Traditional IDC management approaches can no longer meet current demands.

Traditional management approaches can no longer meet the demands of today’s highly centralized IDC operations. With a vast number of cables arranged in complex patterns, decentralized management leads to low efficiency; moreover, distance constraints between the control room and the server rooms make on-site support difficult. At the same time, inadequate physical security at the IDC, combined with frequent entries and exits to the server rooms, means that senior technical staff at the data center management center are often away on business trips or during holidays… resulting in data center service interruptions—providing opportunities for hackers—and potentially leading to the destruction of the data center’s core resources.

What can the system do for you?

Newly built data centers demand greater practicality, flexibility, and scalability from their systems than ever before. Today, what you need goes far beyond mere server management—it requires a comprehensive system that leverages existing IT resources to enhance the uptime and reliability of your IDC.

Avocent leverages its patented KVM-over-IP technology to harness the connectivity and security features of IP networks. By integrating centralized authentication software, this solution capitalizes on the power and broad applicability of IP networking, eliminating the distance limitations inherent in analog solutions and putting full control over the entire data center at your fingertips. At the same time, network administrators are no longer confined to the server room, maximizing their productivity both inside and outside the data center—enabling global access and control of local systems as well as remote management across cities or within branch offices. Remote centralized data center solutions.

Employ out-of-band management technology to achieve comprehensive control over the entire data center.

Currently, in-band management is widely used to perform routine administrative tasks and to monitor various network and application errors—excluding hardware failures and operating-system issues. However, this management approach is overly dependent on the network itself: when a server or switch fails, or when network connectivity is lost, information exchange between the managed device and the management workstation is inevitably disrupted, rendering the in-band management mechanism ineffective.

Out-of-band management, on the other hand, enables remote access to network hardware without relying on the existing network infrastructure. It establishes a direct connection through the device’s management port, effectively serving as a “backdoor” that facilitates configuration, troubleshooting, and rebooting for IT professionals.

Following Avocent’s acquisition of Synergy Technologies, it leveraged Synergy’s core out-of-band management technology to streamline fault detection and recovery processes, thereby significantly reducing human error and operational-environment errors.

In addition, Avocent has spearheaded technological advancements in the KVM industry by introducing the industry-renowned distributed Hub–Spoke architecture for KVM authentication, which elevates device management to a new level. This innovative Hub–Spoke architecture significantly enhances the reliability of KVM switching, providing data centers with a fully redundant failover system. Avocent’s remote and centralized management control solutions for data centers include the Avocent DS (KVM over IP) digital remote centralized management system and the Avocent AMX analog matrix centralized management system.

Avocent DS Data Center Remote Centralized Management and Control System Avocent Corporation of the United States is committed to providing the most comprehensive solutions for remote, centralized management of data centers, earning widespread acclaim from users worldwide. In 2000, Avocent pioneered the world’s leading “KVM over IP” technology, ushering in a new era for KVM. Tens of thousands of users around the globe have benefited from this cutting-edge technology, which enables highly efficient data center management. Over the years, as KVM over IP technology has continued to mature and innovate, Avocent’s data center remote centralized management and control system solutions have evolved to deliver comprehensive, centralized remote control of all data center equipment.

Avocent AMX Data Center Analog Matrix Centralized Management and Control System. Represented by the AMX series, Avocent’s data center analog matrix centralized management solution leverages cutting-edge technology, a user-friendly human–machine interface, robust management and security features, and delivers high-quality KVM video performance.

Cyclades Out-of-Band Network Management Solutions Pioneered by Cyclades, these out-of-band network management solutions integrate existing technologies—such as KVM, console management, power management, and environmental monitoring—with emerging future technologies like Microsoft’s Emergency Management Service, IPMI, and blade server management. Supported by the robust Alterpath Manager platform, they enable unified integration and the establishment of a comprehensive security management model.

What can an NPC solution help you do?

Ensuring the secure and stable operation of data centers and network systems is a fundamental objective for telecom operators; therefore, promptly detecting system faults and responding in a timely manner are critical. Traditional management approaches can no longer meet today’s service requirements, necessitating a secure, flexible, and remotely operable remote power control management system. The DATCENT NPC Remote Power Centralized Management and Control Solution enables technicians to perform these tasks anytime, anywhere—without ever having to visit the equipment site. By simply logging into the web-based graphical management system from their desktops with a username and password, they can monitor server operations and remotely turn servers on, off, or reboot them.

