Cyclades AlterPath KVM 16, Manual

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Chapter 1
Introduction
AlterPath KVM Manua 1-1
Cyclades AlterPath™ KVM is a family of CAT5-based keyboard-video-
mouse switches designed to provide you an easy and secure way to manage
remote servers from a desktop unit. KVM provides you full access and
control of GUI-based servers (
e.g ., Windows NT or Windows Server 2003)
through a dedicated channel or over the network.
For simplicity, AlterPath KVM is also referred to in the
manual as KVM .
The flexibility of CAT5 cabling (supporting distances of up to 500 feet
between the switch and the managed servers) enables KVM to use any data
center’s existing cabling infrastructure and provide for an easy installation.
The security features of KVM allow integration with existing security
infrastructure such as RADIUS, , LDAP, and Kerberos. Token-
based strong authentication methods such as SecurID are also supported. As a
backup, the KVM provides local authentication should any of the
authentication servers fail.
The AlterPath KVM supports cascading, a feature which allows you to
connect other KVM switches as secondary units connected to a primary
KVM. Cascading allows data center managers to centralize port management
and expand their coverage as the data center grows.
Connectivity and Capacity
KVM supports two concurrent users: one remote and one local.
Through cascading, AlterPath KVM allows you to control up to 1024
computers. For one primary AlterPath KVM 16, you can connect up to eight
secondary KVM units; and for one AlterPath KVM32, up to 16 secondary
KVM units. Two connections are used for each secondary-to-primary
configuration to allow two simultaneous users. One CAT-5 cable between a
primary port to a secondary USER 2 port and another CAT-5 cable between a
primary port and a USER 1 port through a terminator.