Managing out-of-band management

Service processors are the key to successful high-density rack applications, and they’re just as handy for managing systems in the branch office, where intensive monitoring of each box or blade must take the place of being there. Lights-out management isn’t just for datacenters anymore.

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The rub is that each service processor requires an IP address and an Ethernet connection, making out-of-band management just a little complicated to manage. Cyclades’ AlterPath OnBoard service processor manager addresses this inconvenience. Available with either 24 or 40 ports, OnBoard allows you to present up to 40 physical service processor connections through a single IP address. All these service processors can be controlled through a single Web-based user interface, and administrator access can be logically grouped and chopped as finely as you need. Remote connections to the OnBoard are handled securely via IPSec/PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol), SSL, or SSH, alleviating worries about outsiders harvesting your server farm.

OnBoard supports a broad range of service processor standards and protocols including IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface), HP iLO (Integrated Lights Out), Dell RAC (Remote Access Card), IBM RSA (Remote Supervisor Adapter), Sun ALOM (Advanced Lights Out Manager), and both IBM’s and HP’s blade management solutions. With hardware and systems management vendors arguing over a multitude of proposed standards, the Cyclades product provides a layer of consistency across the emerging class of service processors for heterogeneous environments. In short, Cyclades has covered all the bases. And, if you’re already using a Cyclades KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse) or serial console, OnBoard integrates with AlterPath Manager, though you aren’t required to use it.

Cyclades AlterPath OnBoard
Cyclades
Cost: AlterPath OnBoard starts at $3,995.00 for 24-port model
Availability: January 2006