[NTLUG:Discuss] OT: terminal server

[Jay Urish]

How hard is it just to have a pile of usb>serial adapters?

something like this
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-USB-Serial-DB9-Cisco-Console-Break-Key-/310324080013?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4840c1ad8d

> Yes, there _can_ be, BUT that requires a terminal server that supports
> that.  The ones we bought at a past job could _NOT_ handle multiple
> connections.  That was a Major problem when there was a power outage at
> the colo.
>
> Personally, I prefer a linux box with multiples serial ports.
>
> I can log in.  I can reboot the linux box.  I can run a screen session
> with a minicom running on every single port, so I always have the serial
> history of every serial console I am monitoring.  I can capture the log
> for later analysis.  I can write a perl daemon that monitors the console
> output and alerts and/or reacts on special text, while logging the whole
> session to a file.
>
> It's more work to set up a linux box with lots of serial ports, but it
> is well worth it.
>