Raritan Computer DKX432 User Manual

Page of 106
A
PPENDIX 
C:
 
FAQ
S
 
81 
 
 
 
Appendix C: FAQs 
General Questions 
Q
UESTION
 
A
NSWER
 
What is Dominion KX? 
 
Dominion KX is a digital KVM (keyboard / video / mouse) switch that 
enables IT administrators to access and control 16 or 32 servers over 
the network with BIOS-level functionality. Dominion KX is completely 
hardware and OS-independent; users can troubleshoot and reconfigure 
servers even when servers are down. 
At the rack, Dominion KX provides the same functionality, 
convenience, space savings, and cost savings as do traditional analog 
KVM switches. However, Dominion KX also integrates the industry’s 
highest-performing KVM Over IP technology, thereby allowing 
multiple administrators to access server KVM consoles from any 
networked workstation in the world. 
How does Dominion KX 
differ from remote 
control software? 
 
When using Dominion KX remotely, the interface, at first glance, may 
seem similar to remote control software such as PC Anywhere, 
Windows Terminal Services / Remote Desktop, VNC, etc.  However, 
because Dominion KX is not a software but a hardware solution, it is 
much more powerful: 
OS and hardware independent – Dominion KX can be used to manage 
any type of server running any OS, whether Intel, Sun, PowerPC 
running Windows, Linux, Solaris, Novell, etc. 
State-independent / Agent-less – Dominion KX does not require the 
managed server OS to be up and running, nor does it require any special 
software to be installed on the managed server. 
Out-of-Band – Even if the managed server’s own network connection is 
unavailable, it can still be managed through Dominion KX. 
BIOS-level access – Even if the server is hung at boot up, requires 
booting to safe mode, or requires system BIOS parameters to be altered, 
Dominion KX still works flawlessly to enable these configurations to 
be made.  
Can Dominion KX 
 be rack mounted? 
Yes, Dominion KX ships standard with 19" rack mount brackets. It can 
also be reverse rack mounted such that the server ports face forward. 
How large is Dominion 
KX? 
Dominion KX is only 1U in height, fits in a standard 19" rack mount, 
and occupies only 11.4" (29 cm) in depth.
 
The Dominion KX464, 
supporting 64 server ports, however is a 2U device.