Raritan Engineering KX II Switch User Manual
Contents
1. The primary factor noted above is the amount of change in the target server s video display This is dependent on the user s task and actions Other factors include the server s video resolution networking speed and characteristics client PC resources and video card noise The Dominion KX II has very sophisticated video processing algorithms that optimize bandwidth and performance for a variety of environments In addition they are highly configurable there are many settings to optimize bandwidth usage In particular the connection speed setting in the remote clients VKC MPC can be set to reduce the bandwidth used Unlike KX I the Noise Filter parameter does not generally have a large role in reducing bandwidth or improving performance Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 5 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question How much bandwidth does KX Il use for common tasks Answer Bandwidth primarily depends on the user s task and actions The more the server s video screen changes the more bandwidth is utilized The table below summarizes some standard use cases at Dominion KX II s default and with two reduced bandwidth settings connection speed setting of 1Mb with 15 and 8 bit color on a Windows XP target server 1024 x 768 resolution over a 100 Mb s LAN User Task Default 1Mb Speed2. can access and control four servers Likewise for the eight channel devices up to eight users can access a single server up to an overall maximum of 32 users across the eight channels Yes Actually up to eight people can access and control any single server at the same time Yes The local port is completely independent of the remote ports The local port can access the same server using the PC Share feature E Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 2 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question In order to access Dominion KX II from a client what hardware software or network configuration is required What is the file size of the applet that s used to access Dominion KX II How long does it take to retrieve How do I access servers connected to Dominion KX II if the network ever becomes unavailable Do you have a Windows Client Do you have a non Windows Client Answer Because Dominion KX II is completely Web accessible it doesn t require customers to install proprietary software on clients used for access An optional installed client is available on www raritan com this is required for access by an external modem Dominion KX II can be accessed through major Web browsers including Internet Explorer and Firefox Dominion KX II can now be accessed on Windows Linux and Macintosh desktops via Raritan s new Windows Client and the Jav
3. Does Dominion KX II have a dual power option Does the power supply used by Dominion KX II automatically detect voltage settings The Dominion KX2 832 and KX2 864 feature an extended local port The KX II eight user models have a standard local port plus a new extended local port that extends the local port via Cat5 cable beyond the rack to a control room another point in the data center or to a Paragon II switch Yes The following devices can function as the user station for the extended local port Paragon Il EUST Paragon II UST and the Cat5 Reach URKVMG device In addition the extended local port can be connected via Cat5 cable to a server port on a Paragon II switch This configuration can be used to consolidate the local ports of many KX2 8xxx devices to a single switch The distance is 200 feet to 1 000 feet 61 m 304 m but varies according to the type of user station the video resolution and cable type and quality See the user guide or Release Notes for more information No CIM is required Just connect a Cat5 cable No The extended local port is an optional feature and is disabled by default Use the Local Port Settings page to enable it You can also disable the standard local port if you are not going to use it for added security Yes All Dominion KX II models come equipped with dual AC inputs and power supplies with automatic failover Should one of the power inputs or power supplies fail then
4. KX II Answer Yes Customers can upload self signed or certificate authority provided digital certificates to the Dominion KX II for enhanced authentication and secure communication Smart Cards and CAC Authentication Does Dominion KX II support smart card and CAC authentication What is CAC Which KX II models support smart cards CAC Do enterprise and SMB customers use smart cards too Which CIMs support smart card CAC What firmware version is required Which smart card readers are supported Can smart card CAC authentication work on the local port and via CommandCenter Are the Paragon smart card enabled UST amp CIM used Where can I get more information on the KX II smart card support Manageability Yes Smart cards and DoD common access cards CAC authentication to target servers is supported by Release 2 1 10 and greater Mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 HSPD 12 CAC is a type of smart card created by the U S government which is used by U S military and government staff The CAC card is a multi technology multi purpose card the goal is to have a single identification card For more information see the FIPS 201 standards All Dominion KX II models are supported The Dominion KSX II and KX Il 101 do not currently support smart cards and CAC Yes Although the most aggressive deployment of smart cards is in the U S federal government The D2CIM DVUSB is th
5. KX II s own authentication will be activated and fully functional No Dominion KX II is a completely self sufficient appliance After assigning an IP address to Dominion KX Il it s ready to use with Web browser and authentication capabilities completely built in None Dominion KX II can be accessed completely via a Web browser although an optional installed client is provided on Raritan s Web site www raritan com which is required for modem connections A Java based client is now available for non Windows users Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 10 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question What should do to prepare a server for connection to Dominion KX II What comes in the Dominion KX II box Blade Servers Can I connect blade servers to the Dominion KX II Which blade servers are supported Are the Paragon Blade CIMs used Which CIM should I use Which types of access and control are available Do I have to use hotkeys to switch between blades Can l access the blade server s management module How many blade servers can connect to a Dominion KX Il Answer Simply set the mouse parameters in order to provide users with the best mouse synchronization during remote connections as well as turning off the power management features that affect screen display However if the Absolute Mouse Synchronization is supported through
