Transcript
Centralized Management for Serial Based Applications How to Turn Legacy Systems into a Powerful Communication Solution
©2007 ATEN International Co. Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents An Overview of Serial Based Devices in the 21st Century ............2 How to Manage the Unmanageable?........................................2 In-Band Meets Out-Of-Band Infrastructure: .............................3 Serial Over IP: How Does It Work? .........................................4 Driver Mode..................................................................................... 4 Socket Mode.................................................................................... 4 TCP Raw Server Mode ........................................................................................ 5 TCP Raw Client Mode ......................................................................................... 5 UDP Server/Client Mode ..................................................................................... 5
Serial Tunnel Mode ........................................................................... 5
Applications using Serial Over The NET....................................6 Diagram 1. ATCA Telco Management Scenario .................................... 7 Diagram 2. Data Center Management Scenario ................................... 8 Diagram 3. Wind Farm Scenario ...................................................... 9
Conclusion......................................................................... 10
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An Overview of Serial Based Devices in the 21st Century Long before Ethernet became the most widely used networking standard for Local Area Networks, terminal servers and other Serial based devices such as Serial printers, card readers, biometric readers, security access control panels, ATMs, fire alarm control panels, surveillance cameras, barcode scanners, cash registers, industrial program logic controllers (PLCs), and other point of sale (POS) devices were merely equipped with Input/Output and/or Console interfaces (RS-232). In most cases, this meant that access to these devices was constrained to nearby locations (local access). Whilst remote communication with those devices was still possible via analog lines (using modems), it was expensive and offered modest data transfer speeds. Today, most data communication devices support both Ethernet and Serial control, thus providing convenient local and remote device management. Yet, a large number of Serial based (without Ethernet support) devices still in use cannot be easily networked. Although Serial remote management is possible via analog telephone lines, this method of communication remains expensive and slow compared to the available TCP/IP based connectivity solutions. As a result, until recently this type of application was mostly associated with Out-Of-Band infrastructure management (On-demand access).
How to Manage the Unmanageable? Not too long ago, the only way to remotely access most Serial based Legacy devices like Serial printers, terminal servers, industrial controllers, PBX systems, HVAC equipment, security systems and environmental sensors, medical equipment, POS devices, etc. was to upgrade or replace them to support modems. This was expensive and difficult to implement. “What if there was an easy way to both network and remotely manage Serial devices without spending a fortune?” Thanks to Serial over IP or (Serial over Ethernet) this is now possible. This technology renders any Serial based device accessible from just about anywhere; opening the doors to a whole set of new applications and integration solutions. Serial Over IP solutions such as ATEN’s Serial Over the NET offer secure and simultaneous access to Serial based devices such as terminal servers over TCP/IP based networks (WLANs, LANs, WANs, etc). The Serial Over the NET is an all in one Serial over IP solution which includes a console port server, a Serial device server, a Serial hub, a terminal server, and much more. This powerful appliance offers secure remote management tools and can easily network Serial devices using conventional RJ-45 connector cables. In a nutshell, the Serial Over IP products offer secure centralized management of Serial based infrastructure from just about anywhere.
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In-Band Meets Out-Of-Band Infrastructure: When a company’s primary production infrastructure (In-Band) fails, a reliable backup strategy should be in place to ensure sustainable operation. Although backup strategies are frequently associated with non-production applications such as Out-Of-Band management, as we will see this is not always the case. Depending on the production environment (data center, hospital, factory, etc.), a number of backup strategies could be more adequate than others. The following are a couple of backup strategies widely used in a number of industries: •
Creating an Alternate Management Path for Accessing and repairing production infrastructure remotely (via Console ports) This is often associated with Out-Of-Band infrastructure management. Unfortunately, since communication would take place over analog telephone lines the cost could be significant. Furthermore, this strategy would not always be effective since network failures may be due to physical layer (cabling, etc.) related problems which could be challenging to detect and fix remotely.
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Setting Up a Parallel Infrastructure This strategy would require purchasing, installing, and configuring additional hardware making it expensive and time consuming to implement.
These two strategies offer clear benefits, however the implementation costs are can be disappointing. An alternative strategy would be establishing a backup infrastructure which can be used both for production and troubleshooting without additional setup or running costs. This could be easily achieved by simply connecting existing RS-232/411/485 enabled devices to one or more ATEN’s Serial Over The NET. These devices would be remotely accessible via TCP/IP and could be easily integrated with other existing LANs/WANs. Moreover, all these devices could be securely managed using a web-based interface, or other traditional tools such as Telnet, SSH, and HyperTerminal, providing flexible and reliable control anytime and from anywhere. This strategy could offer the following solutions: • • • •
Temporary backup (see diagrams 1, 2, 3) Remote management and control (see diagrams 1, 2, 3) Remote monitoring/visualization (see diagram 3) Troubleshooting and system restoration (see diagrams 1, 2, 3)
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Serial Over IP appliances such as the Serial Over The NET offer an endless number of possible backup applications which provide both system redundancy and failover at an affordable price. The high price and difficulty of replacing Legacy systems and the demand for newer technologies are prompting companies to seek flexible and cost-effective solutions which will allow them to upgrade and centrally manage their heterogeneous infrastructure seamlessly. Some underlying factors for determining the appropriate centralized management solution are: access, cost, manageability, security, speed (bandwidth), and system integration. Serial Over Ethernet technology is opening the door to a large number of centralized management solutions and re-defines how the IT industry views In-Band/Out-Of-Band solutions.
