Equipment recommendations for remote reboot?

[Fred Skrotzki]

I can't speak for the 2450 but for the 2850's configure the BMC and use
IPMI and the ipmitool to power off and on a given server.  We do it all
the time and it works great.

Exactly what do you need for access at any given time?  If it just to
force power on and off, many manufactures make remote control power
strips.  APC is just one of them, powerline is another.  Most Data
centers will provide these to you for the asking.  Some you can control
and others they will only control.  The big trick is knowing what server
is connected to which strip and port so you don't power off the wrong
unit by mistake.

Many manufactures now make IP based KVM units if you have a MUST be able
to control the keyboard, mouse and view the screen at any given state.
Dell makes at least one, Black Box, Avocent, and Rose Electronics (they
oem for several companies like Black box) just to name a few.

Things to consider are do you have a secure way to connect to them or
only over the open internet?  If only over the open internet then you
will want to have a unit that has some form of security and possibly
encryption of all transactions (this type of unit will cost more).

-----Original Message-----
From: linux-poweredge-bounces at dell.com
[mailto:linux-poweredge-bounces at dell.com] On Behalf Of Zembower, Kevin
Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 10:55 AM
To: linux-poweredge at lists.us.dell.com
Subject: Equipment recommendations for remote reboot?

I've always had easy physical access to our small group of servers, but
the possibility exists that they'll be moved off-site in the next year
and difficult and time-consuming to access. My servers are very reliable
and typically have an uptime of more than 100 days. However, I do need
the capability to power them off (which I can do easily with 'shutdown
-h'), but most importantly, power them back on. What piece of equipment
to you all recommend to control power to a small (<8) number of Dell
PowerEdge (2450 and 2850) servers remotely?

Thank you for your suggestions and advice.

-Kevin

Kevin Zembower
Internet Services Group manager
Center for Communication Programs
Bloomberg School of Public Health
Johns Hopkins University
111 Market Place, Suite 310
Baltimore, Maryland  21202
410-659-6139 

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