6. performance What is the speed of Dominion KX II s Ethernet interfaces Can access Dominion KX Il over a wireless connection Does the Dominion KX II offer dual gigabit Ethernet ports to provide redundant failover or load balancing Can I use Dominion KX II with a VPN How many TCP ports must be open on my firewall in order to enable network access to Dominion KX II Are these ports configurable Can Dominion KX II be used with Citrix Can the Dominion KX II use DHCP Answer The default settings will provide strong performance in a high bandwidth environment Ensure that the connection speed is set to 100 Mb or 1 Gb and the color depth is set to 15 bit RGB color Dominion KX II supports gigabit as well as 10 100 Ethernet KX II supports two 10 100 1000 speed Ethernet interfaces with configurable speed and duplex settings either autodetected or manually set Yes Dominion KX II not only uses standard Ethernet but also very conservative bandwidth with very high quality video Thus if a wireless client has network connectivity to a Dominion KX II servers can be configured and managed at the BIOS level wirelessly Yes Dominion KX II features dual gigabit Ethernet ports to provide redundant failover capabilities Should the primary Ethernet port or the switch router to which it is connected fail Dominion KX II will failover to the secondary network port with the same IP address ensuring that s
7. the KX II will automatically switch to the other Yes Dominion KX II s power supply can be used in AC voltage ranges from 100 240 volts at 50 60 Hz E Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 15 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question If a power supply or input fails will be notified Answer The Dominion KX II front panel LED will notify the user of a power failure An entry will also be sent to the audit log and displayed on the KX remote client user interface If configured by the administrator then SNMP or syslog events will be generated Intelligent Power Distribution Unit PDU Control What type of remote power control capabilities does Dominion KX II offer What type of power strips does Dominion KX II support How many PDUs can be connected to a Dominion KX II How do I connect the PDU to the Dominion KX II Does Dominion KX II support servers with multiple power supplies Does the Dominion KX II display statistics and measurements from the PDU Does remote power control require any special configuration of attached servers What happens when I recycle power to a server Can power on off other equipment non servers connected to a PDU Scalability Raritan s intelligent PDUs can be connected to the Dominion KX II to provide power control of target servers and other equipment For servers after a simple one time configuratio
8. the new D2CIM VUSB adapter then manually setting the mouse parameters isn t necessary The following are included 1 Dominion KX II unit 2 Quick Setup Guide 3 standard 19 rack mount brackets 4 user manual CD ROM 5 network cable 6 crossover cable 7 localized AC line cord and 8 warranty certificate and other documentation Yes Dominion KX II supports popular blade server models from the leading blade server manufacturers HP IBM and Dell The following models are supported Dell PowerEdge 1855 1955 and M1000e HP BladeSystem c3000 and c7000 and IBM BladeCenter H E andS No The Dominion KX II does not require the use of special blade server CIMs like the Paragon Il It depends on the type of KVM ports on the specific make and model of the blade server you are using The following CIMs are supported DCIM PS2 DCIM USBG2 D2CIM VUSB and D2CIM DVUSB The Dominion KX II provides automated and secure KVM access 1 at the rack 2 remotely over IP 3 via CommandCenter and 4 by modem Some blade servers require you to use hotkeys to switch between blades With the Dominion KX II you don t have to use these hotkeys Just click on the name of the blade server and the Dominion KX II will automatically switch to that blade without the explicit use of the hotkey Yes You can define the URL of the management module and access it from the Dominion KX II or from our CommandCenter Secure Gateway If
9. why is it required How do I enable IPv6 on the Dominion KX II Answer The Dominion KX II relies on your LAN WAN network Some possible problems include Ethernet auto negotiation On some networks 10 100 auto negotiation does not work properly and the Dominion KX II unit must be set to 100 MB full duplex or the appropriate choice for its network e Duplicate IP address If the IP address of the Dominion KX II is the same as another device network connectivity may be inconsistent e Port 5000 conflicts If another device is using port 5000 the Dominion KX II default port must be changed or the other device must be changed e When changing the IP address of a Dominion KX II or swapping in a new Dominion KX II sufficient time must be allowed for its IP and Mac addresses to be known throughout the Layer 2 and Layer 3 networks IPv6 is the acronym for Internet Protocol Version 6 IPv 6 is the next generation IP protocol which will replace the current IP Version 4 IPv4 protocol IPv6 addresses a number of problems in IPv4 such as the limited number of IPv4 addresses It also improves IPv4 in areas such as routing and network auto configuration IPv6 is expected to gradually replace IPv4 with the two coexisting for a number of years IPv6 treats one of the largest headaches of an IP network from the administrator s point of view configuring and maintaining an IP network U S government agencies and the Departm
