Serial Access

My Dominion Dominion KSX has just been configured with a network address and I can successfully ping the IP, but when I try to access it using a web browser, the message reads "Page cannot be found or server error, contact System Administrator."

Check your web browser settings and confirm that a proxy server is being used. If so, click the "Bypass local addresses or configure DSX IP in the exception list" checkbox. Next, make sure the web browser has 128-bit cipher strength. From the Help menu, click About to find this information.

When I select the "Send Break" option from the Emulator menu in Raritan Console (on my Dominion KSX), it does not send a break to my Sun server. What could be wrong and how can I address it?

If the SUN machine does not respond to the break signal, verify that the line 'KEYBOARD_ABORT=disable' is commented out in the /etc/default/kbd file (on the Sun machine). If this line is not commented out, it will disable a keyboard abort sequence; comment out this line to enable the sequence.

How can I consolidate the sites where I have a Dominion Dominion KSX installed?

Raritan's CommandCenter is designed specifically to provide centralized management. It is the ideal solution if you are looking to consolidate management of devices such as Dominion Dominion KSX and other Raritan network-based products.

Is the Ethernet port on the Dominion KSX device 10/100/1000 Mbps auto sensing?

The Dominion KSX supports two 10/100/1000 speed Ethernet interfaces, with configurable speed and duplex settings (either auto-detected or manually set).

Does Dominion Dominion KSX support RS422 and RS485?

No. Currently Dominion Dominion KSX supports only asynchronous RS232 (also commonly called serial, even though serial is a broad term that covers more than RS232). RS 422 and RS485 are used in industrial automation and other markets. Dominion Dominion KSX is currently designed for connection to serially managed servers and other devices typically found in the data-center and server rooms. This includes serially controlled power strips like Raritan's line of remote power control devices.

I have a server/serially managed device that is more than 300 feet from the Dominion KSX - how do I connect?

You will need to purchase a 3rd party RS232 to RS422/485 converter for each end (two units total) - one at the Dominion end and one connected to the device.

Can I open multiple windows and "tile" to monitor multiple servers and other IT equipment?

Yes, you may monitor and "tile" as many windows as there are serial ports on the Dominion Dominion KSX.

I manage many servers. How do I select a server to connect to?

From a browser, a simple menu provides the user-assigned name of each server. Users simply click a server to open a pop-up menu and select Connect from the menu in order to connect to its console port. When using SSH/telnet, the user gets a list of ports they are authorized to connect with when they log on.

As a user, do I see all servers connected to a Dominion Dominion KSX?

No. Each user sees only a list of servers they are authorized to manage/view. The administrator of the Dominion Dominion KSX sets up the access privileges to each server.

Does Dominion Dominion KSX work with Raritan's CommandCenter™?

Yes, Dominion Dominion KSX is deployable as part of an enterprise-wide management solution with Raritan's CommandCenter™. Hundreds of Dominion Dominion KSX units can be managed via CommandCenter.

Is the modem used only for administering the Dominion Dominion KSX itself?

No. Unlike other products in its category, Dominion Dominion KSX offers modem access to administer the box AND get to the target servers.

Is a modem standard on any Dominion Dominion KSX models?

Yes, a built-in modem is standard on Dominion KSX models.

What level of control does Dominion Dominion KSX have over attached target servers?

The remote user has direct command line access and total control of target devices for maintenance, administration, troubleshooting, and even rebooting. User rights are only restricted by their log-in privileges on Dominion Dominion KSX and the server itself.

Why do I need to use a serial adapter to connect to some servers?

While EIA published a standard for RS232 on DB25 and DB9 connectors, there is no standard for RS232 on RJ45. Also, some manufacturers have chosen not to follow the pin out assignments of the EIA on DB25 and DB9 connectors.

Is the Dominion Dominion KSX device SUN "break-safe"?

All Dominion Dominion KSX units are SUN "break-safe" for use with SUN Solaris.

I have lost my Admin password to the Dominion Dominion KSX. Is there a back door or secret password?

There is no back-door password. The only option is to restore the unit to its factory default settings and create the administrator user name and password again. A hardware reset function to restore the unit to factory default facility is provided.

What remote access connection methods can Dominion KSX accommodate?

Dominion Dominion KSX provides multiple choices for remote access. These include: Internet, LAN/WAN, or dial-up modem. That means servers can be accessed both in and out of band so remote access to mission critical target servers is always available-even if the network is down.

Which ports need to be open on the corporate firewall for a secure console session using Dominion Dominion KSX?

