Glossary Beta

Access point

Represents either one smart electronic locking device or a collection of devices capable of granting or denying access to a secured area, such as a room, office or apartment. An access point may also serve to lock/unlock secured containers like cabinets, drawers or lockers. In the real world, it can take on different forms. For example, a door equipped with an electronic escutcheon or a cylinder, a controller with an electric strike, or a padlock. An access point could also represent a turnstile or a car park barrier.

An access point frequently represents one single physical electronic lock. However, an access point could also be made up of more than one device. For example, it could be composed of an electronic lock and a contact sensor or a controller and a reader with a keypad.

The term access point in Salto software products should not be confused with the generic term wireless access point, which is a networking hardware device that allows other WiFi devices to connect to a wired network.

Access point group

A specified collection of access points that are grouped together to make them easier to manage.

For example, an access point group could be all the doors on the first floor of an installation, or all the lockers in the gym area, or all the doors in the financial services department.

Access right

Represents a materialized view or snapshot of access permissions. Access rights simplify the management of access permissions for large sets of users with similar access profiles. For example, all staff in a department or all managerial staff. An access right can be associated with multiple access points.

Access right schedule

When creating access rights, you can set access points to be available on certain days at certain hours for any user who has that access right assigned to them. In one step, a selection of users can get the same schedule for the same set of access points.

Activity

Activity details different types of events that are taking place within an installation. For example, a user with a management role can see when an access point was created or whether an electronic lock has been unlocked. Activity is composed of two broad types of events - system events and device events.

App key

A type of digital key that resides within the Salto Nebula and Homelok mobile apps. App keys allow you to use your Bluetooth-capable iPhone or Android phone as your key by opening the app and presenting your device to an electronic lock.

Apple Wallet key

Apple Wallet keys are digital keys that reside in the Apple Wallet on your iPhone and Apple Watch. By using near-field communication (NFC) to communicate with electronic locks, the same technology used by contactless key fobs or keycards, they offer a fast and reliable digital key experience on Apple devices.

BLUEnet

A Salto wireless technology used for network communication of access control devices where real-time control is required. BLUEnet leverages Bluetooth Low Energy technology to ensure that battery-powered smart locks collect and send information to and from the software.

Bluetooth Low Energy

This technology is used in Salto Bluetooth Low Energy readers to read data from Salto apps. Bluetooth Low Energy connections are established when a digital key is presented to an electronic lock, for example.

Controller

Controllers are mains-wired hardware devices that can be used to control access where a standalone lock cannot be fitted. For example, on car park barriers, turnstiles or sliding doors. They allow the management of multiple accesses from a single device. For example, one single controller could control access to both the entrance and exit of a building via a turnstile. Controllers are also often referred to as "control units".

Dashboard

The screen where you can see at a glance an overview of information relating to a Salto installation. For example, you can view the installation's latest activity, as well as the connection status of online devices, or a summary of devices that require firmware updates.

Denylist

A record of all canceled keys. Once a key has been canceled, the information is communicated from the system to the SVN readers. As users update their keys and present their keys to the lock, the new denylist information is circulated to all access points.

Device

Devices are pieces of hardware such as electronic locks, gateways and encoders. They can be any item of hardware used in the Salto system.

It's useful to consider that electronic locks are the “core” types of device in Salto. Other devices such as gateways, encoders or repeaters could be considered more “peripheral” hardware in the access control system.

Digital key

Represents a digital credential that users need to present at electronic locks to gain access. Salto digital keys are available in a variety of formats. Some key types are held inside smartphone apps (app keys) and are available on both Android and iOS platforms, allowing users to use their smartphone as a key via an app.

Others, such as Apple Wallet keys, provide a native experience on iOS devices, allowing users a seamless unlocking experience without the need to download an app.

Digital key art

Refers to an image that users see on their mobile devices when they use digital keys to access an installation.

System managers can create digital key art using the colors and themes options available by default, or by uploading their own image.

Electronic lock

A physical electronic locking device such as an electronic escutcheon or a cylinder. It differs from an access point in that an electronic lock could be a particular model of a device such as a Neo cylinder, an XS4 escutcheon or a Salto motorized lock, for example.

An electronic lock is a single device, whereas an access point could be made up of several devices. For example, an access point could be composed of an electronic lock plus a contact sensor or a controller and a reader with a keypad.

In general, a key (physical or digital) must be presented for an electronic lock to grant access. As with all Salto hardware devices, electronic locks use end-to-end encryption to transfer information to and from the software.

Encoder

A hardware device used to read and encode physical keys like wristbands, fobs and keycards with access permission data.

Event

Describes an individual moment of activity which takes place within an installation. It can relate to specific access points and electronic locks. For example, an event could be the creation of an access point, the deletion of an access point, or indicate when an electronic lock was unlocked and by which user.

Firmware

A software program or set of instructions programmed directly onto a hardware device like an electronic lock or a gateway. Firmware provides the necessary instructions for how the device communicates with the rest of the system.

Gateway

A device intended to be used with access points where online connectivity is needed. Gateways connect to electronic locks enabling offline access points to become connected. This allows functionality such as auto-assigning fobs, keycards and wristbands as well as the monitoring of activity within an installation. A gateway acts as a bridge transferring information using end-to-end encryption to and from the devices behind it to the software.

