can you connect serial ports to struxtureware

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

i have a network of cisco switches that i need to link up their serial console ports to struxtureware...can this be done please ?

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

Hi Paul,

There is no information that can be obtained by connecting to the serial port of DCE. The way DCE is monitored is using either the web interface or console application, both of which communicate with the server using http/https.

Steve

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

I think you'd have to convert serial to TCP/IP if you want to do what I believe you are trying to accomplish. That said, even if you did employ media converters, I'm not sure the solution would work as desired. At my company, we use SNMP to pull data from our Cisco gear. With the correct MIB, just about anything can be queried or polled.

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

Cory, There is no serial output from a DCE server. In older versions (ISXC or NBC) you could see the same character driven interface as you now can with a monitor and mouse today but I believe that option has been removed. Additionally, there is no root access provided so even if this were an option, the only thing a customer could do is set an IP through the serial interface. Steve

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

This is correct, but what I interpret the original question to be is connecting Cisco serial connections to StruxureWare DCO via some mechanism. I'm basing this on the DCO flag in the original post and the stated desire to connect several serial ports to the StruxureWare solution (I assume DCO).

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

True but DCO is not hardware based...so I thought DCE....Paul?

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

sorry let me explain further...we have as i say a cisco network.....at the moment i have a KVM based solution which enables me to connect up the serial console ports of the cisco equipment via a dongle......i can then access command line on the cisco gear..........i am about to install a struxture ware solution so i apologise ...at the moment i am no expert at it....but need to be able to connect the serial ports ....so ive the network ports of any cisco equipment should fail, i can still access the box via its serial link and hopefully struxtureware ?

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

Hi Paul, Usually if you're connecting to a serial port, that's strictly a console port server. You can't use a console port server with StruxureWare Data Center Expert (DCE). Assuming DCE, the hardware server does have a serial port however you can not monitor the system using this option. You can connect a keyboard and mouse, KVM (VGA and USB ports), or KMM to the system but this would only be for initial IP configuration. All subsequent configuration is done through the "console" application or thick client. The serial port however is not accessible. If you have a StruxureWare Operation system, that is mainly software installed on your hardware. I know of no option to use the serial port to specifically connect to the Operation software. This too is configured through the web or client. Steve

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

I think what you want is to be able to get to the console using DCE so when you click on the device the serial console opens? if so what you will need is a Remote Serial type console that supports HTTP(s) so you can use a WEB browser to get to the various Serial Consoles (TTY's). Then you can 'discover' this WEB Remote Console with DCE and when you click on the device in DCE it will open the browser which inturn gives you the TTY/Console. There are many out there. You don't need a DDF if you just want to connect but you will need to plug the serial cable into the remote console and have that available on the network that the DCE can then browse to. This is what we do when we need Serial Console access to some of our systems remotely.

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

Hi Paul, I used to be a part of Terminal Console servers, Cyclades Advance Console servers at one point of time and have worked on them extensively. Currently the Rack and Accessories portfolio within SE doesn't have any solution to cater to such a requirement. Terminal services and Last mile connectivity to serial device is not limited to just cisco switch it can be for any similar device include Packet shapers, Load balancers as well and many a times the adapters used to make that information pulled from their console port to a centralized device like ACS also vary like Cyclades has various adapters namely ADB0039, ADB0036 etc... But again the major intelligence lies in the box that is the ACS device which pulls all that and gives you a centralized monitoring for the same. It further adds to this by giving you complete log of what was done on any of connected devices like any script was run on any connected device etc... All these features require a separate domain product all together perhaps a new device that can handle this area and follows next to our existing KVM solutions which further may get added to DCIM at some point of time...But as far as I'm aware we don't have any solution to adhere to such requirement although basic mapping could be worked out by MIB and DDF tracing into DCE.

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

Thanks Vineet Im coming from a datacentre where i indeed installed Avocent DSView so look after all this....and thought the same functionality would be available via struxtureware.....it now seams not....im a correct in now thinking i could still use the avocent acs6000 for example to link the serial connections ...and then get sturxcture ware to somehow view the acs6000....would this work ?> thanks in advance

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

Paul, I'll Say it again, StruxureWare Data Center Expert does not provide access through the serial port. I've gone as far back as version 5.1.1 for testing and there is NO serial output from the DCE server. It is turned off in the operating system and there is no way to turn it on. Steve

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-02

This question is closed for comments. You're welcome to start a new topic if you have further comments on this issue.