GateKeeper

Gatekeeper is designed to keep track of students, staff and visitors entering and leaving the school. It provides the functionality for different types of  users to sign in and out of the school. Schools are able to set which reasons require acceptance by a nominated management console. The  file attached to the end of this document is to a PowerPoint slideshow highlighting the features of Gatekeeper. It will need to be extracted before viewing.

The entries recorded by the Gatekeeper are time based entries and as such do not reflect in the absence or roll marking tables. It is possible to have a customised script written to do this but this is created on a school by school basis. There is a cost involved with writing this. Email support@pcschool.net with the title "Gatekeeper Script Request" request to start this process. The script is not required to use Gatekeeper for its base functionality of recording the comings and goings of staff, students and visitors.

The GateKeeper has very minimal dependencies, so there is a wide range of compatible hardware available. It runs on a Windows operating system. Additional technology can be utilised to improve the user experience and speed up the sign-in or sign-out process.

Security

Security #	Description
255	Gatekeeper Spider Sign In/Out	Staff are able to record when the arrive/leave from school as well as other activities.
1100/-101	Portal Administration / Security	This combination of securities is needed to configure the Gatekeeper for initial use. It is where the buttons and behaviours of the Gatekeeper/"Sign In /Sign Out" are set.

Software

GateKeeper requires the following software to run, and by extension must be installed in a Windows environment, with certain hardware requirements.

• Currently supported Windows operating system
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4
• Crystal Reports Runtime  Version 13.0.15

Hardware

Minimum Requirements

The minimum requirements for GateKeeper are dictated by its dependencies. You can confirm supported hardware from Microsoft or SAP, but these are published online (https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/8z6watww(v=vs.110).aspx, http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-21990/).

At the time of publishing, the minimum hardware requirements are:

• 1GHz Processor
• 512MB RAM
• Network access (PCSchool File-Share + MS SQL Server)

Recommended

• All-in-one PC
• Touch-screen (may be integrated into all-in-one PC – larger surface area preferred)
• Webcam device (may be integrated)
• ID Scanner (Barcode, NFC, etc. are fine, but must return match-able characters e.g. “A6352”)
• Receipt Printer (Network printers are preferred to free up the main device’s ports)

Installation on new computers

PCSchool will assist with the initial installation of Gatekeeper. Once it is installed on one client computer, follow the steps below to add it to a another client computer.

1) Ensure the computer is joined to the domain that PCSchool is part of.

2) Ensure the logged in user has permission to access the PCSchool share.

3) Install the Crystal Runtime

4) Ensure Dot Net Framework 4 is installed (Usually present by default)

5) From an existing client, copy the folder that GateKeeper is installed in

6) Create the desktop shortcuts for the GateKeeper application

7) Run the application and follow the onscreen setup to locate the preferences.ini file with the main PCSchool share\data folder

Customisation

GateKeeper can be customised to better suit your school. The reasons, approval stations, and reports are managed via the GateKeeper Administration program, however the global configuration settings are available in the Spider Configuration Editor. More detail on the reasons and approval stations’ setup can be found in the following articles:

Note that changes to the configuration settings will require the GateKeeper program to be restarted before the changes will take effect.

Aesthetic Setup

The text, colours, and a logo can be setup via Spider's Portal Administration > Configuration by selecting the “GateKeeper Screen Settings” filter drop-down option.

The colours available are “HTML Colour Names” which you can find easily on-line.

A number of button-text options can be used to hide the button, by removing the text. For example if students shouldn’t be able to select themselves from a list, then blank out the value for “SELECT_MYSELF_BUTTON_TEXT” and the button itself won’t appear when running GateKeeper.

Functional Setup

The functional setup can be accessed via the Spider's Portal Administration > Configuration by selecting the “Gatekeeper Configuration” filter drop-down option.

Functional settings include a range of options that may be general or specific to a user-type. Some specific settings will be unique to a type of user (e.g. students can be organised by form class, teacher, or house), while other specific settings may be duplicated for each different user-type. For example, the Staff can use their teacher hash on their new ID cards, while students use their old ID cards with their student registration number already on them.

An example of a general configuration option would be “ENABLE_AUTOEXIT”, which directs the GateKeeper back to the main menu when a sign-in or sign-out is completed, or if disabled will wait for a user to press the “Exit” button before returning. This can be useful to ensure users remember to wait for their slip to print (if applicable).

Adding Reasons

Reasons are the pre-defined explanations that people can select when using the GateKeeper. If you are synchronising the GateKeeper to the absence database for students, the absence code will be recorded as an “L” (Late) regardless of the code connected to the selected reason. For students, reasons can be filtered by year level. Reasons apply to all GateKeeper stations within a workarea.

STEPS

1. Open GateKeeper Admin.
2. Select the appropriate work area and click the [Next] button.
3. From the menu bar, select: Manage > Reasons

STEP 1 Open GateKeeper Admin.

STEP 2 Select the appropriate work area and click the [Next] button.

