Avocent DSView 3.6

Avocent DSView 3.6 Management Software.

DSView 3.6 covers the many new features, licenses, and plug-ins added in this latest release. This powerful product is an important component of 42U's focus on data center efficiency and enabling our customers to more precisely manage their power usage. Also, this upgrade supports additional 3rd-party KVM switches (licenses sold separately).

The DSView 3.6 upgrade encompasses several new capabilities and features that save time in the dynamic data canter environment, based on the needs of users to make the most of their daily tasks, not to mention contributing to the bottom line. Appliance configuration templates (ACT) simplify the set-up and configuration process, saving time.

Administrators can now save and apply templates for appliances with the most common parameters pre-configured. Improved connection methods and "last known good" appliance configuration data reduces time lost recovering settings and configurations. Other enhancements include "Failed Appliance Replacement", Secure Shell (SSH) support as a connection method, and virtual media support through RDP.

In data centers using VMWare, permission roles can be mapped to DSView 3. Merging of ESX and Virtual Center targets with their physical targets is included. There are also integrated features addressing functionality for remote access using VMWare.
The new Power Manager Plug in is supported by this latest upgrade. It revolutionizes the data center efficiency market. The article detailing this can be found on the 42U.com website under "Avocent Power Manager Plug In."

Appliances can be quickly recovered from set up or configuration errors. Administrators can now save the "last known good" configuration of any appliance in the DSView 3 database, so that they can roll back the appliance configuration if needed - e.g., if someone makes a change or configures something incorrectly.

The failed appliance replacement capability allows an old appliance to easily be replaced by a new appliance without having to reconfigure the new one from scratch - the new appliance inherits the old appliance's configuration. Improved support for VMware environments: Save time setting up user accounts that need to manage virtual servers. This new feature will provide the option to map Virtual Center permission roles with the Built-in or User-Defined authorization groups of the DSView 3 software.

ESX and Virtual Center servers can now be accessed from multiple places within the DSView 3 software. Administrators can now merge the ESX or Virtual Center logical targets with their equivalent physical target in DSView 3, so that all actions available from that combined target can be accessed consistently from any place the target is displayed.
Final notes and detailed analysis from above:

Improved connection methods
Additional in-band connection support, DSView 3 now supports SSH as a connection method so users can access target devices from DSView 3 using SSH. This is especially desired for Linux/UNIX servers (physical and virtual), routers, switches and any other target device that runs an SSH server. Better capabilities when accessing the virtual servers. This new enhancement enables users of the DSView 3 software to have Virtual Media support when accessing virtual machines through RDP.
Support for new Power Manager (license sold separately)

The DSView 3 Power Manager extends the DSView 3 software capability to enable companies to measure overall IT energy consumption, understand available power capacity, as well as measure IT energy cost.

Another important enhancement included in this release is target action linkages. All actions related to any target listed on the connections screen are directly available, allowing users to access actions immediately rather than having to navigate back to the Units View.

The Easier and Faster Approach
Easier and faster access to product functions, setting port names based on naming conventions. Which means administrators can input their port naming convention in DSView 3 once and then use it multiple times when deploying appliances. It is a similar concept to the ACT's, only specific to naming conventions.

Easier, faster deployment of new appliances with auto discovery of preconfigured DSR appliances. If a pre-configured DSR appliance is provided with the IP address of the DSView 3 server, this appliance will be auto-discovered by DSView 3 and added to its list of unmanaged units. The DSView 3 administrator can then make all additional changes to the appliance configuration before making it available to their production environment.

Easier, faster deployment of new appliances is supported using exclusive group membership. Administrators can define exclusive groups, so that targets that belong to such groups do not show as options to be included in other groups. This decreases the amount of unnecessary / unwanted units listed during the group creation process, which significantly expedites this task.
Streamlined system configuration with an option to delete targets along with deleting an appliance. When deleting an appliance, administrators will have the option to delete the targets associated with that appliance. This allows administrators to consolidate the actions of deleting multiple targets in one single step, and also prevents leaving "orphan" target devices behind.

Easier, faster system configuration with enable / disable secure mode settings on DSR appliances. Administrators can enable or disable the secure mode setting in DSR appliances, even for appliances already in DSView 3. Increased control over the Avocent environment "Add Another Group" button. Administrators will be able to enter multiple user or unit groups as a single sequential process, as opposed to starting from scratch for each and every single group.

