Kvm Switch And Its Applications

The acronym, KVM, stands for Keyboard, Video and Mouse

. A KVM switch is a box that contains electronic switches which allow a person to use only one keyboard, video monitor and mouse to control multiple computers.

The most common use of these devices are to allow one person with only one keyboard, video monitor and mouse to control numerous computers. One machine can be doing database calculations, another recording video surveillance and another handling office networking. All of which can be controlled by one single user. Such devices can connect up to a total of 512 computers, and enterprise versions can daisy chain even more computers together resulting in the ability to control an almost infinite number of computers from one single keyboard, video monitor and mouse.

This arrangement can be used in reverse, too. Such as a home based office computer being used to also control the home theater system in another room of the house. This would require two monitors, two keyboards/remotes, and pointer device being connected to the same computer. With one of these switches it is possible to connect many video systems to only one computer.

A typical application of these switches is in data centers where stacks of servers are being used, perhaps at a digital subscriber line company where it is necessary to be able to monitor and adjust, or correct, certain issues of operation. All of which helps to lower the cost of business overhead while still providing the same quality of service.

In the beginning, these devices were passive with multipole switches that provided a very cheap means of coupling many computers, and there are still a large number of them still in use. However, today these are built with active electronics that replace the old hand operated switches. These make it possible to easily handle up to a dozen computers from a single switching routine.

One of the disadvantages of kvm switches during boot up. There will be only one computer that actually 'sees' the keyboard, video input, and mouse and might cause errors or misconfiguration. However, modern units are now designed to send fake signals to each of the connected computers so they will boot up as they should. The old mechanical switches can become corroded and wiggling the knob was the means of getting past that, but then gold plating was used to replace the previous material and solved the problem but added cost.

There are numerous software packages to choose from for operating the active kvm switches and most of them come with a choice already selected for you. Another disadvantage is that these devices are not always correctly detected on boot up under the plug-n-play detection, so choose one that is designed to work with your configuration.

kvm switch

by: Kristy Gilmore

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