Conserver
Encyclopedia
Conserver is a serial console management system that provides remote access to system console
s and logs to a central (master) host. It supports both local and network serial connections and allows replay of the server console history even if the server is down. Multiple users can connect to a single serial connection, with one having write-access.
IV, in Colorado Springs in 1990. A similar program had previously been written at Purdue University. Those authors assumed that Fine's code was based on their version, so forked Fine's code, modified it and released it as version 8.. This fork
ed into different versions (generally v8.) used by Sun Microsystems
, IBM
, and numerous others. Bryan Stansell later merged the forks with most features and added TCP Wrapper
access control, SSL
encryption, UDS
networking and PAM
authentication support; as well as accepting patches submitted by others.
serial wired multi-port cards. Modern day setups (generally) use separate management Ethernet
networks and console servers. Generally some form of reverse telnet
or SSH
is used, however it is not limited to any one form of network protocol, in that command-line tools spawn can create a (virtual) serial channel (such as SOL
for instance) as well. As such the conserver can basically plug (into) and manage all that IPMI
jazz. Its unix domain socket support allows a VMware
virtual machine
or a User-mode Linux
host to log the console output of guests.
Conserver is generally used in computer cluster setups too, logging messages either via a terminal server or with an instance running on every node monitoring the console of the next machine, known as daisy-chaining.
System console
The system console, root console or simply console is the text entry and display device for system administration messages, particularly those from the BIOS or boot loader, the kernel, from the init system and from the system logger...
s and logs to a central (master) host. It supports both local and network serial connections and allows replay of the server console history even if the server is down. Multiple users can connect to a single serial connection, with one having write-access.
History
"Console server" as it was originally known, was written by Tom Fine, and was presented with source code to the world at large during LISALISA (conference)
LISA is the Large Installation System Administration Conference, co-sponsored by the computing professional organizations USENIX and SAGE.The word "large" was dropped from the title of the 6th conference in 1992 . The full acronym was restored in the title of the 2003 conference and remains in use...
IV, in Colorado Springs in 1990. A similar program had previously been written at Purdue University. Those authors assumed that Fine's code was based on their version, so forked Fine's code, modified it and released it as version 8.. This fork
Fork (software development)
In software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
ed into different versions (generally v8.
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, and numerous others. Bryan Stansell later merged the forks with most features and added TCP Wrapper
TCP Wrapper
TCP Wrapper is a host-based networking ACL system, used to filter network access to Internet Protocol servers on operating systems such as Linux or BSD...
access control, SSL
Transport Layer Security
Transport Layer Security and its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer , are cryptographic protocols that provide communication security over the Internet...
encryption, UDS
Unix domain socket
A Unix domain socket or IPC socket is a data communications endpoint for exchanging data between processes executing within the same host operating system. While similar in functionality to...
networking and PAM
Pluggable Authentication Modules
Pluggable authentication modules are a mechanism to integrate multiple low-level authentication schemes into a high-level application programming interface . It allows programs that rely on authentication to be written independent of the underlying authentication scheme...
authentication support; as well as accepting patches submitted by others.
Modern usage
The conserver was written to be used with RS-232RS-232
In telecommunications, RS-232 is the traditional name for a series of standards for serial binary single-ended data and control signals connecting between a DTE and a DCE . It is commonly used in computer serial ports...
serial wired multi-port cards. Modern day setups (generally) use separate management Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
networks and console servers. Generally some form of reverse telnet
Reverse telnet
Reverse telnet is a specialized application of telnet, where the server side of the connection reads and writes data to a TTY line , rather than providing a command shell to the host device. Typically, reverse telnet is implemented on an embedded device , which has an Ethernet network interface...
or SSH
Secure Shell
Secure Shell is a network protocol for secure data communication, remote shell services or command execution and other secure network services between two networked computers that it connects via a secure channel over an insecure network: a server and a client...
is used, however it is not limited to any one form of network protocol, in that command-line tools spawn can create a (virtual) serial channel (such as SOL
Serial over LAN
Serial Over LAN is a mechanism that enables the input and output of the serial port of a managed system to be redirected over IP.On some managed systems, notably blade server systems, the serial ports on the managed computers are not normally connected to a traditional serial port socket...
for instance) as well. As such the conserver can basically plug (into) and manage all that IPMI
Intelligent Platform Management Interface
The Intelligent Platform Management Interface is a standardizedcomputer system interface used by system administrators to manage a computer system and monitor its operation....
jazz. Its unix domain socket support allows a VMware
VMware
VMware, Inc. is a company providing virtualization software founded in 1998 and based in Palo Alto, California, USA. The company was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2004, and operates as a separate software subsidiary ....
virtual machine
Virtual machine
A virtual machine is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system". Modern virtual machines are implemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization or both together.-VM Definitions:A virtual machine is a software...
or a User-mode Linux
User-mode Linux
User-mode Linux enables multiple virtual Linux systems to run as an application within a normal Linux system...
host to log the console output of guests.
Conserver is generally used in computer cluster setups too, logging messages either via a terminal server or with an instance running on every node monitoring the console of the next machine, known as daisy-chaining.
Console Server and Adapter References
Other
- Improving server management with Minicom and conserver by Paul Virijevich September 6, 2006
- Tip of the Trade: Conserver by Carla Schroder May 8, 2007
- Lights Out Management by hcoyote on Thu, 2006-11-09