Reader groups

Reader groups, which contain employees and clocks, determine which employees can use which clocks to perform clock punches. Only the employees in the same reader group as a clock can use the clock to perform punches. If the application does not have any reader groups, you must add at least one. One clock can belong to only one reader group at any given time.

There are several aspects to consider when determining how many reader groups to add in the application. For performance reasons, creating multiple reader groups is prudent, as each clock in the reader group downloads all the relevant data for the related reader group. A large reader group results in a large number of employees and transactions, which means that the clocks take longer to update their databases. Multiple reader groups may also be required for security reasons. Generally, employees are allowed to perform clock punches on any clock in their reader group. If certain employees must be restricted to clocking in and out with specific clocks, those employees and clocks can be assigned to their own reader group.

Generally, you create reader groups based on the location and grouping of the clocks. You need at least one reader group per site, but often multiple reader groups are necessary for different areas in one location. For example, in a large facility, locate the clocks by the north entrance in one reader group so that employees whose workstations are located closest to the north entrance can use the clocks that are nearest to them.