What is Dominion KX III?

Dominion KX III is a third-generation digital KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switch that enables one, two, four or eight IT administrators to access and control 8, 16, 32 or 64 servers over the network with BIOS-level functionality. Dominion KX III is completely hardware- and OS-independent; users can troubleshoot and reconfigure servers even when servers are down.

At the rack, Dominion KX III provides the same functionality, convenience, and space and cost savings as traditional analog KVM switches. However, Dominion KX III also integrates the industry’s highest performing KVM-over-IP technology, allowing multiple administrators to access server KVM consoles from any networked workstation as well as from the iPhone^® and iPad^®.

How is KX III different from KX II ?

The KX III is the next generation version of the KX II. Featuring a modern hardware design with increased computing power and storage, the KX III provides KVM-over-IP access for IT administration, as well as high performance IP access for broadcast applications. KX III includes virtually all KX II features with the following advancements:

The KX III's new video processing engine supports a broad range of applications from traditional computer applications to the most dynamic broadcast applications requiring 30 frames-per-second 1920x1080 video, 24 bit color, digital audio, dual monitors and DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort and VGA video.

With the industry’s first DVI-based local port, the KX III's common user interface provides new levels of productivity and performance for at-the-rack administration and server access.

All KX III models feature a tiering port to connect multiple Dominion KX III switches together and access the attached servers. Up to 1024 servers can be accessed via a consolidated port list.

KX III supports all Dominion and Paragon II CIMs supported by KX II.

How does Dominion KX III differ from remote control software?

When using Dominion KX III remotely, the interface, at first glance, may seem similar to remote control software such as pcAnywhere^TM, Windows^® Terminal Services/Remote Desktop, VNC, etc. However, because Dominion KX III is not a software but a hardware solution, it’s much more powerful:

Hardware- and OS-independent – Dominion KX III can be used to manage servers running many popular OSs, including Intel^®, Sun^®, PowerPC running Windows, Linux^®, Solaris^TM, etc.

State-independent/Agentless – Dominion KX IIKX IIII does not require the managed server OS to be up and running, nor does it require any special software to be installed on the managed server.

Out-of-band – Even if the managed server’s own network connection is unavailable, it can still be managed through Dominion KX III.

BIOS-level access – Even if the server is hung at boot up, requires booting to safe mode, or requires system BIOS parameters to be altered, Dominion KX III still works flawlessly to enable these configurations to be made.

Can the Dominion KX III be rack mounted?

Yes. The Dominion KX III ships standard with 19" rack mount brackets. It can also be reverse rack mounted so the server ports face forward.

How large is the Dominion KX III?

Dominion KX III is only 1U high (except the KX3-864 and KX3-464, which are 2U), fits in a standard 19" rack mount and is only 11.4" (29 cm) deep. The Dominion KX3-832 and KX3-864 are 13.8" (36 cm) deep.