Cortex - Monitoring and control software
Description
Cortex is a free-of-charge Windows-based application whose advanced functionality and broad range of features make life easier.
Cortex provides a multitude of ways to let you accurately track events within your workflows. Each device in your workflow is shown in the Status view, and displays its current and historical status using an icon.Cortex actively monitors each device to check for its current status. The status of each device is passed to a parent node within the System view and a hierarchical status of your complete workflow is shown using a single icon. This is also reflected in the application’s optional Status Bar, and in the system Icon Tray, when the application is either obscured orminimised. The System view can be adjusted to sort by user names, and by devices in alphabetic or network address order. Each event occurring in the workflow on the devices being monitored (either by AXON Control Protocol, SNMP or thirdparty
protocol) is logged to the database and shown in the Event Log. A status priority can be assigned to each event to determine whether an alarm or warning action should be triggered. Each state of a device’s status can be configured by the system administrator to reflect the severity of the event, plus the method by which the warning or error should be cleared (either manually or automatically on a good event state).
The Event Log window can be filtered using different criteria. Additional user data can be stored with each event, such as the cause/reason for the related warning or error.
When each device is selected using the Status view a monitoring tab is also displayed in the Control view for the device. This dialog shows both the current status of the device and a status history grid, which is similar to the Event Log but automatically filtered for events specific to the selected device. For many devices this dialog uses LEDs to aid rapid visual status recognition a devices current state. This Event Table within the database can optionally archive ‘old’ events (which are not currently determining the current
state of the system) from the SQL database to an external XML file. This allows an automated historical record for the workflow to be kept without user intervention, up to the limit of storage size configured by the administrator.
Effective maintenance
Cortex provides straightforward maintenance options to help you optimise the performance of your workflow and Synapse technologies.
The partial or complete workflow configurations for a particular installation, programme, or event, can be stored as a single file using Cortex’s Backup function. Using the Restore function, this file can be used to ensure that the workflow is in the same state at any future point, for example, when the same programme/event is being recorded again. Synapse modules are constantly being enhanced, and you can easily upgrade them by downloading the latest firmware from AXON’s website. Multiple cards can be upgraded in a single operation. Device settings before and after any reprogramming can be saved and restored and Cortex also logs the progress of such operations. The System inventory function allows a file to be generated that contains the identity information for all devices on the system. This file can be used as an input for audit control systems, firmware version monitoring or network identification purposes.
