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Heralded as one of the most elite and distinguished
research institutions in the country, the California Institute of Technology
(Caltech) has graduated some of the finest intellect in the world, including
17 Nobel Prize-winning scientists in nearly every technical field. Some
famous Caltech alumni include Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel Corp., and
Charles Francis Richter, creator of the Richter Magnitude Scale.
Caltech is an independent, privately supported university based in Pasadena,
Calif., that offers some 40 areas of concentration in science, mathematics,
engineering, and the humanities and social sciences for its 2,000-plus
student body. Caltech’s Computer Science Department houses a research group
laboratory for research on algorithms, communication protocols, networks,
graphics and human-computer interaction, and large-scale scientific
computing. The department provides IT support for users of the research
laboratory.
The department contains a cluster of 40 computers running Linux and Windows
platforms used for research projects. According to Rafi Rubin, computer
science research staff member, his laboratory needed local and remote access
to monitor uptime, simplify the debugging process and installation/upgrading
of operating systems. Keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) solutions provided the
answer to Rubin’s remote-management conundrum. Without KVM technology, the
lab was unable to diagnose operating system and hardware crashes on its
machines remotely.
After purchasing a set of rackmount computers from a Los Angeles-based
vendor, Rubin also requested a KVM solution from the same reseller. After
the installation, Rubin realized that the solution lacked key functionality.
Rubin was then introduced to ATEN Technology and its enterprise-class KVM
solutions. “We found the KVM solution to be very reliable and loved the
keyboard/mouse emulation feature,” he says. As the lab expanded, Rubin
purchased additional KVMs from ATEN.
In one rack, Rubin installed ATEN’s MasterView ACS1216 and ACS1216a 16-port
KVM solutions and a KL0116 LCD Console KVM switch. On the rack adjacent, the
lab houses an ATEN KH0116 16-port KVM switch and KA9250 (KVM extender
module, which connects to the KH0116) and a CN6000 KVM over NET unit.
According to Rubin, the quality and feature set, as well as the emulation
functionality of the KVMs, were key factors in choosing ATEN. The CN6000 is
a remote KVM access device that provides IT administrators with the ability
to diagnose, control and repair server-based problems from any location in
real time.
“ATEN’s KVM solutions had the scalability we needed to expand our server
room, and at a cost that was affordable for us,” Rubin explains. “The KVMs
are daisy chainable, allowing us to connect them to one large chain. And the
newer KVM solutions are compatible with the older units we purchased in
2002.”
According to Rubin, his lab has experienced better cable management and
increased time savings. He adds that the relatively compact size of the ATEN
units has proved invaluable for his lab. “Rack space is always at a premium
in a data center or server room, making it important to select solutions
that combine a range of functionality in a small compartment,” he says. “The
KVM solutions we selected were 1U high–perfect for our operations.”
For more information from ATEN:
www.rsleads.com/511cn-250
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