Windows console

You interact with your integrated server using a Windows console. Depending on your configuration of hardware and software, you can use a monitor, keyboard, and mouse that is attached by one of the following methods:

Directly attached monitor, keyboard, and mouse

You can use a monitor, keyboard, and mouse that are directly attached to the IXS card, an IXA attached xSeries® server, or an iSCSI attached xSeries or BladeCenter™ server, forming the integrated server console. You interact with the integrated server through these devices exactly as you would with a regular personal computer (PC).

Start of change The iSCSI attached servers require some preinstallation hardware set up. This set up is performed using the directly attached monitor, keyboard and mouse. End of change

Remote GUI desktop application

Start of change You can use an application such as Microsoft® Terminal Services, Remote Desktop, or another third party application to display the server's graphical user interface (GUI) desktop on a remote workstation. Most administration tasks that are normally performed on the server's directly attached console can be performed on the remote desktop. See the Microsoft Terminal Services or other third party application documentation for information about how to configure and use a remote desktop for the server console. End of change

Virtual serial console

i5/OS™ provides the ability to connect to a virtual serial console for a type 4812 IXS. This is similar to the i5/OS virtual serial console support that is provided for iSeries™ logical partitions. It provides a text-mode console for the 4812 IXS server and can be used for various administration tasks that do not require access to a graphical user interface (GUI) desktop. See Connect to the 4812 IXS virtual serial console for information about how to establish a session with the virtual serial console for a particular 4812 IXS.

The virtual serial console is currently supported for use with Windows Server 2003 only. It can be used to view server errors or to restore communication to the LAN. This console connection can be used before configuring TCP/IP on the server. See the Microsoft Emergency Management Services document Link outside Information Center (www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/default.mspx ) for information about the tasks that can be performed using the virtual serial console. Note that:

i5/OS does most of the configuration for the virtual serial console automatically, so some of the configuration tasks mentioned in the Microsoft documentation are unnecessary for the i5/OS virtual serial console.
The iSeries implementation does not require any of the additional hardware, such as modems, concentrators, or cables, which are mentioned in the Microsoft documentation.

Remote Supervisor Adapter II Graphical console redirection

For xSeries servers equipped with an RSA II, the RSA II also provides full hardware based graphical console redirection, which means you can use a local desktop to access and control a remote server.