Uptime vs. Kernel updates (was Re: [TriLUG] Prosperous New Year)

[Ron Joffe]

On Tuesday 03 January 2006 18:54, David A. Cafaro wrote:
> A reboot risks having to travel to another state (Ok only about 1 hour
> drive) to fix a failed reboot.

We have been utilizing a number of IP based KVM switches like:

ATEN CN-6000 KVM on the Net  (~$450)
  http://tinyurl.com/b79eq  

Avocent SwitchView IP Remote Access Device (~$580)
  http://tinyurl.com/9bbh5

This allows us to have servers all over the place. We have just recently 
utilized one of these units to remotely install a server.

 Procedure:
   1. Customer Installs new server in Rack
   2. Customer Installs IP KVM
   3. We upload an ISO image of the boot media (CD)
   4. Customer Burns ISO
   5. Customer Inserts ISO, and powers on the server.
   6. Customer calls us, and we install configure RAID devices, BIOS settings, 
and OS remotely.

This has worked out very nicely, and has saved allot of travel time and costs. 
In addition these devices support remote reboot power strips, which allow us 
to reboot these servers if they hang.

Ron