User guide

Dominion KX II – Frequently Asked Questions
© 2012 Raritan Inc. Page 11 of 18 V1098 R6 May 2012
How do I connect servers to
Dominion KX II?
Servers that connect to the Dominion KX II require a Dominion or Paragon CIM,
which connects directly to the keyboard, video and mouse ports of the server.
Then, connect each CIM to Dominion KX II using standard UTP (unshielded
twisted pair) cable such as Cat5, Cat5e or Cat6.
How far can my servers be
from Dominion KX II?
In general, servers can be up to 150 feet (45 m) away from Dominion KX II,
depending on the type of server. (See printed user manual or manual on the
Raritan website.) For the D2CIM-VUSB CIMs that supports virtual media and
Absolute Mouse Synchronization, a 100-foot (30 m) range is recommended.
Some operating systems
lock up when I disconnect a
keyboard or mouse during
operation. What prevents
servers connected to
Dominion KX II from locking
up when I switch away from
them?
Each Dominion computer interface module (DCIM) dongle acts as a virtual
keyboard and mouse to the server to which it is connected. This technology is
called KME (keyboard/mouse emulation). Raritan’s KME technology is data
center grade, battle-tested and far more reliable than that found in lower-end
KVM switches: it incorporates more than 15 years of experience and has been
deployed to millions of servers worldwide.
Are there any agents
that must be installed on
servers connected to
Dominion KX II?
Servers connected to Dominion KX II do not require any software agents to be
installed because Dominion KX II connects directly via hardware to the servers’
keyboard, video and mouse ports.
How many servers can be
connected to each
Dominion KX II unit?
Dominion KX II models range from 8, 16 or 32 server ports in a 1U chassis, to
64 server ports in a 2U chassis. This is the industry’s highest digital KVM switch
port density.
What happens if I
disconnect a server from
Dominion KX II and
reconnect it to another
Dominion KX II unit, or
connect it to a different port
on the same Dominion KX II
unit?
Dominion KX II will automatically update the server port names when servers
are moved from port to port. Furthermore, this automatic update does not just
affect the local access port, but propagates to all remote clients and the optional
CommandCenter Secure Gateway management appliance.
How do I connect a serially
controlled (RS-232) device,
such as a Cisco
router/switch or a headless
Sun server, to Dominion
KX II?
If there are only a few serially controlled devices, they may be connected to a
Dominion KX II using Raritan’s P2CIM-SER serial converter.
Customers can also consider deploying the Dominion KSX II, an integrated KVM
and serial switch. The DKSX-144 features four KVM-over-IP ports and four
serial ports.
The DKSX-188 features eight KVM-over-IP ports and eight serial ports.
However, if there are many serially controlled devices, we recommend the use
of Raritan’s Dominion SX line of secure console servers. Dominion SX offers
more serial functionality at a better price point than Dominion KX II. This SX is
easy to use, configure and manage, and can be completely integrated with a
Dominion series deployment.
Local Port
Can I access my servers
directly from the rack?
Yes. At the rack, Dominion KX II functions just like a traditional KVM switch –
allowing control of up to 64 servers using a single keyboard, monitor and
mouse. You can switch between servers by the browser- based user interface or
via a hotkey.