( by Mr. Henry Pang, Product Development Manager )
 
What would make you enquire for a database storage server?
A company that has a large number of employees in different locations usually would request centralization of database for easy, effective and controlled management of employee. The software requirement for this operation must be able to store user information, to distribute information to different remote terminals, to monitor uploads/downloads of terminal settings, monitor real time fingerprint verifications, etc. By default, the combination of FingerTec terminals and the software could operate this without any problems. However, some parties would like to use their own software or a third party software to process data from the terminals. Hence, the FRIS 2 Server and FTDP are available choices from FingerTec.

This article discusses why FTDP should be the clear choice for Database Storage tool instead of FRIS 2 Server
 
FRIS 2 Server Provides Online Verification and Database Storage
The main purpose of FRIS 2 is to provide online fingerprint verification, to store fingerprint templates, user information and transaction logs into a database as well as to set up time zones and group time zones to manage user access. This only works after the terminals have been updated with a particular firmware to carry out the above operations.

The other purpose of FRIS 2 is to provide database storage for safekeeping of information and transaction logs. This doesn’t require specific firmware updates for the terminals to work with the FRIS 2 Server. The operations which could be carried out in the FRIS 2 Server as database storage include downloading and saving all user information, uploading user information into different terminals, downloading transaction logs from all terminals and saving them into the database, monitoring download/upload settings in terminals and monitoring real time fingerprint verification at each terminal.

 
Limitations of FRIS 2 Server for online verification
Do not connect more than 5 readers to one FRIS 2 Server
The verification module of FRIS 2 server is a single thread meaning that it can only receive and verify one fingerprint template at a time from any terminal. If one terminal is verifying one person, the rests of the terminal have to wait until the process is finished to start with another verification.
 
Do not put too many users in one server
FRIS 2 Server is not suitable for an environment that has more than 1000 users. For 2000 users, one verification takes 2 seconds and it increases to another second when the number of users increases by a thousand.
 
Do not rely heavily on LAN
As FRIS 2 server relies heavily on LAN, network interruption would definitely cause an interrupted performance of the server. Therefore, it is recommended to install an independent LAN to manage the FRIS 2 Server for a more stable network.
Note: However these concerns do not apply when using the FRIS 2 Server as database storage.
 
 
FingerTec Data Processor As An Effective Storage Database
As an alternative for a database storage server, FingerTec has developed the latest tool known as FingerTec Data Processor (FTDP) to provide all the operations of the FRIS 2 Server as a database storage as well as one additional operation, which is to export user information and transaction logs into various file formats to be used with a 3rd party software. To know more about the FTDP, click here.
 
Comparison Table of FRIS 2 and FTDP as A Database Storage Server
Features FRIS 2 server FTDP
Download and save user information Yes Yes
Upload user information to terminals Yes Yes
Download transaction logs Yes Yes
Download/upload settings in terminals Basic Advance
Real time verification monitoring Yes In development
Type of database MySQL Microsoft Access
Convertible by ODBC
Export user information NO Yes
Export transaction logs NO Yes
 
Initialized & written by Pang. Any comments or feedbacks please email to support@fingertec.com
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