Avocent DSR2010, DSR4010, DSR1010 User Manual

DSR™

Installer/User Guide

For models: DSR800 DSR1010 DSR2010 DSR4010

INSTRUCTIONS

This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

DANGEROUS VOLTAGE

This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated
dangerous voltage within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient
magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

POWER ON

This symbol indicates the principal on/off switch is in the on position.

POWER OFF

This symbol indicates the principal on/off switch is in the off position.

PROTECTIVE GROUNDING TERMINAL

This symbol indicates a terminal which must be connected to earth ground
prior to making any other connections to the equipment.

DSR™

Installer/User Guide

Avocent, the Avocent logo, The Power of Being There, DSR,
OutLook, AutoView, DSView and OSCAR are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Avocent Corporation or its affiliates. All
other marks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2003 Avocent Corporation. All rights reserved.

USA Notification

Canadian Notification

Japanese Approvals

Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated
in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction
manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the
user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian
Department of Communications.

Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les
limites applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe A prescrites dans le Règlement
sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le Ministère des Communications du Canada.

Taiwanese
BSMI Certification

Korean Certification

Agency Approvals

Director General of Radio Research Laboratory, Ministry of Information and
Communication, Republic of Korea Certificate of Information and Communication
Equipment E-E011-02-2836 (A) and E-E011-03-2392 (A)

EN55022 Class A, EN55024, EN6200-3-2, EN6100-3-3, FCC15 Class A, VCCI Class A,
IEC950, EN60950, UL 1950 third edition, CSA C22.2 No. 950

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Product Overview

Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Chapter 2: Installation

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Installing the DSR Appliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Chapter 3: Local Port Operation

Controlling Your System at the Local Port . . . . . . 23

Viewing and Selecting Ports and Servers . . . . . . . . 23

Navigating OSCAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Configuring OSCAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Assigning Device Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Changing the Display Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Controlling the Status Flag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Broadcasting to Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Using Scan Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Setting Console Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Setting the Keyboard Country Code . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Managing Server Tasks Using OSCAR . . . . . . . . .42

Viewing and Disconnecting User Connections . . .44

Resetting Your PS/2 Keyboard and Mouse . . . . . . 45

Displaying Version Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Chapter 4: Terminal Operations

Accessing the Terminal Applications Menu . . . . . . 51

Appendices

Appendix A: FLASH Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Appendix B: Using DSRIQ-SRL Modules . . . . . . . 61

Appendix C: UTP Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Appendix D: Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . 68

Appendix E: Sun Advanced Key Emulation . . . . . 70

Appendix F: Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

1

Product Overview

Contents

Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 1: Product Overview 3

Chapter 1: Product Overview

Features and Benefits

Avocent’s DSR™ appliances combine analog and digital technology to provide
flexible, centralized control of data center servers. This solution provides
enterprise customers with a significant reduction of cable volume, secure
remote access and flexible server management from anywhere at anytime.

The DSR appliance consists of a rack mountable keyboard, video and mouse
(KVM) switch configurable for analog (local) or digital (remote) connectivity.
Each DSR model has Avocent Rack Interface (ARI) ports for connecting
servers and serial devices via DSRIQ modules. Video resolution of 1280 x 1024
is supported for remote users of the DSR system. Enhanced video quality of
up to 1600 x 1280 is available for the local user via the keyboard, video and
mouse ports.

The DSR works over standard LAN connections. Users can access servers (or
serial devices) across a 100BaseT Ethernet connection or directly through a
local port on the DSR for remote KVM access and administration, depending
on the model selected. The IP-based DSR appliance gives you flexible server
management control from anywhere in the world.

Reduce cable bulk

With server densities continually increasing, cable bulk remains one of the
major concerns of every network administrator. The DSR significantly reduces
KVM cable volume in the rack by utilizing the innovative DSRIQ module and
single CAT 5 cabling. This allows a higher server density while providing
greater airflow and cooling capacity.

The built-in memory of the DSRIQ simplifies configuration by assigning
and retaining unique server names or Electronic ID ( EID) numbers for
each attached server. This integrated intelligence enhances security and
prevents unauthorized access to a server through cable manipulation. The
DSRIQ module is powered directly from the server and provides Keep Alive
functionality whether or not the DSR appliance is powered up.

The DSRIQ-SRL (serial) module is a DCE device that provides the primary
interface between a serial device and a DSR appliance. It provides VT100
terminal emulation, break suppression and port history in a convenient
module. The DSRIQ-SRL is compatible with the ARI port of a DSR system.

These DSRIQ modules eliminate the need for extra rack space or additional
cables. The connection between the DSR system and DSRIQ modules is via
industry standard UTP cabling.

