Specifications

©
2002, David K. Z. Harris
9
Pg. 9
© 2002
David K. Z. Harris
What might you connect to?
Ø Hosts
² workstations, servers, NMS hosts
Ø RAID arrays, Network App Filers
Ø Network equipment
² including devices without IP stacks
² CSU/DSU, TA
Ø Telecom gear.
Ø Security devices.
Console ports are not cheap, so we want to use them sparingly.
On the other hand, using a terminal server, you can easily get 16-32 ports in a
single device, which may be more than you need initially, which then allows
you to connect devices that you may not have considered valuable enough to
connect in your initial plans.
Consider that any port that you connect to a terminal server can be logged
using an additional logging server. What information do you think is important
to capture? These ports should be connected.
If a device constantly repaint, or updates its screen, you may not want to
capture the data to a log, but you may still want to connect it, so that you can
get to that port from some other place.
Because the terminal server will likely be a capital investment, you may want
to share the cost with other departments, and allow them to connect some of
their devices to some of the ports.