RFID Partner Integration Operations Playbook

Successful RFID access control deployment requires careful coordination between hardware vendors and platform providers. This playbook defines the information exchange needed for seamless integration.

Integration Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    RFID Integration Architecture                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                     │
│   ┌────────────────┐                    ┌────────────────┐         │
│   │  RFID Vendor   │                    │  Platform API  │         │
│   │                │                    │                │         │
│   │  Controllers   │ ──── Heartbeat ───►│  Health Check  │         │
│   │  @ Site        │                    │                │         │
│   │                │ ──── Events ──────►│  Access        │         │
│   │                │       (Notify)     │  Processing    │         │
│   └────────────────┘                    └────────────────┘         │
│                                                                     │
│   Information Flow:                                                 │
│   1. Vendor provides controller specs                               │
│   2. Platform provides integration endpoints                        │
│   3. Controllers configured with endpoints                          │
│   4. Platform verifies heartbeats                                   │
│   5. Access events flow to platform                                 │
│                                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Receivables from Hardware Vendor

1. Controller Information

Item	Description	Example
Controller Name	Unique identifier at site	GATE-001-MAIN
Device Model	Hardware model number	WRD-3000
Firmware Version	Current firmware	v2.1.5

2. Heartbeat Configuration

The vendor must confirm:

• Heartbeat interval (recommended: 60 seconds)
• Heartbeat payload format
• Expected response format

3. Network Configuration

Parameter	Description	Consistency Requirement
Port	Controller communication port	Same across all sites
Endpoint	API endpoint format	Same across all sites
Token Identifier	Authentication method	Same across all sites
Access Key	API authentication	Same across all sites

Why consistency matters:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Multi-Site Configuration                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                     │
│   Consistent Configuration = Simpler Deployment                     │
│                                                                     │
│   Site A ─┐                                                         │
│           │                                                         │
│   Site B ─┼──► Port: 8443 ──► Common API Endpoint                   │
│           │    Token: vendor-x                                       │
│   Site C ─┘    Key: abc123...                                       │
│                                                                     │
│   vs.                                                               │
│                                                                     │
│   Inconsistent = Complex Deployment                                 │
│                                                                     │
│   Site A ──► Port: 8443, Token: vendor-a, Key: xxx                 │
│   Site B ──► Port: 9000, Token: vendor-b, Key: yyy                 │
│   Site C ──► Port: 8080, Token: vendor-c, Key: zzz                 │
│                                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Deliverables to Hardware Vendor

1. Partner Onboarding

Create partner record with vendor’s token identifier:

Token Identifier Value = Vendor's provided identifier

This is a one-time setup per vendor.

2. Device Onboarding

For each controller:

• Use exact device name as provided by vendor
• Associate with partner token

3. Integration Endpoints

Share these endpoints for controller configuration:

Function	Endpoint	Method
Notify	https://access.domain.com/vendor/v1/{token_identifier}/notify	POST
Heartbeat	https://access.domain.com/vendor/v1/{token_identifier}/heartbeat	POST

Endpoint Details

Notify Endpoint:

POST /vendor/v1/{token_identifier}/notify

Purpose: Receive access events (card scans, entries, exits)

Heartbeat Endpoint:

POST /vendor/v1/{token_identifier}/heartbeat

Purpose: Controller health monitoring
Frequency: Every 60 seconds (configurable)

Integration Checklist

Pre-Deployment

• Vendor provided controller names
• Vendor confirmed heartbeat format
• Vendor confirmed common port
• Vendor confirmed common endpoint structure
• Vendor confirmed token identifier
• Vendor confirmed access key

Platform Setup

• Partner created with token identifier
• All devices onboarded with exact names
• Endpoints shared with vendor
• Test heartbeat received
• Test event received

Post-Deployment Verification

• All controllers showing online
• Heartbeats arriving at expected interval
• Access events flowing correctly
• Alerts configured for offline controllers

Monitoring Setup

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Health Monitoring                                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                     │
│   Controller Health States:                                         │
│                                                                     │
│   🟢 Online      - Heartbeat received within expected interval      │
│   🟡 Degraded    - Heartbeat delayed (1.5x interval)                │
│   🔴 Offline     - No heartbeat (>2x interval)                      │
│                                                                     │
│   Alert Escalation:                                                 │
│                                                                     │
│   5 min offline  ──► Email to site ops                              │
│   15 min offline ──► SMS to site ops                                │
│   30 min offline ──► Escalate to vendor                             │
│                                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Troubleshooting

Controller Not Sending Heartbeats

1. Verify network connectivity
2. Check firewall rules for outbound HTTPS
3. Confirm endpoint URL is correct
4. Verify token identifier matches

Events Not Being Processed

1. Check heartbeat is working (connectivity)
2. Verify event payload format
3. Check authentication headers
4. Review API response codes

Common Response Codes

Code	Meaning	Action
200	Success	None
401	Auth failed	Check token/key
404	Device unknown	Onboard device
500	Server error	Contact platform

This playbook ensures smooth coordination between hardware vendors and platform providers for RFID access control deployments.