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This chapter includes the following sections:
The KVM console is an interface accessible from the Cisco UCS Manager GUI or the KVM Launch Manager that emulates a direct KVM connection. Unlike the KVM dongle, which requires you to be physically connected to the server, the KVM console allows you to connect to the server from a remote location across the network.
You must ensure that either the server or the service profile associated with the server is configured with a CIMC IP address if you want to use the KVM console to access the server. The KVM console uses the CIMC IP address assigned to a server or a service profile to identify and connect with the correct server in a Cisco UCS.
Instead of using CD/DVD or floppy drives directly connected to the server, the KVM console uses virtual media, which are actual disk drives or disk image files that are mapped to virtual CD/DVD or floppy drives. You can map any of the following to virtual drives:
To install an OS from a virtual CD/DVD or floppy drive, you must ensure that the virtual CD/DVD or floppy drive is set as the first boot device in the service profile.
Installing an OS using the KVM console may be slower than using the KVM dongle because the installation files must be downloaded across the network to the server. If you map a disk drive or disk image file from a network share to a virtual drive, the installation may be even slower because the installation files must be downloaded from the network to the KVM console (your computer) and then from the KVM console to the server. When using this installation method, we recommend that you have the installation media as close as possible to the system with the KVM console.
The KVM console is an interface accessible from CIMC that emulates a direct keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) connection to the server. It allows you to connect to and control the server from a remote location, and to map physical locations to virtual drives that can by accessed by the server during this KVM session.
The KVM console requires JRE (Java Runtime Environment) version 1.5.0 or higher.
This tab provides command line access to the server. The menu options available in this tab are described below.
Instead of using CD/DVD or floppy drives physically connected to the server, the KVM console uses virtual media, which are actual disk drives or disk image files that are mapped to virtual CD/DVD or floppy drives on the server. The Client View table displays the floppy images, floppy drives, CD/DVD drives, and ISO images that are available to the server.
Note |
In order to use virtual media, the Enabled check box must be checked on the Virtual Media tab. |
Menu Item | Description | ||
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Capture to File |
Opens the Save dialog box that lets you save the current screen as a JPG image.
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Exit |
Closes the KVM console. |
Menu Item | Description |
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Refresh |
Updates the console display with the server's current video output. |
Full Screen |
Expands the KVM console so that it fills the entire screen. |
Windowed |
Returns the KVM console to Windowed mode where it can be resized. |
Fit |
Resizes the console window to the minimum size needed to display the video image from the server. This option is only available if the console is in Windowed mode. |
Select the keyboard shortcut you want to execute on the remote system.
Menu Item | Description |
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Session Options |
Opens the Session Options dialog box that lets you specify: |
Single Cursor |
Turns on the single cursor feature, which offsets mouse alignment issues encountered on some remote operating systems. When you turn this feature on, the mouse pointer is trapped within the viewer window. To turn the feature off, press the termination key specified in the Session Options dialog box. |
Stats |
Opens the Stats dialog box, which displays the: |
Session User List | Opens the Session User List dialog box that shows all the user IDs that have an active KVM session. |
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. | ||
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . | ||
Step 3 | Choose the server that you want to access through the KVM console. | ||
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. | ||
Step 5 |
In the Actions area, click KVM Console. The KVM console opens in a separate window.
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Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Servers tab. | ||
Step 2 | On the Servers tab, expand . | ||
Step 3 |
Expand the node for the organization which contains the service profile for which you want to launch the KVM console. If the system does not include multi-tenancy, expand the root node. |
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Step 4 | Choose the service profile for which you need KVM access to the associated server. | ||
Step 5 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. | ||
Step 6 |
In the Actions area, click KVM Console. The KVM console opens in a separate window.
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The KVM Launch Manager enables you to access a server through the KVM console without logging in to Cisco UCS Manager.
To access the KVM console for a server through the KVM Launch Manager, you need the following:
Step 1 |
In your web browser, type or select the web link for Cisco UCS Manager GUI. Example: The default web link is http://UCSManager_IP or https://UCSManager_IP . In a standalone configuration, UCSManager_IP is the IP address for the management port on the fabric interconnect. In a cluster configuration, UCSManager_IP is the IP address assigned to Cisco UCS Manager. |
Step 2 | On the Cisco UCS Manager page, click KVM Launch Manager. |
Step 3 | On the UCS - KVM Launch Manager Login page, do the following: |
Step 4 |
In the Service Profiles table of the KVM Launch Manager, do the following:
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