LWFX

Though managing a data center has never really been easy, it has become much more difficult in recent years. Most larger businesses have several hundred servers or more in their main data center. This center becomes even larger if extensive redundancy is required. Unless the data center is extremely small, there also needs to be a way to remotely manage the servers. This is where the console server and console switch come into play.

By using a console server, a network’s administrator can connect to one or multiple servers using a serial-port. By using SSH or telnet, systems can be management remotely even if the server’s Ethernet connection isn’t responding. No matter what type of server, management by serial-port is available.

A console switch works directly with the console server. The console server normally has multiple serial ports, with each connecting to a single switch. The console switch can then connect to numerous servers, allowing remote management in a time saving manner.

Most switches are based on Unix firmware, which manufacturers can customize. In addition to serial ports, devices also have at least one Ethernet port.

A console management system doesn’t require special hardware. For non mission critical management, used servers work well. With a few serial cards, Linux can be used for remote management.

By reducing physical server administration for small tasks, network administration efficiency is greatly improved. A well planned solution for remotely managing data centers, that includes a console switch and a console server, helps save both time and money.

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