subject: The Importance Of A Console Server [print this page] There remain seemingly limitless possibilities for the ways computers can be used both in business and for consumer purposes. Once computer machines made it on the scene, it was not long before someone had the bright idea of linking them all together to create the internet. Networking and computing technologies have come a long way even from that moment in history, which was only a couple of decades ago. The ability for businesses and consumers to link into networks and manipulate data on other machines has increased productivity of the workforce and made the access of information easier than ever before. These things are made possible by use of a console server.
A common hardware and software configuration for the controlling of machines remotely is a console server and related software. These devices are widely used by business in IT departments to aid in the application of service, security, and remote manipulation of machines for trouble shooting and repairs. IT professionals can now accomplish in a few seconds what would have taken hours before this technology was available in its current form.
A console server is a device, usually accompanied by software that contains drivers and other relevant information, which acts as a hub. Much like a traditional server, a console server connects machines together whether through a cord or over a wireless network. It consists of a box or plug that has numerous serial ports on it, maximum 48, in order to connect a variety of machines or other devices to it. With this device in place, IT professionals can troubleshoot problems, repair problems, and otherwise gain access to a users machine from a remote location. No matter how large the network is this phenomenon will still work.
Some networks can be as big as the building that contains them while others can stretch across a continent. For example, a company that has one location for all its employees may have a wired network within a building. An IT professional can use a console server to connect with any other machine on the network within the building to solve issues. Some networks however can and are set up over the internet and span an entire country and even the world. Todays multinational conglomerates have employees working in many different locations of the world. IT departments can connect with machines thousands of miles away if need be.
Commercial interests can also use a Console server as a customer support tool. Companies that specialize in software as a product often have services related to storing of information for clients on remote servers or troubleshooting problems that customers may have. With console server technology, representatives of a company will be able to link to a customer computer to assist them in solving an issue as long as the machine is connected to the network in some fashion. Without these unsung heroes of the computing industry, there would be many conveniences that could not be accomplished otherwise.
