[Beowulf] KVM to a compute node - ssh

[Guy Coates]

> any serial console solutions will ever be terribly desirable.  Serial
> terminal servers aren't cheap


I suppose it's a question of scale. I have to look after lots of nodes,
and the machine room that they sit in is on the other side of the site to
my office. That colours my judgement on the "just go a press the button /
plug in a monitor" approach.

Furthermore, my time is not free.  Whilst it is true that terminal servers
are not cheap, I still think they pay for themselves in wear-and-tear of
your sys-admin on medium-large installations. "Total cost of ownership"
may be a much abused term, but in my experience, remote console access
really does lower it. A remote serial console is scriptable and
automatable. I can spend my time drinking tea or helping users rather than
having to be in a machine room poking hardware.

Furthermore, if you go for blade systems or cluster-inna-box, then you
usually get remote console access built in without the extra mess of
cables.  You just have to decide whether the extra money you pay up front
is worth it.


Guy

-- 
Guy Coates,  Informatics System Group
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1223 834244 ex 7199