Out-of-band (OOB) power control

Opengear console servers give managers both remote access - and OOB access - to serial, network attached and embedded power control devices (RPC/PDUs). 

• For a remote office with an on-site network controlled PDU; if there are problems with the firewall, the Internet connection or some other powered device at the site, the PDU can be accessed securely through the console server. So the PDU outlet powering the recalcitrant device can be remotely power cycled - using SNMP or browser or the PDU vendor application. 

If the problem with the modem/firewall/server at the site prevents site access over the regular broadband connection then you can still connect to the console server out of band and control the power outlets. Then after the recalcitrant device has been rebooted it can if necessary be reconfigured, still operating OOB, using a browser, RDP, VNC, Telnet or other management tool. 

• If the PDU at the remote site is serially connected to the console server, the remote PDU outlet control is still available even if the problem disrupted both broadband access and local network connection at the remote site. The examples below outline remote and OOB control of Aviosys IP Power 9258 using its browser interface and its serial interface. 

OOB Example: Secure remote browser control of Aviosys IP Power 9258 

The IP Power 9258 is a simple LAN browser controlled power switch, without the security features needed for open public network connection. Nor does it have any remote dial-in support. However the IP Power can be configured securely and its outlets can be controlled in-band and out of band (through a dial in modem or through an alternate broadband connection) when used in conjunction with an Opengear console server. 
 
To configure the console server for dial-in access:

1. Connect a modem to one of the console server serial ports 
2. Configure the console server for OOB dial-in and set up the remote client dial-in software (refer faq 268)
3. Configure the console server with the IP Power 9258 as a HTTP accessible Host. This Managed Device can then be remotely controlled securely using SSH tunneling (SDT)
4. Configure SDTConnector so it will access the remote console server using dial out, then connect to the IP Power using HTTP (refer faq 264)

For more details on network controlled PDUs and embedded power devices using HTTP/HTTPS commands and IPMI refer faq 257 

OOB Example - Serial port control of IP Power

The IP Power is a principally a browser controlled unit, with power control effected over the LAN using http commands or a browser. Its serial port mainly provides diagnostic and status information (e.g. sending out its IP address and power on messages during Power On Self Test). However the IP Power serial port also supports emergency power control and this can be accessed using a console server. To configure the IP Power for serial control:

1. Connect the IP Power 9258's CONSOLE RS232 port to one of the serial ports on the console server using a DB9F to RJ45 straight serial adapter i.e. 319000, 319017 or 319014 for X0 (Classic), X1 (Cisco Rolled/Cyclades) or X2 (Cisco Straight) console server pinout, respectively
2. Configure the console server for OOB dial-in (connect modem and set up the remote client dial-in software) 
   
    
   
   
3. Set up the console server with IP Power 9258 configured as a serially controlled PDU using the Serial&Network: RPC Connections menu on the console server Management Console (refer faq231)
4. The IP Power outlets are then controlled by securely (HTTPS) accessing the Manage: Power menu (refer faq231) 
   
    
   
   
5. Again you can also configure your SDTConnector client so it will access the remote console server using dial out and then connect to the Management Console (refer faq 264)

The commands to control the PDU power outlets are sent from the console server to the IP Power over the serial port. The combination of out of band access and IP Power serial port control can be particularly useful in managing remote sites where a DSL or 3G wireless router (interconnect the office LAN and the internet) may have become dysfunctional requiring a power reset.

For more general details on serially controlling PDUs and other devices using their command line console refer faq 242. For specific details on controlling the IP Power refer faq 342.