PManiace
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KVM use with Novell and Windows?
Can you use a kvm switch to share a monitor/keyboard/mouse between a Compaq proliant running Novell 5.1 and a Windows workstation running Windows XP pro?
Brian Pierce
Why not. s long as it supports the mouse/keyboard/monitor that you intent to use there shold be no problem.
Novell is a company. One of their (old, end-of-life) OSes is NetWare 5.1. Their current OSes include OES, SuSE Linux Enterprise and SuSE Linux. You didn't say "a Microsoft workstation running Microsoft XP Pro..."
That said, yes, there's no problem using KVM with NetWare. The only caveat is with the version of NetWare you're running, don't use a USB KVM. Use a PS/2 KVM. If your XP Pro machine has no PS/2 ports, get a PS2-to-USB converter for that leg of the KVM cabling.
Further, the caveat with the hardware is that older Compaq ProLiant systems have a tendency to go flaky with certain manufacturers/models of KVM, which is somewhat mitigated if you run the GUI console. That's a Compaq issue, not a NetWare issue, by the way. It has to do with the fact that a lot of KVM switches get their power from the mouse PS/2 port, and without the GUI loaded, NetWare doesn't use the PS/2 mouse port, which causes the ProLiant server to kind-of forget that it's there. With the GUI loaded, there is something accessing the mouse port, so the server doesn't lose its connection to the switch.
Also, make sure that the KVM is displaying the ProLiant server during its bootup cycle, or it may never make that connection and you'll end up with no keyboard access to the server, which means you want to make sure you have a remote console service of one form or another active on the NW5.1 server just in case you forget, and boot the ProLiant while the KVM has the XP session active.
That said, yes, there's no problem using KVM with NetWare. The only caveat is with the version of NetWare you're running, don't use a USB KVM. Use a PS/2 KVM. If your XP Pro machine has no PS/2 ports, get a PS2-to-USB converter for that leg of the KVM cabling.
Further, the caveat with the hardware is that older Compaq ProLiant systems have a tendency to go flaky with certain manufacturers/models of KVM, which is somewhat mitigated if you run the GUI console. That's a Compaq issue, not a NetWare issue, by the way. It has to do with the fact that a lot of KVM switches get their power from the mouse PS/2 port, and without the GUI loaded, NetWare doesn't use the PS/2 mouse port, which causes the ProLiant server to kind-of forget that it's there. With the GUI loaded, there is something accessing the mouse port, so the server doesn't lose its connection to the switch.
Also, make sure that the KVM is displaying the ProLiant server during its bootup cycle, or it may never make that connection and you'll end up with no keyboard access to the server, which means you want to make sure you have a remote console service of one form or another active on the NW5.1 server just in case you forget, and boot the ProLiant while the KVM has the XP session active.
ASKER
Thank you Shine On.
What is the command for loading the GUI on the Netware server?
-Patty
What is the command for loading the GUI on the Netware server?
-Patty
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