Serial console server
A serial console server or serial console concentrator is a device that allows many RS-232 serial ports to be accessible remotely, technically it is a Terminal Server configured in reverse mode. Typically, the device has 8, 16, 32 or 64 serial ports, either DE-9, MMJ or RJ-45-wired, connected to the serial ports of other equipment, such as servers, routers or switches. It is then possible to telnet- (or dail-) in to the serial console server and access any of the ports for out-of-band management. Some more modern servers even include SSH support.
An alternative approach used in some cluster setups is to null-modem wire and Daisy-chain consoles to otherwise unused serial ports on nodes with some other primary function.
See also
External links
- Console Server, Terminal Server or Device Server: what's the difference?
- Perle Console Server
- How to build your own console server using FreeBSD
- Remote Serial Console HOWTO
- Linux Serial Consoles for Servers and Clusters By Matthew Hoskins 2004
- Project Hydra: the USB Multiheaded Monster by Poul Petersen 2004
- Ser2net Serial port to network proxy