[CLUE-Tech] KVM (Keyboard, Video, mouse) switch or ???? via Linux

[Dave Anselmi]

Sean Reifschneider wrote:

> On Sat, Feb 16, 2002 at 11:08:20PM -0700, David Snyder wrote:
> >Personally I still prefer KVM switches....seeing boot messages is
> >helpful when things go badly.   My Belkin KVM works wonderfully on
> >Windows, BSD, and Linux.  Cabling is costly though.
>
> I recently picked up a newer Tyan Tomcat motherboard, and it includes BIOS
> support for serial console...  It's kind of neat to telnet to a machine,
> start up a terminal program, and watch both the terminal emulator and the
> monitor display the BIOS setup screens while you're modifying them
> via a serial connection.
>
> Now if only they'd wake up and have the same sort of ability via
> ethernet...

There are boxes that are similar to KVM switches for serial consoles (as I'm
sure Sean already knows).  You can plug many serial cables in and then telnet
to them through the box.  It uses a different port for each console.

At my last job that's how all our servers operated.  They were all headless
and users connected to them via xterm or telnet.  The admin used this serial
box when necessary.  We also had a vpn between the office and the colo, so
administering either set of servers was handled the same way.

The cabling for one of these is cheap, but the box is about the same as a kvm
switch.  Maybe cheaper per port, but still pricey.

Dave