#arpnetworks 2010-03-23,Tue

toddf

this was a number of years back though, in 1996 or so
sorry 2006

up_the_irons

so can you log stuff from the serial ports to the local filesystem or do you perform logging in a different way?

toddf

maybe similar stuff for cheaper now
conserver baby

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps214/products_tech_note09186a00800ae37f.shtml

up_the_irons

cool :)
http://cgi.ebay.com/Cyclades-TS2000-TES0080-32-Port-Console-Terminal-Server_W0QQitemZ190381581253QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCOMP_EN_Hubs?hash=item2c53a063c5
yeah, it's all over ebay
about $300

[12:58]

toddf

$ tail -1 /var/consoles/{r,d}2
==> /var/consoles/r2 <==
[-- MARK -- Tue Mar 23 14:55:00 2010]
==> /var/consoles/d2 <==
[-- MARK -- Tue Mar 23 14:55:00 2010]
whats scary sad is that the iDRAC6 stuff for the new dells is amazing
regular ethernet port, you can hit it via https, get a kvm over IP window via java + .so (so only works for linux or windows), and even do a virtual media thing (map a file on your hard drive to a usb floppy or cdrom the real hw sees)

[12:58]

up_the_irons

i actually *have* a 32-port console server, that is a Cisco 2612 with NM-32. I can access all my stuff fine, but never was able to get logging (via conserver) working

[13:00]

toddf

do you have telnet to the ports working?
aka just a tcp connection to hit the console of any given server?

[13:00]

up_the_irons

re idrac6, yeah, that is exactly what supermicro impi 2.0 does
i love it, LOVE IT

[13:01]

toddf

default * { # The '&' character is substituted with the console name logfile /var/consoles/&; timestamp 5m; rw sysadmin; # use the group defined above master localhost;
}

[13:01]

up_the_irons

toddf: i telnet to the ports _from_ _within_ the cisco itself (like, it is on an rfc1918 address)

[13:01]

toddf

as long as your 'default * {' section has the 'logfile /var/consoles/&;' line you'll get console logs

[13:02]

up_the_irons

i have to ssh in first, then telnet. Perhaps I need to have it listen on an IP accessible from the network and then telnet to it + port.
up_the_irons fiddles

[13:02]

toddf

sounds like you need to setup a management vlan between the system running conserver and the portmaster
if you can do ssh with rsa keys conserver can be setup to use ssh as well

[13:02]

up_the_irons

yeah i think i can do that

[13:03]

toddf

console testssh {
type exec;
exec ssh ...sshargs... user@host;
}

[13:03]

up_the_irons

i can't set up a vlan because the 2612 is, by design, on a _completely_ separate network. Like, if I hose something on my own network, I can still get in and repair it, remotely
"exec ssh", iiiinteresting

[13:04]

toddf

sounds like a `separate upstream default gateway' network instead of a `isolated with fort knox no packets may exchange between the two' style network
if you had an extra interface or vlan or cable or whatever connecting from a conserver vm or server or whatever to the 2612 network, just to have an IP on that net, not to route or mess up anything like that, you could connect to the serial ports through conserver
I may be misunderstanding the nature of your isolation techinques however
or put a vm or conserver host dedicated specifiically only on the 2612 net for logging consoles

[13:05]

up_the_irons

you have the general idea. but you probably assume the 2612 has more than 1 NIC :) it has only 1. I think I can buy another WIC dirt cheap to give me a 2nd NIC.
most of the WICs are T1 cards
or, just the DSU
heh, i have 3 Adtran CSU/DSU's in my garage...
actually, since the WICs are WAN Interface Cards, i probably won't find an ethernet one...

[13:08]

bob^^

you can get ethernet wics

[13:15]

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[13:15]

bob^^

however i'm not sure they actually still call them wics :)

[13:15]

toddf

so you have a crisco 2612 connected to a portmaster?

[13:16]

bob^^

looks like the 1 port ethernet wics aren't compatible with the 2600 series :/

[13:16]

toddf

what is wrong with inserting a switch in the picture? surely that would be cheaper than a wic ethernet

[13:16]

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[13:17]

up_the_irons

bob^^: doh!
toddf: no, i don't have a portmaster. the cisco 2612 has a NM-32A module, which provides 32 serial ports
through breakout cables
works great
toddf: while i could insert a dumb switch in the picture, then it would take more power, a 1U slot, etc... just kinda feels overkill

[13:19]

toddf

oh I start to understand the NM-32 is part of the cisco 2612, surely there's some way to hit it from outside, like tcp connections or ssh port redirections or does it do port redirection via access lists?

[13:22]

up_the_irons

toddf: i hit it from the outside using ssh, currently

[13:25]

toddf

maybe have a persistent ssh connection to it with port redirections as one solution
there are apps that will make sure a ssh connection stays running

[13:26]

up_the_irons

yeah, perhaps that may do it

[13:26]

.......................... (idle for 2h6mn)

dxtr

Hmm, I recieved some pension papers the other day! Apparently I've got like 4200 SEK (Around 580 USD) pension!
Perhaps I should retire soon then

[15:32]

..... (idle for 20mn)

blovett

up_the_irons, regarding console servers. I use the ts3000's (i've gotten them of ebay for about $130/each). they work like a charm.
that plus conserver and an out of band network connection == warm fuzzy feeling that I'm not going to lock myself out of my gear.

[15:52]

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[15:56]

toddf

amazing that 48ports is cheaper than 32 ports

[16:02]

blovett

yup yup. :)
my most recent one only has 4 things connected. :)

[16:02]

toddf

what a waste

[16:03]

blovett

kinda overkill.
but cheaper than others I've found (well, I didn't look very hard after I found these).

[16:03]

....... (idle for 33mn)

up_the_irons

blovett: ah, interesting, i'll check those out

[16:36]

toddf

with fbi in the channel, why do I feel like saying "our hard earned dollars at work.."

[16:37]

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[16:38]

up_the_irons

what kinda cables do you use with these guys? I can pin my own rj45 to db9, but i'd rather just buy 'em premade

[16:39]

toddf

I pin'ed my own

[16:39]

up_the_irons

toddf: mind linking me to the pinout diagram?

toddf

then I could just use off the shelf handy premade rj45 cables

blovett

I use straight ethernet cables, coupled with the adapter for ciscos
plus some one-off cables for weird devices.

toddf

there is indeed a fun special wiring to plug into cisco consoles

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cyclades-TS3000-48-Ports-Console-Server_W0QQitemZ120544918739QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCOMP_EN_Hubs?hash=item1c11097cd3

up_the_irons

[16:41]

blovett

works with junipers as well

[16:41]

up_the_irons

that's hard to pass up for $120
maybe i'll get two
;)
yeah, cisco cables work with junipers

[16:41]

blovett

thank god. 'cause I have enough cables in my bag as it is. :)

[16:42]

up_the_irons

blovett: have u see this: http://www.ossmann.com/5-in-1.html

[16:42]

blovett

yup.

toddf

http://todd.fries.net/pub/cyclades.txt .. beware the bottom is not the connector side but the side you'll be putting the pins into

up_the_irons

i never made one, but looks interesting to save space :)

blovett

indeed. I was going to buy up the necessary parts and make one.

up_the_irons

toddf: sweet, thanks!

blovett

but I never got around to it.

up_the_irons

same

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