Holiday

You can use the holiday option to define national or regional holidays on an installation calendar.

Installation

An installation represents any entity (company, office, building, hotel, etc.) that uses Salto software. As such, it represents a collection of all the access control elements (such as access points, access rights, users, etc.) that comprise the access control system.

Intercom adaptor

A device that can be connected to an existing intercom system close to the telephone handset, without affecting its proper functioning. Its main purpose is to convert the intercom system to become part of the access control system, allowing users to unlock the main entrance door of their apartment building via their phones, for example.

Key

A physical carrier that controls access to an area, building, and/or installation asset (for example, a cupboard or locker). Physical keys come in a wide variety of formats, including wristbands, fobs and keycards.

Keyholder

A generic term that covers all persons issued with a key. Keyholders can be assigned physical or digital keys which they can use to unlock doors. Users with management roles, i.e. people who have permissions to manage other users, can also be issued with keys.

Magic link

A passwordless sign-in means that instead of having to remember a single, long-lived password, every time you sign a new, unique secret code is generated for you. Each time you subsequently need to sign in, Nebula sends you an email with a magic link. By clicking on the magic link you are automatically taken into the application without having to enter a password.

Near-field communication

Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols for communication between two electronic devices. For example, the Apple Wallet key solution uses NFC to communicate between smartphones and electronic locks.

Office

A type of opening mode which, when applied, allows an electronic lock to be left unlocked upon a user unlocking it for the first time.

Opening mode

A type of behavior that can be applied to a specific access point or collection of access points. Opening modes can either be applied 24/7 to the access point or they can be scheduled. Opening mode schedules allow you to make a number of different opening modes switch automatically and vary across specific time periods that you define. A time period represents the days and hours in which an opening mode is valid.

Other day

Other days may be installation-specific holidays or installation shutdown days which you can define on a calendar.

Owner

A user role with full permissions to manage the system. Similar to a system or property manager, but a user with this role can also delete and transfer installations. This is the most powerful role that exists, and there can only be one user with the role of owner in an installation at any given time.

Passcode

A numeric code that can be assigned to a user, like a key, to allow the user to gain access via locks that are equipped with keypads.

Reader

An electronic device often mounted on a wall beside a door or other type of access point like a car park barrier that is often connected directly to a controller. Readers, also known as 'wall readers', are used to control access to an installation's access points. Users present their keys to the reader to gain access in the same way as they would do with a physical electronic lock. Some readers also have keypads.

Role

A role represents a collection of permissions which can be granted to users. A permission could be, for example, getting a list of access points, deleting another user. The following four pre-defined roles exist in Nebula - System manager, User manager, Access right manager, Device Manager.

Salto Nebula

Salto Nebula, or just Nebula, refers to the cloud-based access control platform. This includes the web application (Nebula web) as well as the mobile app available on both iOS and Android devices (Nebula app).

Salto Nebula app

The Salto Nebula app, or just Nebula app, is a mobile application which is available on both iOS and Android devices. You can use the app as a key and if you're an installer you can use it to configure devices too.

Salto Nebula web

Salto Nebula web, or just Nebula web, refers to the web application which is accessible via an internet browser. The application is part of the Salto Nebula cloud-based access control platform.

Salto Virtual Network Flex (SVN-Flex)

Based on Salto's BLUEnet wireless communications technology and SVN core technology, the SVN-Flex functionality extends and increases the number of updating points to any access point in the system.

System manager

Refers to a user with admin permissions who can manage all aspects of the Salto Nebula system. This is the second most powerful role after that of the owner.

A system manager can create, view, modify and delete other users. They can assign access rights and keys (digital and physical keys) to other users. They can modify access rights and access points (create, edit and delete). They can create, edit and delete calendars and opening modes.

They have the ability to assign the system manager role to other users and they have access to the devices section of the system. This means that they can also configure and manage devices using the Nebula app.

Toggle

A type of opening mode which, when applied, allows an electronic lock to be left unlocked by any authorized user who presents a valid key. The next authorized key presented then locks the electronic lock. This continues switching (toggling) on presentation of each valid key.

UID

Unique identifier or serial number of a physical key (fob, keycard, etc.) which is used when assigning these types of keys. It is usually composed of a 14-digit hexadecimal code.

Unit

A unit is a sub-grouping within an installation. A common use case for a unit might be an apartment which is located within an apartment block. It can also often be considered a "rentable space". For example, an office located within a larger office building that contains multiple office spaces rented by different companies.

Unit manager

A user with management permissions at the unit level. The unit manager role allows granular administration of units, like apartments, within an installation (for example, an apartment building).

In general, unit managers have permissions to create users, give them access and assign keys at the unit level. However, there are two levels of unit manager: those who have permissions to create other unit managers and those who do not have permissions to create other unit managers.

Neither of these unit manager types have permissions to manage at the installation level.

User

Can refer to both a holder of keys and a user with permissions to manage other users within Nebula. Users with permission to manage other users are assigned a role. All users are eligible to access rights and may be assigned a key.

WalletHub

WalletHub is a Salto service that enables Apple Wallet-based mobile credentials to be used in Salto access control solutions like Homelok, KS and Space via JustIN Mobile. WalletHub sits between Apple Pay and the different Salto access control solutions and can also be used by third-party integrators.