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Re: remote management



On Thu, Dec 14, 2000 at 11:51:30PM -0600, Matt Fair wrote:
> > On Thu, Dec 14, 2000 at 05:31:57PM -0600, Matt Fair wrote:
> > :I am managing my server remotely using ssh.   If my network connection
> > :goes down for some reason, I have no control over it, is there a way
> > :where I could check to see if there is a network connection and then
> > :restart the connection?
> >
> > best option is to recompile the kernel on the server to put the
> > console out to serial port (is this default in debian kernels? if not
> > what problems does it create, I always roll mine that way), then you
> > can hang a modem off the serial port and even if the networking on the
> > server breaks you can get in to try and fix it.
> 
> Would this be a dial-in connection to the computer to manage it?  What I need is
> to manage the computer remoteley all the way back to the lilo prompt.  Are there
> any how-to's to do this?
> What other equipment would I need for this?
> Would there be any way to encrypt the session?
> Thanks
> Matt

Have a look at "The PC Weasel 2000" (realweasel.com) it's supposed to give you
full serial console access up to the bios. It works as a replacement for the 
video card.   If you want dial-in access, a consoleserver will also be 
necessary (Consoleserver 800/3200 from www.lightwavecom.com). This allows you to
control a number of serial consoles and also supports modem access. They have
announced support for ssh and remote power management (so if the machine is realy
blocked you can even remotely turn it off and on :-).  They're not cheap however :-(.
Lucent(?) also has a slightly cheaper machine ( Portmaster 2e, up-to 30 serial ports)
but they don't (and as far as I know won't) support ssh.

Expect to pay about 250$ for the PC weasel and 3000$ for the consolemaster (will vary 
a lot depending on the exact configuration).

Nico

---------------------------------------------------------
 "It has been said that there are only two businesses that
  refer to customers as users: illegal drug trade and
               the computer industry." 
---------------------------------------------------------
Nico De Ranter
Sony Service Center (SDCE/NEE-B)
Sint Stevens Woluwestraat 55 (Rue de Woluwe-Saint-Etienne)
1130 Brussel (Bruxelles), Belgium, Europe, Earth
Telephone: +32 2 724 86 41 Telefax: +32 2 726 26 86
e-mail: nico.deranter@sonycom.com



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