From owner-freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Apr 2 18:50:14 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 685CA16A4CF for ; Fri, 2 Apr 2004 18:50:14 -0800 (PST) Received: from www.reppep.com (www.reppep.com [66.92.104.200]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BF0B243D1D for ; Fri, 2 Apr 2004 18:50:12 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from pepper@reppep.com) Received: from [10.0.1.2] (airport.reppep.com [66.92.104.202]) by www.reppep.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5D22BFD97; Fri, 2 Apr 2004 21:50:07 -0500 (EST) Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Sender: pepper@mail.reppep.com Message-Id: In-Reply-To: <6.0.3.0.2.20040402142715.02a9cf70@error404.nls.net> References: <20040402131731.P91030@ganymede.hub.org> <6.0.3.0.2.20040402142715.02a9cf70@error404.nls.net> Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 21:49:26 -0500 To: "Ketrien I. Saihr-Kesenchedra" From: Chris Pepper Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" cc: hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: KVM over Ethernet Switches for FreeBSD Boxes ... ? X-BeenThere: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion of FreeBSD hardware List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 03 Apr 2004 02:50:14 -0000 At 2:34 PM -0500 2004/04/02, Ketrien I. Saihr-Kesenchedra wrote: >At 12:20 PM 4/2/2004, you wrote: >>Anyone have any recommendations on what works with FreeBSD? I've had >>fun/issues in the past with KVMs that just don't seem to work well, >>including BlackBox stuff ... > >Should've mentioned on IRC, but I may not have been paying >attention. My fault. > >>I'm interested in being able to power-cycle a box remotely, as well as be >>able to get into the DEBUGGER remotely if I need to ... I don't care if >>the interface has to be run under Windows, as we have one in our office >>for the bookkeeper ... > >You're looking for Rose Electronics gear. This is going to cost you >a pretty penny. Specifically, the UltraLink (KVM via Ethernet.) I >haven't used the UltraLink, but I've heard very good things about >it. You'd likely want to combine this with an UltraMatrix E-series >(which provides serial per machine as well) or a ServeView Pro. We've been talking to Avocent & Cyclades about this. Cyclades is a bit simpler. They offer AlterPath ACS, terminal servers of 1-48 ports running Linux/iptables/sshd/http/https. AlterPath PM is a series of managed power strips, capable of controlling 8-20 outlets via serial interface (which can be controlled via their web interface. AlterPath KVM is a 16 or 32 port KVM, using cat5 cabling to the servers. The next KVM rev will support TCP/IP connectivity to the KVM for management (hopefully Java based and broadly compatible). We like the ACS and the TS predecessor. Avocent offers more products, including equivalents to the above, but their DS series KVMs , which they suggested, only support 30' on the cat5 cables due to signal strength, and up to 16 ports/KVM. They also offer external modules that take TCP/IP connections and plug into the console port of a dumb KVM to provide the same level of functionality (SwitchView IP?). The DS series, unfortunately, requires a Windows service to do the authentication, but it consolidates access to multiple KVMs. Makes more sense for many KVMs; licensing is odd -- apparently you purchase SKUs with a fixed number of network connections per KVM, as well as user licenses to run the DSView (Windows) or DSWebView client software, as well as a license for the authentication server (includes a backup license). With both types of KVM, the cat5 dongles are expensive. For small deployments, I'd probably go with the piggyback TCP/IP module, on top of regular KVMs -- we have some non-cat5 24-port KVMs which are nice, but also not cheap. Both companies offer some level of integration between KVM, serial (which is just another dongle for the DS-series KVMs), and power management, but we haven't tried most of the options yet. One advantage Cyclades mentions is intelligent grouping of power management outlets in the TS configuration, so you can control a system with 2 or 3 AC outlets without remembering which you have to shut off together. Chris Pepper -- Chris Pepper: Rockefeller University: