20040805_server_room_management

	Pressing server room management challenges

	The growing number of IT platforms and applications of enterprises bring along the following problems: Increased costs of precious data center space Large amount of systems, complicated IT operations Growing power consumption and hardware costs Troublesome severe management and security challenges With the deployment of dozens or hundreds of servers, a system administrator can hardly monitor and control the latest operation status of each server. What's worse, as conventional KVM switches communicate with each server via a proprietary, bulky multifunction cable, the administrator would have to deal with the crowded and noisy server room environment tangled with unwieldy server-to-server cables and connectors. Under the circumstances, any small mistake can lead to a big disaster. Particularly, for those industries, including telecommunications and ISP/ICP, the 'five nines'-that's 99.999% availability is a must. If their IT managers cannot immediately spot and track a problem before it causes any damages, it can severely result in the downtime of network service provision, impact user experience of all subscribers, and thus increase customer attrition. Again, to assess an optimized management solution that demonstrates the ability to meet the strict reliability goals of 99.999% uptime for network accessibility and availability has become a critical issue.

	Improved productivity with KVM switches

	As its name indicated, KVM switches allow multiple servers and other devices to be controlled from a single keyboard, monitor and mouse. Designed to eliminate the obstacles and enable trouble-shooting of large-scale server room control, KVM switches support multiple server access. With KVM systems, server room administrators can control hundreds of servers and serial devices via a single console, whether they are across the hall or halfway around the world. The technology offers the following benefits: Eliminates the need for redundant keyboards, monitors and mice Save a lot of budget to purchase these peripherals each set per computer Space in the data center is conserved, allowing server density per square foot to be increased Reduce demands on electrical power and heating and cooling systems Simplify the server management operation, maximize maintenance efficiency, and enhance security and reliability Support continuous expansion and scalability to accommodate virtually any number of users and control an unlimited number of data center devices A multiple port KVM switch allows a user to easily access 2, 4, 16, or even hundreds of the connected systems via a simple switching action. With such solution, server room administrators can sit in front of a console, switching between multiple computers, and save a lot of time to walk travel between computers and searching for the input and out devices. KVMs also help to minimize expensive and inconvenient travel to remote locations. Depending on KVM switch models, this can be accomplished by a mechanical pushbutton, a hot-key sequence, or an OSD (on screen display) menu. Finally, a KVM solution offers consultation and system-design services supplemented with training and 24x7 interactive technical supports.

	Technology evolution

	The first-generation KVM switches are mechanical KVMs which act like on/off switches. When you change from one system to another using the switch on the KVM, a mechanical KVM mechanically connects users'devices from one system, and connects them to another. Unfortunately, due to the inherent nature of mechanical switches, computer systems get crash when users try to switch from one device to another. Additionally, users may lose settings that affect the accuracy of your mouse when performing such a mechanical switch. Moreover, to use mechanical KVM switch, users need to turn on computers one after one - that is a time consuming task. The KVM switch technology has been reinforced significantly and quickly to meet the demanding management needs. The second-generation intelligent KVMs perform the connection electronically inside the KVM such that all systems connected to the KVM recognize they are always connected to end user devices. Electronic KVMs do this by spoofing/simulating the devices so that the attached systems never know that a switch occurs. This simulation is a lot less harsh on the attached systems.

Mechanical vs Electronic KVMs

Features	Electronic	Manual
Video resolution	Clear video display of up to 1920×1440	Video display with ghost-shadow lines
Simultaneously system power on	Yes	No
Mouse	Hot swappable, no system crash	System crash frequently
Switch methods	Various switch control options	Manual turn-knob switch control only
Security	Secure and durable	With electronic spikes that damage motherboards and monitors easily
Warranty	One year	One month

Functionality wise, a great number of KVM switches that support diverse features and designs for different data center environments and requirements are available on the market. Basic models for single-user application provide easy to use switch and control functions, while some advanced systems integrate high-end server management solutions, and provide multi-console control to allow several administrators to manage and control large number of servers at the same time. For example, the latest KM0432 KVM from Aten is a multi-user model that supports up to 4096 computers in daisy chain and cascade configurations.

Additionally, most advanced KVM switches are compatible with all major operating systems, and support connectivity to other equipment and peripherals in the data center, such as routers, network switches, and firewalls.

According to IDC's statistics, the global market for KVM switches is expected to reach US$1 to 2 billion this year. Today, there are a total of 50 KVM vendors around the world, not including some 50 OEM/ODM manufacturers in the industry. Among them, Aten, well recognized as the leading KVM supplier, has absorbed over 60 percent of the share in the mid-class KVM market.

	Server management steps into new era

	Over the years, the development of KVM switches has gained significant progress to provide extended cabling distances and console signal conversion. As a result, server management has also moved all the way from mounting servers in rack to networked KVM for remote operation, and to the latest wireless KVM management. In the old days, all servers resided within a wire closet located in a server room, and were used a single-user mechanical KVM to operate the control. IT operators have no way but to stay in this small room all day long in order to closely monitor the system status to prevent such conditions of unstable, crash, or disconnected conditions. System upgrade and software update must be handled in the server room as well. If the operator has to leave the room, he has to rush back once there's any abnormity, and check servers in the closet one by one. Even worse, they have to move between several servers that may be installed in various locations. In this way, multiple operators are required, lacking centralized management. The inflexible management is also the main cause of the high turnover rate of IT operators.

