subject: Secure Console Server Introduction [print this page] Imagine if your vehicle broke down on the side of the highway, and your auto technician could dial in to your ride and repair the engine right where you sat. That is one of the features of a secure console server. No need to send out information technology (IT) technicians on those profit eating road trips. No need to run home from a business trip to pull the office network out of the recycle bin. Remote access to you personal, the corporate, or even your client's network has revolutionized the industry. Increased efficiency and reduced out of service time have proven this type of server to be a necessary component of any network.
A secure console server makes long-distance management and troubleshooting as easy or better than being on location. For one, the client does not have to wait for IT to arrive and save the day. Limited down time keeps the supported systems running, the client making money, and ultimately renewing contracts for the IT teams who have capitalized on this must have technology. Rather than being another frustrating piece of equipment to configure and support through bugs and glitches, newer secure consoles offer easy setup, simple configuration, and quick menus to access peripherals directly. Even when the network under consideration has gone down, remote access can be connected directly with this server through out-of-band contact even through a dial-in modem. Installation and maintenance costs reduce dramatically by having system-wide modem access like this. The compact device saves local storage space, hardly taking up a footprint among the racks of hardware an on site data system might require and taking the place of multiple other devices. The IT department can connect this server to dozens of peripherals and access data through multiple server platforms, switches, routers, UPS's, PBX's, and even many proprietary devices connecting via serial ports. Some setups are so simple they can be up and running on a system in less than a quarter of an hour.
Strong encryption makes the secure console server maintain the safety of the connected data and devices. With user name and password configuration, certain approved users can be allowed access to select portions of a network or peripheral system while being denied from retrieving certain data or reviewing files in other locations. Authentication maintains protection for both management and users on the system. Administrators may review the compiled event records to see where a system began its breakdown. Some servers like this will send a notification e-mail through a network or a backup modem connection. Connection can be through USB, serial port, a web-based GUI, or with included connectivity software configurations. For any system, a server like this becomes a must have item.