10. 1Mb Speed and 15 bit Color and 8 bit Color Idle Windows Desktop 0 KB s 0 KB s 0 KB s Move Mouse Cursor 5 15 KB s 2 6 KB s 2 3 KB s Drag Icon 40 70 KB s 10 25 KB s 5 15 KB s Drag Folder 10 40 KB s 5 20 KB s 5 10 KB s Open Text Window 50 100 KB s 25 50 KB s 10 15 KB s Continuous Typing 1 KB s 5 1 KB s 2 5 KB s Scroll Text Window 1050 KB s 5 25 KB s 2 10 KB s Close Text Window 50 100 KB s 20 40 KB s 10 15 KB s Open Panel 50 100 KB s 60 70 KB s 20 30 KB s Change Tab in Panel 40 50 KB s 20 50 KB s 10 20 KB s Close Panel 50 100 KB s 40 60 KB s 20 30 KB s Change Panel Option 2 10 KB s 1 5 KB s 1 3 KB s Open Browser Page 100 300 KB s 50 200 KB s 40 80 KB s Scroll Browser 75 200 KB s 50 200 KB s 30 100 KB s Close Browser 100 150 KB s 75 100 KB s 30 60 KB s Open Start Menu 75 100 KB s 50 75 KB s 20 30 KB s Close Start Menu 75 100 KB s 25 50 KB s 10 15 KB s Starfield Screen Saver 25 50 KB s 10 15 KB s 7 10 KB s 3D Pipes Screen Saver 10 100 KB s 5 20 KB s 2 10 KB s Windows Media Video 500 1200 KB s 300 500 KB s 150 300 KB s QuickTime Video 1 700 2500 KB s 400 500 KB s 150 350 KB s QuickTime Video 2 1500 2500 KB s 400 550 KB s 200 350 KB s With the reduced bandwidth settings bandwidth is reduced significantly for virtually all tasks With the 15 bit color set
11. Frequently Asked Questions Dominion KX II Question Answer General Questions What is Dominion KX II Dominion KX II is a second generation digital KVM keyboard video mouse switch that enables one two four or eight IT administrators to access and control 8 16 32 or 64 servers over the network with BIOS level functionality Dominion KX II is completely hardware and OS independent users can troubleshoot and reconfigure servers even when servers are down At the rack Dominion KX II provides the same functionality convenience space and cost savings as traditional analog KVM switches However Dominion KX II also integrates the industry s highest performing KVM over IP technology allowing multiple administrators to access server KVM consoles from any networked workstation How does Dominion KX II When using Dominion KX II remotely the interface at first glance may differ from remote control seem similar to remote control software such as pcAnywhere software Windows Terminal Services Remote Desktop VNC etc However because Dominion KX II is not a software but a hardware solution it s much more powerful e Hardware and OS independent Dominion KX II can be used to manage servers running many popular OSs including Intel Sun PowerPC running Windows Linux Solaris etc e State independent Agentless Dominion KX II does not require the managed server OS to be up and running nor does it r
12. You can switch between servers by the browser based user interface or via a hotkey No The Dominion KX II local port has a completely independent access path to the servers This means a user can access servers locally at the rack without compromising the number of users that access the rack remotely at the same time Yes Dominion KX II offers both PS 2 and USB keyboard and mouse ports on the local port Note that the USB ports are USB v1 1 and support keyboards and mice only not USB devices such as scanners or printers Yes but Dominion KX II s at the rack access goes way beyond conventional OSDs Featuring the industry s first browser based interface for at the rack access Dominion KX II s local port uses the same interface for local and remote access Moreover most administrative functions are available at the rack The local port displays the connected servers using the same user interface as the remote client Users connect to a server with a simple click of the mouse or via a hotkey Users attempting to use the local port must pass the same level of authentication as those accessing remotely This means that e If the Dominion KX II is configured to interact with an external RADIUS LDAP or Active Directory server users attempting to access the local port will authenticate against the same server e If the external authentication servers are unavailable Dominion KX II fails over to its own internal authentic
13. a based Multiplatform and Virtual KVM Client Dominion KX II administrators can also perform remote management set passwords and security rename servers change IP address etc using a convenient browser based interface The Virtual KVM Client VKC applet used to access Dominion KX II is approximately 500KB in size The following chart describes the time required to retrieve Dominion KX II s applet at different network speeds 100Mbps Theoretical 100Mbit 05 seconds network speed 60Mbps Likely practical 100Mbit 08 seconds network speed 10Mbps Theoretical 1OMbit 4 seconds network speed 6Mbps Likely practical 10Mbit 8 seconds network speed 512Kbps Cable modem download 8 seconds speed typical You can access servers at the rack or via modem Dominion KX II offers a dedicated modem port for attaching an external modem Yes In Release 2 2 we have a native NET Windows Client called the Raritan Active KVM Client Yes Both the Virtual KVM Client VKC and the Multiplatform Client MPC allow non Windows users to connect to target servers through the Dominion KX and KX II switches MPC can be run via Web browsers and stand alone Please refer to Raritan s Dominion KX II and MPC user guides for more information Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 3 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question Universal Virtual Media Whic
14. ade servers are configured on the Dominion KX II the CommandCenter Secure Gateway user can access them via KVM connections In addition the blade servers are organized by chassis as well as CommandCenter Secure Gateway custom views In band and embedded access to blade servers can be configured within CommandCenter Secure Gateway Yes With CommandCenter Secure Gateway you can display and access virtual machines running on blade servers This depends on the blade server HP blades can support virtual media The IBM BladeCenter except for BladeCenter T supports virtual media if configured appropriately A virtual media CIM D2CIM VUSB or D2CIM DVUSB must be used Servers with internal KVM switches inside the blade chassis typically do not support absolute mouse technology For HP blade and some Dell blade servers a CIM can be connected to each blade so Absolute Mouse Synchronization is supported Yes Blade access uses all of the standard Dominion KX II security features such as 128 bit or 256 bit encryption In addition there are blade specific security features such as per blade access permissions and hotkey blocking that eliminates unauthorized access At this time these products do not support blade servers Each server that connects to Dominion KX II requires a Dominion or Paragon computer interface module CIM an adapter that connects directly to the keyboard video and mouse ports of the server Dominion KX II ca
