1: Introduction

One-Click Access to Blades and Switches

Placing the mouse cursor over a chassis name from the Chassis List form allows the system administrator to access the BladeManager through the web or CLI. The default session type is configurable.

To access a blade, the regular user can choose and click on any blade or switch listed on the Blades List form. This opens a console session (through Secure Shell) for that particular blade, allowing the user to remotely fix problems related to the target blade.

By placing the mouse cursor over a blade or switch console name from the Blades List form, the user can select KVM, serial over LAN (SOL), or to power ON/OFF the selected blade or switch.

Centralized Data Logging System

The BladeManager provides continuous online and offline data logging of all system messages. It captures all console log messages and writes them to its internal hard disk drive. With a console log capacity of 20GB, the secure online/offline storage ensures availability of all important console messages.

Each line of the logfile contains a timestamp (a feature which prevents tampering) and provides a tool for analyses and audit trailing. Each time a user connects to a blade or switch, BladeManager adds a timestamp to the log file. The user identification timestamp is recorded in the data buffer and logged separately on the BladeManager access log database.

Log File Compression and Rotation

When a log file reaches a certain size (which is specified by the administrator), the system automatically compresses the file and then creates a new file to collect a new set of console data. The file rotation should be seamless with no data loss as the system copies from one file to another.

The administrator has the option to move the compressed log file to another server for archiving.

Prioritized Triggers & Alarms

BladeManager’s event handling feature enables the system to identify possible issues and alert the user. As the BladeManager sends a message to the hard disk for storing and consolidation, it also scans the message for

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AlterPath BladeManager Manual

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Cyclades AlterPath BladeManager user manual One-Click Access to Blades and Switches, Centralized Data Logging System