Mirapath, Inc.

Dominion® KX & KX II CIM Guide Version 5

This document provides a guide for Computer Interface Module (CIM) usage for Dominion KX I and KX II, with answers to frequently asked questions. This guide has been updated for Release 2.1 and the blade server feature (see page 4).

Dominion KX II CIM Compatibility

Dominion KX II was designed to use multiple types of CIMs, including:

• The Dominion KX I CIMs (DCIMs): DCIM-PS2, DCIM-USBG2, DCIM-USB, DCIM-SUSB and
  DCIM-SUN can be used with KX I and KX II switches.
• The new Dominion KX II CIMs (D2CIMs): D2CIM-DVUSB, D2CIM-VUSB and D2CIM-PWR
  can only be used with KX II switches. They can not be used with KX I switches. These CIMs
  have a blue case.
• Select Paragon and Paragon II CIMs: the specific Paragon CIMs supported for Dominion KX
  II are listed below.

* - The DCIM-USBG2 is now the recommended USB and Sun USB CIM for KX I and KX II.

Virtual Media and Absolute Mouse Synchronization

Dominion KX II and a Virtual Media CIM is required.

A Dominion KX II virtual media CIM is required for the virtual media and Absolute Mouse Synchronization features.

There are two virtual media CIMs: the D2CIM-VUSB and the new D2CIM-DVUSB. The D2CIM-DVUSB has dual USB connectors and should be purchased by customers who wish to utilize virtual media at the BIOS level. The D2CIM-VUSB has a single USB connector and is for customers who will use virtual media at the OS level.

Both support virtual media sessions to target servers supporting the USB 2.0 interface. These CIMs support Absolute Mouse Synchronization as well as remote firmware update.

The D2CIM-DVUSB and D2CIM-VUSB can NOT be used with Dominion KX I switches, so virtual media and absolute mouse synchronization are not be available for KX I switches.

New Dual Virtual Media USB CIM (D2CIM-DVUSB)

The new D2CIM-DVUSB has dual USB connectors and should be purchased by customers who wish to
utilize virtual media at the BIOS level.

Advanced KVM features such as virtual media rely on the power of the USB protocol. But some BIOS
do not support the USB specification well enough for these advanced features. We have seen a large
diversity of BIOS with various limitations and deviations from the USB specification.

The D2CIM-DVUSB has two USB plugs, one for keyboard/mouse and one for virtual media. This
enables many additional server BIOS to access virtual media drives.

New USB Profile Feature (Release 2.0.10)

In addition, Raritan has developed the USB Profile feature for Dominion KX II Release 2.0.10. A USB Profile customizes the KX II’s USB interface with the target server for a particular BIOS or OS USB implementation. See the Dominion KX II Release 2.0.10 documentation for more information.

Varying Server Support for Virtual Media

Not all servers and operating systems support all virtual media options:

• In general, modern Windows® OS’ do, including Windows Vista™, 2003 Server, XP and Windows 2000 with the latest patches.
• Target Servers running Linux and Mac OS’, when accessed from a Windows client, will
  generally mount CD/DVD drives, USB drives and ISO images.
• Mac®, Linux and Solaris™ clients can only mount ISO images from a local or remote drive.
• Other UNIX based OS’ generally do not support virtual media.
  

Dual Virtual Media CIM (D2CIM-DVUSB) Bulk Pricing

Packages of 32 and 64 D2CIM-DVUSB CIMs provide a discount for buying in volume. The U.S. list price for a single D2CIM-VUSB is $155, but is $145 per CIM when purchased in a pack of 32, and $135 per CIM for a pack of 64.

Virtual Media CIM (D2CIM-VUSB) Bulk Pricing

Packages of 32 and 64 D2CIM-VUSB CIMs provide a discount for buying in volume. The U.S. list price for a single D2CIM-VUSB is $135, but is $125 per CIM when purchased in a pack of 32, and $120 per CIM for a pack of 64.

Customers who do not want virtual media and absolute mouse synchronization should use the new
DCIM-USBG2, which is less expensive at $99 U.S. list price.

Not all servers support Absolute Mouse Synchronization

Again, a USB server port is required, and the OS must support this technology. Microsoft Windows
and Mac servers support this, but not UNIX, SUN and Linux.

Power CIMs for KX I and KX II

For KX I switches, use the existing P2CIM-PWR CIM for both the existing RPC power strips and the new Dominion PX power strips.

For KX II switches, use the new D2CIM-PWR CIM for both the existing RPC power strips and the
new Dominion PX power strips.

DCIM-USBG2 Replaces the DCIM-USB and DCIM-SUSB

The DCIM-USBG2 replaces the DCIM-USB and DCIM-SUSB CIMs, which are now end-of-life.

