconds
Cause: This was a legacy defect, dating back to version 6 of the firmware.
Solution: To resolve this problem, you must download and install the CCM Vn. 7.4.06 Firmware Update Released 04/12/07
References: For additional information about CCM Vn 7.4.06, click the article number below to view the article in the Velocity Knowledge Base:
KB123 - CCM Vn. 7.4.06 Release Notes
Applies To: DC 265-H
KB147 - CCM Vn. 7.4.06 Release Notes
CCM Release Notes 7.4.06
April 12, 2007Most customers may download the binary file through Velocity and do not need to physically replace their CCM.
Customers that may benefit from this DIGI*TRAC release have one or more of these:
- Velocity 3.0 (note: CCM vn. 7.4.06 will also work on earlier versions of Velocity) [7.4.02]
- Globalized alarm-cancel [7.4.02]
- Globalized Anti-Passback or Globalized Absentee Rule, especially on a large high traffic site with more than 42,000 globalized events per hour. Globalized events = number of access grant transactions per hour times the number of controllers. For example, 1200 access grants per hour x 35 controllers = 42,000. [7.4.06]
- Large credential databases (with memory expansion card) with Temp Days, Absentee Rule, or Globalized Anti-Passback in use [7.4.02]
- Large user populations that have to be deleted to make room for more; or if they have experienced user database problems in the past. [7.4.02]
- 2-Person Rule Disable on Occupancy Threshold in multiple-Passback Zone topology [7.4.02]
- Using RQE set to Mask Only. [7.4.05]
- Entry/Exit delay on Expansion Inputs 17-32 [7.4.02]
- "Normally open" inputs monitored via the status viewer. (Most inputs are configured for normally-closed.) [7.4.02]
- M8s with 16 ScrambleProx [7.4.02]
- Long card numbers (longer than 8 digits) and keypad programming mode [7.4.02]
- Weigand pass-through cards [7.4.02]
- GSA 75-bit (FIPS 201) format cards [7.4.02]
- DTA (LCD DIGI*TRAC Annunciator) [7.4.02]
- Keypad programming [7.4.02]
- ScramblePad Sharing AND Custom Card Mapping (This is a rare combination.) [7.4.02]
- Local printer connected to controller, either parallel or via SCIB. [7.4.06]
Defects fixed
- Buffers no longer print repeatedly - defect 268 [7.4.06]
- Globalized Anti-Passback in large facilities not going offline - defect 267 [7.4.06]
- "RQE triggered twice doesn't work" When set to Mask Only, DOTL alarm was not reporting if a second RQE was sent in 8 to 12 seconds - defect 265 [7.4.05]
- All 14 digits of GSA 75-bit format reading correctly - defect 240 [7.4.02]
- Number of people inside disables two-person rule working correctly for multiple Passback Zones - defect 236 [7.4.02]
- Weigand pass-through reading correctly - defect 233 [7.4.02]
- Entry/Exit Delay on Expansion Inputs 17-32 implemented - defect 225 [7.4.02]
- Command 310 & 311 functional in keypad programming with longer card codes - defects 208, 209 [7.4.02]
- Globalized passback working with expansion users - defect 197 [7.4.02]
- MEB/BE clears host buffer limits when removed - defect 85 [7.4.02]
- "Cards don't work after an upgrade." A database mismatch was causing MATCH to read card codes as 00000000. This was fixed in version 7.4.00, but any customers that had experienced the database mismatch potentially had to go into each reader of each controller to change settings after the fix had been implemented. Version 7.4.02 fixes the database mismatch AND resets the customer's reader settings for them, provided the CCM is upgraded via Velocity binary download - defect 233 [7.4.02]
- M8s with 16 ScrambleProx were previously having intermittent and rare match offline messages during periods of inactivity - defect 276 [7.4.02]
Known bugs and limitations
- "Print ACBs not at factory default" command may print additional ACBs that are at their Velocity default values after a Velocity configuration download - defect 248 (Note: Velocity vn. 3.0 fixes this issue.) [7.4.02]
New Features
- 98*53*86*YY*MM*DD# will cold-start the controller from the host or keypad - request 275 [7.4.05]
- New messages logged for clock changes, and whenever Velocity logs onto the controller, previous to Velocity version 3.1. - request 274 [7.4.06]
- Note that you will see two or three "Undefined Misc Messages" every time Velocity connects to the controller. You can use Customization Manager to change message 8083 to say "Clock Updated" and message 8087 to "Controller Logged On."
- Globalized User Management optimized to only update the other controllers when the credential's user record is updated. In other words, if the user went from one PZ to the same PZ, and their use count or absentee info didn't change, the access grant transaction won't be globalized to the other controllers - request 273 [7.4.06]
- Globalized Alarm Cancel - request 239 [7.4.02]
- Relay state change logic inverted - request 232 [7.4.02]
- New message format for threat level status - request 224 [7.4.02]
- Controller cold-start and power cycle messages added - request 223 [7.4.02]
- Conditional unmask by input - request 205 [7.4.02]
This document covers changes to the CCM since 7.3.21.