User's Manual

NBS Payment Solutions 54/60 User Manual
3.2 REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS AND MAINTENANCE
REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS AND
MAINTENANCE
CURATIVE
The terminal's OS can save information on
the terminal's use and upload it to the server. This is
given in the form of incident counters organized by
typology, and others in the form of events.
Each program can detect an anomaly and
request the system to keep track. "Application"- type
and "system"-type anomalies are recorded. Both
types can be very useful for diagnostics.
In case of malfunctioning, the user can start
the remote diagnostic function. Thus, the server
operator sees the entire saved zone uploaded, and
most importantly the last incident. This helps the
diagnostics, and the operator can in certain cases
take action remotely. This is remote diagnostics and
possibly remote maintenance. Take two examples:
• The case where a card (say AMEX) is
refused by the terminal. The server operator
can see the content of the refused card, and
can analyze the cause of the refusal. The
operator may see that the AMEX software is
not present in the terminal software. A simple
download suffices to restore correct
operation.
• The case where a smart card incident has
been saved. This may be a retailer using the
terminal incorrectly.
REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS AND
MAINTENANCE
PREVENTIVE
In normal operation, periodic collection of the
information contained in a terminal can enable the
detection of deterioration in the terminal's
performance, which may indicate an approaching
failure or also incorrect use of the terminal. The
server operator can then decide on the action to take
to prevent the failure that would make the terminal
unavailable. Take an example:
At the time of a periodic upload of information
saved in the terminal, the counter of incorrect
readings of stripe cards is too high for the given
period.
This may mean:
• incorrect use of the terminal, e.g. incorrect
card swipe direction
• Actual reading faults, which may be due to
"soiling" of the reading head or which
requires its replacement. Intervention can be
started and fault repaired before it repeats,
thus increasing terminal availability.
Observed incidents may be resolved
remotely, for example by downloading a new software
version, thus avoiding any traveling, and especially by
maintaining equipment up to date, significantly
increasing each terminal's availability rate, and
facilitating the task of equipment monitoring and
management.