User manual

1
Chapter 1
Introduction
Overview
The KM0832 Matrix KVM Switch gives IT administrators in large
corporations advanced control of multiple servers. Operators working at up to
eight consoles (monitor, keyboard, and mouse) can independently and
simultaneously take direct control of up to 32 computers. By cascading
additional KM0832 and daisy chaining KM0432, up to 36 operators can access
and control up to 8,192 computers.
The 8 consoles belonging to the master station (the root, or highest level
KM0832) are able to access all the computers on the installation—those that
are directly connected as well as those that are daisy chained and cascaded. The
4 consoles belonging to each of the slave stations (the daisy chained KM0432
switches) can only access the computers that are connected to them on the same
daisy chain level (directly connected and cascaded).
The KM0832 features a modular design with automatic console conversion
that allows any combination of PS/2 and USB consoles to control any
combination of PS/2, USB, Sun, Mac, and serial computers. The RJ-45 CPU
connectors, combined with Auto Signal Compensation (ASC), allow signals to
travel up to 300 meters between Console Module and CPU Module and still
maintain high video resolution, eliminating the need for KVM extenders, and
allowing the installation to take advantage of the internal Category 5e and
Category 6 wiring built in to most modern commercial buildings. In addition,
use of RJ-45 connectors saves precious IT real estate by allowing a full 8 User
Ports and 32 CPU Ports to reside in a single 1U system housing.
Setup is fast and easy—plugging cables into their appropriate ports is all that
is entailed. Because the KM0832 intercepts keyboard and mouse input directly,
there is no software to configure, so there is no need to get involved in complex
installation routines or be concerned with incompatibility problems.
Access to any computer is easily accomplished either by means of a powerful
menu-driven OSD (On Screen Display) system, or by entering Hotkey
combinations from the keyboard. A convenient Auto Scan feature also permits
automatic scanning and monitoring of the activities of all computers running
on the installation one-by-one.