4 DSR Installer/User Guide

Access the DSR via network connection

No special software or drivers are required on the attached, or host, computers.
Users access the DSR appliance and all attached systems via Ethernet from a
PC running the DSView
located anywhere a valid network connection exists. The DSR appliance can
be configured on a separate network from your data network, allowing access
to your servers even if your applications network is down.

Simple point and click access to any server

When a user activates DSView, it will display a listing of all computers and
serial devices to which the user has permission to access. When a user selects
a computer from the list, the video of the selected computer is displayed in a
session window. Multiple servers can be accessed by one user. Each additional
computer’s video will appear in a separate program window.

Create and manage user permissions with DES
encrypted security

An administrator describes the configuration of computers attached to the DSR
using an application called DSAdmin. Once the topology is described, the
administrator then establishes which computers a user has permission to
access. Usernames and passwords are derived from Windows NT
the need for redundant user databases. Once the topology is established, the
DSAuth software manages the system’s user permissioning. DSView polls the
server running DSAuth for access permissions on power up and every time a
switch is initiated for the most current permissions possible. A refresh is also
available for immediate updates to a user’s access profile. In addition to the
permissioning function, DSAuth also stores pertinent information about
attached devices in a database. Room location, rack location and computer
type can all be stored for quick reference.

TM

application residing on the user PC. User PCs can be

®

, eliminating

Access serial devices

If an Avocent CPS810 or CPS1610 appliance is attached to the DSR unit,
operators can gain access to serial devices through the DSView software. When
a user connects to the network using DSView, a listing of all computers and
serial devices to which the user has permission to access displays. Selecting a
serial device will initiate a Telnet session.

Chapter 1: Product Overview 5

DSR2010

TCP/IP

(OSCAR)

Figure 1.1: Example DSR Configuration

Digital User
(DSView)Analog User

6 DSR Installer/User Guide

DSR 800

Number

of

servers

8

Digital

sessions/

output

1

Analog

user

1

DSR 1010

100-240V

, 1.0A, 50-60 Hz

LAN

1357 9111315
2468 10121416

16

1

1

DSR 2010

LAN

1357 9111315
2468 10121416

16 2

1

DSR 4010

LAN

1357 9111315
2468 10121416

16

4

1

Figure 1.2: DSR Model Comparison

Safety Precautions

To avoid potential video and/or keyboard problems when using Avocent products:

• If the building has 3-phase AC power, ensure that the computer and monitor
are on the same phase. For best results, they should be on the same circuit.

To avoid potentially fatal shock hazard and possible damage to equipment,
please observe the following precautions:

• Do not use a 2-wire power cord in any Avocent product confi guration.

• Test AC outlets at the computer and monitor for proper polarity

and grounding.

• Use only with grounded outlets at both the computer and monitor. When
using a backup Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), power the computer,
the monitor and the DSR appliance off the supply.

NOTE: The AC inlet is the main disconnect.

Chapter 1: Product Overview 7

Rack mount safety considerations

• Elevated Ambient Temperature: If installed in a closed rack assembly, the
operation temperature of the rack environment may be greater than room
ambient. Use care not to exceed the rated maximum ambient temperature
of the appliance.

• Reduced Air Flow: Installation of the equipment in a rack should be such
that the amount of airfl ow required for safe operation of the equipment is
not compromised.

• Mechanical Loading: Mounting of the equipment in the rack should be such
that a hazardous condition is not achieved due to uneven mechanical loading.

• Circuit Overloading: Consideration should be given to the connection
of the equipment to the supply circuit and the effect that overloading of
circuits might have on overcurrent protection and supply wiring. Consider
equipment nameplate ratings for maximum current.

• Reliable Earthing: Reliable earthing of rack mounted equipment should
be maintained. Pay particular attention to supply connections other than
direct connections to the branch circuit (for example, use of power strips).

8 DSR Installer/User Guide

2

Installation

Contents

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Installing the DSR Appliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Chapter 2: Installation 11

Chapter 2: Installation

The DSR system requires that the DSView, DSAdmin and DSAuth software be
installed prior to use. DSView is the application that allows a user to view and
control a server attached to the DSR system. DSAdmin is used to configure and
maintain the system. DSAuth is a Windows NT or 2000 service used to prevent
unauthorized access to the DSR system. More information on the DS
Management Software suite can be found in your DSView Installer/
User Guide.

The DSR system uses Ethernet networking infrastructure and TCP/IP protocol
to transmit keyboard, video and mouse information between operators and
connected computers. Although 10BaseT Ethernet may be used, Avocent
recommends a dedicated, switched 100BaseT network.

