Creating New Credentials

Overview

• Credentials are the tool someone uses to unlock an electronic lock. 
• Credentials can come in many forms.
• Creating a credential is a multi-step process. 
• At Valley Library we use:
  • Personal Identification Numbers (PIN
  • Proximity Credentials 
    • Key cards
    • Fobs

Reminder: User profiles do not carryover from one facility file to another. If a person needs access to doors in more than one file, you must create a user profile for each file. For user simplicity, the credentials should also be the same in both facility files.

Crendential User Groups within SMS Express

• Doors

  • This is used primarily in the facilities for 1st, 5th, and 6th.
  • Credentials for a door must be assigned to a user.
  • Because the rooms are used by multiple patrons, it is not realistic to give each patron their own credential to use the room. 
  • Instead, the door becomes the user. 
    • Credentials for the room are then assigned to the room's door. 
    • Each door is given two credentials (copy 1 & copy 2). 
    • These are the key cards we check out at the Circulation desk.
  • We could use Circulation as the user, but then Circulation would have hundreds of credentials, and that isn't practical either.

• Keys

  • This group is for credentials that aren't always assigned to a real person but aren't part of a large enough group to have its own user group.
  • This group is used in a variety of ways. It includes:
    
    • Credentials used by Circulation including
      • master key cards
      • freeze and toggle credentials
      • credentials for Valley Library classrooms (not Grad Commons)

Types of Credentials by User Groups

• Key cards

  • Study rooms, Research rooms and Classrooms use Key cards
  • The key cards are purchased by LEAD and kept by the Room Coordinator
  • They are labeled using a label maker and a record is created in Alma and Open Room for these credentials.
  • Key cards are checked out to patrons at the Circulation desk.

• OSU ID cards

  • Used primarily by OSU staff. We do not use this credential for student workers, unless they request it.
  • OSU ID cards have a proximity chip in them that can be utilized as a credential for Valley Library locks.
  • Cards are programmed using the card's hotstamp and facility code.
  • The hotstamp and facility code can be looked up by OSU ID number through a prox lookup website. Access to this website must be requested.
  • Using this data, a credential is created in the software and programmed into the door locks.

• Key fobs

  • Used primarily by departments. Examples include:
    • DAS, Honors College, Information Desk.
  • The Room Coordinator has a supply of key fobs that can be programmed as credentials.
  • These are generally labeled with a key tag.

• Personal Identification Numbers (PIN)

  • PINs are issued primarily to students workers.
    • They are always given an expiration date
    • Room Coordinator checks in with Student worker managers each term to update credentials as needed.
    • Room Coordinator keeps a spreadsheet of credentials issued to Student workers.
  • PINS are also issued to new staff as a temporary credential. 
    • Room Coordinator will create a batch of PIN credentials
    • When the Library Spaces Planning Manager has approved an access request, the Room Coordinator will receive a copy of the completed access request.
    • The Room Coordinator will then email a temporary PIN to the new employee's supervisor.
    • Room Coordinator will create a permanent credential for the new staff member. The Room Coordinator will deactivate the the PIN when issuing the permanent credential.
    • Permanent credentials are programmed into the locks once a month. 

Credential Functions

When credentials are being created, they can be assigned different functionality. Select a function from the drop-down menu.

• Normal: This gives the User standard access to doors. 
• Toggle: When this credential is used it will toggle the door locked/unlocked temporarily. This is not how we unlock doors for summer term; for this see Locklink Summer Automatically Unlocking Doors.doc
• Freeze: This credential will keep a door locked until the credential is swiped a second time and the lock is returned to normal operation. The exception to this is any credential with a pass through function.
• One Time Use: This credential will only provide one-time access to a door.
• Pass Through: This will open any lock even if it has been frozen by a credential with a freeze function.

Credential Expiration

Because the locks have an internal clock that tracks both time and date, you can set a credential to lose its access rights on a specific date. This is especially helpful when assigning credentials to user groups with a high turnover rate such as student workers. By setting an expiration date, even if you don't remove the user or their credential from the lock, they will no longer have access once the credential expires.

Creating New Credentials in SMS Express

Add a New User

• Log into the lock computer in the Room Coordinator's work space.
• Open the program "Schlage SMS Express". There is an icon on the desktop. 
  • Username and password can be found in the hard copy of the Room Coordinator Manual
  • It can also be found in the "Electronic Lock Specs" file folder
• You will see several category icons. Click the "Users" icon.

• This will bring up a list of users. 

• Select "New" below the list of Users.

• Fill in the fields for the new user. This will include:
  • Last Name
  • First Name
  • Group
  • Activation Date
  • Expiration Date set to end of term (Student Workers only).
    • If you don't want to enter the expiration date manually, you can set it by going into the program preference settings.
    • You will find those in the Setting drop down at the top of the main screen. 
    • If you choose to do this, be sure to delete the expiration date when setting up user profiles for staff.
• Save the user information. This will return you to the previous window.

