Access Control Door Lock and Unlock Schedules

Topics included in this article:

• Door Lock and Unlock Schedule
  • Door Schedules and Grants 
  • Creating a Lock/Unlock Schedule
  • Creating a Lock/Unlock Exception
• Flexible Schedules
  • Console Navigation
• Helpful Links
• Contact Support or Sales

Door Lock and Unlock Schedule

A door schedule determines when a door will be locked or unlocked and how long it will remain in the designated state. If no schedule is defined, the door state will revert to its default setting.

• Unlocked State: The door is unlocked, and user credentials are not required to enter the building. Indicated by a green line.
• Locked State: The door is under access control and is locked unless valid credentials are authenticated. During these times, an Access Grant is required to determine which users have access to this door and when. Indicated by a grey line.
  • Note: Even though the door is locked, users with valid credentials can badge in as long as an access grant provides them access.

Door Schedules and Grants

User Grants and Door Schedules work in tandem to determine who has access to a specific location and at what times.

The user access grant schedule dictates who has permission to enter a particular space and when. This schedule can be tailored to individual users or groups, specifying days and times of access.

The door schedule determines when the door is physically locked or unlocked and, thus, the time periods for which a valid credential is required.

An Access Grant may be more restrictive than the door schedule depending on when the specified group of users should have permission to enter a space. For instance, if a grant is scheduled for users to have access only on Monday, and the door is scheduled to be locked Monday through Friday, the door will only accept these valid user credentials on Monday. They will not have access Tuesday - Friday.

Creating a Lock/Unlock Schedule

1. Navigate to the "Doors" page, and click the door for which you wish to create a schedule.

2. Scroll down, select "Settings," and select the "Lock Schedule" box. This will be highlighted when you hover over it.

3. When the modal opens, select the door's default state: locked or unlocked.  A default "Locked" state means that the door will be locked unless otherwise specified by a schedule. The schedule will indicate when a door is unlocked, thus not requiring authentication. A default "Unlocked" state means that the door will be unlocked unless otherwise specified by a schedule. In this case, the schedule will indicate when the door is locked and thus require authentication. Note: If you change the default state without adjusting the schedule, the schedule will automatically flip to match the new default state when you click "Save." For instance, if you change the default state to unlocked, the schedule will switch which timeframes are now unlocked.

4a. If you would like to use a lock schedule, click "During the schedule:" and choose one from the dropdown menu.

4b. To create a schedule from scratch, select "Create New Schedule" from the dropdown menu. On the following screen, you can name and build the schedule by dragging timeframes on the specified days. You can also copy and paste a time frame from one day to another or delete a timeframe that you wish to change.

5. Click "Save" to apply the updated or new door schedule.

Creating a Lock/Unlock Exception

A door lock/unlock exception is a one-time rule used to change a door's locked/unlocked state. If a lock/unlock exception is enabled, it will overwrite the existing lock/unlock schedule. A schedule exception allows you to create a custom schedule that is only active for the specified dates/times. Once the date/time a schedule exception is set for passes, the original schedule will resume. 

1a. Navigate to the "Settings" page and select "Door Schedule Exceptions."

1b. A door schedule exception can also be created in the "Settings" section on a specific door's page.

2. Click the "Create Lock/Unlock Exception" button. The following modal will appear, where you can fill in the details for your temporary exception.  Name the exception, and click "Next." Select a date or a range of dates to include for the exception, and whether the door will be default "Locked" or "Unlocked." Select the time frames for the schedule, and click "Next." Select the Location for the exception, and select "Next." Select the door(s) the exception will apply to, and click "Next." Review the exception, then click "Finish." If you want to delete the exception, click the "X" and confirm deletion.

Flexible Schedules

A flexible schedule refers to a temporary and immediate exception from the regular schedule without the need to create a formal or permanent exception in the system.

The flexible schedule functionality allows you to easily adjust the locking schedule, accommodating real-time needs. This is particularly useful for short-term, or unplanned changes. 

Temporary changes will last until toggled back, or when the set schedule is reinstated, whichever comes first. i.e., If a door schedule is set to be unlocked from 8 AM-5 PM, and I temporarily lock it for lunch, the doors will remain locked until either a.) I toggle the temporary exception back, or b.) the schedule unlocks again at 8 AM the next day.

Console Navigation

To temporarily lock or unlock the door, click the toggle in the top left of the Door page.

When a door state has been temporarily changed, this will show as a "Door State Changed" event on the Door's device page.

To view the logs when Door States have been changed manually, navigate to "Audit Logs" and search for the "Access Controlled Door Updated" action.

Helpful Links

• Door Access Conditions (Grants)

Contact Support or Sales

Have more questions? Contact Rhombus Support at +1 (877) 746-6797 option 2 or support@rhombus.com.

Interested in learning more? Contact Rhombus Sales at +1 (877) 746-6797 option 1 or sales@rhombus.com.