On 13/10/2010 20:35, Rudi Ahlers wrote:
On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 7:51 PM, Giles Coocheygiles@coochey.net wrote:
On 13/10/2010 19:31, Rudi Ahlers wrote:
Hi all,
Has anyone seen something like this before:
I want to use a laptop as a KVM console. Basically when a technician goes to one of our datacentres, or clients he has to look for a free LCD, keyboard& mouse to connect to a server (no network access, reinstall, troubleshoot failed kernel / HDD, etc). And then hopefully there's an open power socker in that cabinet.
So I'm thinking why not just use a laptop instead? It already has an LCD, keyboard, mouse& power. Surely someone has, or may still, build something that could connect to the laptop's USB port(s) and then to the server's VGA& USB / PS2 ports, then act as a KVM?
Many servers have network console capability these days. HP's iLO (Integrated Lights Out) and Dell's DRAC functions.
You can just boot up the laptop, connect a network cable to the iLO port and the Laptop, set the IP, and use a browser to get a Java application that includes a console (OS independant). Most medium to large scale datacenter deployments will have a seperate management network to which these iLO and DRAC systems are constantly connected to for OOB management. _______________________________________________
This will only work for servers with iLO devices built-it, and / or network access to them.
It doesn't help me much with smaller / cheaper servers (aka headless file server / mail server / router / etc in a 10-user office) which doesn't have remote management features. Many of our smaller Atom based servers, or older Pentium 4 / Core2Duo / Core2Quad's also don't have iLO or other network managed interfaces and we still need to use a LCD, keyboard& mouse. Since many of our servers are colo we depend on the DC's to have these, but if there isn't any then the tech's can't work on the servers. So now they haul these with them in their cars, but that's not ideal as well. Especially if he needs his laptop with him already, and need to carry new server spares in, as well as the LCD / KB / mouse.
Yes, for the lower end of the market you won't find that capability built in, but going forward - if you're looking for a server that is going to be co-located then remote management built-in should be one of the things at the top of the list of requirements. The iLO / DRAC still works as a very good option, especially if you don't know what equipment the engineer will bring onto site... you can at least expect them to have a laptop with a RJ-45 port on it!