toddf: iirc, you use a cyclades card to be able to serial into all your boxes.  if I'm correct, what card is it?
I actually use a cyclades portmaster
TS2000 32ports
new it can be $1,000
or even higher
had a nice experience by buying a used one on ebay for $300 and spent $300 on `repairs' .. they didn't have the part they needed so they shipped a new one back free of chrage as part of the cost of repairs ..
cool
this was a number of years back though, in 1996 or so
sorry 2006
so can you log stuff from the serial ports to the local filesystem or do you perform logging in a different way?
maybe similar stuff for cheaper now
conserver baby
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
$ 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)
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
do you have telnet to the ports working?
aka just a tcp connection to hit the console of any given server?
re idrac6, yeah, that is exactly what supermicro impi 2.0 does
i love it, LOVE IT
default * { # The '&' character is substituted with the console name logfile /var/consoles/&; timestamp 5m; rw sysadmin;  # use the group defined above master localhost;
}
toddf: i telnet to the ports _from_ _within_ the cisco itself (like, it is on an rfc1918 address)
as long as your 'default * {' section has the 'logfile /var/consoles/&;' line you'll get console logs
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.
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
yeah i think i can do that
console testssh {
   type exec;
   exec ssh ...sshargs... user@host;
}
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
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
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...
you can get ethernet wics
however i'm not sure they actually still call them wics :)
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps214/products_tech_note09186a00800ae37f.shtml
so you have a crisco 2612 connected to a portmaster?
looks like the 1 port ethernet wics aren't compatible with the 2600 series :/
what is wrong with inserting a switch in the picture? surely that would be cheaper than a wic ethernet
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
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?
toddf: i hit it from the outside using ssh, currently
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
yeah, perhaps that may do it
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
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.
amazing that 48ports is cheaper than 32 ports
yup yup. :)
my most recent one only has 4 things connected. :)
what a waste
kinda overkill.
but cheaper than others I've found (well, I didn't look very hard after I found these).
blovett: ah, interesting, i'll check those out
with fbi in the channel, why do I feel like saying "our hard earned dollars at work.."
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
I pin'ed my own
toddf: mind linking me to the pinout diagram?
then I could just use off the shelf handy premade rj45 cables
I use straight ethernet cables, coupled with the adapter for ciscos
plus some one-off cables for weird devices.
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
works with junipers as well
that's hard to pass up for $120
maybe i'll get two
;)
yeah, cisco cables work with junipers
thank god. 'cause I have enough cables in my bag as it is. :)
blovett: have u see this: http://www.ossmann.com/5-in-1.html
yup.
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
i never made one, but looks interesting to save space :)
indeed. I was going to buy up the necessary parts and make one.
toddf: sweet, thanks!
but I never got around to it.
same
receive only ethernet cables heh
hi