KVM on PCMCIA?

[Jaz]

Does anyone know of a PCMCIA card that houses a KVM?
The idea is to have laptop's keyboard, video, and mouse act as a
console via a KVM built into a PC card, which would have PS2 & HD15
connections for the rack server.

We have techs who visit various computer server rooms, and thay'd like
the option of attaching their notebook or laptop to a server to act as
the console. For our *nix systems we run consoles on the serial port
and use a terminal proggie, but if the console happens to be on the
video or if it's running Windows...

IP-based solutions are a pain; Raritan Dominion, which is small,
requires a power brick, and ties up the network port, etc.

Anyway, it would be nice to know if one exists.

TIA
Jaz
[please excuse the burp when replying]

 

[Peter T. Breuer]

the console. For our *nix systems we run consoles on the serial port
and use a terminal proggie, but if the console happens to be on the
video or if it's running Windows...

... you run VNC.

IP-based solutions are a pain; Raritan Dominion, which is small,
requires a power brick, and ties up the network port, etc.

Use wireless? Or run ppp or slip over the serial line. You can
certainly SEND mouse commands over the serial line so that the other
computer's serial mouse input picks up from you, but you also need a
driver to reflect your mouse signals out your serial line. As for the
keyboard ... I don't know of any card that has a PS socket! Perhaps
a usb adapter for ps/2 and serial could be driven by you out the usb
port, but I don't. know of prebuilt machinery for that. And for the
video .. well, that's really a networking question, since you want
to send signals to YOUR video card which come from a remote computer,
so the other computer must send them to you over a transport medium.

I rather like your description "pcmcia kvm"! Look it up on google!
http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/aten.html may well have something
you like.


Peter

 

[Jaz]

... you run VNC.

The idea is to have a console, not a terminal. The console allows
watching the post while booting, etc. Thus, it has to use the HD15/vga
and PS2 connectors of the client/rack-server/etc.

Use wireless? Or run ppp or slip over the serial line. You can
certainly SEND mouse commands over the serial line so that the other
computer's serial mouse input picks up from you, but you also need a
driver to reflect your mouse signals out your serial line. As for the
keyboard ... I don't know of any card that has a PS socket! Perhaps
a usb adapter for ps/2 and serial could be driven by you out the usb
port, but I don't. know of prebuilt machinery for that. And for the
video .. well, that's really a networking question, since you want
to send signals to YOUR video card which come from a remote computer,
so the other computer must send them to you over a transport medium.

I rather like your description "pcmcia kvm"! Look it up on google!
http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/aten.html may well have something
you like.


Peter

[please excuse the burp when replying]

 

[Peter T. Breuer]

On Wed, 12 Oct 2005 21:18:19 +0200, "Peter T. Breuer"

The idea is to have a console, not a terminal. The console allows
watching the post while booting, etc.

That's not the salient difference - you are talking about a bios
function, sending post messages to a particular device. It's not
affected by what kind of device you are using, but by what device the
bios is sending the messages to, something which depends on the bios,
what it may be configured to do, and the hardware that the bios works
with. You need a "server bios" that can do i/o to the serial line i/o
port address and irq or elsewhere. It's nothing to do with what you
have as a device, nor with what operating system (will be) running.

Thus, it has to use the HD15/vga
and PS2 connectors of the client/rack-server/etc.

There is no "thus". If you want to watch the whole kaboodle, including
post, you might as well get proper server hardware/mobo/bios that can
send that kind of thing out across the net or a serial line.

If you are happy with just watching the o/s kernel messages, then you
can get away without the special hardware, because the kernel can
substitute for the hardware. If you are happy with just watching
everything AFTER the kernel has booted, as I assumed you were saying,
as you said "if it's running Windows" (which implies that Windows is
running, and hence has already booted), then VNC will do you fine.

I should also point out that you "don't tie up a network port" by using
the net. The net deals with huge numbers of packets at a time.
Actually, server bioses or kernels with a network console DO send out
packets on a UDP port (either broadcast or single-target, as
configured), but I wouldn't call that "tying up" a port. You are free to
ignore those packets on the net in any client, etc. etc..

I rather like your description "pcmcia kvm"! Look it up on google!
http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/aten.html may well have something
you like.

[please excuse the burp when replying]

I heard nothing over here. Can you repeat?

Peter

 

[Jaz]

That's not the salient difference - you are talking about a bios
function, sending post messages to a particular device. It's not
affected by what kind of device you are using, but by what device the
bios is sending the messages to, something which depends on the bios,
what it may be configured to do, and the hardware that the bios works
with. You need a "server bios" that can do i/o to the serial line i/o
port address and irq or elsewhere. It's nothing to do with what you
have as a device, nor with what operating system (will be) running.


There is no "thus". If you want to watch the whole kaboodle, including
post, you might as well get proper server hardware/mobo/bios that can
send that kind of thing out across the net or a serial line.

If you are happy with just watching the o/s kernel messages, then you
can get away without the special hardware, because the kernel can
substitute for the hardware. If you are happy with just watching
everything AFTER the kernel has booted, as I assumed you were saying,
as you said "if it's running Windows" (which implies that Windows is
running, and hence has already booted), then VNC will do you fine.


I should also point out that you "don't tie up a network port" by using
the net. The net deals with huge numbers of packets at a time.
Actually, server bioses or kernels with a network console DO send out
packets on a UDP port (either broadcast or single-target, as
configured), but I wouldn't call that "tying up" a port. You are free to
ignore those packets on the net in any client, etc. etc..

Okay, thanks for the lesson...

I'm familiar with VNC et al, redirecting console via the BIOS, running
a *nix console on a serial port, etc.

I'm simply curious if there's specifically a device that acts like a
KVM (HD15/vga + two PS2) that plugs into a laptop's pcmcia slot or UBS
port. Something that makes it easy to connect to any Wintel box
without having to configure anything besides the laptop.

Thanks!
-Jaz
[please excuse the burp when replying]