[NTLUG:Discuss] OT: terminal server

[Wayne Walker]

On Tue, Jun 07, 2011 at 08:39:09AM -0500, Monty Shinn wrote:
> Greetings.
> 
> I am contemplating the purchase of a cyclades TS2000 terminal
> server.  I am planning on using it in my cisco lab for console
> connectivity.
> 
> I was looking at the cisco 2511, but they are pretty pricey...
> 
> I have no experience with terminal servers.  Can there be concurrent
> network logins from the same user to the terminal server for
> connectivity to the comm ports?  My goal is to have a virtual
> desktop (window) on my linux box for each cisco box.  (I currently
> have 10 cisco items.)

Monty,

Yes, there _can_ be, BUT that requires a terminal server that supports
that.  The ones we bought at a past job could _NOT_ handle multiple
connections.  That was a Major problem when there was a power outage at
the colo.

Personally, I prefer a linux box with multiples serial ports.

I can log in.  I can reboot the linux box.  I can run a screen session
with a minicom running on every single port, so I always have the serial
history of every serial console I am monitoring.  I can capture the log
for later analysis.  I can write a perl daemon that monitors the console
output and alerts and/or reacts on special text, while logging the whole
session to a file.

It's more work to set up a linux box with lots of serial ports, but it
is well worth it.

-- 

Wayne Walker
wwalker at solid-constructs.com
(512) 633-8076
Senior Consultant
Solid Constructs, LLC