Shopping For A Rackmount Console – What Are The Qualities To Look For?

By Author: Proxy
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The keyboard, video and mouse - KVM switch has had great success in helping to conserve space that could have otherwise been occupied by all the monitors, keyboards and mouse for all the computers or servers a firm may have. Continuous innovation has seen the development of the rackmount console which is basically a KVM switch with a keyboard, mouse and monitor, all in a single unit. It can also be viewed as a notebook attached to the KVM switch. This console not only helps to save you more space but it also works to improve the reliability and performance of the entire rack.

There are some pointers you need to consider before investing in just any rackmount console. The mechanical design of the system is crucial in determining the ease and convenience of using the system. The console should be such that the operator can comfortably work on it, and as such it should be capable of smooth movement as it is slid in and out of the rack. Nonetheless, we also do not want a situation whereby the operator is continually interrupted by the sliding back and forth motions ...
... of the whole system and therefore some form of locking mechanism is required. We also need a powerful hinge system to firmly support the LCD screen; the use of a spring-loaded hinge will enable us to lift and/or replace the rackmount monitor's lid with more ease and better control.



We also ought to look for a rackmount console that is upgradable so as to be compatible with the latest in OS versions. At the same it should compatible with popular platforms such as Sun Microsystems, Linux, Dell, Windows, HP, MAC, and IBM. It should also facilitate optimal usability in terms of user-friendly status lights and port switching buttons. The console should also have a combo interface USB, or PS/2 for input devices with VGA or DVI video such as the mouse for situation where the user prefers not to use the notebook's trackball or touchpad. Modern consoles feature Cat5 or Cat6e connectivity and they all support IP addressing. These qualities are very useful because they will help you to interact with the console remotely via the internet.

Your rackmount console of choice should also be such that it has the maximum number of ports and is still able to occupy only 1U of the rack. The drawer should be enabled with capabilities including DVI-D, S-Video, BNC, HDMI and touch screen. However, with the touch screen option the console's height may increase to 1.5U. Many consoles are designed in such a way that allocating space for the Rackmount consoles large external power supply system becomes problematic considering that this takes up a lot of space. In this case such a system can be integrated into the KVM switch power supply; not only will doing this create space, it will also ensure that the power cord does not become loose as a result of vibrations and shock forces.

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