CHAPTER 38

Starting the KVM Console
Thischapter includes the followingsections:
•KVMConsole, page 611
•Startingthe KVM Consolefrom a Server, page 615
•Startingthe KVM Consolefrom a Service Profile , page 615
•Startingthe KVM Console from the KVM Launch Manager, page 615

KVM Console

TheKVM console is an interface accessible from the Cisco UCS Manager GUI or the KVM Launch Manager
thatemulates a direct KVM connection. Unlike the KVM dongle, which requires you to be physically connected
tothe server, the KVM console allows you to connect to the server from a remote location across the network.
Youmust ensure that either the server or the service profile associated with the server is configured with a
CIMCIP address if you want to use the KVM console to access the server. The KVM console uses the CIMC
IPaddress assigned to a server or a service profile to identify and connect with the correct server in a Cisco
UCS.
Insteadof using CD/DVD or floppy drives directlyconnected to the server, the KVM console uses virtual
media,which are actual disk drives ordisk imagefiles that are mapped to virtualCD/DVD or floppy drives.
Youcan map any of the following to virtual drives:
• CD/DVD or floppy drives on your computer
• Disk image files on your computer
• CD/DVD or floppy drives on the network
• Disk image files on the network
Recommendations for Using the KVM Console to Install a Server OS
Toinstall an OS from a virtual CD/DVD or floppy drive, you must ensure that the virtual CD/DVD or floppy
driveis set as the firstboot devicein theservice profile.
Installingan OS using the KVM console may be slower than using the KVM dongle because the installation
filesmust be downloaded across the network to the server. If you map a disk drive or disk image file from a
Cisco UCS Manager GUI Configuration Guide, Release 2.0
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