A remote centralized power management and control system solution designed for applications such as server clusters, IDCs, and branch data base stations not only enables simple remote power-on, power-off, and reboot operations, but also supports secure, centralized management via dedicated client software, real-time monitoring of remote device services, automatic device restart upon fault detection based on preconfigured settings, scheduled power cycling, and independent or combined control of each individual port.

Remote Management and Control: POWER OVER IP

Management is implemented via TCP/IP, enabling users anywhere on Earth to easily reboot and manage data equipment in the server room.

Centralized Management and Control

Users can view the status of, or perform control operations on, servers and other data devices under their permission management—all from a centralized interface—regardless of the physical location of the NPC remote power management and control device or the specific NPC to which the managed servers and data devices are connected.

Automatic controlability

The system can automatically detect running servers and other data equipment; if a server application service stops or a network device fails, the remote centralized power management and control system will automatically reboot to resolve the fault according to a pre-configured plan, and it can also perform automatic reboots at scheduled times. Security All user access to the system must be authenticated through a centralized, unified authentication framework, and all control signals are transmitted using dynamic encryption technology.

Managerial

Port-based access control enables multiple users to monitor and operate their respective devices through individual interfaces. It also supports concurrent access by multiple users to the same device and allows different operational permissions to be assigned to different ports on the same device.

Event Log

Advanced management tools will maintain detailed logs of each user’s login and operations, recording the following for every action: time, operator, whether the operation was automated, and the specific action performed.

Flexibility

Supports multi-port bonding for various NPC-controlled devices, enabling simultaneous control and meeting users’ specific application environment requirements.

Reliability

Reliable fault-protection design ensures automatic restoration to the pre-power-failure state upon power restoration, so that even if the equipment system fails, the current power-supply scheme remains unaffected.

Versatility

Provides common network tools for the TCP/IP protocol, such as TELNET and PING.

Real-time fault monitoring, recording, and alarm

Real-time fault monitoring is performed on the services provided by the TCP/IP protocol, with comprehensive fault logging and multi-level alarm notifications tailored to different fault types.

Scalability

The system solution is easy and flexible to deploy, with strong scalability.

The IP-based DATCENT NPC remote power centralized management and control system solution consists of the DATCENT NPC remote power management and control device and the DATCENT NPCWork remote power centralized management and control software.

NPC Remote Power Management Control Device

The DATCENT remote power management device enables you to perform this operation anytime, anywhere—simply by launching the dedicated software on your computer and entering your username and password, you can turn the device on, off, or reboot it.

NPCWorks Remote Centralized Power Management and Control Software

NPCWork is a powerful Windows application that enables centralized control, allowing you to manage and control the power supplies of your data equipment from a single PC—regardless of their physical location or the specific NPC device to which they are connected.

A KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switching system enables a single set—or multiple sets—of KVM equipment to switch among several hosts running different operating systems, allowing a single user to access and control anywhere from one to thousands of hosts using just one keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

KVM Development History

The evolution of KVM has progressed from analog to digital, and from standalone rack-based access to IP-based network access. As shown in the figure:

This evolution demonstrates that data center management in the information age places high and diverse demands on enterprises. In response to evolving industry trends and the varying needs of different customers, AVOCENT products deliver reliable, stable, and integrated digital-and-analog solutions that support multi-platform, multi-geographic, and multi-device access and control requirements.

KVM over IP technology

In 2000, AVOCENT pioneered the digital “KVM over IP” technology, significantly enhancing and expanding the application of KVM in data center management. “Over IP” means leveraging the Internet or a web-based monitoring server to fully capitalize on the advantages of the global network, enabling you to manage and maintain your data center from anywhere in the world without physically entering the facility. The key feature of KVM over IP is its use of the industry-standard TCP/IP protocol, rather than any proprietary, closed standard. In addition to server monitoring and management, it also supports remote management of other data center equipment, such as routers, switches, hubs, firewalls, and other serial-port devices, as well as power supplies.

IDC asserts: “For many companies, global access to multiple servers has proven to be a critical factor in business success.”

Why is KVM needed?

