How good is Terminal server?

[Sachin Patel]

I am exploring for serial terminal server for many of our HP and linux servers.

I came across
http://catalog.blackbox.com/blackbox/Templates/blackbox/mainscreen.asp

Which is 16 port serial terminal server.

can I telnet to console? Do I need any special setup on HP servers?
Is anyone has anyother product?

Thanks
Sachin

P.S. This thread has been moved from Servers > Planning to Servers > general - HP Forum Moderator

[Sajid_1 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I worked on the 16 port terminal server before. It was called a 'lanstation' and you can either configure it as fixed port or normal ones:
a) In those TS, the 0th port was the console. But when you connect to it, you need to setup the terminal setting to 7, odd, 1.
b) For admin purpose from console, you need to have the password from the manufacturer.
c) Yes, you need a special setup for this. You have to install the software, enable the ports in /etc/inittab so that you get a getty process on the ports. Depend up on the model, you can have different settings for ports and can be defined in a file (/etc/gettydefs?

[harry d brown jr]

I like the http://www.arula.com

You can use a browser to get to the "console"/"serial port"


live free or die
harry

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi Sachin,

You might want to look at the Cisco 2500 Access Server line.
At my last position we used 16-port 2511 & 2512 to "backdoor" into the console - worked fine.

Here's a link:

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/pd/as/2500as/prodlit/srv_pa.htm

Rgds,
Jeff

[Sajid_1]

oops ..the last part was missed!

/etc/gettydefs can be used to set the speed and terminal settings. The configuration file for each ports will be on a directory under /etc (eg: /etc/lanstation/config). You will get this directory created after the software installation.

In fixed port configuration, you will have permanent tty names for each ports. In the other case, it will pick up randomly from the systems.

The best use of TS in older days was the HP-UX license. By using TS, it will only use one license and will give 15 different terminals.

Check your kernel parameters before you start, and do the tuning for tty parameters.

gl

[Sachin Patel]

Great site Harry,
I am going to find out from them tomorrow.

Thanks Sajid and Jeff

Sachin

[Kelli Ward]

Hi Satchin,

We have had issues with Black Box servers and no longer use them here.

We use many Digi (previously Central Data) scsi port servers in house and have very good luck with them.
They come in both the DB25 and RJ45 variety. (The RJ45 unit, depending on the model, can be used for serial or LAN.)
Most of ours are model ST1008 (8-port), but they also carry 16 port, ST1016, I assume. They work fine with HP-UX and are also Solaris and AIX compatible. We don't use them for Linux, so I haven't noticed compatiblity, but I imagine it isn't a problem.
Check: www.digi.com (under terminal servers) for more details.
Good luck,
Kel

Note: The digi driver uses it's own script for installation and "defaults" to ethernet. It's a little annoying but works okay. Just remember, If you are not using the ethernet (els) terminal server to say (n)o to any questions it asks regarding this and it will then load the scsi drivers.
I fell for it a couple of times, at first, and had to reinstall.