Out-of-Band Management Featured Article
October 15, 2012Out of Band Management - an Extreme Geographical Experience
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Some out of band management projects could be labeled as extreme. Think of the administrators working in earth science projects, such as those involving oceanographic research. One such researcher keeps a blog where he writes about the various collection systems he is responsible for; systems that are located in extreme geographical areas of the globe, including volcanoes and in the frozen tundra.
In this InfoWorld report, the researcher likens it to a data center in a remote area, something many users are experiencing today as they go with cloud data centers that they’ll never come in contact with. Granted, the traditional data center won’t be in the path of a lava flow. The thing is, regardless of where a system is set up, no matter who is responsible for that system or who counts it, it’s a vitally important aspect to any business today.
When connections become compromised, a set of safeguards need to be in place to troubleshoot the event. Opengear’s (News - Alert) ACM5004-G remote out of band management device is becoming a popular step in those safeguards.
Without proper out of band management, device maintenance is extremely difficult and the risk of downtime is significant. Out of band management solutions can bring great value to users as they allow remote shutdown and remote reboot capabilities. They also utilize hardware sensor monitoring, which put administrators on alert should a fan stop working, power issues crop up, or any type of chassis intrusion occur.
What makes Opengear’s solution different from others is that the ACM is much smaller, yet packs as much of a punch. The box is filled with technology able to deliver a router, 3G cellular, sensor connections for water, vibration, smoke and fire, and intrusion. The ACM is also loaded with four RS-232/422/485 ports. It also has a USB port for storage.
Other than its diminutive size, the ACM also delivers energy usage that makes this device pretty “green.” It uses only less than one amp of power. Some configurations of the unit allow it to run on 48 volts.
Most enterprises today count on their data center and IP network as the heart of their operation. While the IT staff is an important piece of the puzzle in keeping an enterprise and its processes running, they can’t be relied on to manage every piece of the network every minute of the day. This is why out of band management automation solutions are an integral piece of the network and data center puzzle today more than ever.
Edited by Stefanie Mosca
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