The okvm project team develops open source technologies for the console and KVM segments of the remote management world. One outcome is the okvm KVM Development Kit. This kit a prototyping platform that enables development engineers (with Linux experience) to cost effectively build their own integrated KVM over IP control appliances.

Opengear has produced a number of the KVM PCI cards and is now supplying the okvm KVM Development Kit to developers at cost (US$200 + freight). These kits include:

• one okvm PCI KVM Adapter card
• the okvm KVM over IP software source code
• the source information needed to manufacture the okvm PCI KVM Adapter card (circuit diagrams, BOM,PCD layout etc)

To order contact sales@opengear.com ... and please do note that the okvm KVM Development Kit is a development platform - not a production quality product - and the support for this kit is what is available from members of the okvm open source project team.

The Software
The okvm software contains both the KVM over IP management software and the okvm Serial over IP (console management) software. It is built with the uClinux kernel and standard networking tools, and combines modified VNC server and client software with OpenSSL. The majority of the project is written in C and the okvm management software runs on any x8 platform (eg a standard PC). Source code is also available, so software can be ported to other CPU platforms. The okvm manager is simply configured by editing the Linux config files ... however, for KVM operation, it does require additional hardware. The okvm KVM and Serial over IP software can be downloaded today from okvm.sf.net. It also ships on CD with KVM Development Kit.

The Hardware
Implementing KVM over IP on a PC platform requires a hardware component to deliver the keyboard/ video/ mouse interfaces. To enable this, the okvm team is delivering "open source" PCI card designs (which anyone is free to build). These low cost PCI cards can be installed in any suitable PC system running the okvm Linux software, and they will implement the keyboard, video and mouse capture/emulation support required for a fully featured KVM over IP management server.

okvm's PCI KVM Adapter
The first open source PCI adapter design uses the Jepico j-L201 graphics processor; and The circuit diagrams and other hardware source documentation can be downloaded now from okvm.sf.net enabling third parties to freely manufacture their own cards. Also Opengear is manufacturing these cards, and supplying them at cost to developers. The drivers for the video, keyboard and mouse capture/emulation and the PCI control are included in the open source okvm KVM software. The adapter has four basic functions:

1. Capture PC Screen RGB video at 1024x768 75Hz into a host accessible frame buffer (1280x1024 capable)
   
   
   • Modified VNC server software sends screen changes to the remote VNC client at a lower frame rate
2. Emulate the keyboard function at the target server being controlled
   
   
   • VNC server software receives remote client keyboard strokes
   • The keyboard emulation hardware sends these to the target server using PS/2 protocol
3. Emulate the mouse function at the target server being controlled
   
   
   • VNC server software receives client mouse movements
   • The mouse emulation hardware sends these to the target server using PS/2 protocol
4. Interoperate with an external multi-channel analog or digital KVM switch
   
   
   • An external low-cost KVM switch allows KVM access to multiple servers, one at a time

More detail ....


The block diagram shows how the basic okvm functions are provided on the PCI cards:

• PCI Bridge couples target I/O and DMA devices to host CPU
• RGB Digitizer converts analog SXGA signal to 48-bit digital and has an I2C interface for video configuration
• Image Streaming Platform LSI JEPICO j-L201 captures digital image into frame buffer memory
• Dual port RAM is a convenient means for the host to transfer keyboard and mouse protocol bytes to Micro controller
• Micro controller transfers keyboard and mouse protocol bytes to target system using PS/2 2-wire clocked serial interface

okvm Project Overview

The goal of the okvm project is to "open up" the Serial over IP and the KVM over IP segments of the remote management world, by developing some reference designs. Opengear is one of the commercial businesses supporting the okvm project team in their development efforts. Opengear also builds a range of products that embed the okvm core technology.

The first such okvm product is the CMx8604 Console Server Kit which was released May 2005. This kit includes the okvm console management software, a generic four port PCI multiport card, and Opengear's proprietary Web browser interface tools. The CMx8604 kit has been rigorously tested, extensively documented and fully productized ... so it enables serious system and network managers to build their own quality console servers. The okvm console management software manages RS232 serial port hardware (to connect to the servers and the network appliances being managed). It will work with the standard PC serial COM ports (if there are any), and with most popular multiport cards. Also with source code access, the developer community can use the kit as a platform on which to develop their own custom serial control appliances. The CMx8604 Console Server Kit is readily available and it is list priced at US$149.