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	dani Monday 22 August 2005
\| Zorp firewall \| \| WTI \| Perle products \| Igel products \| \| RedHat and SuSE server products \| \| Apple Macintosh products \| WTI WTI offers several different remote management devices for its customers: provides a wide range of ethernet and serial remote rebooters and console management devices. Keeping the Net ... Working! *Out-of-Band Network Management* As the importance of the corporate Intranet increases in the information age, network managers are under increased pressure to maintain 24/7 management capability to ensure optimal network performance. This challenge often calls for remote network management strategies which include both In-Band and dial up Out-of-Band approaches to management of the corporate WAN. In-Band management of critical network control hardware (such as routers, DSU/CSU, network servers, UPS systems etc.) located at remote locations is a key element in today's WAN environment. SNMP management, IP Based management tools and other In-Band management approaches are crucial for remote access to critical WAN hardware. But when the network band in a remote location is not functioning, SNMP and In-Band management tools often become useless. In these situations, having a dial up "Out-of-Band" network management system is an effective alternative to sending a technician out to troubleshoot the remote site. The basis of Out-of-Band management is to allow remote dial up access to the RS-232 console or AUX ports on critical network control hardware. This allows systems administrators to communicate with routers, DSU/CSU, file servers, or any other network hardware equiped with an asynchronous RS-232 control port, over a standard external modem and POTS line. Since there are usually a number of async control ports at the remote site that the administrator needs to communicate with, an Out-of-Band Port Switch becomes a critical part of the remote site managment system. An Out-of-Band Port Switch allows systems administrators to dedicate only one POTS line, and one external modem to the equipment room, but provides access to multiple RS-232 control ports at the site. The Out-of-Band Port Switch is a peice of hardware which provides port switching between an external modem at a remote site, and various serial management ports. Some other attractive features which Out-of-Band Port Switches provide are; password protection, the ability to "name" individual ports, site or location ID and the ability to automatically reset the modem at the remote site in the event of session lock-up or loss of carrier. Implementing Out-of-Band Port Switches can also be useful for local connections between a terminal or PC to the various async control ports in the equipment room, thus avoiding troublesome manual cable connections between terminals and control ports during on-site maintenance sessions. As Out-of-Band Management Switches generally provide matrix connectivity, they can also be used to allow a single TCP/IP Communications Server or Terminal Server to access multiple async ports, in addition to the modem connection or local terminal connection. In some casis, there might also be a need for remote power reset or reboot of network routers, servers and other equipment. During a dial up out-band management session, if the remote network hardware is not responding to out-band attempts to reset, a "cold boot" might be the only alternative for getting the equipment back on line. In these situations, Remote Power Reboot Units become another critical element to the Out-of-Band management system, and can be used in conjunction with Out-of-Band port switching for a more comprehensive dial up management system. For more a more detailed explaination of remote power reboot products and techniques, please see our technical white paper: Remote Reboot and Power Management Systems. As the cost of network administration rises, and as the need for 24/7 management centers increases, the Out-of-Band Management Switch becomes a necessary element of the corporate WAN. As Out-of-Band management systems require only one POTS line, and a standard external modem, in addition to the remote power switching or power reboot units, the dial up management systems is very cost effective, and can save costly service calls and travel to remote sites. Having an Out-of-Band network management system in place will compliment your standard SNMP and In-Band management tools and create a more comprehensive approach to remote site management and control. *Remote Power Rebooting* The following is a short article describing the concept of remote power control and rebooting techniques along with specific instances where such a solution would be a considerable help in terms of convenience and minimization of down-time for WAN environments and other communications applications. When a piece of LAN/WAN, telecom, or other control equipment has "locked-up" and is no longer responding to normal methods of communication, it is often necessary to perform a cold boot of the equipment. After the power has been cycled on and off, normal communications via the network can resume. This is often difficult when the site in question is either an un-manned site, or when the problem occurs after normal business hours. Even if a reboot needs to take place while personnel are on site, one must still hope that the employee is savvy enough not to reboot the wrong device ... For systems administrators, the ability to perform a power cycle or remote reboot is a means of avoiding potential communication disasters. The solution is a Remote Power Reboot Switch which can be controlled by your systems administrator to ensure correct booting sequences in the event of system failures. The most convenient rebooting solution is one in which the reboot switch can be controlled via RS-232C commands, thus allowing for control of the reboot process by means of standard external async modems, over the TCP/IP network by using a terminal server or comm. server, or local with terminal software. ASCII commands sent to the reboot switch will either query the current status of all AC equipment attached to the switch, or turn on/off or cycle (reboot) the AC power. Since the reboot switch is controlled using ASCII commands and standard modems, only terminal emulation software is required to dial the site and switch the power. Also, real-time communication with the reboot switch provides responses from the reboot switch after each command has been accomplished. Applications for these switches range from the most common scenarios, where WAN environments (Internet POPs, or corporate intranet) are centrally controlled, yet servers, routers, and dial-up equipment frequently lock-up and require a reboot. Other scenarios involve satellite control equipment at communication towers, cellular towers or radio equipment. And since the units can switch any AC powered device, air conditioners and heaters are also frequently turned on or off at un-manned stations for climate control, and there is also the option of Controlling DC Power at remote sites as well. Power reboot units are available in a variety of different configurations. Units can be 19" Rack Mounted, to fit in the equipment rack along with the control hardware being rebooted, or units can be Modular / Expandable, to accomodate situations where the network control hardware is scattered throughout a facility or data center. As some AC equipment might also require a higher amperage rating than others, Heavy Duty / High-Amperage reboot units have also been developed. In all cases, the convenience of remote AC power control can be a welcome addition to your current network management strategy, and can also save time and expense of off-hours service calls. Mission Critical Linux Ltd. has been the Central- and Eastern European distributor of Western Telematic Inc. products for two years. The company performs not only the distribution but also works as a support center: we have the necessary professional team to answer all questions about installing the products and to help with other problems. Mission Critical Linux Ltd. itself uses WTI products when building Linux-based cluster systems. More and more interest is shown in these products: in Hungary, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia and Poland more and more highly satisfied companies are using devices that allow remote restart and management or sharing serial lines. Previous Page << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> Next Page

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