APC Enterprise KVM Switches

APC Enterprise KVM Switches

Introduction You need more than point access products. You need a system that provides more control, flexibility and scalability than ever before. Systems that reduce your Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) while leveraging the existing IT resources you already have. APC has an answer: a centralized remote access approach that increases control, allowing you to do more with less, from anywhere, anytime. Today s IT/network administrators need 24/7 access to servers and other networked assets 365 days a year both at the rack and in remote locations. Fortunately, with centralized access, your remote offices and data center have never been so close. When a piece of your data infrastructure is down, due to OS, hardware, power or network failure, you ll need an alternative path to reach the network a back door using direct access to the physical device itself using standard Internet Protocols (IP). Whether you need access at the rack, in the Network Operating Center (NOC), or from your laptop at home, APC solutions are available that will provide unprecedented, secure local and remote access and help you demonstrate a quick return on your investment.

Complete Remote Access and Control A typical data center includes a wide range of IT assets, ranging from servers to network switching and routing devices for voice, video, and data. Deploying an effective solution that communicates with so many platforms is critical. With that in mind, data centers will find the need to deploy remote access technologies, intelligent power controllers, and serial console servers that adhere to existing security policies. A centralized server access solution is not complete unless it supports local and remote access to screen and console ports. Look at the back panel of any piece of data center equipment, and you ll find a management port labeled COM, AUX or Serial Console. Servers will have a VGA port on the back to connect a local screen. From an OS perspective, UNIX operating systems (Linux, Solaris, etc.) provide OS system console access on serial ports. Even Windows operating systems, initially designed for only a local Keyboard, Video, and Mouse (KVM) user interface, now offer a system console available from the serial ports. Console Port Servers and KVMs are a truly universal access method for most network equipment in a data center including routers, switches, firewalls and gateways, power systems (uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), power generators), and telephony systems (switches, PBX systems). Switched Rack PDU InfraStruXure Central IP Users Power Management Cable Server Modules Modem Dial-Up User APC Rack LCD APC IP KVM

The APC Network and Server Access Solution The APC Network and Server Access Solution reduces Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) by allowing IT administrators to remotely diagnose problems and restore assets to normal operation quickly and easily. This is achieved by centralizing remote and local control of servers, storage systems, network equipment, and power devices in data centers, computer rooms, and remote branch offices - even when operating systems and networks fail. This scalable suite of enterprise class products include KVM Switches and Console Port Servers, rack mount power distribution units (PDUs), InfraStruxure Central, and Network Access Software. By allowing you to respond instantly, you increase service availability and reduce overall downtime saving time and money. When disruption strikes your network or servers, you can be a world away and still enjoy KVMlevel control to bring systems back on line fast. APC Analog and IP KVM Switches support multi vendor platforms and easily scale from the remote office network closet to the largest of data centers. They do this by leveraging the existing IP connectivity and security models in your network. Network Access Software lets you control an APC switch that can be connected to servers, serial devices, even PDUs. With centralized access, you can control multiple servers and network devices no matter where they are located. Virtual media adds additional efficiency by allowing an administrator to perform many tasks remotely such as file transfers or OS patches all in a secure manner. To summarize, the APC Network and Server Access Solution: Reduces Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) by monitoring health to predict failures, diagnose issues remotely and to restore to working operation quickly. Expands control by providing access through a single interface - anywhere and at anytime - as if you were right there. Improves availability by reducing unscheduled downtime through predictive monitoring and leveraging centralized technical expertise easily. Increases agility by speeding deployment, ensuring a high degree of system compatibility, and by adapting to changing requirements easily. Lowers Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by reducing on-site visits that minimize maintenance costs, and protect investments without the need for additional products or training. Extends security by restricting access using directory authentication, encrypting sensitive information on-the-wire and tracking administration activity. Whether you are looking to access data center servers from any location, anywhere in the world or simplify access to a rack of servers in a distant branch office, your best choice is the APC Network and Server Access Solution.

