console servers versus terminal servers

[haider raza]

hi all,
want to know about the difference between console servers and terminal servers in remote management and why are console servers more in use than terminal servers

[Uwe Zessin]

"terminal server" is used in the traditional Digital/VMS world while "console server" is usually used outside this world.

The "terminal server" was originally used to connect serial terminals and printers to a server. For lights-out management, the 'reverse' feature is being used today: the console port of a device is connected to the "terminal/console server" and a connection is initiated from the network.

[Phillip Thayer]

Haider,

Welcome to the forums.

The difference is that a console server is an actual computer system that is able to connect to the OpenVMS system console via an port on a terminal server. A terminal server is device that allows multiple connections to output devices on it via multiple ports. Each port can be configured to use different transport protocols to communicate to the devices on the other end of the "wire" connecting the terminal server to the end device.

How this is normally done is that you would connect a systems console port to a terminal server port. Configure the terminal port to use a transport protocol that is valid on the console system (TCP/IP or LAT are the most commonly used.) On the console system you would configure your console monitoring software (like ConsoleWorks - http://www.tditx.com/) to connect to the port that you just configured which is connected to your system console. Once you have the connection setup you should be able to connect to your console and do whatever you would normally do with a terminal connected to it.

Phil

[Peter Zeiszler]

The way I think of them is that Console Server (software based) allows for a continuous collection of data showing up on the console even when I am not there and that the terminal server (hardware based) allows for an access to that port via the serial line.

Console server also is refering to the software that is in use to make the connection to the console port (OPA0:) through a terminal server. I use the CA console manager software. This software continually captures the console data. I do all of my upgrades, patches, etc from this console so that I have a record in a log file of all activities and can review the data if I need to. It also helps if I lose a connection to my system I just reconnect and I am at the same point.

[Uwe Zessin]

Well, another case of ambiguous terminology - in the Unix world, a 'console server' is a hardware box (like a 'terminal server') that connects to serial console ports of computers, switches, routers, ...