Avocent AMX5120 Supplementary Manual

System relocation a top priority

In the summer of 2001, nearly all of Houston was at least partially underwater as a deluge

of rain from Tropical Storm Allison pounded the area.  At KHOU-TV, Houston’s CBS

Network affiliate, meteorologists tracked the storm and reported how the community was

holding up.

Meanwhile, the station was fighting its own battle with the elements. Things proved chal-

lenging as water seeped into the studio and flooded the first floor computer room.  Station

staffers, moving quickly, scrambled to get all the equipment off the floor and keep the sta-

tion on the air. 

Although they were successful in relocating station systems, which helped the news team

deliver continuous coverage, the IT team was left with a very clear message in Allison’s

wake: relocate their systems in a manner that would still allow users to access and con-

trol them from the first floor.   

The solution they chose to deploy is the Avocent AMX

®

KVM switching system. KHOU IT

staff moved much of their hardware to the safer confines of the building’s second floor.

They consolidated control of their computers and devices into a single user interface

which allowed operators and engineers in multiple locations to access the same devices

from the live studio.   

KHOU provides local news, weather, sports, and special features of interest to the greater

Houston market and surrounding area. Owned by Belo, the ninth largest media company

in the U.S., the station leads its competition in providing breaking weather information in

Houston. The station Website, KHOU.com, features a downtown weather cam, several

Doppler radar options and personalized weather forecasts on demand.

AMX switches at work

Because of its close proximity to the coast, Houston can experience severe weather several

times throughout any given year.  Recognizing that what happened with Allison could occur

again, Jeff Lovetinsky, director of information technology, began looking for a solution to

keep IT equipment high, dry and accessible. He wanted to get systems off the first floor,

enable connectivity from the studio and maintain the ability to stay on-air even during the

most intense weather situations.

Jeff Lovetinsky

KHOU-TV

Case Study