Real World Applications Local control The county government was able to maximize rack space and gain the ability to connect to their servers from any location by installing KVM over IP switches. The solution helped reduce the number of consoles in their server racks and allow for multiple support personnel to access the switch at the same time via their workstations. Branch control Network administrators at a leading enterprise software firm learned the true value of their remote access solutions when an after-hours troubleshooting need arose several states away at a branch office. Most valuable was the ability to troubleshoot in real time by accessing their devices remotely and securely as if they were sitting in front of the server. No longer is there a need to call and walk someone through troubleshooting, have technical staff at each location or absorb the high cost of service calls. When changes need to be made at a branch location, they can be done securely and remotely. Enterprise A leading event service with five domestic data centers, uses centralized solutions to manage hundreds of servers and gain superior remote capability, as well as better space utilization in their data centers allowing them to deploy new solutions to their customers. Because the solution is built on NT architecture, it also allows them to leverage existing security standards on their administrative network. APC IP KVM Switches APC IP KVM switches integrate Keyboard, Video, and Mouse (KVM) access, APC power control, and external modems to provide access to critical IT equipment at any location from anywhere in the world, even when network and operating systems are down. Because they connect directly to the keyboard, monitor, and mouse ports (commonly referred to as Out-of-Band ), IP KVM switches allow users to troubleshoot servers and diagnose problems through POST and BIOS-level access. This minimizes downtime by providing local and remote secure access to connected Windows, Sun, and Linux/Unix servers. All IP KVM switches are IPv6/IPv4 network compatible and support Virtual Media. APC IP KVM switches are supported by APC Network Access Software and InfraStruxure Central and provide integrated power management with APC Switched Rack PDUs.

APC IP KVM switches are rack mountable switches configurable for analog (local) or digital (remote) connectivity. They feature advanced cable management for connecting servers and serial devices via APC KVM server modules. The 2x1x16 (AP5610), 2x1x32 (AP5615), and 8x1x32 (AP5616) switches support Universal Serial Bus (USB) virtual media. Video resolutions are supported up to 1280 x 1024 for remote users. APC s scalable architecture allows a modular cascading solution to access up to 512 servers. There are 3 configurations of APC IP KVM switches: The APC 2x1x16 IP KVM switch (AP5610) has two digital ports, 16 target device interface ports, and one local port. The KVM switch supports up to three concurrent users - one local & two remote. The APC 2x1x32 IP KVM switch (AP5615) has two digital ports, 32 target device interface ports and, one local port. The KVM switch supports up to three concurrent users - one local and two remote. The APC 8x1x32 IP KVM switch (AP5616) has eight digital ports, 32 target device interface ports, and one local port. The KVM switch supports up to eight concurrent users one local and seven remote or eight remote. IP KVM Switches Part Number Product Description AP5610 APC 2x1x16 Digital KVM with VM AP5615 APC 2x1x32 Digital KVM with VM AP5616 APC 8x1x32 Digital KVM with VM

Virtual Media Virtual Media allows a server to access storage media such as CD-ROMs, flash memory, and external drives anywhere on the network - just as if they were directly attached to that server s USB port. Technicians can quickly and easily move and copy data between the storage media and the computer. They can install application and OS patches, download files, and perform diagnostic testing on multiple servers without ever physically entering the data center or leaving their desks. They can even work from home or on the road. Everything they would be able to do on-site, they can do securely from any remote location. Virtual Media can be provisioned locally or remotely. With local Virtual Media, the server and the storage media are attached to the same KVM switch - so data transfers take place through the switch. With remote Virtual Media, the storage media can be attached to any Virtual Media-enabled PC anywhere on the network. In these cases, data moves over the network from the enabled PC to the KVM switch - and then via the USB port from the switch to the server. Unlike conventional network attached storage, Virtual Media allows technicians to take advantage of the convenience of removable media to work wherever and whenever they have to. As long as they have a CD with whatever files they need on hand - whether it s diagnostic tools, a clean system image to reinstall or boot from, or a set of current patches - they can manage any server with a USB connection to a KVM switch. And all Virtual Media sessions can be optionally encrypted to assure high levels of security. Remote Server Local Media Administrator APC Digital KVM Switch APC KVM VM Server Module Note Virtual Media requires either a USB or PS/2 VM Server Module for each server to function.

Security Depending on how each KVM switch is configured, you can authenticate and authorize users by using either the KVM switch database, the Lightweight Directory Assistance Protocol (LDAP) or Microsoft Active Directory. After users log in to a KVM switch, their credentials (username and password) are cached for the duration of the session. The APC KVM solution automatically applies the highest practical level of encryption including DES, 3DES, and 128bit SSL technology to all authentication requests and operational tasks. This includes KVM and Virtual Media sessions. Security administrators can also set encryption levels manually. APC Network Access Software The Network Access Software is the main interface for the APC switches. You can view, access, manage and create custom groupings for all supported KVM switches and target devices (servers, network devices etc) defined in the local database. You can manually add or discover switches to the database, or let the discover wizard take-over the task. Built-in groupings such as KVM switches and devices provide a way to list units logically. You can create custom groups of units by adding and naming folders to reflect your specific environment. For example, you might create a folder for mission critical servers or for remote routers. You can select a target device from a Unit list, and then click an icon to open a video viewer session to it. The software provides credential caching that captures credentials upon first use and automates the authentication of subsequent connections. Network Access Software also supports user-defined Telnet, VNC, and RDP sessions providing flexibility.

