C•CURE 800/8000 Hardware Configuration Guide - Tyco Security ...

Understanding C•CURE iSTAR Controllers Secondary Tab for iSTAR Classic & iSTAR Pro......................................................... 1-49 Cluster Tab for iSTAR Classic & iSTAR Pro .............................................................. 1-53 Misc Tab for iSTAR Classic & iSTAR Pro................................................................... 1-56 Global APB Tab for iSTAR Classic & iSTAR Pro ...................................................... 1-58Understanding C•CURE iSTAR ControllersThe iSTAR controller is an intelligent, network-ready controller for securitysystems. The heart of the iSTAR controller is the General Controller Module(GCM) - an embedded microprocessor-based controller card. Add-on AccessControl Modules (ACMs) provide access control functionality by supportingreaders, outputs, and inputs. GCMs have the following features:Network, Dialup, and Serial ConnectionsThe GCM includes an RJ-45 jack for access to a 10BaseT Ethernet network, aPC card slot (PCMCIA) for expandable communications, such as an internalmodem or network card, expandable memory options, and a configurableserial port for an external modem or a direct connection to the host.Cluster Configuration and Distributed ManagementOne or more controllers can be configured for communications purposes intouser-defined groups called Clusters. Clusters have primary communicationspaths to the host that use Masters to control communications among clustermembers and the host over the network. Clusters also support a backupcommunications path, the secondary communications path. The cluster canuse the secondary path to communicate with the host when acommunications failure occurs on the primary path. Secondary paths can useeither the master or an Alternate Master. See “Networked iSTAR Controllers(Clusters)” on page 1-5 for information.Communications among iSTAR controllers provide distributed functionalityat the controller level that is not typically available on security managementsystems. Global Antipassback by Cluster is an example of an idealapplication. See “Distributed Cluster Management” on page 1-8 forinformation.1–2 C•CURE 800/8000 Hardware Configuration Guide