15. ailable AES is a U S government approved cryptographic algorithm that is recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST in the FIPS Standard 197 Unlike competing solutions which only encrypt keyboard and mouse data Dominion KX II does not compromise security it allows encryption of keyboard mouse and video data Through a very simple configuration Dominion KX II can be set to forward all authentication requests to an external server such as LDAP Active Directory or RADIUS For each authenticated user Dominion KX II receives from the authentication server the user group to which that user belongs Dominion KX II then determines the user s access permissions depending on the user group to which he or she belongs Should Dominion KX Ils internal authentication capabilities be used all sensitive information such as usernames and passwords is stored in an encrypted format Literally no one including Raritan technical support or product engineering departments can retrieve those usernames and passwords Yes The Dominion KX II has administrator configurable strong password checking to ensure that user created passwords meet corporate and or government standards and are resistant to brute force hacking E Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 18 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question Can upload my own digital certificate to the Dominion
16. ation database Dominion KX II has its own stand alone authentication enabling instant out of the box installation S Raritan Know more Manage smarter i 2010 Raritan Inc Page 14 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question If I use the local port to change the name of a connected server does this change propagate to remote access Clients as well Does it propagate to the optional CommandCenter appliance If I use Dominion KX II s remote administration tools to change the name of a connected server does that change propagate to the local port OSD as well Answer Yes The local port presentation is identical and completely in sync with remote access clients as well as Raritan s CommandCenter Secure Gateway management appliance To be clear if the name of a server via the Dominion KX II on screen display is changed this updates all remote clients and external management servers in real time Yes If the name of a server is changed remotely or via Raritan s optional CommandCenter Secure Gateway management appliance this update immediately affects Dominion KX Ils on screen display Extended Local Port Dominion KX2 832 and KX2 864 models only What is the extended local port Is a user Station required for the extended local port How far can the user station be from the Dominion KX II Is a CIM required Must I use the extended local port Dual Power Supplies
17. bit RC4 encryption Certain servers require a specifically configured USB interface for USB based services such as virtual media The USB profile tailors the KX II s USB interface to the server to accommodate these server specific characteristics USB profiles are most often required at the BIOS level where there may not be full support for the USB specification when accessing virtual media drives However profiles are sometimes used at the OS level for example for mouse synchronization for Macintosh and Linux servers Individual or groups of ports can be configured by the administrator to use a specific USB profile in the KX II s port configuration page A USB profile can also be selected in the KX II Client when required See the user guide for more information No In many cases the default USB profile is sufficient when using virtual media at the OS level or operating at the BIOS level without accessing virtual media Consult the user guide for the available profiles and for more information Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 4 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question Ethernet and IP Networking How is bandwidth used in KVM over IP systems How does bandwidth affect KVM over IP performance What factors affect bandwidth Answer Dominion KX II offers next generation KVM over IP technology the very best video compression available Raritan has recei
18. ble for certain system administration tasks For slow Internet connections use of 8 bit color or lower bit depths can reduce bandwidth and improve performance Other tips to decrease bandwidth include e Use a solid desktop background instead of a complex image e Disable screen savers e Use a lower resolution on the target server e Uncheck the Show window contents while dragging option in Windows e Use simple images themes and desktops e g Windows Classic The connection speed and color depth settings can be tweaked to optimize performance for slower bandwidth links For example in the Multiplatform Client or the Virtual KVM Client set the connection speed to 1 5 Mb or 1 Mb and the color depth to 8 bit Even lower connection speeds and color depths can be used for very low bandwidth situations For modem connections the KX II will automatically default to a very low connection speed and reduced color depth to optimize performance It depends on the bandwidth and latency of the Internet connection between your remote client and the KX II With a cable modem or high speed DSL connection your performance can be very similar to a LAN WAN connection For lower speed links use the suggestions above to improve performance E Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 7 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question have a high bandwidth environment How can I optimize
