IP access technology extends keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) signals, digital video, digital audio, and USB peripherals from any computer or server over TCP/IP via a local area network (LAN), wide-area network (WAN), or Internet connection. This technology uses existing network infrastructure and supports local and remote users, usually simultaneously. IP access technology works in diverse hardware environments and is ideal for managing multi-location data centers and branch offices.
These capabilities translate into real savings for companies having to deal with the proliferation of servers in many offices, particularly for corporations and government agencies required to deliver 24/7 uptime and real-time access to mission-critical servers every day of the year.
IP access and KVM-over-IP (KVMoIP) solutions combine the advantage of remote access software with the benefits of switching and extension technology. Like most KVM switches, IP access products don’t require any software to be loaded on the host computers. They interface directly with the keyboard, monitor, and mouse connectors of the host computer or KVM switch. Circuitry within the KVMoIP device digitizes the incoming video signal and processes it into digital data that is communicated to a viewer program running on a remote client computer over a LAN/WAN or the public Internet.
By addressing network issues from a remote location, you can simply manage issues from your desk, even save yourself the hassle of traveling to a site in the middle of the night. Use a browser-based connection, even a smartphone or tablet computer or PDA, to reboot or administer a roomful of servers remotely.
IP access solutions that feature virtual media technology take that convenience further. They enable a remote user to effortlessly move files from a mass storage device—a USB flash drive for example—from your location to the computer on which you’re working. Cost savings are realized through reduced downtime and less travel. In some cases, there’s no need to replace existing KVM switches with a proprietary ones to get a KVMoIP server-control solution.
Our IP access solutions enable you to access remote servers at the BIOS level, which is important when you need to troubleshoot from off site, and don’t want to dispatch a technician. Install or recover software applications and install OS patches from your location anywhere in the world. Plus, this BIOS-level control is possible regardless of the server’s brand or model and even works if the operating system is down.
Take the office coast to coast IP-enabled KVM switches, such as theServSwitch CX Quad IP (KV4161A), give multiple users in multiple locations simultaneous access to the systems they need to effectively do their work. For example, a small office in Seattle can manage a larger office in Pittsburgh. This cost-effective system requires no specialized equipment or software. The IP-enabled switch is connected to servers using CATX cables, and accessed via a LAN or WAN. Users at PCs in Pittsburgh can go to a Web browser, enter their IP-address and related log-in information, and can instantly see and control remote servers, and can view data stored there. Most switches support multiplatform operating systems. As the organization expands, the number of users can grow simply by daisychaining switches. The CX Quad IP can enable control of up to 256 servers!
With the steady expansion of the corporate office from one city to national or global enterprises, the technology needed to share information needs to keep up. KVM switching and extension need to expand beyond where cabling alone can take them.