The Avocent management software provides data centers with a secure, centralized management solution for all of your networked hardware and software-physical and virtual. DSView 3 software allows administrators to access, diagnose, and modify any network asset from any point on the globe, regardless of the health or status of the OS or the network connection to those devices. DSView 3 software makes your data center and remote offices more manageable, accessible, extensible, and secure.

This centralized management software solution provides a single, secure, browser-based interface to manage your entire data center environment, including the following:

• Blade servers and enclosures
• VMware Virtual Infrastructure, including Virtual Centers, ESX Servers and Virtual Machines
• Embedded service processors
• Rack-mounted servers
• Cyclades ACS advanced console servers
• DSR KVM over IP switches
• Cyclades PM Intelligent Power Distribution Units (IPDUs)
• MergePoint Service Processor Management Devices

Avocent DSView 3 software also provides fully-permissioned custom views for each user, graphical report building and task automation tools, and a holistic view of your network assets no other system can equal.  This software's redundant "hub and spoke" architecture allows administrators to access every asset in your network from any networked PC or mobile device. DSView 3 software's out-of-band (OOB) features allow administrators to diagnose and repair problems even when gateways, routers, or other IP connectivity is down.

Whether you're migrating to blades, experimenting with SANs, or simply trying out a new router, DSView 3 software can help you maintain control by integrating with new technologies and providing a consistent interface, regardless of your underlying infrastructure. DSView 3 software offers deep pre-built integration with HP Software, NetClarity, Uptime Devices, VMWare and others, and provides a free API for developers wishing to write custom software.

DSView 3 software requires no additional security procedures, authenticating against your existing internal or external standards-based services. All traffic is encrypted and the detailed activity logs provide a critical audit trail for issue resolution and regulatory compliance. By minimizing the need for local access in the data center the remote management capabilities allow you to physically lock down sensitive machines for greater peace of mind.

Avocent DSView 3.0

Avocent DSView 3 Centralized Management Software Features

Avocent DSView 3 User:

• Secure, remote, centralized data center management - Access and control your entire IT infrastructure-physical and virtual-from a single screen
• Multi-device support - Click and connect centralized management for blades, VMware virtual infrastructure, DSR KVM over IP, MergePoint service processor managers, Cyclades ACS advanced console servers, Cyclades PM intelligent power distribution units
• Virtual Media support - DSView 3 management software provides Virtual Media support. Use it to map CD-ROMs and other storage media to a remote branch server to conduct file transfers, application and OS patches, and CD-ROM diagnostics.
• Integrated solution for KVM and power control - Integrates BIOS-level access and power control in one solution. Also provides external modem support when the network is down.
• Simple, fast and reliable user interface - Browser based, customizable with usability features including keyboard pass-through, scaling and custom viewer toolbar

Avocent DSView 3 Management:

• Access service processors - Using DSView 3 management software, administrators can manage power and system health on individual IPMI-enabled servers through the MergePoint service processors.
• Notifications - DSView 3 software sends SNMP traps and email notification for defined system events.
• Scheduling - DSView 3 management software simplifies management of routine tasks, updates and file loading including automation of task schedules and updates.
• Multi-platform support - Supports Wintel, Linux, Sun Solaris and SuSE platforms

Avocent DSView 3 Security:

• Failover authentication - DSView 3 management software, with hub and spoke architecture, provides failover access authentication, ensuring system reliability and security.
• Flexible authentication/Access controls - Authenticate user permission against your existing internal or external authentication service, such as LDAP, Active Directory, NT Domain, TACACS+, RADIUS and RSA SecurID.
• System/User logs - DSView 3 software security features include system and user log management and event notification to help facilitate auditing and compliance.
• Selectable encryption modes - You gain enhanced security as selectable encryption modes can support your security policy (AES, DES, 3DES, 128bit SSL).
• Exit macros - Exit macros log out each user when a session window is closed.

Avocent  DSView 3 Diagram

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*Note - Check the DSView 3 Installer/User Guide for a current list of supported Third party power control devices

**Note - Licenses sold separately to support the following models- Dell 2161DS-2 or 4161DS and Black Box KV2116A or KV4116A

DSView 3 Maintenance & Extended Warranty Information