Black Box LES1132A console server

Value Line 32-Port Console Server <b>Quick Facts</b>
- For highly affordable, secure console access.
- Manage a range of serial console ports and devices from a single user interface.
- Accessible in band (via Ethernet or secure tunnel over the Web) or out of band via a dialup modem connection.

<b>Further Details</b>
- For high availability, supports 10-/100-Mbps auto failover set up through an alternate dial-in or out-of-band broadband path.
- Embedded with open-source Linux based OS. PC compatible.
- Protects data over a public network with 256-bit encryption, SSH tunneled serial bridging, SSH tunneling for TCP/UDP, IP packet filtering, and more.
- Off-line data logging, on-line data buffering and logging, as well as port sniffing for multiple users per port.
- For easy rollback, stores multiple local boot images locally. It's also easy to restore configurations.
- Supports up to 50 concurrent sessions (SDT tunnels).
- No limit on the number of clients who can access one gateway or the number of hosts accessed concurrently through one tunnel.
- Robust LAN console port management with secure Serial over LAN (SoL) access and Secure Remote Desktop access to Windows XP/2003.
- On the LAN port, each gateway can port forward to an unlimited number of locally networked hosts (computers or routers).
- Boasts authentication protection plus the ability to restrict access by IP address, password, or account.
- Cascadable ports. Cluster multiple units so up to 1000 serial ports can be accessed via one IP address and managed at one location.
- Flexible system management options (including SNMP, HTTPS, HTTP, CLI in Linux Shell, Nagios distributed monitoring, and ARP-PING).
- NTP, TCP/IP, and UDP/IP network compatible.
- Firmware upgradable.

There's no need to spend a lot for efficient, remote console server management. Not when you can get the Black Box Value Line 48-Port Console Server instead.

This versatile device gives you out-of-band serial console port control in a secure platform that fits the budget of small to medium-size businesses and cash-strapped educational, healthcare, and government institutions. It provides access to data center systems without sacrificing security, flexibility, and interoperability with your current server environment.

Use it as a gateway to remotely access servers, virtual servers, service processors, and similar network IT equipment for reliable 24/7 uptime. You can also monitor and control routers, switches, firewalls, PBX systems, and many other network infrastructure devices.

And because you can use the console server to manage ports on PDUs, UPSs, and environmental monitoring devices—and, in the process, cut power consumption, reduce utility bills, and lessen environmental impact—it's a great cost-effective addition to any IT department or company wanting to initiate "clean tech" energy conservation. It's the ideal way to unify power and IT resources while controlling your data centers and networks from anywhere in the world!

The console server features secure serial bridging, encapsulating incoming raw serial data into IP packets and transporting it over a network to a remote location, where it's then represented as serial data. This bridging is useful for any administrator who needs to connect to legacy serial devices running proprietary protocols and who wants to do this over the Internet instead of an older, dedicated telecom channel.

Even better, it uses the Linux OS platform, so there's no dealing with proprietary protocol issues when you want to customize it to your specific needs. You can use the open-source platform to not only reach ports on Linux, Windows, Sun®, HP®, and IBM® servers, but also use it's preloaded Nagios network monitoring application to centrally manage servers and other resources distributed across an application. The console server comes with a developer kit to help you get started.

<b>Reach equipment out of band securely.</b>
In addition to remote in-band access through its 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX TCP/IP ports, the Value Line 48-Port Console Server supports out-of-band access to your critical equipment and vital assets.

Just attach an external dialup modem, and you can control and manage your distributed network of servers and other devices with the latest in console access. Typically, you do this via Telnet software, using an SSH tunnel through the console server to communicate securely with serial port-connected devices over the Internet or any other public network.

But you can Telnet through the console server to the serial device several other ways, too. (See "Serial Console Port Management" and "LAN Console Port Management" in the Tech Specs.)

The Value Line 48-Port Console Server comes with SDT Connector, a free open-source SSH Java client. Use it to auto-load your console server's configurations and, to ensure secure connectivity with attached network and serial devices, set up SSH tunnels for port-forwarding communications through the console server.

The same SDT Connector is used for setting up a 10-/100-Mbps auto failover route to a remote, out-of-band gateway. This can be through an alternate dial-in path or out-of-band broadband path.

Robust advanced encryption keeps all connection communications secure. In addition, the console server gives you a choice of filtering and access logging facilities, which you can archive off-line. Store off-line logs for serial ports, available networks, and more. And to protect against unauthorized access, the system enables you to restrict access by IP address, password, or account.

<b>Scans serial stream and sends alerts.</b>
To help ensure maximum uptime, the Value Line 48-Port Console Server proactively scans the serial stream on console ports, searching for specific errors and phrases.

The console server supports SNMP and SMTP alerts/traps for serial ports and hosts. Simply set the trigger condition for each port, and the console server monitors port traffic for your defined character stream pattern or phrases. If they're detected, the console server sends SMS text or an e-mail to you or an SNMP server (or to a central Nagios server, if it's used). This alerts feature can be enabled on any and all serial ports or connected hosts.

In addition, the console server informs you of its operating status. An on-line LED on the back of the unit flashes a "heartbeat" periodically, and its "heartbeat monitor" agent can trigger dial-back or a redundant path during network outages. The heartbeat monitor checks that the console server is on-line and operating as it should, that it's clear to send alerts and alarms, and that it's accessible by remote users. You can set it up so if the heartbeat falters, it can automatically dial up a remote site to raise an alarm, or switch to and activate a failover link.

<b>Hotkey power on a PDU or RPS.</b>
The Value Line 48-Port Console Server is also an ideal solution for situations where you need out-of-band access to a "dead" communications device—one that's entirely locked up in a frozen condition.

Using a hotkey from the command line interface via SSH or Telnet, you simply launch the console server's power menu, through which you can turn power on (or off), power cycle, or just check the power status of a particular device. Or you activate power status control and monitoring through SNMP. The console server supports thousands of PDU or RPS units, for both serial- and SNMP-connected control.

<b>Supports GNU bash shell script.</b>
Some products in the market use proprietary protocols for communications, but the Value Line 48-Port Console Server gives you access to the Linux core, including bash. This makes it ideal for industrial control applications where you need to remotely manage proprietary equipment with custom protocols.

Through the Linux kernel, you can write custom scripts that can run manually or automatically. This way, you proactively create self-healing solutions for cycling power on a router or switch on PING failure.

You can write custom scripts so they run each time a particular alert triggers. For example, you can set it up to power cycle on a managed device when a specific alert event occurs or to send multiple notification e-mails when an alert triggers.