What is KVM ?

One of the most overlooked most incredibly important devices in any data center is KVM switch (with KVM being an abbreviation for Keyboard, Video or Visual Display Unit, Mouse) is a hardware device that allows a user to control multiple computers from a single keyboard, video monitor and mouse. Although multiple computers are connected to the KVM, typically a smaller number of computers can be controlled at any given time. Modern devices have also added the ability to share USB devices and speakers with multiple computers.

Some KVM switches can also function in reverse - that is, a single PC can be connected to multiple monitors, keyboards, and mice. While not as common as the former, this configuration is useful when the operator wants to access a single computer from two or more (usually close) locations

With just the click of a mouse, managers can instantly see a physical server and configure options without having to use a more complex remote access terminal. In the past, administrators used a KVM device with a hardware switch to see a server. KVM-over-IP devices are becoming increasingly common, and administrators are using them to control as few as two or as many as several thousand servers. For IT managers, understanding how a KVM works in the modern data center can help them increase productivity, reduce management chores, and inspect servers more effectively.

In a data center, managers who use a KVM-over-IP device are more concerned about the ability to access a server than the quality of the video. Many KVM-over-IP products use one Ethernet CAT 5 cable to capture keyboard, mouse, and video signals from the server and deliver them over a Web browser or a proprietary interface that lets an administrator access that server. KVMs support USB, PS/2, and Sun 8-pin keyboard and mouse connections, as well as VGA or DVI video ports. Switching between devices is typically done through the browser or interface and not a physical switch. This makes KVM over IP similar to a remote access product, such as Windows Remote Desktop Connection, except there are no user accounts to configure or passwords to remember. Instead, it is partly a hardware configuration (connecting servers physically with the CAT 5 cables) and partly a software function.

The key advantage of KVM technology in data centers is that it enables you to lock your data center, restrict physical access to the server racks, and then access the computers from the comfort of any workstation connected to your network.

KVM over IP

KVM over IP systems eliminate distance limitations by allowing access and control of remote servers and other network devices from the desk, the NOC or any other location. Avocent KVM over IP solutions, including the DS Series hardware and DSView® 3 management software enable you to securely manage your entire IT infrastructure using a single interface from any location. The DS Series enables you to continue to manage all your servers and devices even if the network has failed and remote access software no longer functions.

IT staff can access and control almost any server or network device, from any location, using a Windows interface such as DSView 3 software.

All of these Remote Access KVM Over IP products allow you access via your internal LAN/WAN, and some allow connectivity via the Internet or dial-in access via ISDN or standard 56K modems.Utilizing advanced security and regardless of operating system, these Remote Access KVM Over IP products allow you to remotely control all your servers/CPUs ? including pre-boot functions such as editing CMOS settings and power cycling your servers.


Key Terms

• KVM: A mechanical device that lets you switch between servers and pass signals for keyboard, video, and mouse from one system to another.

• KVM over IP: A device that uses CAT 5 cables to process keyboard, video, and mouse signals.

• Remote access: Used in conjunction with a KVM to access a server remotely.

Adantages of KVM over IP

• A single management interface can be used to manage an entirely heterogeneous IT infrastructure
• Administrators can manage remote data centers and branches as if they were present in each location
• Allows IT administration expertise to be centralized
• Enables multiple administrators to simultaneously work on a remote server or device
• Reduces downtime by providing easy access and control to any connected server or device
• Includes all the benefits of KVM technology including BIOS-level access even if the network is down
• Requires no special software or hardware modifications to the targeted device
• KVM over IP takes advantage of the TCP/IP infrastructure you already have in place
• Enables a "lights out" data center, thereby reducing the physical security risk
• Adds valuable authentication and logging of server access activity
• All keyboard and video signals are fully encrypted
• Enables an outsourcing model by providing a third party with authorized, secure and managed access to an external server infrastructure

KVM over IP applications

Local control: A KVM over IP solution reduces the number of rack consoles and allows multiple support personnel to work simultaneously on the same server via their workstations

Branch control: KVM over IP enables administrators to remotely troubleshoot and repair branch servers and devices without the need to have technical staff at each location.

Enterprise control: By using KVM over IP, administrators can have secure centralized control over multi-location data centers.