[CentOS] using a Laptop as a KVM console?

[Giles Coochey]

  On 13/10/2010 20:52, Rudi Ahlers wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 8:42 PM, Giles Coochey<giles at coochey.net>  wrote:
>> 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!
>> _______________________________________________
>
>
> How will DRAC / iLO work if there's a motherboard failure or network
> problem? And what about situations where the Linux server act's as
> PPPoE client to connect the network to the internet? Don't take this
> the wrong way, we already use iLO's but they don't cater for every
> need. And, I'm not going to replace a whole bunch of client's servers
> at my own expense just to get an iLO board.
>
Well - the iLO is a seperate subsystem, so if the system has a 
motherboard failure then the iLO will tell you that prior to initiating 
any console.  And if the motherboard is failed, then there was little 
point looking at the console in the first place, as the system won't 
boot. The iLO port is a seperate network port on a different system, so 
it is independent of any network problem you might have.
I'm not necessarily talking about using the iLO remotely, although it 
can and is usually used that way, so if you have some internet 
connectivity problem your engineer can still connect to the port with a 
network cable and get POST status and connect to the console if 
necessary on his laptop.
I wasn't asking that you replace your existing servers, just mentioning 
that integrated remote management ought to be a serious consideration 
when you're going for unmanned systems.
The USB kit mentioned earlier in this thread may be a viable solution 
for what you're looking for - you'll need one for each engineer though, 
and only you will know the numbers (# of servers, # of engineers, 
overall cost) which will define the best solution for you.