Luke S Crawford wrote: > Brian Mathis <brian.mat...@gmail.com> writes: > > >> I am using Avocent KVM over IP and it works just fine. I am using it >> to access text-mode Linux consoles and a few Windows servers. >> Sometimes the mouse doesn't sync up, but that's the nature of how >> these things work. I think the people who complain about them somehow >> expect them to work exactly as if they are sitting at the physical >> console, which will never be the case. >> > > Yes, this is what I'm trying to say. KVM over IP can never be expected to > be as good as sitting in front of the box, the roar of the data center cooling > system slowly driving you mad. Except the thing is, a serial console is > /better/ than actually sitting at the console, because I have logging and > other capabilities. A KVM over IP is /worse/ than sitting at the console. > > Of course, if you are running windows or otherwise need a out of band GUI, > then yes, you must put up with the quirks of a KVM over IP. I'm just saying, > if all you need is a text console, plain serial is by far superior. > _______________________________________________ > If you've got a decent, embedded KVM you can do a lot of things that you simply cannot do with a serial or even in front of the machine including: * Viewing stats from FRUs like fan and CPU temperatures * Forwarding alarms from same into your event management system * multiple levels of permission for accessing different components * capabilities for upgrading BIOS and or BMC when it needs it * ability to access a virtual CD drive either from an ISO image on your local machine or even possibly from some other machine on the network. (if your machine has a local DVD/CD you only get a partial subset of this capability.) * ability to see graphical things that might show up on the console (possibly more important if your box is windows - based) * ability to view system event log related to FRUs and other hardware components.
What you don't get from a serial console that you do get from sitting in front of the machine. * reset/power cycle of machine _______________________________________________ Tech mailing list Tech@lopsa.org http://lopsa.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tech This list provided by the League of Professional System Administrators http://lopsa.org/
