EMKA have for a long time been concerned with the provision of equipment security in their range of locking handles and swinghandles for electrical/electronic cabinets and racks. Now their innovative Electronic Lock Modular System – ELM – is taking that concept several steps further as exemplified by a recently commissioned data back up system at the HQ of one of the World’s leading banks.
The system requirements for this installation were to enable server room racks to be secured from unauthorised access, while logging of any authorised access. Including, whom, when and where. Remote access was required from a secondary site to view all system activity and to enable remote override opening of racks where a users ID card does not have permission. The system needed to use existing customer building access ID cards
Due to size and layout of the server room, as well as considerations of probable expansion, the room was divided into six complete network systems to cover six individual rows of racks. Front and rear doors from 176 APC server racks were removed in batches from the secured room. The existing EMKA 1150 swinghandles were removed and the doors were then re-punched to enable the fitting of the EMKA 2100 swinghandles.
These new handles and operating mechanisms were then fitted, along with 3000-U6 solenoids and door switch magnets. Keypads and HID proximity readers were fitted to the end panels on each of the six rows. The first rack of each row was fitted with Comms, Proximity and Handle modules as well as the power supply. All other racks were fitted with the handle module and power supply. All of these were fitted to a din rail and mounted at the top of each rack, thus creating a "zero U" solution.
Consideration had to be made regarding the commissioning of the system and the reading of all the user ID cards. There was a four day allowance made for the reading of the cards as this room is an off-site secuired backup system and is visited by authorised personnel from within the bank, as well as external service people from the equipment manufacturers who may need 24-hour access to the racks.
The systems were configured to identify the row/rack number and all the door solenoids and switches identified on the system. The system was set up to allow remote access for three system administrators from two individual sites. Once configured all doors were then thoroughly tested to ensure stable operation before making the room live.
The system is now running and logging all visits and enabling remote access, so that it is easy to remotely read new users onto the system from the comfort of the main office on the other side of the city. A new user simply calls the administrator who then logs into the system to activate "read new card" and activates this ID card.