Remote Panel Service

Overview

The Remote Panel Service carries out remote arming commands that operators issue against subscriber alarm panels from SBN. On a fixed timer it checks SBN for queued panel commands — arm, disarm, bypass or unbypass a zone, change a user passcode, request panel status, and look up which zones are in a given state (fault, bypass, alarm, trouble, low battery). It then connects to the panel, sends the command, and writes the result back into SBN so it appears on the front-end command log.

The service handles two panel families: Honeywell Vista panels, reached through a web service, and DMP panels, reached directly over a TCP connection. Each queued command is matched to its panel using the customer ID, and the panel type recorded on the account determines which path is used. The lists of which panel models count as Vista or DMP, along with the web-service login, are read from SBN options at start-up, so the service must be restarted to pick up changes to those options.

The service keeps a short-lived session open to each panel it talks to and reuses it for back-to-back commands; idle sessions time out and are reopened on the next command. If a panel is busy or cannot be reached, the command is logged as failed and, where appropriate, queued to be resent. The service requires a working SBN data-server connection; if the connection cannot be established at start-up, the service logs the reason and stops.

Service Manager

Instructions for installing and interacting with this service is found here.

Service Properties

Only properties specific to this service are listed here. Common service properties (SBN Server connection, Logging, SMTP) are found here.

Timer (In Seconds)

How often the service checks SBN for new panel commands. The service waits this many seconds between passes, then sends out any commands that operators have queued since the last pass.

Session Timer (In Seconds)

How often the service services its open panel sessions. This governs the background cycle that maintains and ages out the short-lived connections the service keeps to panels it is talking to.

Conc Id

The concentrator number this service instance is associated with. It is recorded with the commands the service processes so activity can be tied back to the correct concentrator.

Web Service URL

The address of the web service used to reach Honeywell Vista panels. DMP panels are contacted directly and do not use this address; leave it set to the value provided for your installation.