Console interaction handling in a data processing network
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMichael David Kistler, Freeman Leigh Rawson, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A data processing network in which console interactions are communicated to and from server appliances over the network. The system may include a server appliance configured to re-direct serial port transactions to a network port. The service appliance may include a mechanism for transmitting and receiving console data and control information via the network. The system further includes a console server for accepting and displaying console traffic that is sent over the network by a server appliance and for transmitting commands entered by a user back to the server appliance for processing.
Claims20
A server appliance configured for use in a data processing network, comprising:
- an application program suitable for issuing and receiving console transactions;
- an operating system configured to direct console transactions issued and received by the application program through a serial port;
- a snooping unit configured to capture the console transactions directed through the serial port and modify the transactions according to a network protocol;
- and
- a network interface card connecting the server appliance to a network and configured to transmit the modified transactions over the network.
A data processing system, comprising:
- at least one server appliance connected to a network, the server appliance including an operating system configured to direct console transactions issued by the server appliance to a serial port and a network interface card configured to capture console transactions directed through the serial port, modify the captured transactions according to a network protocol, and transmit the modified transactions over the network as a network packet;
- and
- a console server connected to the network, wherein the console server includes a network interface card configured to receive the network packets, an emulator including a network portion configured to process network protocol information of the modified transactions and to a serial portion configured to interpret the console transactions contained in the modified transactions, and console devices including a keyboard, mouse, and display terminal configured to communicate console transactions with the emulator.
A console server suitable for use in a data processing network, comprising:
- console devices including a keyboard, mouse, and video terminal;
- an operating system configured to communicate with the console devices;
- a network interface card connecting the console server to a network;
- and
- an emulator configured to communicate with the console devices via the operating system, wherein the emulator includes a serial portion configured to interpret a serial protocol used by a server appliance connected to the network to communicate with its serial port and further wherein the emulator includes a network portion configured to enable the console server to communicate with the server appliance via the network interface card using a network protocol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.