KVM

Wed Apr 24 00:31:36 UTC 2013

> Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:40:32 -0400
> From: Jared Mauch <jared at puck.nether.net>
> To: shawn wilson <ag4ve.us at gmail.com>
> Cc: North American Network Operators Group <nanog at nanog.org>
> Subject: Re: KVM
> Message-ID: <C6B156A1-FBA8-47E6-99D4-22FF3B06DEF5 at puck.nether.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>
> On Apr 23, 2013, at 5:36 PM, shawn wilson <ag4ve.us at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I'm looking at an IP-KVM. I don't need anything high res as I only
> > need to see Linux consoles, BIOS, and RAID. What I am looking for:
> > Non-Java client that runs on Linux (or a WebUI that will deploy a
> > decent RDP or VNC session over SSL).
> > Decent/configurable key mappings (ie, I've had a KVM a while ago where
> > you had to pull down a menu for F-keys - not cool).
> > Decently priced dongles (say ~$100?)
> >
> > I started looking at the Raritan devices (which can be found really
> > cheap on ebay) but I only see a Java client and no mention of
> > installing a client on Linux.
>
> I've used the star tech devices in the past.  Most modern systems have
> some sort of RDP or Java thing on the IPMI that mostly work.
>

If your hardware has a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) or Integrated
Lights Out Management (iLOM) that supports IPMI v2 or later use it.  IPMI
v2 allows for Serial over LAN access [0].  I use SoL with Linux on Dell
hardware (BMC) using OpenIPMI tools.  You set the BMC to attach to a serial
port and have a getty listen on the port as well.  On my hardware there's
one virtual and one physical serial port so I configure the SoL set up on
ttyS1 (second serial) so I don't tie up the physical serial port.

You could create similar set ups with serial consoles/terminal servers and
servers that have serial ports on them ... have a getty listen on the
serial interface.

If a terminal/console is enough and you don't need VGA/X-Windows access
then SoL or a physical serial connection would suffice.

An IP-KVM is not worthless, but why buy more hardware if you have other
options? (SoL capability especially)

>
> - Jared
>
>
>
[0]
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/servers/ipmi/ipmi-specifications.html

-- 
---~~.~~---
Mike
//  SilverTip257  //