The Crestron® VC‑4‑SERVER-25 is a powerful Dell® rack server that comes with Crestron Virtual Control software (VC‑4) preinstalled and fully configured. The VC‑4‑SERVER‑25 is secured and ready for operation out of the box and only needs power and an Ethernet connection to function. Most standard Crestron Virtual Control functions and features are readily available without requiring any configuration or Linux® OS knowledge. The VC‑4‑SERVER‑25 also provides dual solid state drives (SSD) and redundant power supplies for increased reliability. The VC‑4‑SERVER‑25 includes 25 room licenses with purchase and is perfect for medium to large‑sized deployments.1
NOTE: When running in a virtualized environment, Crestron Virtual Control can leverage the hypervisor's fault tolerance and high-availability features. The VC‑4‑SERVER‑25 runs as a standalone computer and, therefore, cannot leverage these features. If these features are desired, Crestron Virtual Control software must be installed in an existing virtualized environment that supports them.
Crestron Virtual Control is a control platform for enterprise applications that can be used in place of hardware‑based Crestron control systems. The platform runs programs to control multiple rooms over the network from a single, centralized location. Cloud‑based monitoring is available using the XiO Cloud® service. Crestron Virtual Control also provides native support for .AV Framework™ software, which is a web‑based management solution that is used to deploy scalable Crestron enterprise room solutions without requiring any programming.
Crestron Virtual Control can be integrated with a variety of devices, including audio, video, lighting, motorized shades, thermostats, door locks, sensors, and security systems. Connected devices can be controlled directly via Ethernet, and those that require a serial, IR, or other hardware interface can be integrated via decentralized control ports on a DM NVX® encoder/decoder, DM® transmitter or receiver, CEN‑CI3‑1‑POE interface, or the CEN‑IO wired and wireless series of I/O modules. Cresnet® network devices can be integrated via a DIN‑CENCN‑2-POE bridge, and wireless Crestron devices can also be integrated via an infiNET EX® wireless gateway. Native support for the BACnet communication protocol provides a direct interface to third‑party building management systems over Ethernet, simplifying integration with HVAC, security, and other systems.2
Crestron Virtual Control streamlines deployment and maintenance by allowing a single program to be deployed across multiple rooms. Support for C#, SIMPL, and SIMPL#Pro programming languages gives programmers design flexibility and enables programs to be shared with hardware-based control systems.3 Crestron Virtual Control also employs enterprise-grade security to ensure maximum reliability and privacy.
Room Licensing
The VC‑4‑SERVER‑25 includes 25 room licenses with purchase.1 Additional rooms can be added to the VC‑4‑SERVER‑25 by purchasing the desired number of room licenses (VC‑4‑ROOM).
The VC‑4‑SERVER‑25 provides two licensing options: online licensing via the XiO Cloud® service, or offline licensing via the USB‑OFFLINE dongle.
- For online licensing via the XiO Cloud service, the VC‑4‑SERVER‑25 requires access to XiO Cloud to validate its licenses. An active XiO Cloud account is required, subject to the terms of the Crestron Cloudware License.4 However, a paid XiO Cloud subscription is not required to manage licenses for the VC‑4‑SERVER‑25. Use the XiO Cloud account registration form to associate VC‑4‑ROOM licenses with an XiO Cloud account.
- For offline licensing via the USB‑OFFLINE dongle, the dongle must be connected to the VC‑4‑SERVER‑25 to validate its licenses. All room licenses must be ordered and the offline licensing form must be completed prior to validating licenses via the USB‑OFFLINE dongle. For more information, refer to the Crestron Virtual Control Product Manual.