GenWatch3 Modules

Building blocks that put the “performance” in system management

Documentation

Core Modules

Because of its unique modular design, GenWatch3 can be easily tailored to individual needs. Features can be added as system requirements and/or budgets change. GenWatch3 comes out of the box with five core modules.

Launchpad

Launchpad is the central hub from which all modules are accessed. Each module’s overall status is displayed. Included in Launchpad:

  • Database Manager and interface to MS SQL Express (distributed with GenWatch3)
  • Module Manager which allows modules to be dynamically added or removed

Security

The users, roles, and privileges defined in this module affect the display and function of each module’s GUI within GenWatch3.

Inputs/Outputs

GenWatch3 accepts input from and/or provides output to a specific data stream:

  • ATIA — Receives data from a Zone Controller ATIA port
  • RSP25 — Receives data from a P25 radio
  • GW3 Location — Receives GPS telemetry, event and sensor information
  • GW3 Connect — Receives SNMP, APM, HPD, CADI, and PMI data

More Details

Alerts

Alerts shows an icon in the Windows system tray:

  • The status of GenWatch3 input connections
  • Notifications sent by GenWatch3
  • Login shortcut to GenWatch3 Launchpad

SysLog

SysLog reports GenWatch3 service and module activity to one or more remote IP ports. Packet data can be received and parsed by third-party SysLog client software.


Additional Modules

Channel

The Channel Screen provides a real-time view of decoded channel activity, diagnostics, busies and rejects.

  • Activity is displayed for each channel on individual virtual repeater channel blocks
  • Module is customizable in a multiple of configurations, including, but not limited to:
    • Font sizes and colors
    • Panel sizes and colors
    • Background images
    • Information displayed
  • Resize the window or stretch it across multiple monitors

System Activity

The Activity screen shows real-time activity from each GenWatch3 input connection. These input connections can vary from single-site connections monitoring a control channel to multi-site connections receiving data from a data stream.

  • Monitor channel activity
  • Filter the packet types
  • Assign colors to specific packet types
  • Customize the font and column order of the activity list
  • Suppress duplicate packets
  • Pause the activity list
  • Print the activity list

Key Performance Indicators

The KPI interface displays real-time, interactive, and statistical information on WACN, System, Zone, and Sites.

SysVista

Emulating the familiar user interface of a car dashboard, SysVista provides a high level, at-a-glance real-time overview of the performance of a two-way communications network.

SysVista refreshes every 1-5 seconds based on the live data it receives — from a single site system, up to a complex, multi-zoned network.

  • “Odometer” readings view total calls by hour, day, week, month, and year
  • Selectable views by site, zone, cluster and network
  • Visual and audible alerts based on user-defined thresholds

Alias Manager

The Alias Manager provides the means to create easily recognized names and additional information radio system resources:

  • Tags
  • Locations
  • Agencies
  • Status Sets
  • Message Sets
  • Systems
  • Talkgroups
  • Multigroups
  • IDs (radio IDs)
  • Zones
  • Sites
  • Channels (frequencies)

Data Archiver

The Data Archiver module archives decoded GenWatch3 input packets to an SQL database. Data can be stored for months, even years with no loss of detail. Once a data packet is decoded, it is stored in one of several data tables. Generally each packet type received by Archiver has a corresponding archive table in the database. For example, when Archiver receives a Call Alert packet, it stores this packet in the ARC_Call Alerts table.

Affiliation Monitor

The real-time connection state of a radio is displayed in the Affiliations screen. View connection activity at the system level or add resources (such as zones, sites, or groups) and view affiliation activity at the resource level.

When a radio performs connection activity, the Affiliation module adds the radio to a list of connected radios. This list entry contains the radio’s current system, zone, site, group (if any) and last activity details. When the radio issues additional activity, the radio’s current system, zone, site, talkgroup (if any) and last activity are updated.

Each time a user opens the Affiliations GUI, it queries the Affiliation module for a list of currently affiliated radios and populates the resource windows. The Affiliation module will continue to gather affiliation information even while the GUI is closed. Features include radio search options as well as easy access to radio history.

System Summary

System Summary compiles statistics for each connected system, zone, site and channel. These statistics are used to display up-to-the-minute system usage from up to 24 hours prior through a variety of graphs and charts. Data may be simply captured and printed from this screen. GenWatch3 Reports provide comprehensive information on stored data.

Trigger

Trigger allows the configuration of real-time external relay, email, SNMP messages, or audio/visual alerts. Practical applications include:

  • Enabling a relay that will sound an alarm when an emergency alarm event is received
  • Alerting users with a specified GenWatch3 security role when a particular status or message event is received
  • Enabling a relay that lights an LED labeled for a particular group when the group receives a PTT
  • Enabling a relay that lights an LED labeled for a particular network state when a device issues a notification via SNMP trap

Group View

Group View shows real-time group and individual (private and interconnect) activity. It shows each group’s activity and all individual activity for a system in customizable windows. Call activity is shown in three types of standard windows:

  • Individual: Shows all channel assignment activity (Group, Private and Interconnect) for all radio IDs
  • Multigroups: Shows all multigroup activity for the window’s multigroup and talkgroups within the multigroup
  • Talkgroups: Shows all group-based activity for the window’s group

SkyViewII

A real-time overview of an entire two-way network from the sky

SkyViewII displays a geospatial overview of an entire ASTRO® 25, Dimetra, or SMARTZONE network. Sectioned towers reveal site locations on the map and show each site’s number of channels. Lines emitting from towers indicate the paths of calls as well as displaying the number of sites being utilized. SkyViewII features improved graphics and more powerful user options. It looks spectacular on any monitor — especially a large, flat-panel screen. Dazzling real-time tower activity…from a window in the sky!

  • Real-time views of affiliated radio IDs and talkgroups, busies, instant site usage, and more
  • Virtual sticky notes display individual site information
  • Quick setup of entire network using geocoding
  • Change views on the fly from 2D to 3D, with or without maps and satellite images
  • Multiple color-coding options

Stunning User Interface

SkyViewII maximizes the sophisticated mapping power of MS Virtual Earth (Bing Maps) to perform stunning visual effects, such as panning, tilting and zooming. With a broadband connection, it all comes to life! While SkyViewII is conservative on computer resources, for best results, we recommend running it on a separate PC with above-average graphics capabilities. The better the specs = the better the performance.

Save It for Later

No need to hunt down that one tower. SkyViewII allows views to be saved and revisited later. Slideshow mode enables fades between views.