How do I physically connect multiple Dominion KX III devices together into one solution?

To physically connect multiple KX III devices together for consolidated local access, you can connect the Tiering ports of multiple "tiered" (or "cascaded") KX III switches to a "base" KX III using the Tiering port of the KX III. You can then access the servers connected to your KX III devices from a single point in the data center via a consolidated port list.

The Tiering port must be used to connect the tiered KX III switch to the base switch.

Access via the consolidated port list is available in the data center or even from a remote PC. All servers connected to the tiered KX IIIs can be accessed via a hierarchical port list or via search (with wildcards).

Two levels of tiering are supported; up to 1024 devices can be accessed in a tiered configuration. Remote power control is also supported.

Virtual media, smart card and blade server access via tiered access will be supported in a future release. Of course these features are available when accessed via a standard remote connection.

While remote IP server access via the consolidated port list is available as a convenience, remote accessing a tiered server from CommandCenter or via the KX III the server is connected to, is recommended for optimal performance.

Do I have to physically connect Dominion KX III devices together?

Multiple Dominion KX III units do not need to be physically connected together. Instead, each Dominion KX III unit connects to the network, and they automatically work together as a single solution if deployed with Raritan’s CommandCenter Secure Gateway (CC-SG) management appliance.

CC-SG acts as a single access point for remote access and management.
CC-SG offers a significant set of convenient tools, such as consolidated configuration, consolidated firmware update and a single authentication and authorization database.

Customers using CC-SG for centralized remote access can make good use of the KX III’s tiering (cascading) feature to consolidate the local ports of multiple KX III switches and locally access up to 1024 servers from a single console when in the data center.

Is CC-SG required?

For customers wanting stand-alone usage (without a central management system), multiple Dominion KX III units still interoperate and scale together via the IP network. Multiple Dominion KX III switches can be accessed from the KX III Web-based user interface.

Can I connect an existing analog KVM switch to Dominion KX III?

Yes. Analog KVM switches can be connected to one of Dominion KX III’s server ports. Simply use a USB computer interface module (CIM), and attach it to the user ports of the existing analog KVM switch.
Analog KVM switches supporting hotkey-based switching on their local ports can be tiered to a Dominion KX III switch and switched via a consolidated port list, both remotely and in the data center.

Please note that analog KVM switches vary in their specifications and Raritan cannot guarantee the interoperability of any particular third-party analog KVM switch. Contact Raritan technical support for further information.