Good KVM over IP switch for managing local VMware ESXi vSphere hosts?
Hi, I am researching to find a good solution for managing my local VMware ESXi vSphere hosts.
Recently, an event occurred that locked my ESXi vSphere hosts local root account and required remote access to my VMware ESXi vSphere hosts for VMware support to assist. However, I couldn't provide that since I'm still running old school KVM switches.
So, I am looking for a good KVM over IP (LAN) solution.
Blackbox seems to keep appearing towards the top if not the top of my research.
However, I don't need all the bells and whistles, just something would allow me to access my VMware ESXi vSphere hosts remotely as if locally at the keyboard/mouse/monitor in our data center (KVM).
Any recommendations?
Thanks in advance.
Recently, an event occurred that locked my ESXi vSphere hosts local root account and required remote access to my VMware ESXi vSphere hosts for VMware support to assist. However, I couldn't provide that since I'm still running old school KVM switches.
So, I am looking for a good KVM over IP (LAN) solution.
Blackbox seems to keep appearing towards the top if not the top of my research.
However, I don't need all the bells and whistles, just something would allow me to access my VMware ESXi vSphere hosts remotely as if locally at the keyboard/mouse/monitor in our data center (KVM).
Any recommendations?
Thanks in advance.
If your root account was locked!!!
An IP KVM or iDRAC would not help as you would not be able to login as root!
How did you fix the issue restart the host?
Any IP KVM manufactured by Avocet there are many OEM units from HPE, DELL etc plenty on ebay
An IP KVM or iDRAC would not help as you would not be able to login as root!
How did you fix the issue restart the host?
Any IP KVM manufactured by Avocet there are many OEM units from HPE, DELL etc plenty on ebay
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Thanks everyone for the replies. This is all good information, real-world, tried and tested solution options that I was looking for. Feel free to keep the recommendations coming.
I should have clarified, I couldn't access remotely with root via SSH (aka PuTTY) to the ESXi hosts. So, I was forced to access the ESXi hosts, one at a time, after manually moving the guest vm's residing on them, via local KVM switch which I couldn't share with VMware support.
Figured if I had another option, like kevinhsieh mentioned, VMware support might have been able to assist me without forcing local manual reboots of my ESXi hosts.
Thanks again.
Take care.
I should have clarified, I couldn't access remotely with root via SSH (aka PuTTY) to the ESXi hosts. So, I was forced to access the ESXi hosts, one at a time, after manually moving the guest vm's residing on them, via local KVM switch which I couldn't share with VMware support.
Figured if I had another option, like kevinhsieh mentioned, VMware support might have been able to assist me without forcing local manual reboots of my ESXi hosts.
Thanks again.
Take care.
VMware support might have been able to assist me without forcing local manual reboots of my ESXi hosts.
in my 21 years of experience using VMware ESX/ESXi very occasionally a host goes bad, requiring a manual movement of Guest VMs and a host restart.
It is getting better with later versions of ESXi and certified servers on the HCL.
Today, all ESXi hosts should be headless with OOB, BMC, IMPI, iDRAC etc
Why have a permanent solution to a rare if ever problem. On the off chance you would ever need to get in to a server that does not have an iDRAC/iLo (IPMI) solution, break out a keyboard, mouse, and monitor, fix the problem, and put them back.
It is nice to be able to watch the machines boot and possibly get in from the console, but that is even so rare that the ESX OS console doesn't even take you into the OS, but only gives you a limited amount of functions because the hosts should be run headless and should not need KVM 99.9999% of the time.
It is nice to be able to watch the machines boot and possibly get in from the console, but that is even so rare that the ESX OS console doesn't even take you into the OS, but only gives you a limited amount of functions because the hosts should be run headless and should not need KVM 99.9999% of the time.
https://tinypilotkvm.com/