[AG-TECH] KVMs for AG?

[Rob Ellison-Potter]

Has anybody had some positive experiences using VNC as a work around to
this. I.E., VNC to your other machines so you don't have to use the KVM.

thanks,

rob
Robert Ellison-Potter
Jr. Network Administrator
SC-31 US Dept of Energy
rellisonpotter at er.doe.gov
301-903-3080
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Weaver" <weaver at er.doe.gov>
To: "Don Morton" <morton at cs.umt.edu>; "Tom Coffin" <tcoffin at ncsa.uiuc.edu>
Cc: <ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov>; <bernholdtde at ornl.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 11:32 AM
Subject: Re: [AG-TECH] KVMs for AG?


> The Belkin manual mentions (in small print) in a couple of places not to
> move the mouse or use the keyboard when switching channels and that the
> mouse will be unresponsive for 1-2 seconds after a switch.  We try to be
as
> careful about this as possible!  It also states not to use the keyboard or
> mouse on the active channel if the computer is booting as this can cause
the
> computer not to see the device.
>
> That being said, I can reboot a working machine on channel 1, switch to
> channel 2, wait exactly 5.2371 seconds, work on channel 2 for a while then
> switch back to channel 1.  Wait another 5.2371 seconds and find that the
> keyboard (or sometimes mouse) doesn't work.  I know that mouse
> synchronization in particular is a very difficult problem for KVM
switches,
> but I do not see these kinds of problems on other brands ( we also use
Rose
> and Avocent/Cybex).
>
> Mike
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Don Morton" <morton at cs.umt.edu>
> To: "Tom Coffin" <tcoffin at ncsa.uiuc.edu>
> Cc: "Mike Weaver" <weaver at er.doe.gov>; <ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov>;
> <bernholdtde at ornl.gov>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 9:49 AM
> Subject: Re: [AG-TECH] KVMs for AG?
>
>
> > Tom Coffin wrote:
> > >
> > > I have noticed that with these switches they somtimes
> > > freeze the mouse and keyboard if you are sending mouse
> > > commands while switching.
> > > I was recently putting our switch through some rugged testing
> > > and figured that I really need to be patient or use a
> > > slower process while switching. I now make sure that I am not
> > > touching the mouse while switching. Let me know if the mouse
> > > and keyboard still freeze while trying this movement.
> > > Not a solution - but a workaround...
> >
> > yep, completely unscientific analysis and fix but, same
> > situation here :)  i've found that it takes a few seconds
> > for the electrons to switch between two machines and, once
> > i actually do the keyboard switch, if i wait about
> > 5.2371 seconds, then i can usually start moving the mouse
> > without having things freeze up on me.  so, i'm being
> > sarcastic but, it IS true that just waiting several
> > seconds before moving the mouse typically reduces the
> > chance of a freeze up.
> > --
> >    Don Morton                   http://MRoCCS.cs.umt.edu/~morton/
> >    Department of Computer Science       The University of Montana
> >    Missoula, MT 59812 | Voice (406) 243-4975 | Fax (406) 243-5139