Executive Summary

Access Control Servers (ACS) is a newly formed company founded on 60 years of combined server hardware, networking and software experience, to fill a very specific need in the security industry. That need is for computer systems to quickly recovery from catastrophic failures, at an affordable cost. Our custom designs truly address the growing need for 100% uptime and realistic business continuation planning. Systems that require such dependability are security and access control servers, digital video recorders (DVR), building and process automation, web, e-mail, and applications servers. Workstations also need this level of protection due to increased dependence on job functions utilizing specialized software and hardware such as industry specific serial and IP controllers, printers, and power backup devices. Network hardware such as routers and firewalls also need to be considered in these systems as a result of the client/server and web driven applications and IP addressable devices which have become so commonplace.

Today’s computer systems are very complex, combining many elements of hardware, software, and network products, with each element requiring many hours to setup and configuration. Traditionally, these systems have required great expertise to install as well as a broad understanding of the many technologies used in order to insure proper configuration. And when such systems fail, the effect on businesses continuity is expensive to fix, often requiring as much time as the original installation or more.

With insight provided by over 60 years of combined experience designing and supporting these types of systems the principals of ACS have devised a business model addressing all of these problems in a unique way. We do not look at individual pieces of hardware and software individually; rather, we look at the system and how the components and subsystems work together, and more importantly, how they affect one another and what is the best way to recover if there is a problem.

How do we provide the very best systems?

System Design

Component selection is the first and most important step we take in designing systems. We take great care in the process of designing servers, workstations and networks , using only the very best hardware available from Intel™, Crucial™, Western Digital™, and Linksys/Cisco™.

As Intel Partners we have access to a wealth of information and training which allows us to create systems with longevity, performance and price in mind. Often, computer buyers make purchasing decisions based solely on price, or worse yet, on media hype. Knowing that a system is only as good as the sum of its parts, ACS designs systems with overall performance in mind, not just processor speed. This means that we pick components and sub components that work together, reducing bottlenecks whenever possible. Upon construction we pay close attention to details such as hard drive speed, bandwidth, partition and cluster size, the location of virtual memory and databases, and the application for which the machine will be used.

Disk-to-Disk Backup, Replacement Systems and Virtual Servers

To make our systems even better, ACS has partnered with Acronis™, who’s award winning TrueImage™ software is by far the best hard disk imaging technology on the market. TrueImage allow us to create entire hard disk images on the fly. This means that backups no longer require tape changes, which can be forgotten. Scheduled backups are written to disk, which is not only incredibly fast but can be performed on live systems, even database servers, without stopping the system. More importantly, if the system fails it can be brought back to a known good state without the traditional method of reloading the operating system, reinstalling the applications, recreating accounts and restoring the data. This method is now replaced with a one step, wizard driven restore process, which can be completed safely, and in a fraction of the time.

We can also image directly to USB flash memory or an offsite FTP server and restore the image of any system to a completely different computer. And what is more, we can run your system in a visualized environment, such as our data center, in the event of a natural disaster or other catastrophic failure. This allows your systems IP devices and workstations to continue functioning even if the main server is destroyed.

Custom Designs and Implementations

Very few systems are the same. For example, the needs of small access control systems running Microsoft Desktop Engine (MSDE)™ are very different than large Microsoft SQL Server™ or Oracle™ based systems. That is why ACS works with application providers to understand your specific needs for performance and fault tolerance to design each system. We can also configure other software/hardware options such as photo imaging, power backup devices, serial IO expansion cards and printers to insure proper installation and testing. This can eliminate hours of installation and configuration time in the field and provide for a much more stable system. And ACS always updates all software, firmware and device drivers prior to shipping.

A Proactive Approach to Systems

ACS is proactive in its approach to designing systems, learning what customers want, and applications need before a sale is made. That idea is carried throughout and into the final product. By basing our standards on the Intel™ platform, we are able to utilize the Intel™ Server Maintenance and Reference Training (SMaRT) Tool™ for servers as well as the Intel™ Desktop Utilities™ software for workstations. This allows users to monitor an extensive array of system information such as CPU temperature, voltage, and system health. ACS can monitor these conditions for customers or help them set up this service in-house allowing alerts to be sent through e-mail and to cell phones.

As a system integrator and value added reseller, ACS takes adding value very seriously. Computers and computer systems have become vital in performing job functions; therefore, it is critical that they are built correctly from the beginning. This is the primary focus of ACS. Because of this, we consider building a good working relationship as important as building systems.

James Cox

Executive Partner

Access Control Servers

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