Re: console server wisdom

["Wim Vinckier" <wimpunk@gmail.com>]

On 5/30/07, Dan MacNeil <dan@thecsl.org> wrote:
> It would be nice for us to be able to remotely connect to the console of
>  our various servers and on rare occasions to power cycle them remotely.
>
> Does anyone have a 8 port console server they like ?
>
> Console servers seem to be $100 to $200 a port. Does anyone have good
> experiences with a few 4 port serial cards in an otherwise unused PC ?

Are you looking for a serial or a KVM solution?

I've seen a clever solution on a beowulf cluster: COM1 of serverX was
connected to COM2 of serverX+1.  COM1 of serverX+1 was connected to
COM2 of serverX+2, ... This way they could at least see the console of
the next server.
I personally have some experience with perle hardware
(http://www.perle.com/) but I don't have any idea about the price.

wimpunk.
--
You have been on the computer to long when you start tilting your head
sideways to smile :-)