The new data center requires systems that provide more control, flexibility and scalability than ever before. You need more than server management. You need a system that reduces your Mean-Time-To-Repair (MTTR) while leveraging the existing IT resources you already have.

If you need to manage data centers and branch offices anytime from anywhere, there is an answer. A centralized management approach with out-of-band capability can increase data center control, allow you to do more with less, and provide remote access from anywhere in the world.

Today?s support-minded network administrators need around the clock access to servers 365 days a year ? both at the rack and in remote locations. Fortunately, with centralized management (including both in-band and out-of-band connectivity), your data center has never been so close.

Innovative serial console server and KVM over IP switching solutions allow you to leverage the IP connectivity and security models in your network. Centralized management software lets you control an appliance that can be connected to servers, serial devices, even power distribution units and environmental monitoring. With centralized management, you can control multiple servers and network devices no matter where they are located. Virtual media is a more recent addition. It increases administrator efficiency by allowing you to conduct a large host of tasks remotely such as file transfers.

Whether you need access at the rack, in the Network Operating Center (NOC), or from your laptop at home, there are solutions available that will provide unprecedented, secure access and help you show a quick return on your investment.

To download the complete white paper, please visit: http://www.42u.com/central-datacenter-management.htm.

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Preventing datacenter downtime is a top priority for datacenter managers, and for good reason. Across every industry, lost hourly revenue due to downtime is very expensive. Recent studies estimate that downtime costs as much as $2.8M per hour in lost revenue for firms in the energy industry, more than $2M per hour for firms in telecommunications, and $1M -$1.6M per hour for companies in other sectors, including manufacturing, finance, and information technology.(1) Even on good days, datacenter infrastructure management is a challenge, as administrators often have to control computer systems, serial devices, and power from multiple individual interfaces.

Centralized server management platforms simplify access to IT assets by aggregating access and providing a single management portal, thus eliminating the need to manage devices individually. When downtime occurs, centralized server management platforms provide a unified point of entry that allows administrators to access, troubleshoot, power cycle, and bring servers and appliances back online quickly. In addition, on a day-to-day basis, centralized management allows administrators to more easily and efficiently do their jobs.

Integrated Onboard Technologies

Integrated onboard technologies, or service processors, are microcontrollers embedded in a motherboard of a server, a PCI card, or on the chassis of a server. They are independent from the main CPU and the system OS and are accessible through an Ethernet interface; dedicated (Out-of-Band) or shared with the data Ethernet (Sideband).(2) Service processor features vary by manufacturer and include remote power-cycling of devices, monitoring of a server?s on-board instrumentation (temperature, CPU status, fan speed, and voltage), remote console access via Serial over LAN (SoL), and the ability to set event traps and perform OS-level shutdown.

Some service processors also allow for data logging, KVM control, and virtual media.

There are several different types of integrated onboard technologies made by various manufacturers.

Centralized Management

There are currently two centralized management platforms on the market, Avocent?s DSView and Raritan?s Command Center, which can be used to manage devices made by multiple vendors. Avocent also makes two service processor aggregation appliances that can be used to manage devices with integrated onboard technologies: the Cyclades OnBoard Service Processor Manager and the MergePoint 5200 Management Gateway Appliance. Both integrate with the DSView software and can also be managed by CLI. The Cyclades OnBoard provides out-of-band physical consolidation, power control, and monitoring, and requires only one external IP address for all connected devices. The MergePoint provides service processor ?auto discovery?; hardware monitoring, group execution of commands; integrated support for Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and Virtual Network Computing (VNC), and Serial over LAN (SoL) power control.

Raritan, whose embedded solutions include PCI cards, industry-standard ?daughter? cards, and a single-chip solution, currently supports generic devices through its Command Center Secure Gateway appliance and is expected to further expand this support to include IPMI in Q1. Minicom, whose KVM.net product currently provides out-of-band KVM over IP management for mixed server environments, is expected to add support for integrated onboard technologies in Q2.

Bringing Together A Total Solution

Both Avocent and Raritan provide complete integrated management solutions that allow administrators to manage devices with embedded onboard technologies such as IPMI, iLO, and DRAC, as well as allowing them to manage equipment currently controlled through secure console servers or KVM over IP. In addition, some devices can integrate support for Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and Virtual Network Computing (VNC), so that full server management coverage (in-band and out-of-band) can take place from one user interface. 42U?s knowledgeable sales engineers can provide you with a customized business-specific solution that will help you accomplish your goals.

42U provides turnkey datacenter solutions, including KVM over IP, intelligent power, environmental monitoring, rack cooling, and rackmount solutions. The team at 42U specializes in assessing needs, creating solutions, and supporting clients, to ensure that IT professionals maximize their use of current technologies to improve overall business performance.

References:

(1) IT Performance Engineering & Measurement Strategies: Quantifying Performance Loss, Meta Group, October 2000, cited in ?The Hidden Cost of Computer Downtime,” http://www.creativedata.net/index.cfm?webid=207

(2) Service Processor Management http://www.global.avocent.com/us/learnmore/serviceprocessor.asp and Centralized Management

http://www.avocent.com/web/en.nsf/Content/learnmoreDSV3

(3) HP Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) Standard http://h18013.www1.hp.com/products/servers/management/iloadv/index.html

(4) Remote Insight Lights-Out Edition II

http://h18013.www1.hp.com/products/servers/management/riloe2/index.html

(5) Dell PowerEdge Remote Access Controller (DRAC)

http://lists.us.dell.com/fom-serve/cache/75.html

(6) Service Processor Management

http://www.global.avocent.com/us/learnmore/serviceprocessor.asp

(7) Sun Advanced Lights Out Manager 1.6 (ALOM)

http://www.sun.com/servers/alom.html

(8) What Is ILOM?

http://www.sun.com/products-n-solutions/hardware/docs/html/819-5846-11/819-5846-11/c~config_ilom.html

(9) Sun Remote System Control (RSC) for Sun Fire V480, Sun Fire V490, Sun Fire V880, and Sun Fire V890 Servers

http://www.sun.com/servers/rsc.html

(10) Service Processor Management

http://www.global.avocent.com/us/learnmore/serviceprocessor.asp

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