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Last updated October 2005                                                                                                                                                                                                                           14

1x8 and 2x16 Console Switches

Q.  what computer platforms do the IBM 1x8 or 2x16 Console Switches support?

 

A. The switch cables available with the console switch support PS/2 and USB server environments. Using the on-Screen 

Configuration and Activity Reporting (oSCAR®) graphical user interface in conjunction with these cables enables you to switch easily 

across platforms.

 

Q. what kind of security features are available on IBM 1x8 or 2x16 Console Switch?

 

A. The oSCAR interface enables you to protect the system with a screen saver password. After a user-defined time, the screen saver 

mode engages, and access is prohibited until the appropriate password is entered to reactivate the system.

 

Q. what video resolutions does the IBM 1x8 or 2x16 Console Switch support?

 

A. The console switch provides optimal resolutions for analog VGA, SVGA, and XGA video. You can achieve resolutions up to 1280 x 

1024 with a 3-m (9.8-ft) cable. See the Console Switch Installation and user guide for a more detailed list of support video resolutions 

and refresh rates.

 

Q. how many servers can I connect to an IBM Console Switch?

 

A. The 1x8 console switch supports up to 8 directly attached servers and the 2x16 console switch supports up to 16 directly attached 

servers. each model can conveniently scale to support additional servers. You can expand the system by tiering with console 

switches and legacy-model console switches. This extra tier of units enables you to attach up to 256 servers in one system.

 

Q. what is the ACI port used for?

 

A. The Analog Console Interface (ACI) port on each console switch is used to tier multiple switches together.

Detail: 

You can tier multiple console switches to enable one or two users to connect to up to 256 servers. In a tiered system, each ARI port on 

the main console switch will connect to the Analog Console Interface (ACI) port on each tiered console switch. each tiered switch can then be 

connected to up to 8 servers on the 1x8 console switch and up to 16 servers on the 2x16 console switch. The example in Figure 2.4 shows one 

console switch tiered under the main switch, enabling the connection of up to 15 primary servers and 16 secondary servers. In this configuration, you 

could tier 16 console switches under the main switch, enabling the connection of up to 256 servers. only one level of tiering is supported in this type 

of configuration, which means that you cannot tier additional legacy switches or another console switch. In this configuration, the tiered local port 

oSCAR interface is disabled when the main console switch is tiered below another console switch.

 

Q. what will I receive in the box with each Console Switch?

 

A. You will receive: 

  •  Console switch

  •  Power cord

  •  Rack mounting hardware (includes rack mounting brackets)

  •  Documentation CD

  •  Quick Installation Guide
  •  1U filler panel

Q. will I need any additional items in order to use my Console Switch?

A.  Yes, you will need one IBM 3-meter Console Switch Cable (PS/2 or USB) per attached server.

Q. what legacy model switches with the Console Switch support?

A. The Console Switch will support the NetBAY™ 1x4 Console Switch (09N4290) and the NetBAY 2x8 Console Switch (09N4291).

Q. how do I update the firmware in the Console Switch?

A. You can upgrade the firmware of the console switch by using a special update utility. This utility automatically configures the port 

communications settings to enable direct downloading from  a connected server through the serial port of the console switch. For 

more detail on firmware upgrades see Appendix A of the Console Switch Installation and users Guide.

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Summary of Contents for Global console manager

Page 1: ...t the rack Compelling reasons to buy a KVM solution from IBM IBM KVM products have an intuitive graphical user interface GUI that makes switching between connected systems simple and easy IBM KVM prod...

Page 2: ...is used to establish an Ethernet connection or directly through a local port The IP based appliance gives you target device control from ANYWHERE in the world You can use the following Conversion Opt...

Page 3: ...able connec tions between KVM switch ports and managed devices This cable chaining solution allows up to 16 KCOs or UCOs to be chained together OSCAR graphical user interface The appliance uses the OS...

Page 4: ...Basic GCM configuration Last updated October 2005 4...

Page 5: ...evice Port Number 4 Type USB 2 0 Dimensions Height x Width x Depth 1 72 in x 17 00 in x 10 98 in 1 U form factor 4 37 cm x 43 18 cm x 27 98 cm Weight 7 3 lbs 3 31 kg without cables Power Supply Heat d...

Page 6: ...st be connected to the appliance using a VCO cable Chaining Technology IBM s unique cable chaining solution enables users to manage a daisy chain of multiple servers through a single connection to a c...

Page 7: ...Last updated October 2005 7 Basic LCM2 configuration...

Page 8: ...5 lb without cables Power supply Heat dissipation 92 BTU Hr Airflow 8 CFM Power consumption 12 5 Watts AC input power 40 Watt maximum AC input voltage rating 100 to 240 V ac Autosensing AC input curre...

Page 9: ...properly with or without connectivity to the console switch The switch cable enables direct KVM connectivity to servers attached to the console switch The 1x8 console switch has 8 Analog Rack Interfa...

Page 10: ...monitor and is compliant with the VESA DDC2B standard Firmware Upgrades You can upgrade the firmware at any time through an update utility to be sure that the console switch system is always running...

Page 11: ...Last updated October 2005 11 Basic console switch configuration...

Page 12: ...cm x 27 94 cm 1 U form factor 1 75 in x 17 00 in x 11 00 in Weight 3 6 kg 8 lb without cables Heat Dissipation 92 Btu Hr Airflow 8 CFM Power Consumption 12 5 Watts AC input power 40 Watts maximum AC i...

Page 13: ...server operations or network resources Intuitive graphical user interface and multi platform support Password protection for access control within the rack environment Firmware upgrades available thro...

Page 14: ...e or two users to connect to up to 256 servers In a tiered system each ARI port on the main console switch will connect to the Analog Console Interface ACI port on each tiered console switch Each tier...

Page 15: ...e or other media type is mapped as a virtual mass storage device Q Will the new 3 0 version of the VCS software work with my existing RCM s too A Yes IBM Virtual Console Software version 3 0 is backwa...

Page 16: ...d An active session icon is visible Exclusive You have exclusive control over the target device During this KVM session the connection to the target device cannot be shared but it can be preempted or...

Page 17: ...as several different device types that a USB device can identify itself as Based upon the device type the USB device enumerates as the OS will react differently to it To allow enumeration at boot but...

Page 18: ...18 For more information World Wide Web IBM Server xSeries ibm com servers eserver xseries storage rack html IBM xSeries Rack Configurator ibm com servers eserver xseries library configtools html Impor...

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