STEP 3 From the menu bar, select: Manage > Reasons

STEP 3

1. Select the type of user you want to add/edit a reason for.
2. Select whether the reason is considered arriving or departing (Late/Sign In is considered arrival).
3. If you want to create a new Reason, click the [Clear] button.
4. If you want to edit an existing reason, double click on it.
5. Enter the Reason’s text/description.
6. Enter the Code to use for the Reason (will be appended to reason when saved, e.g. “Reason [R]”).
7. Enter the number of days that the late should be considered for (i.e. zero days is not counted).
8. Select the year levels that are allowed to use the reason specified.
9. Choose whether authorisation is needed to save this reason into PCSchool. Alternatively, Staff reasons can be tagged as School Based activities – Staff reasons cannot require authentication.
10. Choose whether a slip should be printed out for this Reason.
11. When you are content with the details you have entered, click the [Save] button.

The reason will now be available in the GateKeeper.

For utilising the "Sign In / Sign Out" control in Spider for staff, staff reasons must be created.

Adding Approval Stations

“Approval Stations” are used to maintain a grouping for GateKeeper systems. When someone tries to sign in or out through a GateKeeper using a reason that requires approval, the request is sent out to the subscribed Gatekeepers for confirmation based on this grouping.

STEPS

1. Open GateKeeper Admin.
2. Select the appropriate work area and click the [Next] button.
3. From the menu bar, select: Manage > Approval Stations

STEP 1 Open GateKeeper Admin.

STEP 2 Select the appropriate work area and click the [Next] button.

STEP 3 From the menu bar, select: Manage > Approval Stations

1. If creating a new Approval Station group, click the [Clear] button.
2. If editing an existing Approval Station group, double click on the row you want to edit.
3. Enter a Description for the group of approval stations – this is normally a location like “High School Reception”.
4. Select the appropriate Reports for each type of person that will be using the GateKeeper.
5. When you are content with the details you have entered, click the [Save] button.

Now you will have a new approval station option in the work area that you originally selected . You will need to close and re-open GateKeeper in order to start using the new approval station group.

Gatekeeper Reports

Reports will get automatically installed when Gatekeeper is installed.

Sign in and out slips: (available for Gatekeeper printers)

Note:  You can get your own slip customised –  please email:  help@pcschool.net with details.

Boarder Sign In/Out Receipt Slip	GK1B.RPT
Student Late/Early Departure Slips	GK1S_NEGS.RPT
Staff Sign In/Out Receipt Slip	GK1Te.RPT
Vistor Sign In/Out Receipt Slip	GK1V.Rpt

 

Available reports in back office:

Student reports:

Path: Scholastic> Administration> Attendance & Behaviour Reports > Tab 3  Late or Early Departure

GateKeeper Listing – Student Current Status	GKSTL1.RPT
GateKeeper Listing – Students Currently Off Site	GKSTL3OUT.RPT
GateKeeper Listing – Students Currently on-Site	GKSTL3IN.RPT
GateKeeper Listing – Students’ Full Listings	GKSTL2.RPT

 

Visitor reports:

Utilities> Crystal Generic Report Launch

Gatekeeper Visitor Listing

GKVL1.RPT

 

Staff Reports:

Path: Scholastic> Administration> Staff Reports

GateKeeper Listing – Staff’s Full Listing (date range)	GKTEL1.RPT
GateKeeper Listing – Staff Currently Off-Site	GKTEL3OUT.RPT
GateKeeper Listing – Staff Currently On-Site	GKTEL3IN.RPT
GateKeeper Listing – Staff Work Times (week only)	GKTEL2.RPT

 

Reinstalling GateKeeper on a new computer

To reinstall Gatekeeper on a new computer make sure it has the following requirements

STEP 1: From old computer copy the following folder from:

C:\Program files(x86)/Com Assist Solutions/Gatekeeper/  (as per example)

STEP 2: On your new computer paste this folder into your C:\Program Files (x86)

STEP 3: Open your C:\Program Files (x86)\Com Assist Solutions\GK1 file

• Select the Gatekeeper Application file and double click – this message might appear – YES

Select your server location e.g. below

Update next screen:

Make sure the information on this screen is correct –

Header is what you would like to call this terminal

Tick your year levels that require Gatekeeper etc

When correct Select the  [NEXT]

You will then get your Gatekeeper screen

Manually Sign Out a visitor

If a Visitor can’t sign out either using their Barcode, or the code listed on their sign-in slip (if applicable), then a staff member with GateKeeper Admin on their computer can manually sign out that visitor. If photographs are taken, this can help to identify the visitor, besides their name.

There is an option to select visitors (without departures) and enter their departure time. This is found in the GateKeeper Admin program (same as approving/disapproving reasons for students). If you open the main window, and select the menu “Manage” and sub-menu “Pending Requests” (as below) to get a list of visitors outstanding.

1. Double click on someone’s name to select a visitor
2. The “Time Back” (i.e. time of departure) will automatically be filled in (the current time), although you can change it if you need to
3. Click the [Save] button to commit the changes

This will list the visitor as having departed.