Console interaction handling in a data processing network
View Patent ↗A data processing network in which console interactions are communicated to and from server appliances over the network. The system may include a server appliance configured to re-direct serial port transactions to a network port. The service appliance may include a mechanism for transmitting and receiving console data and control information via the network. The system further includes a console server for accepting and displaying console traffic that is sent over the network by a server appliance and for transmitting commands entered by a user back to the server appliance for processing.
1. A server appliance configured for use in a data processing network, comprising:
an application program suitable for issuing and receiving console transactions;
an operating system configured to direct console transactions issued and received by the application program through a serial port;
a snooping unit configured to capture the console transactions directed through the serial port and modify the transactions according to a network protocol; and
a network interface card connecting the server appliance to a network and configured to transmit the modified transactions over the network.
2. The server appliance of claim 1 , wherein the network protocol comprises an IP protocol.
3. The server appliance of claim 1 , wherein the modification of console transactions by the network interface card includes appending an internet address to the transactions.
4. The server appliance of claim 3 , wherein the internet address represents the internet address of a console server connected to the network.
5. The server appliance of claim 4 , wherein the Internet address of the console server is provided to the server appliance as a boot parameter.
6. The server appliance of claim 5 , wherein the boot parameter is provided to the server appliance during a DHCP supported boot process.
7. A data processing system, comprising:
at least one server appliance connected to a network, the server appliance including an operating system configured to direct console transactions issued by the server appliance to a serial port and a network interface card configured to capture console transactions directed through the serial port, modify the captured transactions according to a network protocol, and transmit the modified transactions over the network as a network packet; and
a console server connected to the network, wherein the console server includes a network interface card configured to receive the network packets, an emulator including a network portion configured to process network protocol information of the modified transactions and to a serial portion configured to interpret the console transactions contained in the modified transactions, and console devices including a keyboard, mouse, and display terminal configured to communicate console transactions with the emulator.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the network portion of the emulator is Telnet compliant.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the emulator is enabled to interpret the serial protocol used by the server appliance to communicate with its serial port.
10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a second server appliance connected to the network and configured to modify console transactions issued to a serial port of the second server appliance and to transmit the modified transactions to the console server.
11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the network protocol comprises an IP protocol.
12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the modification of console transactions by the network interface card includes appending an internet address to the transactions.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the internet address represents the internet address of a console server connected to the network.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the internet address of the console server is provided to the server appliance as a boot parameter.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the boot parameter is provided to the server appliance during a DHCP supported boat process.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the emulator is configured to display a first window for displaying console transactions occurring between the first server appliance and the console server and a second window for displaying console transactions occurring between the second server appliance and the console server.
17. A console server suitable for use in a data processing network, comprising:
console devices including a keyboard, mouse, and video terminal;
an operating system configured to communicate with the console devices;
a network interface card connecting the console server to a network; and
an emulator configured to communicate with the console devices via the operating system, wherein the emulator includes a serial portion configured to interpret a serial protocol used by a server appliance connected to the network to communicate with its serial port and further wherein the emulator includes a network portion configured to enable the console server to communicate with the server appliance via the network interface card using a network protocol.
18. The server of claim 17 , wherein the emulator is configured to present multiple windows to the video terminal, wherein each window represents a console session with a corresponding server appliance connected to the network.
19. The server of claim 17 , wherein the network protocol complies with the Internet Protocol (IP).
20. The server of claim 17 , wherein the network portion of the console server is compliant with the Telnet specification.