Service processors are dedicated processors located within servers that can be used for remote server management. Service processors enable remote access to power control, sensor readings and, in some cases, server configuration, monitoring and control–even when a server is down.

Common service processors include the open-source IPMI, as well as vendor-specific types such as HP iLO, Dell DRAC, IBM RSA, and Sun ALOM and ILOM. Service processors are already widely deployed in data centers and enterprise environments, since the majority of servers purchased in the past three years include some form of embedded service processor.

Service processors simplify server management, and the streamlining and remote-management capabilities they offer can lead to significant savings in operational costs. Service processors also offer improved visibility into the status of a server’s health, helping IT administrators ensure that servers are in good shape.

The mainstream adoption of service processors, however, has been hampered by a number of factors. Primarily, many enterprises are unaware of the potential power of service processors. There are also a number of specific concerns about how to integrate service processors into the existing management framework. Chief concerns for enterprises include:

extra costs for service processors requiring a dedicated Ethernet port, both from having an additional Ethernet port available and from the maintenance of the connection;
lack of proper authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) security support built into service processors, preventing integration and compliance with existing security policies;
consolidation tools for multiple servers that are either vendor-specific or feature-light, causing interoperability and scalability issues; and
lack of standardization and limitations of vendor-specific tools.

Server vendors, and thus service processor vendors, also present a problem. In the process of differentiating their servers from others, they have created a compatibility challenge. Enterprises trying to streamline server management generally are operating in mixed server environments–with widely deployed servers from a number of vendors across their data centers. This is where service-processor managers come into play.

Service-processor managers enable faster troubleshooting and problem resolution through proactive monitoring and maintenance of server health. Service-processor managers enable IT administrators to perform secure, remote management of servers with service-processor technologies from any location. They consolidate and streamline the management of service processors, leveraging their benefits without introducing a time-consuming IT headache. Some key factors to consider when looking at service-processor managers:

Vendor-agnostic managers enable the management of service processors across every server, regardless of their make.
Appliances that consolidate service processor Ethernet ports can significantly reduce deployment costs.
Built-in AAA security features enable users to leverage all of the functionality available from the service processor without any compromise to security.

Ivan Passos is director of product management at Avocent Corp., Huntsville, Ala.

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