When your primary means of communication with remote network equipment fails, it’s always good to have other options for contacting various devices in the remote network equipment rack. As long as you can communicate with the devices in the remote equipment rack, then you still have a chance of solving the communication problem without an expensive service call to the remote rack. Although a console switch provides the basis of an excellent out of band management solution, it can also be helpful if the console switch provides additional communication options that can be employed to communicate with other devices in the remote network equipment rack when your primary network is down or unavailable.
Posts Tagged ‘out of band management’
A Console Switch with Outbound SSH and Outbound Telnet Capabilities
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012An Out of Band Management Solution for DC Powered Equipment Racks
Friday, January 13th, 2012When a vital network device at a remote network equipment site malfunctions or refuses to communicate, an out of band management solution provides administrators with a handy way to diagnose and correct problems at the remote site without the expense and inconvenience of a time-consuming service call. As a general rule, the more distant, remote and out-of-the-way the network equipment cabinet is, the more important it is to have out of band access to console port command functions when problems arise at the remote site.
Additional Security for Dial-Up, Out-of-Band Access to Console Servers
Monday, January 9th, 2012Although there are plenty of different security and authentication options available for IP communication with a console server, security and authentication options are much more limited for those who need to establish a dial-up out-of-band connection with a console server. Popular authentication protocols such as LDAP, Kerberos and TACACS+ work fine when communicating via IP, but at present, there are few alternatives for authenticating dial-up out-of-band communication.
Get the Most Out of Your Console Management Solution
Friday, December 30th, 2011Not too many years ago, the sole purpose of a console management solution was to provide out of band access to console port command functions on remote network elements. Although that function is still important, these days most full featured console management units are expected to provide additional capabilities that are intended to help network administrators to track conditions and events at remote network equipment sites in addition to providing out of band management capabilities.
Keeping Better Track of Conditions at Remote Network Equipment Sites
Monday, December 26th, 2011When managing network devices located at off-site data centers or in remote equipment cabinets, it isn’t always easy to tell when power to the remote network equipment has been interrupted and restored. Sure, you could always wait for users to complain that a server or router at the remote site didn’t recover correctly, but in a busy corporate network environment a network administrator often needs to be more proactive when it comes to dealing with power interruptions and disrupted network service. It’s pretty easy to tell when power at the remote network equipment site is out completely, but how does one recognize a situation where power momentarily blinks off and then back on again?
Effective Security for Dial-Up Out of Band Management Applications
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011Security and authentication are two vital elements for any out of band management strategy. The reason for this is simple: given the powerful remote access capabilities provided by an out of band management solution, it’s extremely important that access to console port command functions on remote network elements is adequately protected from unauthorized users. While it’s relatively easy to implement effective security and authentication measures when out of band management is accessed via a secondary maintenance network connection, the task of authenticating each user can prove to be much more of a challenge when the out of band management solution is accessed via dial-up connection.
Open, Close, Reboot and Default Remote Relays … Without Leaving Your Desk
Monday, December 19th, 2011There are plenty of remote power control solutions on the market that can monitor and control power switching for 120 and 240 VAC applications, but what if you need to employ these same remote control and monitoring functions to open or close a relay on a high amp device? WTI’s CCM Series remote relay controllers are the ideal solution for secure, reliable, remote switching of relays on high amp devices such as Cisco’s 8700 Watt Power Supplies.
Secure Communication with a Console Server that Supports SSHv2 Encryption
Friday, December 16th, 2011A console server can provide network administrators with many convenient tools that simplify the task of managing network elements located at off-site data centers and remote equipment racks. When a device at a distant network equipment site suddenly crashes and takes your network down with it, a console server allows out of band access to console port command functions on the malfunctioning device, and often eliminates the need for an expensive service call to the remote network site that would otherwise be required in order to address the problem in person.
A Network Power Switch with Monitoring and Alarm Capabilities
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011Not too many years ago, it was rare to find a network power switch in a remote network equipment cabinet. Prior to the popularity of out of band management, many network administrators relied on an expensive service call whenever a network element at a remote site needed to be rebooted. But as the concept of out of band management has become more widely accepted, we’re now at a point where it’s pretty rare to find a remote network equipment cabinet that doesn’t include a network power switch.
The Console Manager – Vital Help for Remote Network Equipment Sites
Monday, December 12th, 2011When an important network element located at an off-site data center or remote equipment rack suddenly locks up and refuses to communicate, the last thing you want to do is send a tech team off on a service call, merely to reboot the uncooperative network device or change a few communication parameters. A service call might seem like the obvious solution, but service calls are expensive, and the entire time that you’re waiting for the service team to reach the remote network equipment site, that important network device still refuses to communicate.