Getting Started

Before installing your DSR, refer to the following lists to ensure you have all items
that shipped with the DSR as well as other items necessary for proper installation.

Supplied with the DSR

The following items are supplied with your DSR appliance:

• DSR appliance

• Local country power cord

• Rack mounting brackets

• Null modem cable

• DSR Installer/User Guide

• DSR Quick Install Guide

Additional items needed

The following are additional items needed to use your DSR appliance:

• One DSRIQ module per server or DSRIQ-SRL per serial device

• One CAT 5 patch cable per server or serial device (4-pair UTP, up to

10 meters)

• DS software

12 DSR Installer/User Guide

Verification of Ethernet/computer connections

DSR appliance

The front panel of the DSR features two LEDs describing the Ethernet
connection. The top green LED is the Link indicator. It will illuminate when a
valid connection to the network is established and blink when there is activity
on the port. The lower amber LED, labeled 100M, will indicate that you are
communicating at the 100 Mb rate.

Additionally, there are two LEDs above each port number on the front of your
appliance: one green and one amber. The green LED will illuminate when the
attached system is powered. The amber LED will illuminate when that port is
selected by the DSView Client.

DSRIQ modules

PS/2, Sun and USB DSRIQ modules are available for attaching computers to
your DSR appliance.

The DSRIQ-SRL serial module is used to connect serial devices to your DSR
appliance and features two green LEDs: a POWER LED and a STATUS LED.
The POWER LED indicates that the attached computer is powered. The
STATUS LED indicates that a valid UTP connection has been made to a DSR
appliance. The DSRIQ-SRL prevents a serial break from the attached device if
the module loses power. However, a user can generate a serial break with the
attached device by pressing Alt-B in the Terminal Applications menu.

Setting up your network

The DSR system uses IP addresses to uniquely identify the server running
DSAuth, the DSR appliances and the computers running DSView. The DSR
supports both BootP (a subset of DHCP) and static IP addressing. Avocent
recommends that IP addresses be reserved for each appliance and that they
remain static while the DSR appliances are connected to the network. For
additional information on how the DSR uses the TCP protocol, see Appendix B
of the DSView Installer/User Guide. Figure 2.1 shows the DSR in a
network configuration.

Chapter 2: Installation 13

DSR2010

Authentication
Services

TCP/IP

(DSAdmin)

Digital User

(OSCAR)

Figure 2.1: The DSR in a Network Configuration

(DSView)Analog User

Installing the DSR Appliance

The following diagram illustrates one possible configuration for your DSR
appliance. Follow the detailed instructions to successfully install your
DSR appliance.

14 DSR Installer/User Guide

Confi guration Port

Network

Digital User

for updating

fi rmware

DSR1010 Appliance

LAN

KVM

ARI Ports 1-16

Connections

Power

Cord

CAT 5

Cable

Servers 2-16

Analog User

DSRIQ Module

PS/2, USB, Sun and serial adaptors

are available

Server 1

Figure 2.2: Basic DSR Configuration

WARNING: To reduce the risk of electric shock or damage to your equipment-

- Do not disable the power cord grounding plug. The grounding plug is an important safety feature.

- Plug the power cord into a grounded (earthed) outlet that is easily accessible at all times.

- Disconnect the power from the appliance by unplugging the power cord from either the
electrical outlet or the appliance.

Chapter 2: Installation 15

To install the DSR hardware:

1. Remove the DSR appliance from the packing material.

2. Connect a terminal or PC running terminal emulation software (such as
HyperTerminal

®

) to the Confi guration port on the back panel of the DSR
appliance using the supplied null modem cable. The terminal should be
set to 9600 baud, 8 bits, 1 stop bit, no parity and no fl ow control.

3. Plug the supplied power cord into the back of the DSR appliance and then
into an appropriate power source.

4. When the power is switched on, the Power indicator on the front of the
appliance will blink for approximately 30 seconds while performing a self­test. Approximately 10 seconds after it stops blinking, press the Enter key
to access the main menu.

NOTE: The DSR appliance may be rack mounted in a 1U confi guration. The DSR does not
support a ØU confi guration.

To confi gure the DSR hardware:

1. You will see the Terminal Applications menu with six options. Select
option 1, Network Confi guration.

Figure 2.3: Network Configuration Menu

2. Select option 1 to set your network speed. When possible, you should set
your connection manually without relying on the auto negotiate feature.
Once you enter your selection, you will be returned to the Network
Confi guration menu.

16 DSR Installer/User Guide

3. Select option 2 and specify if you are using a static or BootP IP address.
Avocent recommends using a static IP address for ease of confi guration. If
you are using a BootP address, please confi gure your BootP server to
provide an IP address to the DSR appliance, skip step 4 and continue to
the next procedure.

