Content area
Full Text
Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM) switching goes digital. As a result, you can say good riddance to distance limitations.
CYBEX'S DS1800 KVM
If you have more than one server, and your space is limited, you need some kind of Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM) switching solution. This, of course, describes just about every Network Magazine reader, no matter what kind of network they're running.
The no-name, electromechanical Kvm boxes I have on my home network are a real pain in the derriere, given their tendency to leave me without a keyboard or mouse every few times I switch machines. But even well-engineered, name-brand KVM solutions can be problematical. Why? Because they operate in the analog domain, establishing a physical electrical path between the keyboard, screen, mouse, and the server you want them to talk to. This limits the distances and number of users they can support.
An ultrasophisticated Kvm switch such as Cybex's XP4000 series can manage hundreds or even thousands of servers in a data center. And Cybex's KeyView II can make the system accessible remotely via the Internet or dial-up networking. But, as Cybex is the first to concede, the required "out of...