19. ble such as Cat5 Cat5e or Cat6 In general servers can be up to 150 feet 45 m away from Dominion KX II depending on the type of server See printed user manual or on the Raritan Web site For the new D2CIM VUSB CIM that supports virtual media and Absolute Mouse Synchronization a 100 foot 30 m range is recommended Each Dominion computer interface module DCIM dongle acts as a virtual keyboard and mouse to the server to which it is connected This technology is called KME keyboard mouse emulation Raritan s KME technology is data center grade battle tested and far more reliable than that found in lower end KVM switches it incorporates more than 15 years of experience and has been deployed to millions of servers worldwide Servers connected to Dominion KX II do not require any software agents to be installed because Dominion KX II connects directly via hardware to the servers keyboard video and mouse ports Dominion KX II models range from 8 16 or 32 server ports in a 1U chassis to 64 server ports in a 2U chassis This is the industry s highest digital KVM switch port density Dominion KX II will automatically update the server port names when servers are moved from port to port Furthermore this automatic update does not just affect the local access port but propagates to all remote clients and the optional CommandCenter Secure Gateway management appliance E Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Rar
20. cations and Raritan cannot guarantee the interoperability of any particular third party analog KVM switch Contact Raritan technical support for further information Computer Interface Modules CIMs Can use computer interface modules CIMs from Paragon Raritan s analog matrix KVM switch with Dominion KX II Yes Certain Paragon computer interface modules CIMs may work with Dominion KX II Please check the Raritan Dominion KX II Release Notes on the Web site for the latest list of certified CIMs However because Paragon CIMs cost more than Dominion KX II CIMs as they incorporate technology for video transmission of up to 1 000 feet 304 m it is not generally advisable to purchase Paragon CIMs for use with Dominion KX II Also note that when connected to Dominion KX II Paragon CIMs transmit video at a distance of up to 150 feet 46 m the same as Dominion KX II CIMs not at 1 000 feet 304 m as they do when connected to Paragon E Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 17 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question Can use Dominion KX II computer interface modules CIMs with Paragon Raritan s analog matrix KVM switch Security Is the Dominion KX II FIPS 140 2 Certified What kind of encryption does Dominion KX II use Does Dominion KX II support AES encryption as recommended by the U S government s NIST and FIPS standards Does Dominio
21. configured one click access is available For performance and reliability reasons you can connect up to eight blade chassis to a Dominion KX II regardless of model Raritan recommends connecting up to two times the number of remote connections supported by the device For example with a KX2 216 with two remote channels we recommend connecting up to four blade server chassis You can of course connect individual servers to the remaining server ports E Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 11 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question I m an SMB customer with a few Dominion KX Ils Must use your CommandCenter Secure Gateway management station lm an enterprise customer using CommandCenter Secure Gateway Can access blade servers via CommandCenter Secure Gateway What if also want in band or embedded KVM access I m running VMware on some of my blade servers Is this supported Is virtual media supported Is Absolute Mouse Synchronization supported Is blade access secure Does the Dominion KSX II or the KX II 101 support blade servers Installation Besides the unit itself what do need to order from Raritan to install Dominion KX II Which kind of Cat5 cabling should be used in my installation Answer No you don t have to SMB customers are not required to use CommandCenter Secure Gateway to use the new blade features Yes Once bl
22. e required CIM This CIM must be upgraded with the Release 2 1 10 firmware Dominion KX II Release 2 1 10 and later is required The required reader standards are USB CCID and PC SC Consult the version 2 1 10 Release Notes for a list of certified readers and more information Yes Smart card CAC authentication works on both the local port and via CommandCenter For the local port connect a compatible smart card reader to the USB port of the Dominion KX Il No The P2 EUST C and P2CIM AUSB C are not part of the Dominion KX II solution See www raritan com cac reader version 2 1 10 Release Notes and the Dominion KX II User Guide for more information Can Dominion KX II be Yes Dominion KX II can be completely configured remotely via Web remotely managed and browser Note that this does require that the workstation have an configured via Web appropriate Java Runtime Environment JRE version installed Besides browser the initial setting of Dominion KX Il s IP address everything about the solution can be completely set up over the network In fact using a crossover Ethernet cable and Dominion KX II s default IP address you can even configure the initial settings via Web browser Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 19 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question Can back up and restore Dominion KX Il s configuration What auditing or logging does Domin
23. ent of Defense are now mandated to purchase IPv6 compatible products In addition many enterprises and foreign countries such as China will be transitioning to IPv6 over the next several years Dual stack is the ability to simultaneously support both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols Given the gradual transition from IPv4 to IPv6 dual stack is a fundamental requirement for IPv6 support Use the Network Settings page available from the Device Settings tab Enable IPv6 addressing and choose manual or auto configuration Consult the user guide for more information Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 9 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question What if have an external server with an IPv6 address that want to use with my Dominion KX II Does the Dominion KX I the previous generation KX support IPv6 What if my network doesn t support IPv6 Where can I get more information on IPv6 Servers Does Dominion KX II depend on a Windows server to operate Do need to install a Web server such as Microsoft Internet Information Services IIS in order to use Dominion KX II s Web browser capability What software do have to install in order to access Dominion KX II from a particular workstation Answer The Dominion KX II can access external servers via their IPv6 addresses for example an SNMP Manager syslog server or LDAP server Using the D