The DCIM-USBG2 is the second generation version of these CIMs, with enhanced reliability and performance. The DCIM-USBG2 supports both USB and SUN USB. A small switch on the unit determines USB or SUN USB.

The DCIM-USBG2 can be used for both KX I and KX II. It is a low cost CIM – US list price of $99 - but lacks the virtual media and absolute mouse features of the D2CIM-VUSB.

Dominion KX II Recommended USB CIM Usage

For Dominion KX II, the recommended usage depends on the features desired and the type of server and is as follows:

Dominion KX I DCIM-USBG2 Usage

For Dominion KX I, the recommended usage depends on the firmware release as follows:

So most KX I customers should purchase the DCIM-USBG2, unless they are running a very old
firmware release. Of course, customers can upgrade free of charge to new firmware and use the
DCIM-USBG2 for increased reliability.

Connect to Serial Devices with P2CIM-SER and Dominion KX II

The P2CIM-SER (and P2CIM-SER-EU for European market) can be used to connect a serial device (networking device, headless server) to a Dominion KX II, Paragon II or Dominion KX.

The P2CIM-SER converts serial device input to a standard KVM signal for use with Paragon II and Dominion KX I and KX II. The US List Price is $149. The CIM is powered via USB from the serial device or the PWR-SER-4 four port power adapter.

CIM Usage for Blade Servers

Release 2.1 supports access, control and management for Dell, HP and IBM Blade Servers. The type of CIM to be used for KVM access depends on the KVM ports on the blade chassis or blade server the CIM is connected to, and whether advanced features such as virtual media and absolute mouse synchronization are wanted and supported by the blade server.

CIMs are connected to blade servers in two ways: (1) connect CIMs to each individual blade server or (2) connect a CIM to the blade server chassis’ internal KVM switch or management module. The following table describes the supported methods:

In general, most blade servers have USB ports, but certain older blade servers have PS2 ports. The
following CIMs are used with blade servers:

• DCIM-PS2 – PS2 ports
• DCIM-USBG2 – USB ports, no virtual media
• D2CIM-VUSB – USB, virtual media (if blade server supports it)
• D2CIM-DVUSB – USB, BIOS virtual media (if blade server supports it)

The supported and recommended CIMS for the different types of blade servers is as follows:

In the above table, if the check ( ) is accompanied by the phrase “(connected to blade)”, then the CIM is connected to each individual blade server. Otherwise the CIM connects to the blade chassis’ internal KVM switch or the management module.

When connecting to individual Dell 1855/1995 blades, the “USB Front Dongle for Dell PowerEdge 1855/1955” cable is required; manufacturer part number N8138 and Dell part number 310-6484.

When connecting to individual HP c3000 and c7000 blades, the “HP c-Class Blade SUV Cable” is used; part # is 416003-001. Note: the internal KVM module for the HP c3000 is not supported in this release.

Virtual media and advanced mouse synchronization is supported on blade servers where a CIM is connected to each blade server, assuming the operating system on the blade supports these features.

Virtual media is also supported on the IBM Blade Center E and H chassis when using the D2CIM-DVUSB with the gray USB plug connected to the media tray (front panel) and the black plug to the management module (back panel). The connection to the Media Tray (front panel) will require the use of an USB extension cable connected to the gray USB plug on the D2CIM-DVUSB. Auto-discovery must be enabled on the KX II Port Configuration page for virtual media to work.

Please note that the Paragon blade server CIMs (P2CIM-AUSB-B and P2CIM-APS2-B) should not be used with the Dominion KX II.

See the documentation and release notes for more information on the blade server feature.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Can I use the KX I DCIMs with KX II?
   Yes, you can. But these will not support virtual media and absolute mouse synchronization.
2. Can I use the KX II D2CIMs with KX I?
   No, the KX I was not designed to use these new CIMs.
3. The server only has PS2 ports, what should I do for KX II?
   Use the DCIM-PS2. Remember the KX I DCIMs will work with KX II.
4. I would like to use virtual media. What CIM do I need?
   You need a virtual media CIM, either the D2CIM-DVUSB or D2CIM-VUSB. You also need to make sure that the target server’s (USB port, OS and BIOS) support Virtual Media. See above.
5. Which virtual media CIM should I purchase?
   If you plan to use virtual media at the BIOS level, then you should purchase the Dual USB
   CIM – D2CIM-DVUSB. This CIM will support virtual media in a wider set of BIOS. If you only
   plan to use virtual media at the OS level, then you can use the D2CIM-VUSB.
6. When do I need to use a USB Profile?
   Two primary uses. First, for Mac and Linux, you should use a USB profile to set the mouse synchronization mode. Second, when using the D2CIM-VUSB with some servers, you will need to use a USB Profile when in the BIOS. See the Release 2.0.10 documentation for more info.
7. The customer wants absolute mouse synchronization, but not virtual media. How to
   handle this?
   You can purchase the D2CIM-VUSB, but disable the virtual media permissions via the KX II’s
   management user interface.
8. The customer wants virtual media in KX I. Can I connect the D2CIM-VUSB to a KX I?
   No, the D2CIM-DVUSB and D2CIM-VUSB will only work with KX II. KX I switches can never support virtual media due to hardware differences.
9. The D2CIM-VUSB is too expensive. Is there an alternative?
   You can purchase the D2CIM-VUSB (or D2CIM-DVUSB) in the 32 or 64 piece packages for a reduced price. Or you can purchase the DCIM-USBG2, which doesn’t have virtual media and absolute mouse synchronization for $99 U.S. List Price.
10. I want to connect a PX to a Dominion KX II. How do I do this?
    You should use the D2CIM-PWR to connect a PX (or the existing RPC) to a KX II.
11. I want to connect a PX to a Dominion KX I. How do I do this?
    You should use the P2CIM-PWR to connect a PX (or the existing RPC) to a KX I.
12. Why did you develop the DCIM-USBG2?
    The DCIM-USBG2 has a more modern architecture based on the P2CIM-AUSB. It replaces the DCIM-USB and DCIM-SUSB (via switch on the CIM) and supports more server types. It can be used with both KX I and KX II.
    
