- Server Interface Pod
A Server Interface Pod is a
proprietary hardware unit developed byDell andAvocent . It sends keyboard, video, and mouse signals overCategory 5 cable s, greatly decreasing the workload of managing normally bulky and expensive KVM cables.One side of a SIP consists of either two PS/2 cables and a
VGA cable or a singleUSB cable and aVGA cable, which are connected to a host. The other side consists of a femaleRJ45 end which is connected to aKVM switch via a straight-through Cat 5 cable.A SIP can be interfaced via RJ45 cable directly to a KVM or through a "Dell Port Expansion Module" which connects eight SIPs to a single KVM port. This is useful for installing a single KVM into a multirack environment with minimal cabling.
Upon connection to the KVM the SIP will register itself, and the user can then allocate a name to the SIP, such as the server's name. This name is stored on the SIP, so if the KVM switch is replaced, reconfiguration of each SIP is not required.
Many of Dell's KVM switches are IP enabled, allowing users to remote control servers with a
Linux orMicrosoft Windows client.External links
* [http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/pedge/en/svrac_180as_2160as.pdf Dell PDF on console switches]
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