2 MergePoint 5224/5240 Service Processor Manager User Guide
Supported Target Devices
A target device managed by the MergePoint 5224/5240 SP manager can be one of the following:
• An SP on a server. SPs are out-of-band management controllers that many vendors include in
their servers.
• A server or other type of device that does not have an SP but that provides access to its
command line through a dedicated Ethernet port. This type of device includes servers that
redirect their serial console output to dedicated Ethernet ports (which provide a type of access
generally referred to as serial over LAN or SoL).
• A device with a dedicated Ethernet port that supports management access via Telnet, SSH,
SNMP or by means of the MergePoint 5224/5240 SP manager’s native IP access capability.
NOTE: The terms target device and connected device are used in this guide when referring to an SP, server or
other connected device, unless otherwise stated.
MergePoint 5224/5240 SP Manager’s Advantages for Target Device Management
The MergePoint 5224/5240 SP manager, also called the appliance, controls access to
server-management services that are provided by direct connected SPs and to other types of
services that may be provided by other connected devices without SPs. Connected and configured
devices are referred to as target devices.
A MergePoint 5224/5240 SP manager may be managed and target devices may be accessed
through DSView 3 management software, as described in the document Managing MergePoint
5224/5240 Service Processor Managers Using DSView 3 Management Software. Alternately, a
standalone MergePoint 5224/5240 SP manager may be managed and its target devices may be
accessed using the Web Manager or console connections.
When managed as a standalone, the MergePoint 5224/5240 SP manager provides a single source
for authentication, authorization-checking and management for multiple types of SPs. When
managed using DSView 3 management software, the DSView 3 software acts as the single source.
Whichever way users access the MergePoint 5224/5240 SP manager, users can manage multiple
servers with SPs from a single point without having to learn how to use multiple SP-management
interfaces. For example, power management is provided by most SPs but each SP has its own
interface and its own commands for power management. The MergePoint 5224/5240 SP manager
allows an authorized user to manage power on multiple servers with SPs from multiple vendors
using a single interface and a single set of power commands.
The security features provided by the MergePoint 5224/5240 SP manager work together to create a
secure path between a user and a managed server or target device.