Console management becoming key to keeping IT simple
As IT is increasingly automated and controlled remotely, console management is becoming a key technology.
By Max BurkhalterOctober 31, 2012
I haven't had this experience yet myself, but a recent InfoWorld report said that many IT experts suddenly find themselves being told that IT looks a lot easier now than it did a few years ago. This misconception is disquieting, to some extent, because there is a grain of truth. IT can appear much easier than it was a few years ago. But the reality is that this apparent simplicity is masking the ridiculous complexity IT departments have to face.
Dealing with IT complexity
According to the news source, automation and orchestration tools have changed the way IT functions. Instead of operating as a unit built heavily on manual functions and tedious administrative tasks, IT has become a strategic entity that uses advanced computing tools and software systems to run the data center.
In the past, technicians would often have to physically move a server out of the rack, plug a laptop in nearby and connect them so they could configure the server properly. If you look at that process step-by-step, it does not exactly scream efficiency. Now, automation and orchestration infrastructure allows IT workers to sit at their desk and change the configuration of servers as needed. The report explained that these capabilities have eased much of the administrative difficulty associated with IT.
The problem is that IT is more than the tedious management tasks that keep things running. Furthermore, once you look past that initial operational climate that has become easier, the rest of IT is so complex that it can be difficult to fathom. The number of virtual machines, scale of computing, interweaving of facility and IT resources, importance of the network and other emerging IT trends are combining to make management much more complex. As a result, IT not only has to maintain systems and keep everything running, it also has to play a strategic role in aligning technology with business needs, adding another level of challenges.
Importance of console servers
To maintain the administrative simplicity that prevents IT complexity from escalating, organizations need to develop ways to control as many parts of the data center as possible without physical interaction with servers and other equipment. Implementing console management systems can enable companies to gain a key layer of control over everything from server operating systems to facility technologies. This allows IT to simplify many aspects of operations, freeing time to deal with the more complex issues.
Perle’s wide range of 1 to 48 port Perle Console Servers provide data center managers and network administrators with secure remote management of any device with a serial console port. Plus, they are the only truly fault tolerant Console Servers on the market with the advanced security functionality needed to easily perform secure remote data center management and out-of-band management of IT assets from anywhere in the world.
Dealing with IT complexity
According to the news source, automation and orchestration tools have changed the way IT functions. Instead of operating as a unit built heavily on manual functions and tedious administrative tasks, IT has become a strategic entity that uses advanced computing tools and software systems to run the data center.
In the past, technicians would often have to physically move a server out of the rack, plug a laptop in nearby and connect them so they could configure the server properly. If you look at that process step-by-step, it does not exactly scream efficiency. Now, automation and orchestration infrastructure allows IT workers to sit at their desk and change the configuration of servers as needed. The report explained that these capabilities have eased much of the administrative difficulty associated with IT.
The problem is that IT is more than the tedious management tasks that keep things running. Furthermore, once you look past that initial operational climate that has become easier, the rest of IT is so complex that it can be difficult to fathom. The number of virtual machines, scale of computing, interweaving of facility and IT resources, importance of the network and other emerging IT trends are combining to make management much more complex. As a result, IT not only has to maintain systems and keep everything running, it also has to play a strategic role in aligning technology with business needs, adding another level of challenges.
Importance of console servers
To maintain the administrative simplicity that prevents IT complexity from escalating, organizations need to develop ways to control as many parts of the data center as possible without physical interaction with servers and other equipment. Implementing console management systems can enable companies to gain a key layer of control over everything from server operating systems to facility technologies. This allows IT to simplify many aspects of operations, freeing time to deal with the more complex issues.
Perle’s wide range of 1 to 48 port Perle Console Servers provide data center managers and network administrators with secure remote management of any device with a serial console port. Plus, they are the only truly fault tolerant Console Servers on the market with the advanced security functionality needed to easily perform secure remote data center management and out-of-band management of IT assets from anywhere in the world.