4. Select options 3-5 from the Terminal Applications menu, in turn, to fi nish
confi guring your DSR for IP address, netmask and default gateway. Once
this is completed, type a Ø to return to the main menu.

Adjusting mouse settings on target machines

NOTE: We highly recommend that all Windows systems attached to the DSR use the default

Windows PS/2 mouse driver.

Before a PC running Windows NT, 2000 or XP can be connected to the DSR for
remote user control, an adjustment to the target mouse’s Motion tab must be
made. Use the default Microsoft
Windows systems attached to the appliance.

For Microsoft Windows NT (using default drivers):

®

Windows® PS/2 mouse driver for all Microsoft

1. From the Desktop, select Start - Settings - Control Panel - Mouse. The
Mouse Properties dialog box will appear.

2. Click on the Motion tab.

3. Set the Pointer speed to Slow. This will also need to be done for any NT
user account that will be accessing the NT system through the DSR.

4. Set Acceleration to None for mouse sync.

For Windows 2000 or Windows XP (using default drivers):

1. From the Desktop, select Start - Settings - Control Panel - Mouse. The
Mouse Properties dialog box will appear.

2. Click on the Motion tab.

3. Set the speed setting to the default of 50%.

4. If you are using Windows 2000, click the Mouse tab and set Acceleration to
None for mouse sync.

-or­If you are using Windows XP, click the Pointer Options tab and check the
Enhance pointer precision checkbox.

Chapter 2: Installation 17

To connect a DSRIQ module to each server:

1. Locate a DSRIQ for your DSR appliance.

2. Attach the appropriately color-coded ends to the keyboard (violet), monitor
(blue) and mouse (green) ports on the fi rst server you will be connecting to
this DSR appliance.

3. Attach one end of the CAT 5 cabling that will run from your DSRIQ to the
DSR appliance to the RJ-45 connector on the DSRIQ.

4. Connect the other end of the CAT 5 cable to the desired ARI port on the
back of your DSR appliance.

5. Repeat this step for all servers you wish to attach.

NOTE: When connecting a Sun DSRIQ module, you must use a multi-sync monitor to
accommodate Sun computers that support both VGA and sync-on-green or composite sync.

NOTE: Power down the DSR appliance before servicing. Always disconnect the power cord from
the wall outlet.

To connect serial devices to the DSR appliance:

1. Locate a DSRIQ-SRL module.

2. Attach the DSRIQ-SRL 9-pin serial connector to the serial port of the
device to be connected to your DSR appliance.

3. Attach one end of the CAT 5 cable to the RJ-45 connector on the DSRIQ­SRL module. Connect the other end of the CAT 5 cable to the desired ARI
port on the back of your DSR appliance.

NOTE: The DSRIQ-SRL module is a DCE device and only supports VT100 terminal emulation.

4. Connect the power supply to the power connector on your DSRIQ-SRL.
The cable expander can be used to power up to four DSRIQ-SRL modules
from a single power supply.

5. Connect the DSRIQ-SRL power supply to an appropriate AC wall outlet.
Power up your serial device. See Appendix B for more information on
DSRIQ-SRL modules.

To connect the local port keyboard, monitor and mouse:

Attach your keyboard, monitor and mouse cable connectors to the appropriate
ports on the back of your DSR appliance.

NOTE: You must install both a keyboard and mouse on the local port or the keyboard will not
initialize properly.

18 DSR Installer/User Guide

Adding a legacy KVM switch

You can add your legacy KVM switches to the DSR appliance for better
integration into your existing configuration. In a cascaded system, each ARI port
will accommodate up to 24 servers.

Legacy Switch Support

Legacy Product Model Numbers

OutLook® ES 140ES, 180ES, 280ES, 1160ES, 2160ES, 4160ES
AutoView® AV200-4, AV200-8, AV400-4, AV400-8, AV4 16, AV424, AV2000-AM

Power

Cord

KVM Connections

DSRIQ

Module

Outlook ES Switch

CAT 5 Cable

DSR1010
Appliance

DSRIQ Module

PS/2, USB, Sun and

serial modules are available

AutoView

200/400

Switch

Analog User

Server 1 Server 1

Figure 2.4: DSR1010 Configuration with a Legacy KVM Switch

To add a legacy KVM switch:

1. Mount the legacy KVM switch into your rack cabinet. Locate a length of
CAT 5 cabling to connect your DSR to the DSRIQ module for your
legacy KVM switch.

2. Attach one end of the CAT 5 cabling to the RJ-45 connector on the
DSRIQ module.

3. Connect the other end of the CAT 5 cable to a port on the back of your
DSR appliance.