24. equire any special software to be installed on the managed server e Out of band Even if the managed server s own network connection is unavailable it can still be managed through Dominion KX II e BlOS level access Even if the server is hung at boot up requires booting to safe mode or requires system BIOS parameters to be altered Dominion KX II still works flawlessly to enable these configurations to be made E Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 1 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question How do the new features of the Dominion KX II compare to the KX How do migrate from the Dominion KX I to Dominion KX II Will my existing KX CIMs work with Dominion KX II switches Can the Dominion KX II be rack mounted How large is the Dominion KX II Remote Access How many users can remotely access servers on each Dominion KX II Can two people look at the same server at the same time Can two people access the same server one remotely and one from the local port Answer Dominion KX II has many new and exciting features including virtual media Absolute Mouse Synchronization dual power dual gigabit Ethernet common Web based user interfaces next generation local ports etc See the Features and Benefits tab on the KX II Web pages at www raritan com KXII In general KX I customers can continue to use their existing switches
25. erver operations are not disrupted Note that automatic failover must be enabled by the administrator Yes Dominion KX II uses standard Internet Protocol IP technologies from Layer 1 through Layer 4 Traffic can be easily tunneled through standard VPNs Only one Dominion KX II protects network security by only requiring access to a single TCP port to operate This port is completely configurable for additional security To use Dominion KX II s optional Web browser capability the standard HTTPS port 443 must also be open Dominion KX II may work with remote access products like Citrix if configured appropriately but Raritan cannot guarantee it will work with acceptable performance Customers should realize that products like Citrix utilize video redirection technologies similar in concept to digital KVM switches so that two KVM over IP technologies are being used simultaneously DHCP addressing can be used however Raritan recommends fixed addressing since the Dominion KX II is an infrastructure device and can be accessed and administered more effectively with a fixed IP address Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 8 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question I m having problems connecting to the Dominion KX Il over my IP network What could be the problem IPv6 Networking What is IPv6 Why does Dominion KX II support IPv6 networking What is dual stack and
26. for many years As their data centers expand customers can purchase and use the new KX II models Raritan s centralized management appliance CommandCenter Secure Gateway and the Multiplatform Client MPC both support KX and KX II switches seamlessly Yes Existing KX CIMs will work with the Dominion KX II switch In addition select Paragon CIMs will work with the KX II This provides an easy migration to KX II from Paragon customers who wish to switch to KVM over IP However you may want to consider the D2CIM VUSB and D2CIM DVUSB CIMs that support virtual media and Absolute Mouse Synchronization Yes The Dominion KX II ships standard with 19 rack mount brackets It can also be reverse rack mounted so the server ports face forward Dominion KX II is only 1U high except the KX2 864 and KX2 464 which are 2U fits in a standard 19 rack mount and is only 11 4 29 cm deep The Dominion KX2 832 and KX2 864 are 13 8 36 cm deep Dominion KX II models offer remote connections for up to eight users per user channel to simultaneously access and control a unique target server For one channel devices like the DKX2 116 up to eight remote users can access and control a single target server For two channel devices like the DKX2 216 up to eight users can access and control the server on channel one and up to another eight users on channel two For four channel devices up to eight users per channel for a total of 32 8 x 4 users
27. h Dominion KX II models support virtual media Which types of virtual media does the Dominion KX II support What is required for virtual media Is virtual media secure What is a USB profile Why would use a USB profile How is a USB profile used Do always need to set a USB profile when I use virtual media What profiles are available Where can I find more information Answer All Dominion KX II models support virtual media It is available stand alone and through CommandCenter Secure Gateway Raritan s centralized management appliance Dominion KX II supports the following types of media internal and USB connected CD DVD drives USB mass storage devices PC hard drives and ISO images A Dominion KX II virtual media CIM is required There are two of these CIMs the D2CIM VUSB and the D2CIM DVUSB The D2CIM VUSB has a single USB connector and is for customers who will use virtual media at the OS level The D2CIM DVUSB has dual USB connectors and should be purchased by customers who wish to utilize virtual media at the BIOS level The D2CIM DVUSB is also required for smart card authentication Both support virtual media sessions to target servers supporting the USB 2 0 interface Available in economical 32 and 64 quantity CIM packages these CIMs support Absolute Mouse Synchronization as well as remote firmware updates Yes Virtual media sessions are secured using 256 bit AES 128 bit AES or 128
