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Controlling serial power switches
The Opengear console server can locally or remotely control a whole range of power devices. Power switches which are browser controlled over their LAN port can be securely controlled, using SDT. Similarly servers with embedded power controls can be controlled with IPMI or direct BMC commands (refer faq 257). Serially controlled power switches can be can be accessed directly (refer faq 242) and controlled using ASCII commands. Some of these commands are exemplified below - and you can see that controlling serial power switch devices at this level can complex.
To simplify serial port control, the control sequences for a number of popular power products have been built into the console server Management Console. This tool enables you to Power ON, Power OFF, Power Cycle or Display Status for each selected outlet. Supported power strips include devices from APC, Aviosys/IP Power, Dataprobe, Micro Energetics, ROSE Electronics, Server Technology and Western Telematic.
To set up a serially connected power switch:
- At the Serial and Network: Serial menu, select Power Strip Mode
- Then select the Power Device Type for the switch being controlled. This selection will cause information contained in /etc/powerstrips.xml to be used to configure and control devices attached to the nominated serial port. The configuration also looks for (and loads) /etc/config/powerstrips.xml if it exists.
- As Administrator you can add support for additional devices by putting new definitions into /etc/config/powerstrips.xml. This file can be created on a host system and copied to the console manager device. The console server User Manual provides the necessary details of the required XML entries. etc.
The Power Manager section has been recently (post V2.2) added to the console server Management Console to enable both Users and Administrators to access and control configured serial port controlled power strips (and network attached servers and appliances with embedded IPMI service processors or BMCs):
- Select the Manage: Power menu and the particular Target power device to be controlled
- Then initiate the desired Action to be taken by selecting the appropriate Power ON, Power OFF, Power Cycle or Power Status icon. You will only be presented with icons for those operations that are supported by the Target you have selected
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