Solutions

In a corporate environment there are many different scenarios where management of network and computer infrastructure becomes a critical activity. This can be a large scale data center management project involving thousands of local and remote devices, or it can be managing hundreds of smaller branch offices containing only a handful of devices in each location. In all of these cases Cyclades can provide the solution and components to create an effective and secure out-of-band management network.

Managing multiple systems and architectures is a large and complex task and is even more challenging when a number of different management platforms are required to manage the underlying infrastructure. A large data center today contains many different devices and servers ranging from Unix and Windows servers to network equipment, storage devices, power supply and control equipment, and environmental equipment such as HVAC. All of this equipment can be integrated into the Cyclades out-of-band management solutions.

A complete data center management solution requires a combination of different out-of-band technologies to complement the existing in-band capabilities of software applications such as HP OpenView. Cyclades’ out-of-band management solution is built using the four major elements provided by Cyclades:

• Cyclades Advanced Console Servers (ACS)
• Cyclades KVM
• Cyclades Power Management (PM)
• AlterPath Manager

To give complete coverage in the data center, a company’s out-of-band strategy must include these four major technologies:

• Serial Console – To provide low-level emergency access to serial consoles in devices including Unix and Linux Servers, Windows 2003 Emergency Management Services, network device consoles, storage arrays and building infrastructure.

• Keyboard, Video, Mouse (KVM) – To provide a graphical user interface for management of Windows servers as well as some applications running in Unix servers.

• Power Control – To allow the remote power cycling of equipment. Even with serial console access or KVM there may be times when a network resource needs a remote hardware reset. For example, this could be following a firmware upgrade or if the equipment has entered a fault state that can only be cured by a complete system restart.

• Management – All of the infrastructure needed to manage the data center equipment must also be installed, managed and maintained to ensure security patches are applied in a timely fashion so as not to introduce weaknesses in your security policy.

In addition the management network must be based on a firm foundation and for this Cyclades utilizes the proven stability and security of Open Source solutions based around Linux.

In many cases the management infrastructure is required to be accessible at times when the network is under stress or is completely unavailable. A number of different access methods need to be available to allow for optimum performance depending on the networks condition.

While the network is operating at acceptable levels, then the primary connection method will be utilized using SSH v2 with strong authentication and auditing control. Cyclades was the first company to offer this combination of security features in their out-of-band networking solutions. Complete out-of-band access via modem or wireless is an absolute requirement when the primary connection is unavailable. Cyclades’ concept of integrating remote access methods using the PCMCIA standard means that the user has maximum flexibility in choosing the right connectivity options for their requirements.

Whenever a new infrastructure is introduced into your organization it is important to analyze the security requirements. This is very much the case when you consider that out-of-band management will give access to hardware diagnostic level consoles and power management infrastructure, which would enable an attacker to disable your network by remotely powering off equipment or by modifying network operating parameters.

When you partner with Cyclades for your local and remote data center management needs, we aim to provide a complete solution for out-of-band management ranging from initial consultancy and analysis of your requirement through to the provision of equipment, installation, training and tailored support contracts. Cyclades will provide assistance in evaluating security needs, remote access requirements, and integration with existing infrastructure such as HP OpenView.

To find more specific information to your industry you can look through our Application Profiles or download some of our white papers covering topics such as data center security issues or our security blueprint for data center management appliances.