28. ion How do I connect multiple Dominion KX II devices together into one solution Can I connect an existing analog KVM switch to Dominion KX II Answer Multiple Dominion KX II units do not need to be physically connected together Instead each Dominion KX II unit connects to the network and they automatically work together as a single solution if deployed with Raritan s CommandCenter Secure Gateway management appliance CommandCenter Secure Gateway acts as a single access point for remote access and management CommandCenter Secure Gateway offers a significant set of convenient tools such as consolidated configuration consolidated firmware update and a single authentication and authorization database In addition CommandCenter Secure Gateway enables sophisticated server sorting permissions and access If deployment of Raritan s CommandCenter Secure Gateway management appliance isn t an option multiple Dominion KX II units still interoperate and scale automatically The Dominion KX Ils remote user interface and the Multiplatform Client will automatically discover Dominion KX II units Non discovered Dominion KX II units can be accessed via a user created profile Yes Analog KVM switches can be connected to one of Dominion KX II s server ports Simply use a PS 2 Computer Interface Module CIM and attach it to the user ports of the existing analog KVM switch Please note that analog KVM switches vary in their specifi
29. ion KX II offer Can Dominion KX II integrate with syslog Can Dominion KX II integrate with SNMP Can Dominion KX II s internal clock be synchronized with a timeserver Miscellaneous What is Dominion KX II s default IP address What is Dominion KX II s default username and password changed and subsequently forgot Dominion KX II s administrative password can you retrieve it for me Answer Yes Dominion KX II s device and user configurations can be completely backed up for later restoration in the event of a catastrophe Dominion KX II s backup and restore functionality can be used remotely over the network or through your Web browser For complete accountability Dominion KX II logs all major user events with a date and time stamp For instance reported events include but are not limited to user login user logout user access of a particular server unsuccessful login configuration changes etc Yes In addition to Dominion KX II s own internal logging capabilities Dominion KX II can send all logged events to a centralized syslog server Yes In addition to Dominion KX II s own internal logging capabilities Dominion KX II can send SNMP traps to SNMP management systems such as HP Openview and Raritan s CommandCenter NOC Yes Dominion KX II supports the industry standard NTP protocol for synchronization with either a corporate timeserver or with any public timeserver assuming that outb
30. itan Inc Page 13 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question How do I connect a serially controlled RS 232 device to Dominion KX II such as a Cisco router switch or a headless Sun server Local Port Can access my servers directly from the rack When I am using the local port do prevent other users from accessing servers remotely Can use a USB keyboard or mouse at the local port Is there an on screen display OSD for local at the rack access How do I select between servers while using the local port How do I ensure that only authorized users can access servers from the local port Answer If there are only a few serially controlled devices they may be connected to a Dominion KX II using Raritan s P2CIM SER serial converter However if there are four or more serially controlled devices we recommend the use of Raritan s Dominion SX line of secure console servers For multiple serial devices Dominion SX offers more serial functionality at a better price point than Dominion KX Il This SX is easy to use configure and manage and can be completely integrated with a Dominion series deployment In particular many UNIX and networking administrators appreciate the ability to directly SSH to a Dominion SX unit Yes At the rack Dominion KX II functions just like a traditional KVM switch allowing control of up to 64 servers using a single keyboard monitor and mouse
31. n KX II allow encryption of video data Or does it only encrypt keyboard and mouse data How does Dominion KX II integrate with external authentication servers such as Active Directory RADIUS or LDAP How are usernames and passwords stored Does Dominion KX II support strong passwords Answer No Dominion KX II computer interface modules CIMs transmit video at ranges of 50 feet to 150 feet 15 m 46 m and thus do not work with Paragon which requires CIMs that transmit video at a range of 1 000 feet 304 m To ensure that all Raritan s customers experience the very best quality video available in the industry a consistent Raritan characteristic Dominion series CIMs do not interoperate with Paragon The Dominion KX II as of Release 2 2 0 uses an embedded FIPS 140 2 validated cryptographic module running on a Linux platform per FIPS 140 2 implementation guidelines This cryptographic module is used for encryption of KVM session traffic consisting of video keyboard mouse virtual media and smart card data Dominion KX II uses industry standard and extremely secure 256 bit AES 128 bit AES or 128 bit encryption both in its SSL communications as well as its own data stream Literally no data is transmitted between remote clients and Dominion KX II that is not completely secured by encryption Yes The Dominion KX II utilizes the Advanced Encryption Standard AES for added security 256 bit and 128 bit AES is av
32. n step just click on the server name to power on off or recycle a hung server Raritan s Dominion PX and Remote Power Control RPC power strips These come in many outlet connector and amp variations Note that you should not connect the PM series of power strips to the Dominion KX II as these power strips do not provide outlet level switching Up to eight PDUs can be connected to a Dominion KX II device The D2CIM PWR is used to connect the power strip to the Dominion KX II The D2CIM PWR must be purchased separately it does not come with the PDU Yes Dominion KX II can be easily configured to support servers with multiple power supplies connected to multiple power strips Four power supplies can be connected per target server Yes PDU level power statistics including power current and voltage are retrieved from the PDU and displayed to the user Some servers ship with default BIOS settings such that the server does not automatically restart after losing and regaining power For these servers see the server s documentation to change this setting Note that this is the physical equivalent of unplugging the server from the AC power line and reinserting the plug Yes You can power on off other equipment attached to the PDU by outlet from the Dominion KX II s browser based interface E Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 16 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Quest
