[lug] Problematic Debian server

[George Sexton]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces at lug.boulder.co.us [mailto:lug-
> bounces at lug.boulder.co.us] On Behalf Of Nate Duehr
> Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 12:39 AM
> To: Boulder (Colorado) Linux Users Group -- General Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [lug] Problematic Debian server
> 
> 
> On Jul 14, 2010, at 5:23 PM, Maxwell Spangler wrote:
> 
> > I'm guessing because it's remote and you have no network access
> you're
> > not seeing that, so some eyes on the box will be required.
> 
> And while you're there, start working on wiring up a way to see the
> console port and learn how to redirect it to a serial TTY... no
> production Unix system at a remote location should ever be without a
> way to get to the boot console...

I bought an SSH Serial Terminal server on EBay for like $75 for use in my
co-location. It has saved me a lot of trips to the site.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Avocent-CPS-810-/170509890133?cmd=ViewItem&pt=COMP_EN_Hu
bs&hash=item27b32e7255

If I had more money to spend on the problem, I would probably buy a KVM over
IP.

> 
> If the PC server is new/smart enough and has BIOS to serial port
> redirection, figure that out too, and implement it.

SuperMicro servers do this.

> 
> If you want as little downtime as possible on a non-redundant
> configuration, you must have this, long-term.  It can even be as simple
> as "cross-wiring" server 1's serial port to server 2's in a very cheap
> two server environment.  If you only have one server... hmm, that's
> harder.  But you really need some visibility to the console on remote
> machines that are mission critical for your tasks that they do.
> 
> > Bring a cdrom/usb stick so you can boot from a rescue disk if you
> need
> > to do some serious work!
> 
> Yup, been there, done that... too many times...
> 
> I'm always saddened by the cheap PC machines not having good ways to do
> consoles... "business class" Unix systems of the 80s and 90s had remote
> access built-ins with on-board diagnostics, etc... (thinkin' like Sun
> RSE cards here, etc...)  They were going the way of the dodo bird until
> big names like Dell, Compaq/HP, etc... started putting "integrated
> management" into cheap pizza box 1RU PC servers and charging an arm and
> a leg for them again in the late 90s early 2000s...
> 
> PCs weren't built to run Unix... but they do such a decent job of it,
> we lose niceties like built in hardware to fix the things remotely.
> Sun (and HP and others, but I'm mostly a Sun guy) had this remote
> repair stuff "down" 10 years or more ago... and knew that when you need
> to get to the Console... you need to get on the Console!  :-)
> 
> --
> Nate Duehr
> nate at natetech.com
> 




George Sexton
MH Software, Inc.
303 438-9585
www.mhsoftware.com