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by 42U
Multi-User KVM switches range from smaller
4-Users KVM switches able to handle dozens of
servers, to an integrated KVM switching system
capable of having hundreds of administrators
controlling thousands of servers. The more complex
your environment is, the more mission critical
servers and devices these KVM switching will
be tasked to manage. Following are some
key KVM switch features to compare when determining
the best solution for your needs:
- Is the KVM switch you are considering
compatible with other brands of KVM switches
you may already have invested in?
- What is the Degree of Difficulty / Ease
in deploying the KVM switches?
- After the initial install, how easy
is it to deploy expansion options?
- What cabling options does the KVM switch
offer? From your users to the KVM switch,
and from the switch to your servers and
devices?
- Video Resolutions supported.
- Ability to automatically cycle/scan
video.
- Power supply requirements for KVM switching
unit, KVM transmitters, and KVM receivers.
- What KVM Extension options are available?
- Coax only? CAT5? Fiber? KVM over
IP?
- Does the KVM switch support serial devices
(i.e. Routers, headless Unix, etc.)?
- If so how and with what functionality?
- Can all your devices (Sun, USB, AIX,
SGI, RS6000, HP9000, DEC, MAC, chained IBM
330 servers, serial/TTY, etc) connect directly
to the KVM switch?
- Can your Sun users use their native
Sun keyboard, mouse, display?
- Ease in adding local user stations in
server farm / data center.
- Ability to directly access individual
servers in your server farm – can you easily
set up crash carts to connect directly to
servers without having to down either the
servers or reset the KVM switch?
- Does the KVM switch have the ability
to split KVM signal for each server?
- Does the KVM, or the KVM TX units offer
server "stay alive" functionality?
- Can the KVM, or KVM TX units retain
server name information?
- Does the KVM switch support Audio?
- Does the KVM switch support Video or
video/keyboard sharing - i.e. Can you
have multiple users accessing and sharing
access to the same computer.
- What levels of Access Rights (Security
Levels) are available?
- Does the KVM's security allow you to
hide servers/devices from users who aren't
given sufficient access rights?
- Does viewing multiple servers or devices
create “blocking”, which doesn’t allow other
users to work with those servers?
- What naming options does the KVM switch
offer for your servers/devices?
- Does the KVM switch offer a "Time Out"
feature?
- What power cycling options are
available?
- Does the KVM manufacturer charge for
Technical Support?
- If so, be sure to know what is covered
and what it costs in year 1, 2, 3, etc.
- Scalability Considerations:
- Minimum & Larger configuration options.
- Time required
to install KVM hardware.
- How user friendly is the application
to configure user & server rights & profiles?
- What is the normal delivery time for
all of the KVM switching components?
- Can you Backup the Configuration / User
Rights Database?
- Are there any single points of failure?
- If components fail:
- What is the degree of difficulty
in replacing the switching equipment?
- Are there any delay issues should
replacement equipment be necessary?
- How will your servers & users be
affected?
- How easy is it to configure replacement
equipment?
- How easily can you rebuild you configuration
/ user rights?
- Are there additional costs required
for installation support?
- Are there additional costs required
for a maintenance agreement?
- Does adding additional equipment require
additional installation / maintenance cost?
- Are you able to add additional equipment
on your own, without needing to buy
or add to an installation / maintenance
agreement?
- Should you consider maintaining redundant
KVM switch components?
- Any hidden costs?
- Aadditional computers, servers,
equipment, software licenses required
to run this system?
- How much Rack space does the KVM switch
and all of it's components require? - Keeping
in mind that it tends to differ for a non-blocked
vs. partially-blocked KVM switch configuration
- Cabling requirement to the server &
equipment racks:
- In a “non-blocked” KVM switch environment?
- In a “blocked” KVM switch environment?
- In a mixed “non-blocked” and “blocked”
KVM switch environment?
- What configurations available for smaller
remote locations?
- What client platforms does KVM via IP
support? (i.e. Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000,
etc.)
- Does the KVM manufacturer have realistic
"non-blocked" remote access solutions for
smaller remote sites?
- Pricing considerations for remote access
sites:
- Prices can vary greatly from one
KVM Remote IP product to another, depending
on the scalability of the manufacturer's
KVM switches (how small as well as how
large), and the amount of pathways required.
- What is the resolution, and performance
over IP?
- What Bandwidth is required for Remote
IP Access?
About 42U
42U focuses on providing Facilities and
Data Center Managers with objective and trusted
independent information on
Data Center Power and
Data Center Cooling best practices along
with
KVM over IP and
Remote Power lights out management to help
them reduce their organization’s power consumption.
Our Data Center
Management website has helped millions of
IT professionals globally who search for best
practices and technologies to help them make
their computer environment more efficient.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works
3.0 Unported License.
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