Device needed to manage several FreeBSD servers

[David Gerard]

RW wrote:
> On Saturday 17 December 2005 23:11, patrick wrote:

>>I have a bunch of FreeBSD servers to manage, and I'm wanting to find a
>>device that lets you SSH/telnet in, and access the servers connected
>>to it via serial cables. I know such a device exists, but it was a
>>long time ago since I last saw one, and I'm not really sure what one
>>of these would be called. Has anyone had any experience with such a
>>device?

> I've heard them called Terminal Servers, but that name is also used in the 
> sense of Windows Terminal Server.


"Console server", specifically "remote serial console servers." You can
make one yourself with a PC and a bunch of serial cards very easily
(using conserver(8)) - or (a better idea in a commercial setting) buy
them as a supported piece of hardware.

It doesn't matter for FreeBSD on a PC, but if you're running Suns then
important matters include not sending BREAKs down the line at
inopportune moments.

I asked about this on my LiveJournal and got quite informative responses:

    http://www.livejournal.com/users/reddragdiva/241324.html


- d.