33. n use any standard UTP unshielded twisted pair cabling whether Cat5 Cat5e or Cat6 Often in our manuals and marketing literature Raritan will simply say Cat5 cabling for short In actuality any brand UTP cable will suffice for Dominion KX II E Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 12 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question Which types of servers can be connected to Dominion KX II How do I connect servers to Dominion KX II How far can my servers be from Dominion KX II Some operating systems lock up when I disconnect a keyboard or mouse during operation What prevents servers connected to Dominion KX II from locking up when I switch away from them Are there any agents that must be installed on servers connected to Dominion KX II How many servers can be connected to each Dominion KX II unit What happens if disconnect a server from Dominion KX II and reconnect it to another Dominion KX II unit or connect it to a different port on the same Dominion KX II unit Answer Dominion KX II is completely vendor independent Any server with standard compliant keyboard video and mouse ports can be connected Servers that connect to the Dominion KX II require a Dominion or Paragon CIM which connects directly to the keyboard video and mouse ports of the server Then connect each CIM to Dominion KX II using standard UTP unshielded twisted pair ca
34. ominion KX II s dual stack architecture these external servers can be accessed via 1 an IPv4 address 2 IPv6 address or 3 hostname So the Dominion KX II supports the mixed IPv4 IPv6 environment many customers will have No The Dominion KX does not support IPv6 addresses The Dominion KX II s default networking is set at the factory for IPv4 only When you are ready to use IPv6 then follow the above instructions to enable IPv4 IPv6 dual stack operation See www ipv6 org for general information on IPv6 The Dominion KX II user guide describes the Dominion KX II s support for IPv6 Absolutely not Because users depend on the KVM infrastructure to always be available in any scenario whatsoever as they will likely need to use the KVM infrastructure to fix problems Dominion KX II is designed to be completely independent from any external server For example should the data center come under attack from a malicious Windows worm or virus administrators will need to use the KVM solution to resolve the situation Therefore it is imperative that the KVM solution in turn must not rely on these same Windows servers or any server for that matter to be operational in order for the KVM solution to function To this end Dominion KX II is completely independent Even if a user chooses to configure the Dominion KX II to authenticate against an Active Directory server if that Active Directory server becomes unavailable Dominion
35. ound NTP requests are allowed through the corporate firewall 192 168 0 192 The Dominion KX II s default username and password are admin raritan all lower case However for the highest level of security the Dominion KX II forces the administrator to change the Dominion KX II default administrative username and password when the unit is first booted up Dominion KX II contains a hardware reset button that can be used to factory reset the device which will reset the administrative password on the device to the default password E Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 20 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010
36. ting perceived performance is similar to the default parameters Further bandwidth reductions are possible with additional changes in the settings Please note that these bandwidth figures are only examples and may vary from those seen in your environment due to many factors Raritan Know more Manage smarter 2010 Raritan Inc Page 6 of 20 V1098 R2 January 2010 Dominion KX II FAQ Question How can I reduce bandwidth What should do on slower bandwidth links want to connect over the Internet What type of performance should expect Answer KX II provides a variety of settings in our remote clients for the user to optimize bandwidth and performance The default settings will provide an at the rack level of performance in standard LAN WAN environments with economical use of bandwidth Bandwidth management settings include the connection speed and color depth To reduce bandwidth Connection speed Reducing the connection speed can significantly reduce the bandwidth used In a standard LAN WAN environment setting the connection speed to 1 5 or 1 Mb per second will reduce bandwidth while maintaining good performance Settings below this will further reduce bandwidth and are appropriate for slow bandwidth links Color depth Reducing the color depth will also significantly decrease bandwidth and increase performance but fewer colors will be used resulting in video degradation This may be accepta
37. ved numerous technical awards confirming its high video quality transmissions and the low bandwidth utilization The Dominion KX II digitizes compresses and encrypts the keyboard video and mouse signals from the target server and transmits IP packets over the IP network to the remote client to create the remote session to the user The KX II provides an at the rack experience based on its industry leading video processing algorithms Screen changes i e video accounts for the majority of the bandwidth used and keyboard and mouse activity are significantly less It is important to note that bandwidth is only used when the user is active The amount of bandwidth used is based on the amount of change to the server s video display screen If there are no changes to the video the user is not interacting with the server there is generally no bandwidth used If the user moves the mouse or types a character then there is a small amount of bandwidth used If the display is running a complex screen saver or playing a video then there can be a larger amount of bandwidth used In general there is a trade off between bandwidth and performance The more bandwidth available the better performance can be In limited bandwidth environments performance can degrade The Dominion KX II has been optimized to provide strong performance in a wide variety of environments There are many factors that determine how much bandwidth will be used
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search