Choosing the Right Remote Management Solution

We look at the various options available in remote server management and how they can ease the job for system admins.

- Sanjay Motwani

IT managers have a lot on their plates when it comes to managing servers both in-house and remotely, especially if they work in environments where they need access to multiple systems regardless of whether they are onsite or at a separate location. Most of the companies are shifting to web-centric computing to support their extended enterprises. This shift has led to the phenomenon of data center sprawl - the proliferation of large, multiplatform, heterogeneous IT infrastructures with geographically distributed applications and human resources. Managing all of these servers and peripherals have become even more of a challenge as issues of security, reliability, and serviceability have grown in importance for IT managers and CIOs.

Fortunately, there are plenty of solutions to consider for remote server management that is unique from one another but can also be used together in certain situations to cover all the bases.

Availability of Multiple Options

With remote server management, there are many different options available. KVM switches aggregate the monitor, keyboard, and mouse cabling into a central console that includes a switching box, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. It is commonly used in smaller data centers that require direct physical interaction with servers or in environments that have strict security constraints.