[c-nsp] Centralized OOB Server / Appliance

[Eric Cables]

Hi all,

I am researching ideas/solutions for building a centralized/redundant OOB
management/dialer system.  The purpose will be to provide a couple of
geographically distributed systems with a modem (or more) attached
(preferably logically attached) for connecting to remote offices when their
primary WAN link is down.  The remote offices have a standard terminal
server with a modem.

The current solution deployed is a single server with a single modem
physically attached, using a shared minicom dialing directory as the
dialer.  Obviously another system at another geographic location is
preferred, but that leads to the next hurdle -- virtualization.  Not only
are systems quickly being virtualized, but once virtualized VMotion and the
lack of physical serial/USB ports makes physically connecting modems to a
single host server a non-option.

Here's the basic concept in a perfect world:
 - Site A has a Guest OS and a modem connected to a Serial/USB over IP
device
 - Site B has a Guest OS and a modem connected to a Serial/USB over IP
device
 - The Guest OS at both Sites A & B share a dialing directory and emulate
their local modem over IP.

Avocent has a seemingly good product (
http://www.connectivity.avocent.com/products/network-based/), but the
proposed OS is FreeBSD, which doesn't appear to be supported.

 - Has anyone used the Avocent product, or another similar product, with
success?
 - Any FreeBSD experts out there know whether or not their Linux drivers
would be able to emulate a serial device to FreeBSD using Linux "emulation?"
 - Are there any "purpose built" systems that function as a centralized
dialer?
 - Are there any suggestions for a dialer other than Minicom?

Thanks,

-- Eric Cables