13. Does the DCIM-USBG2 support virtual media and absolute mouse synch?
    No, the D2CIM-DVUSB or D2CIM-VUSB is required for these features.
14. What about Mac target servers? What CIM should be used?
    For a Mac target server, we recommend the D2CIM-VUSB and absolute mouse synchronization. The "MAC OS X (10.4.9 and later)" USB profile should be used when in the OS and the "BIOS Mac" USB profile when in the Mac BIOS.
15. I have a few serial devices that I want to connect to a KX II. Can I?
    Yes, the P2CIM-SER can be used to connect serial devices to a KX II.
16. What CIM should I use with a blade server?
    DCIM-PS2, DCIM-USBG2, D2CIM-VUSB or D2CIM-DVUSB. See the section in this guide for more information.

What is Virtualization?

Virtualization is a proven software technology that is rapidly transforming the IT landscape and fundamentally changing the way that people compute. Today’s powerful x86 computer hardware was designed to run a single operating system and a single application. This leaves most machines vastly underutilized. Virtualization lets you run multiple virtual machines on a single physical machine, sharing the resources of that single computer across multiple environments. Different virtual machines can run different operating systems and multiple applications on the same physical computer.

How Does Virtualization Work?

Virtualization software will transform or “virtualize” the hardware resources of an x86-based computer—including the CPU, RAM, hard disk and network controller—to create a fully functional virtual machine that can run its own operating system and applications just like a “real” computer. Each virtual machine contains a complete system, eliminating potential conflicts. Virtualization works by inserting a thin layer of software directly on the computer hardware or on a host operating system. This contains a virtual machine monitor that allocates hardware resources dynamically and transparently. Multiple operating systems run concurrently on a single physical computer and share hardware resources with each other. By encapsulating an entire machine, including CPU, memory, operating system, and network devices, a virtual machine is completely compatible with all standard x86 operating systems, applications, and device drivers. You can safely run several operating systems and applications at the same time on a single computer, with each having access to the resources it needs when it needs them.

Why Your Company Should Virtualize?

Virtualizing your IT infrastructure lets you reduce IT costs while increasing the efficiency, utilization, and flexibility of your existing assets. Around the world, companies of every size benefit from virtualization. Thousands of organizations—including all of the Fortune 100—use virtualization solutions. See how building a virtual data center will benefit your organization.

Top 5 Reasons to Adopt Virtualization Software

1. Get more out of your existing resources: Pool common infrastructure resources and break the legacy “one application to one server” model with server consolidation.
2. Reduce data center costs by reducing your physical infrastructure and improving your server to admin ratio: Fewer servers and related IT hardware means reduced real estate and reduced power and cooling requirements. Better management tools let you improve your server to admin ratio so personnel requirements are reduced as well.
3. Increase availability of hardware and applications for improved business continuity: Securely backup and migrate entire virtual environments with no interruption in service. Eliminate planned downtime and recover immediately from unplanned issues.
4. Gain operational flexibility: Respond to market changes with dynamic resource management, faster server provisioning and improved desktop and application deployment.
5. Improve desktop manageability and security: Deploy, manage and monitor secure desktop environments that users can access locally or remotely, with or without a network connection, on almost any standard desktop, laptop or tablet PC.

Learn More about the Power of Virtualization

Put the power of virtualization to work for your organization today! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to find out more about how your organization can achieve rapid IT optimization with a virtual infrastructure, as well as benchmarking ways for measuring the performance improvements gained through the use of virtualization technology.