[Beowulf] KVM to a compute node - ssh

[Robert G. Brown]

On Wed, 2 Jun 2004, Alvin Oga wrote:

> 
> hi ya
> 
> On Wed, 2 Jun 2004, Robert G. Brown wrote:
> 
> > My own experience with serial consoles is that they suck.  I've used
> > KVM's but they get expensive when you have lots of nodes.  I think that
> > the best solution these days is to:
> 
> - how about simple ssh ???
> 	- no cables .. no switches ??

This isn't a real console; as you note next a real console is where you
e.g. fiddle with bios or do original installs.  Boot messages can often
be gotten other ways, but this does sometimes assume that the system
boots far enough that you can get to those ways...;-)

> 
> - or one roll-around cart from the local office supply store with a
>   monitor and keyboard and a chair :-) 
> 	( assuming you have room to get behind and connect the cables
> 	( from the cart to the node in question
> 
> - only time you need a kb and video is when the system needs to be
>   rebooted and you want to see the boot up messages and/or get into the
>   bios

Yes, this is pretty much what I recommended.  So how could I not
agree:-)

> isn't linuxbios supposed to be able to allow serial console for boot
> messages and bios settings ??

I haven't tried linuxbios, but I've used e.g. Tyan's BIOS based console,
and it really does just plain suck.  Enough that I'm not optimistic that
any serial console solutions will ever be terribly desirable.  Serial
terminal servers aren't cheap -- often more expensive per port than
cheap/onboard video.  Serial might be worth it for people who need to do
real remote management via a terminal server type arrangement, something
where one can telnet/ssh into a port and get to an actual console.

   rgb

> 
> c ya
> alvin
> 

-- 
Robert G. Brown	                       http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/
Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305
Durham, N.C. 27708-0305
Phone: 1-919-660-2567  Fax: 919-660-2525     email:rgb at phy.duke.edu