Sometimes, you will need to add credentials to a lock but you won't have the card in hand. Another way to populate the serial number field is by converting the Hot Stamp. 

• The Hotstamp number a 4-5 digit code on the card or fob. 

• For key cards purchased by Valley Library, the Facility Code will be a 3-4 digit number on the packaging of the new cards. 
• For OSU ID cards, the Facility Code (and the Hotstamp) can be found on the prox lookup site bookmarked by the Room Coordinator
• After entering these codes, click the "Convert Hotstamp" button and the "Card(s) (Mag or Prox)" field above will populate with the serial number.
• After you have populated the  "Card(s) (Mag or Prox)" with the serial number and have the correct format chosen, click "OK"
• This will return you to the Users screen but now you should see a credential listed in the credentials box. You have just created a Prox card credential.

PIN Credentials

• Select PIN – used for student workers and as temporary credentials for new employees.
• The program will then allow you to either enter a number of your choosing or have the program randomly generate a PIN.
  • If you select a number on your own, the program will let you know if that number is already in use within that facility file.
• Click "OK" when done.
• This will return you to the Users screen but now you should see a credential listed in the credentials box. You have created a PIN credential.

Assigning Access Rights

Once you have created a user and a credential for the user, you have to tell the program which doors the credential should be able to open.

• Click "Access Rights" in the main window of Schlage SMS Express.

• A window will open up showing a complete list of users and credentials in the current facility file. This can be a very lengthy list. 
  • You can trim this list down by viewing it by group. Just use the Show Group drop down field and select the user group you wish to view.
  • You can use the toggle buttons on the left to choose to view by user or by door
    • I use view by door when I'm adding several users to the same door(s) (like new student workers to the staff room on 3rd).
    • I use view by user when adding only a few users but I'm adding them to multiple doors, or each user to a different door.
      • If viewing by user, each line will be a credential and the user that credential is assigned to.
        • If a user has more than one credential, there will be more than one line for that user.
        • Study Room doors always have two lines because they have two key cards.
        • Use the bar at the bottom to scroll over to see more fields of information.
  • The image below shows all the users and credentials for the study rooms. 
  • The window on the right shows the doors each credential is authorized to open. 
    • Highlight one of the credentials.
    • If the credential has no access rights, the window will be empty like the image below.
      
      
• Highlight the user and credential you are giving access rights to.
• Click the "Add" button found at the bottom of the window. A pop-up will appear.
  • Because we are viewing by user, the pop-up lists all the doors/locks in the current facility file.
    • When viewing by door, the list will be all the users in the current facility file.
  • You are going to select the doors you want to give the credential access to.
  • In some cases you may be adding several doors at once. To select multiple doors:
    • Hold the shift key while highlighting the doors in the list. This works well when highlighting doors listed next to each other.
    • Hold the control key if you are skipping some of the doors in the list.

• Once you have selected the door(s) you want, click the "Add" button at the bottom of the pop-up window. This will take you back to the previous window.
• Repeat the above step until all the needed users have been added access rights to the doors they need. Then click the "Close" button at the bottom of the window.
• The main window will now flash "(x number) Doors Require Programming". It is now time to Program the locks

Copy Function

If you are adding several users who will all have the same access rights, you can save time by copying the access rights of one user to another.

View by User

The copy button in the Access Rights window allows you to easily give the access rights of one User to a second User.

1. In the View by User mode, highlight the User whose access rights you wish to copy.
2. Press the Copy button at the bottom of the window.
3. This brings up a pop-up window with a list of the Users that you can assign the same access rights to. You can select multiple Users by holding ctrl while selecting the Users that you wish to give access to the door. (Note: Only the Users in the group that you have selected in the Show Group window will appear on this list. If you wish to copy access rights from a User in one User group and give them to someone in a different User group you have to select All Users in the Show Group window.)

View by Door

Similar to Copy function on the View by User display, the copy button allows you to copy the Users assigned to one door and assign them to a second door.

1. In the View by Door mode, highlight the door whose access rights you wish to copy.
2. Press the Copy button at the bottom of the window.
3. This brings up a pop-up window with a list of the User that you can assign the same access rights to.
4. Highlight the door you wish to assign the copied access rights to.
5. Press the Copy button at the bottom of the pop-up window

Wrapping Up

If you are only adding one user and/or credential, you are now ready to program the locks.

If you have multiple uses and/or credentials to add, repeat the steps above before programming locks. Generally, I create all my users and credentials and then give access rights. However, if you think you may forget something doing it that way, then go through the entire process with each user. Remember, you can only program locks in one facility file at a time. If your user needs access to doors in more than one facility file, you will need to complete the entire process (including programming the lock) for one facility file before working with a second facility file.