Video Viewer The Video Viewer can be launched from the Network Access Software Menu. When you connect to a target server using the Video Viewer, the desktop of the target device is displayed. You can control the keyboard, monitor, and mouse functions as if you were right there. The local cursor and the target server cursor are also visible. You can perform viewer-specific tasks such as sending (pre-defined) macro commands. If the server you are attempting to access is currently being viewed by another user, you have several options depending on your access rights. If you are an administrator, you can share the session, preempt the session, or observe the session in stealth mode, undetected. You can also view multiple servers using the scan mode Thumbnail Viewer. This view contains a series of thumbnail frames, each containing a small, scaled, non-interactive version of a server screen image. The server name and status indicator are visible below each thumbnail. Additional video (Contrast, Brightness etc) and mouse (cursor type, scaling, alignment etc) adjustments can be made using the drop down menu options. The Video Viewer also provides access to the Virtual Media window. You can use the Virtual Media window to map drives from a target device to physical drives, such as a hard disk, CD, or DVD drive, on the client computer. You can open the Video Viewer for target devices connected to APC 2x1x16, 2x1x32, and 8x1x32 digital KVM switches.

Intelligent Server Modules APC Server Modules enable direct connectivity to servers attached to KVM switches. By replacing existing video, keyboard, mouse (PS/2), serial and USB cables, they reduce cable clutter while providing optimal display resolution, video and mouse settings. Server Modules convert the local signals and sends them using a single CAT 5 cable (up to 32.8 feet or 10 meters) to the switch. Server Modules receive power directly from the target device to provide Keep Alive functionality when the KVM switch is not turned on. The built-in memory of the KVM server module simplifies configuration by assigning and retaining unique server identification codes for each attached server. This integrated intelligence enhances security and prevents unauthorized access to a target device through cable manipulation. See the APC Switch Matrix for a full list of available Server Modules. APC CAT5 Analog KVM Switch The APC AP5602 2x16 CAT5 analog KVM switch integrates field-proven analog keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) switching technology with advanced cable management, flexible access for two simultaneous users, USB support, and a patented, easy-to-use interface. This KVM switch conveniently supports all major server platforms and features powerful on-screen management for easy system configuration and server selection. The APC AP5602 2x16 CAT 5 Analog KVM switch also features user peripheral ports for PS/2 and USB keyboards and mice. A benefit of the AP5602 KVM switch is the intelligent server module. The server module with CAT 5 design dramatically reduces cable clutter, while providing optimal resolution and video settings. The built-in memory of the server module simplifies configuration by assigning and retaining unique server names and Electronic ID (EID) numbers for each attached server. The server module is powered directly from the server and provides Keep Alive functionality even if the KVM switch is not powered. Each AP5602 KVM switch has 16 target device interface ports for connecting server modules. Utilizing a server module, you can attach additional switches to expand your switching system. This flexibility allows you to add capacity as your needs grow.

CAT5 Analog KVM Switch Part Number AP5602 Product Description APC 2x16 CAT5 Analog KVM APC Switch Matrix APC CAT5 Analog KVM APC IP KVM Part Number AP5602 AP5610 AP5615 AP5616 Port Density 16 16 32 32 User Console* 2 local 2 remote and 1 local 2 remote and 1 local 8 remote OR 7 remote and 1 local Maximum Systems 256 256 512 512 Maximum Video 1600 X 1200 1280 X 1024 1280 X 1024 1280 X 1024 Resolution Virtual Media No Yes** Yes** Yes** Number of Concurrent N/A 2 2 8 Virtual Media Sessions Rack Height 1U 1U 1U 1U Compatibility PS2, USB, SUN Yes Yes Serial Yes Yes Cascading Yes Yes Accessories AP5630 APC KVM PS/2 Server Module AP5631 APC KVM USB Server Module AP5632 APC KVM SUN Server Module AP5636 APC KVM VT100 Serial Server Module AP5640 Power Supply for Serial Server Module*** AP5641 APC KVM Power Management Cable AP5634 APC KVM USB VM Server Module AP5635 APC KVM PS/2 VM Server Module * Maximum number of concurrent KVM sessions ** To use Virtual Media, a VM capable Server Module is required. See Accessories. *** Power Supply for Serial Server Module can support up to 4 APC KVM Serial Server Modules. 2008 American Power Conversion Corporation. All rights reserved. All APC trademarks are property of American Power Conversion Corporation. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Revised March 2008