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Remote IT Infrastructure ManagementWhat is Out-of-Band Management (OOBM)?While In-Band Management is the ability to administer a network via the LAN, Out-of-Band Management is a solution that provides a secure dedicated alternate access method into an IT network infrastructure to administer connected devices and IT assets without using the corporate LAN. Why do I need Out-of-Band Management?The primary benefit of an out-of-band management interface is its availability when the network is down, a device is turned off, in sleep mode, hibernating, or otherwise inaccessible. OOBM can be used to remotely reboot devices that have crashed and manage powered-down devices. The core idea is to preserve 24/7 uptime of your network by ensuring you always have access to critical IT assets like routers, switches, firewalls, servers, power, storage, and telecom appliances that operate the organizations' backbone communication framework. When a Network Administrator needs to monitor, manage, troubleshoot, or re-boot critical IT assets, they will generally access the devices directly over an Ethernet network. However, when 24/7 uptime is expected this single point of access is not enough. When IT assets are in off-site locations, controlled server rooms, or the network administrator is in a different location, they need a secure way to remotely access the USB, RS232/422/485, or Ethernet console management port of every device on the network. In today's world, organizations find it impossible to work without access to their network computers and enterprise-wide systems. The ability to monitor and manage these networks and keep them up and running is pivotal to their business. The responsibility to ensure that organizations have faultless access to their systems is placed on Network Administrators. They must ensure that servers supplying mission-critical applications are functioning and that the entire network connecting the data to a multitude of users remains functional. When networks crash, so do productivity and profits. And, the longer a network is down, the greater the impact on the enterprise. Is Out-of-Band Management a software or hardware solution?Software management tools can be used for performance monitoring, and some remote troubleshooting but, they only work when the network is up. During system or network outages, a Console Server is a single hardware solution that provides secure OOBM to monitor IT assets and devices from multiple vendors. The Console Server gives administrators access to multiple USB, RS232, or Ethernet console management ports from anywhere, anytime, and any platform, as if they were locally connected through a direct connection. They can be used to reconfigure, reboot, and reimage remotely across the internet or WANs. Disruption and downtime are minimized by providing better visibility of the physical environment and the physical status of equipment. This ensures business continuity through improved uptime and efficiencies. What alternate access methods do Console Servers provide?A Console Server will generally provide one, or more, of the following access methods.
For optimal uptime, it is best to choose a Console Server with multiple access methods, fail-over to OOBM, and fail-back to the primary network. How secure is using a Console Server for Out-of-Band Management?While device management through the out-of-band management connection can be done via a network connection, it is physically separate from the "in-band" network connection that the system is serving. Unauthorized users do not have access to the out-of-band network channel because there is no connection to it from the regular network channel, making it very secure. It is best practice to choose a Console Server that offers high-level security features for secure access to critical network devices. Considerations include:
What about the cost?Using a Console Server for out-of-band management leads to cost reduction. Numerous studies can be found that show the average annual downtime cost to an organization can be more than $1 million. Depending on the size of your organization downtime cost can range anywhere from $10,000 to $5M per hour. Console Servers maximize system administrators' productivity. A single interface provides them with simultaneous connectivity to multiple appliances and system consoles from any location. Most Console Servers offer Port Buffers of varying sizes to ensure data from the attached devices is not lost. Without Port Buffers, any data sent from a device, while an administrator is not attached, is lost. With Port Buffers this data is captured and can be viewed later to aid in problem diagnosis. Cost savings come from:
Why Choose a Perle Console Server for Out-of-Band Management?
What do users like about Perle IOLAN Console Servers?Perle gives me everything I need for centralized management with no annual license fee and no additional hardware. Perle's cloud-based Centralized Management Solution puts all your network and IT infrastructure into a single application and provides secure reliable access and visibility during normal operations and critical network failures. Above all, we are impressed by the stability of the IOLAN Console Servers during operation. As far as I can remember, the IOLANs have been running without a reboot ever being necessary. We are very satisfied. - A member of the BITS Network Team Perle’s IOLAN SCG is the perfect solution for support staff that need always-on remote OOB access to their core network devices. The appliance is easy to manage, its modular design makes it very flexible and its tough security measures allow access to be strictly controlled. Dave Mitchell of Binary Testing. Dig Deeper -- Special Considerations for:
What methods can be used to open the computer management console?Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box. Type CMD and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt. Type compmgmt. msc and press Enter to open the Computer Management tool.
Which of the following paths opens the computer management tool?In the Control Panel, open System and Security > Administrative Tools, the double-click the Computer management icon.
What is the shortcut to open computer management?One of the fastest ways to open Computer Management is to use the WinX menu or the Power User menu. To access it, either press the Windows + X keys on your keyboard or right-click or tap-and-hold the Start icon. In the menu that appears, choose Computer Management.
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