Re: serial console servers

[Jarle Greipsland <jarle%uninett.no@localhost>]

Erik Fair <fair%netbsd.org@localhost> writes:
> For those of us who run computer systems with serial consoles,
> how do you handle the "terminal" side of that? Console server?
> Lots of old TTYs, LA-120's? Terminal server? A custom
> configuration? Lots of PC laptoys running PuTTY, Kermit, or
> "tip/cu"?
[ ... ]
> So, what do you use?

For a number of old systems used for testing NetBSD etc., we use
two old PCs with their built in serial ports, each with an
additional ISA 8 port serial card with octopus cables for a total
of 10 serial ports per server.  We use rtty (from pkgsrc) as
console server software.

At work we have an installation in our lab where a PC has 4 8
port serial PCI cards for a total of 34 serial ports.  This one
serves 5 racks worth of servers and network equipment that is in
for evaluation, installation, reconfiguration or pre-shipping
work.  It also uses rtty as console server software.

We also have a setup where we use a number of terminal servers
connected to the relevant equipment at our POPs, and have
configured TCP transport for the console sessions to a central
conserver (from pkgsrc) configuration.

                                        -jarle