Serial Over IP: How Does It Work? Serial over IP is a very powerful solution, but how does it work? There are several ways to implement this technology. Next, we shall see what different communication methods are available in the market. The main communication methods used in Serial over IP applications are Driver mode, Socket mode, and Serial Tunnel mode.
Driver Mode In this mode conventional computers can control one or several Serial devices remotely through a virtual Serial port (Real COM and TTY) instead of the computer’s actual physical Serial port. The virtual port offers access to a Serial device connected to the network though a Serial over IP appliance. The only requirement to run the control applications is to install the appropriate driver. Real COM is used with MS Windows based applications whereas TTY is used for Linux/Unix based applications. See diagram 2.
Socket Mode Socket mode offers direct access to Serial device servers over TCP/IP networks without installing a driver. Direct connections to other applications are established using network based functions and communication is made possible using a data structure typically referred to as “Socket”. Socket Mode includes: TCP Server, TCP Client, UDP Server/Client.
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TCP Raw Server Mode In this mode connections to devices are established on demand. Serial devices are accessible via an IP address or a symbolic name available via a DNS database. A remote computer sends a request and the Serial over IP appliance acts as a server forwarding the request to the Serial device(s).
TCP Raw Client Mode In TCP Raw Client mode the controlling computer is waiting for incoming connections. A Serial over IP appliance can open a connection whenever new data arrives on a Serial port and then transfers it to the server computer. If no new data has arrived for a specified time, the connection is automatically closed.
UDP Server/Client Mode UDP Server/Client mode acts in a similar fashion as TCP Raw Server and Client modes, but without establishing a session before sending data. Certain applications require sending small packages of Serial data to different locations on the network at the same time. When the size of the overhead is larger than the amount of data contained in each package, there is no point in using a secure communication method such as TCP Raw Client/Server mode. In this situation, UDP Server/Client mode offers cheaper and faster communication.
Serial Tunnel Mode Serial Tunnel mode creates a transparent Serial tunnel over an Ethernet using two Serial over IP appliances. In this mode, data can be securely sent back and forth between Serial devices located away from each other over the Ethernet. This communication mode is useful for networking Serial devices regardless of where they are physically located. ATEN’s Serial over the Net appliances support all the communication modes listed above and much more. Configuration and management can be done via Telnet, SSH, Web console, and HyperTerminal (Out-Of–Band access). Moreover, ATEN’s Serial Over the Net supports industry standard authentication and encryption methods.
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Applications using Serial Over The NET ATEN’s Serial over the NET appliances can be deployed in industrial sectors such transportation, security, manufacturing, etc. The following are just a few of the setups which could benefit from this technology: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Airports Financial institutions Company/government offices Hospitals Manufacturing plants Power plants Wind farms Casinos Highways Supermarkets Warehouses Data centers Movie theaters Educational institutions Parking lots PBX Other
The following diagrams show three real-life applications for the Serial over the NET:
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Diagram 1. ATCA Telco Management Scenario
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Diagram 2. Data Center Management Scenario
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Diagram 3. Wind Farm Scenario
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Conclusion With the introduction of Serial over IP, the cost of managing and troubleshooting Legacy Serial devices remotely has fallen sharply. Today, thanks to powerful appliances such as the Serial Over The NET Serial devices, terminal servers, etc. can all be seamlessly connected to IP networks and the slower and expensive modem based (on-demand) communication is quickly being replaced by Broadband (always-on) communication. Best of all, Serial over IP technology offers affordable backup and troubleshooting, guaranteeing continuous operation and opening the door to numberless cost-effective applications across different industries.
About ATEN ATEN International Co., Ltd. is specialized in connectivity solutions in the information technology since its establishment in the year of 1979 and is today considered as the undoubted most important manufacturer of KVM Switches worldwide. This prominent position was reached by continuously high investments in research and development, which settle also in numerous patents and become apparent, for example, by the sophisticated ASIC, which are developed in the ATEN labs and manufactured by ATEN. More than 20 percent of ATEN's employees worldwide work in an R&D laboratory. They ensure for the fact that annually more than 50 new products come on the world markets. The product range today covers hundreds of connectivity products from the small USB hub up to the powerful KVM switches of the Master View family for managing more than 500 computers. Among the customers of ATEN rank the large, worldwide acting companies likewise as midrange and small businesses as well as ambitious private users. For further information, please visit http://www.aten.com
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