Doug Hughes <[email protected]> writes:
>  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

Yes, those things can be handy if dmidecode or lmstats doesn't give you
that info when the box is running.  

> * 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 

These things can be done via pxe.

> * ability to see graphical things that might show up on the console 
> (possibly more important if your box is windows - based)

This is very important, sometimes, and if you need graphics out of band,
there is no substitute for KVM over IP.

> 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

Well, you /need/ metering PDUs, right?  switchable PDUs are not  that much
more expensive than metering PDUs and they solve that problem.  
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