Introduction > Connectors on the AlterPath OnSite > Serial Ports

Serial Ports
Serial ports provide remote access to many types of devices that have console ports.
Servers running Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, HP/UX, AIX, System V, or other UNIX operating systems, or Microsoft Windows 2003 with emergency management services (EMS) enabled can be managed over their console ports (or serial ports configured as console ports). Through their consoles, you can get low-level control over servers, with access to hardware self-test and BIOS information that is generated before the operating system is loaded and that is therefore not available over the network. Other types of equipment, such as routers, hubs, switches, modems, POS (point-of-sale) systems, PBXs, ATMs, process controllers, and environmental monitoring devices, also have console ports or auxiliary ports that you can connect to the OnSite serial ports for similar purposes.
When a device is connected to an OnSite serial port, you can access diagnostic information (boot messages, error logs, alarms, monitor mode), change low-level system configuration and perform and script other administrative tasks, such as resetting or rebooting the system. You can receive notifications via email, pager, or SNMP trap if a device crashes or other event of interest occurs. You can directly connect to the serial ports via telnet, ssh, or other connection protocols. You can also connect to the serial ports through the Web Manager.
You can also connect dumb terminals to serial ports. You can dedicate a dumb terminal to a single remote server or you can enable the dumb terminal to access many servers through the OnSite. When configuring a dumb terminal as a local terminal that uses telnet or ssh to access the OnSite, you can define a command menu that appears when the dumb terminal is turned on.
The OnSite is usually connected to the serial port of a device using a RS-232 cable with a DB-9 connector on the OnSite end.

Introduction > Connectors on the AlterPath OnSite > Serial Ports