[SLL] KVM (IP) & remote PDU recommendations

[Andrew Sweger]

On Wed, 8 Jul 2009, Vernon Van Steenkist wrote:

> Why use a KVM switch? Is vnc access or X access unacceptable for some
> reason? I am assuming you want graphical access.

A bad assumption. These machines work for a living. A GUI is a waste of
resources for a machine that sits lonely in its locked cage with thousands
of brothers in a dark room chewing packets of data day and night. I
usually whisper my commands over ssh.

> shutdown -r now - to reboot
> 
> shutdown -h now - to turn off.
> etherwake mac_address_of_machine -  to turn on.if your machine support WOL
> 
> I haven't had any of my machines lock up but if this is a problem, install
> a Linux supported watchdog timer card.

Lock ups happen. Sometimes machines don't make it back up after a reboot
(software upgrades, regular reboot testing). A watchdog is a good idea,
but a machine that keeps rebooting because it never comes up leaves me in
the same lurch. That lurch means money lost, liability, and pain.

We upgrade our systems regularly on lease and I plan to spec OOB processor
cards in the future (e.g., DRAC) which will give me console, reboot, and a
bunch of other nifty features. But in the meantime I'm leaning toward an
Avocent AutoView rig and may live without the PDU (I have free "remote
hands" in the building, but it takes 15 minutes to get them on the spot
usually).

My thanks to all the feedback, especially the OOB processor option. (And
the X10 idea. That's near and dear to my heart!)

-- 
Andrew B. Sweger -- The great thing about multitasking is that several
                                things can go wrong at once.