[c-nsp] Remote rebooting

[Phil Mayers]

Michael Robson wrote:
>> The servertech PT45 has all you need below is link to 
>> details. There power relays can go up to 20A as far as I know.
>> They provide out of band access via dialup and can give 
>> console access and power management.
>>
>> http://servertech.com/products/RemotePowerManagement/SentryCom
>> manderPT45
>> /
>>
> This is the solution that I have tested and yes they do have what I want,
> but I wanted to see if there was anything more elegant. The console box is
> OK, but the power blocks are chunky, free-standing boxes: their solution
> doesn't seem to have improved much in the last 5 years or so (in fact the
> power boxes are now bigger); also it's been like pulling teeth dealing with
> the company that sells these products in the UK. I might have to go with
> this solution unless there is anything better out there?

ServerTech do (or used to, before they were bought up and stopped 
answering the phone :o) sell other products which don't use their 2-wire 
control bus & separate boxes e,g,

http://servertech.com/products/RemotePowerManagement/SentryPT22

I believe, though have never tested, that you can "stack" a serial 
console unit with the power cycling unit:

http://servertech.com/products/RemotePowerManagement/SentryCommanderPT49

We use the PT22 for our 6509s. A few disclaimers:

  1. We've had reliability issues with some other ServerTech products; 
specifically the PTXL-HF16, and also with an older PT series combined 
serial & power cycling (with the same clunky external modules you refer 
to). Specific symptoms were sporadic/random failure of the telnet 
interface. General lame-ness included very slow SNMP, no ability to log 
in >1 person and 20 second wait after logout before you can log in 
again. To be fair, this is a 6 year old box which they don't make 
firmware updates for any more - the newer ones seem much better.

  2. Buying ServerTech products has indeed become difficult of late; if 
it helps, I can dig out our contact and pass the details along to you.

  3. The ServerTech serial console stuff is pretty lame. We are using 
Lantronix SLC now, which are much better (SSH support, multiple logins, 
log console output to NFS, dual ethernet ports).

TBH I'd move away from combined serial&power if I were you; our 
experience made us do so.

I'm going to investigate the Lantronix SLP or APC stuff at some point