With the advancement of computer and networking technologies, the demand for data center environments and service levels has been steadily increasing, and the existing data center infrastructure has become a major bottleneck in IT infrastructure development. Implementing KVM can address the following key challenges:

Space: Reducing the number of keyboards, mice, and monitors can free up a significant amount of space.

Efficiency: When system or network maintenance personnel have to navigate a “jungle” of servers and various cabinets to locate faulty equipment, they not only waste limited human resources but also risk delays in resolving emerging issues. By using a single console—comprising one keyboard, one mouse, and one monitor—to log in to all devices, the operational efficiency of system and network maintenance staff can be significantly enhanced.

Management: Improved efficiency signifies effective management, thereby enhancing the stability and security of these systems.

Cost: Controlling network operating costs is a key factor in the success of network distributors. Reducing consumption and space requirements can lead to substantial cost savings;

Health: In data centers operating under high-radiation conditions, the health risks to administrators can be fatal; performing operations from a safe distance helps protect administrators from radiation exposure.

Remote Management: System administrators and maintenance personnel cannot be on duty in the data center around the clock, yet equipment failures can occur at any time. Remote management and maintenance are essential for ensuring the system operates continuously and reliably 24/7.

Rack-Mount LCD

The LCD all-in-one unit integrates a keyboard, a 15-inch TFT LCD display, a touchpad, and a switch, all compactly housed in a standard 1U, 19-inch rack-mount enclosure. It enables you to centrally control and operate multiple computers from a single console, eliminating the need to equip each machine with its own set of mouse and keyboard—thereby saving valuable space and reducing capital expenditure.

Desktop Office Application Suite

Avocent SwitchView series desktop KVM switchers are available in 2-port and 4-port configurations. They enable a single KVM (keyboard, monitor, and mouse) system to control 2 or 4 target servers, while also allowing USB devices on the switched servers—such as printers, digital cameras, scanners, and other USB peripherals—to be shared. Models with multimedia support further provide centralized control of multimedia functions. Rack-mounted application series

Avocent AV Series Switch 10085 rack-mounted KVM switch. Unlike some lower-end switching products, this model can be cascaded with other Avocent devices or with itself, supporting up to 100 connected computers. It also supports all major server interfaces—PS/2, USB, Sun, and Consol—and eliminates the need for traditional cables by using twisted-pair cabling instead.

Remote Small-Scale Data Center Application Series

The all-in-one 16-port AVR series digital switch combines the best features of Avocent’s latest AutoView analog technology with IP-based digital technology, enabling both local rack-mounted access and remote TCP/IP access from the data center.

Currently, computer applications span a wide range of industries; however, in certain specialized environments—such as industrial control systems, dispatch centers, call centers, and monitoring centers—the harsh or inconvenient on-site conditions often necessitate that users operate computers from a distance, away from the host machine. In other settings, such as research and development centers and design institutes, concerns about the security of sensitive information stored on computers and the risk of data leakage have led to measures like physically disabling USB ports, optical drives, and floppy drives on host computers. Nevertheless, these safeguards are still insufficient to effectively prevent information leaks, resulting in substantial losses for organizations. To address this challenge, it would be desirable to adopt technologies that separate computer users from the host system without compromising usability: the host computers could be centrally located in a secure, controlled environment, while users operate their workstations remotely, interacting with the host only through network connections and maintaining full access to all necessary functions.

Computer extension control products address the challenge of extending the computer’s keyboard, mouse, monitor, USB ports, audio jacks, microphone jacks, serial ports, and even the Reset and Power buttons—via CAT twisted-pair cable, fiber optic cable, or network—to distances of tens or even hundreds of meters while maintaining full functionality and seamless operation.

Computer-based extension control products include analog extension control products and digital extension control products:

Simulated extension control solution: supports keyboard, mouse, monitor, audio interface, and serial interface; employs an external connection architecture, eliminating the need to install any hardware or software inside the computer. CAT twisted-pair cabling can extend the signal up to 300 meters.

Digital KVM extension products support keyboards, mice, monitors, USB ports, audio ports, microphone ports, serial ports, and even the computer’s Reset and Power buttons. Installation of a PCI card inside the computer is required. CAT twisted-pair cables can extend the signal up to 100 meters, fiber-optic cables up to 500 meters, and Gigabit Ethernet networks up to 800 meters.