	Closet management

	In the old days, all servers resided within a wire closet located in a server room, and were used a single-user mechanical KVM to operate the control. IT operators have no way but to stay in this small room all day long in order to closely monitor the system status to prevent such conditions of unstable, crash, or disconnected conditions. System upgrade and software update must be handled in the server room as well. If the operator has to leave the room, he has to rush back once there's any abnormity, and check servers in the closet one by one. Even worse, they have to move between several servers that may be installed in various locations. In this way, multiple operators are required, lacking centralized management. The inflexible management is also the main cause of the high turnover rate of IT operators.

	Analog KVM

	Along with the prevalence of network technology, KVM vendors launched new models leveraging enterprise networks. IT administrators may choose an analog KVM solution to extend the user console of the devices over Ethernet, LAN or dial-up connections, aiming to support the most challenging demands of server management where space is at a premium. With the server's KVM activity routed over the existing enterprise LAN network, analog KVMs provide immediate system access with a distance of up to 1,000 feet away via Category 5 (CAT 5) or Category 6 (CAT6) UTP cable. Additionally, analog KVM offers multi-user, multi-platform support and simple plug-and-play installation. By using such KVM, IT administrators need not leave their desks and walk to the server room, except for rare instances. Thus they allow IT personnel to access, control and manage the company's servers even if the corporate network itself is down. Analog KVM switches can even enable a complete system reboot, reconfiguration, or trouble-shooting from a remote location. Important system information, including CPU frequency, hard drive utilization, cooling fan speed, operating system updates, FRU devices and network adaptors control, will be displayed on the monitor of each MIS for real-time monitoring and tracking.

	KVM over IP

	Driving by emerging trends of high availability computing, the globalization of the business enterprise and many others, the data center management has shifted from single-site local management, to multi-location remote management across the global. In fact, the "KVM over IP" concept, formed by several international KVM leaders dated back to 2001, is created to provide internationally remote control, further broadening KVM usages in data center management. An IP-based KVM converts keyboard, video and mouse activity into digital signals that are routed over the IP network, allowing authorized users to gain secure and immediate access of servers in the data center from anywhere around the world. It is now possible for IT administrators to reboot a server located in the U.S. from the Taiwan headquarter, as if it were right there in the same room, giving companies a tremendous amount of control and the edge in their markets. The most advanced feature of KVM over IP is that it meets industry-standard TCP/IP protocol to provide an open architecture, allowing enterprises to integrate and combine solutions from different vendors without being tied to any proprietary systems or technologies. All major KVM over IP systems on the market now support web-based administration via standard web browsers. System administrators will benefit from the integrated Web-based access and management, as they can virtually reach the data center by logging in the web, and use graphical user interfaces and point-and-click mouse control for remote access or data encryption settings. When there's a failure in the server room, KVM over IP systems will automatically trigger an alarm or alert the user with a notification message.

	Wireless Management

	As wireless technology is one of the most promising technologies nowadays, KVM switch vendors will develop new models leveraging wireless connectivity.The technology puts wireless in the middle when it is desirable to have IT managers move around the building. Any handheld computer running the Windows Mobile or predecessor operating systems becomes a full administrative console, allowing an administrator to manage, interact with, or even restart a server, router, hub, uninterruptible power supply or other KVM-compatible network device. For example, Aten led the industry by announcing the world's first wireless KVM in early 2003. The unit transmits audio and video data via wireless local area network (WLAN). By using the existing network infrastructure, Aten's wireless KVM based on the IEEE802.11 standards can span multiple server sites, giving system mangers the mobility to obtain real-time system access for status monitoring, and to reduce installation requirement of proprietary, bulky multifunction cable.

	Future trends

	Intelligent GUIs and man-machine design are some distinctive features of innovative enterprise KVMs, with diverse control options to meet customersindividual demands for network management and operation environments. Other advanced features include: Adaptive auto-scanning and selection Auto detection, to control the status of all connective systems and servers, device detection and may actually lock up momentarily right after a switch as the operating recognizes the USB device Push-button panel control, allowing users to select and switch between the desired servers connected by simply pushing the button Unique "Hot Key" operation, enabling users to quickly and easily switch between any computer servers Cross-platform management, regardless of PC, Mac, Sun, Digital Alpha, HP9000, SGI, RS/6000, and even ASCII, all can be controlled from the same keyboard and KVM switch Dual interface (PS/2 and USB): Conventional KVMs do not have USB support, while most new models support both PS/2 and USB interfaces. Some KVM makers have introduced USB only KVMs. Software support: Many innovative KVM systems now provide integrated management solutions to help IT managers deliver software distributions, daily data backup, data processing, and system reboot to multiple remote servers. Hence, enterprises can maximize efficiency across multiple systems without using a lot of IT resources or establishing remote data centers, so as to reduce costs. Online software upgrade: Users can simply download the latest software version to upgrade their KVM systems, largely reducing maintenance time and costs.