Port 443 (for https), port 5000 Discover and Telnet port 23 (this is optional and does not open by default); optionally port 80 (http) for user sessions. For units running software version 2.2 or higher, port 51000 (or other port between 1024-65536). On software releases PRIOR to firmware 2.2 (2.0Bx or 2.1.x) either port 23 or a user-designated port between 2000 and 2400. When using SSH, port 22 needs to be open.

How do I get access to the operating system of the Dominion KSX?

Dominion Dominion KSX is a secure device. Therefore, NO access is possible to the operating system.

I have a few serial devices located a distance away from my server closet and the Dominion Dominion KSX. Can I connect these devices to my Raritan switch?

Yes. See Distances for Serial Devices for more information.

How do I upgrade the software on my Dominion Dominion KSX?

Use the Firmware Upgrade page to upgrade the firmware for your Dominion KSX unit and all attached D2CIM-VUSB. This page is available in the Dominion KSX Remote Console only.

Are updates to Dominion Dominion KSX software free?

Yes. Currently all software upgrades are free.

Does Dominion Dominion KSX require any additional client software?

No. Dominion Dominion KSX is truly "Plug-and-Play" making installation quick and set-up easy. It is not necessary to buy any additional client software or hardware. In addition, no special networking equipment or design is necessary.

What is the name of the terminal emulation package included with Dominion Dominion KSX?

Raritan Serial Console.

What Authentication mechanisms does the Dominion Dominion KSX support?

Local database, RADIUS, LDAP/S, Active Directory.

Does Dominion Dominion KSX support SNMP?

Yes. Dominion Dominion KSX supports SNMP traps via the Raritan Enterprise MIB.

Does Dominion Dominion KSX support syslog?

Yes. Dominion Dominion KSX supports syslog - to primary and secondary servers.

Can I log every keystroke of a session (input from user and response from a server/device) with a server?

Yes, Dominion KSX supports client-side logging.

Does Dominion Dominion KSX support Telnet?

Yes. Dominion Dominion KSX supports enabling of the telnet daemon on the Dominion Dominion KSX unit. Because telnet sends all information "in the clear", enabling telnet is at the customers own discretion, and telnet is disabled by default when the unit ships from the factory. Raritan strongly suggests the use of SSH as a safer alternative to telnet, since all data is encrypted, including the login sequence.

Can I send an intentional "break" signal to the SUN Solaris server when using SSH?

Yes.

Can I send an intentional "break" signal to the SUN Solaris server when using a web browser?

Yes, using Raritan Serial Console.

Can I send an intentional "break" signal to the SUN Solaris server when using Telnet?

Yes.

Can I get the buffered off-line data from a serial port when using SSH?

Yes.

Can I get the buffered off-line data from a serial port when using Telnet?

Yes.

Can I use Dominion KSX over a VPN connection?

Yes, Dominion KSX fits into most any network configuration utilizing TCP/IP. KSX II uses standard Internet Protocol (IP) technologies from Layer 1 through Layer 4. Set up the VPN (typically IPSec) connection then start the web-browser and enter the URL for the Dominion device. The session to the Dominion runs transparently over the VPN tunnel. Traffic can be easily tunneled through standard VPNs.

Can I get the buffered off-line data from a serial port when using a Java-enabled web-browser?

Yes.

Does Dominion Dominion KSX support local (direct) port access for "crash-cart" applications in a data center?

Yes.

What are the pin-outs of the Dominion Dominion KSX serial ports?

To provide maximum port density and to enable simple UTP (Category 5) cabling, The Dominion KSX provides its serial connections via compact RJ-45 ports. However, no widely adopted industry-standard exists for sending serial data over RJ-45 connections.

The following tables list the RJ-45 pinouts for the RJ-45 connector.

Go to the Raritan website (www.raritan.com) Support page to find the latest information about the Dominion KSX serial pinouts (RJ-45).

What web browsers have you tested with?

Note that not all web-browsers and SUN JRE behave the same in all languages and operating system versions, so there may be some differences or compatibility issues in some geographies. Some additional testing has been done with Fedora Core 2. Other browsers, for example Mozilla Firefox may work as well, but are not officially tested.

Browser Requirements

The Dominion Dominion KSX uses the web browser to access serial devices. What are the advantages of Java-enabled web browser access?

For many Solaris/Unix/Linux system administrators, the de facto standard for accessing serial hosts is SSH. However, the SSH clients available for Unix/Linux do not support Apple Macintosh. Additionally, Java-enabled browsers are available on many platforms, including PDAs and handheld PCs. The easy "point-and-click" access offered by Dominion Dominion KSX allows administrators secure access from any Java-enabled web browser.