Avocent Cyclades ACS 6000 Service manual

Installation/Administration/User
Guide
For Technical Support:
www.avocent.com/support
590-767-501A
Cyclades
®
ACS 6000
590-767-501A_ACS_6000_IAUG_cover.indd 1 1/24/08 2:26:22 PM

FCC Warning Statement
The Cyclades ACS advanced console server has been tested and found to comply with the limits for
Class A digital devices, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment.
This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the Installation and Service Manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications.
Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the
user is required to correct the problem at his or her own expense.
Notice about FCC Compliance for All Cyclades ACS Advanced Console
Server Models
To comply with FCC standards, the Cyclades ACS advanced console server requires the use of a
shielded CAT 5 cable for the Ethernet interface. Notice that this cable is not supplied with either of the
products and must be provided by the customer.
Canadian DOC Notice
The Cyclades ACS advanced console server does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise
emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian
Department of Communications.
L’Cyclades ACS advanced console server n’émete pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe A prescrites dans le règlement sur le brouillage
radioélectrique edicté par le Ministère des Communications du Canada.
Safety and EMC Approvals and Markings
FCC Class A (USA), CE Class A (EU), ICES-003 (Canada), VCCI (Japan), C-Tick (Australia, no internal
modem), A-Tick (Australia, with internal modem), UL 60950-1 (USA), cUL (Canada), EN-60950-1 (EU),
CB

Cyclades®ACS 6000
Advanced Console Server
Installation/Administration/User
Guide
Avocent, the Avocent logo, The Power of Being There and Cyclades are
registered trademarks of Avocent Corporation or its affiliates. All other
marks are the property of their respective owners.
© 2008 Avocent Corporation. All rights reserved. 590-767-501A

Instructions
This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance
(servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.
Dangerous Voltage
This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the
product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
Power On
This symbol indicates the principal on/off switch is in the on position.
Power Off
This symbol indicates the principal on/off switch is in the off position.
Protective Grounding Terminal
This symbol indicates a terminal which must be connected to earth ground prior to making any other
connections to the equipment.

iii
Table of Contents
List of Figures ................................................................................................................ vii
List of Tables................................................................................................................... ix
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1
Connectors on the ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server...................................................................2
Typical ACS 6000 Network Configuration........................................................................................4
Web Manager.....................................................................................................................................5
Access Options...................................................................................................................................5
IPv4 and IPv6 Support.......................................................................................................................6
Users, Groups and Authorizations.....................................................................................................6
Overview of Configuring User Access to Ports.................................................................................7
Security ..............................................................................................................................................7
Authentication....................................................................................................................................8
VPN Based on IPSec with NAT Traversal..................................................................................9
Packet Filtering .................................................................................................................................9
SNMP.................................................................................................................................................9
Data Logging, Notifications, Alarms and Data Buffering...............................................................10
Power Management Overview.........................................................................................................10
Auto Discovery.................................................................................................................................11
Chapter 2: Installation ................................................................................................... 13
Mount the Console Server................................................................................................................13
Make an Ethernet Connection .........................................................................................................14
Connect Device Consoles or Modems to Serial Ports.....................................................................14
Connect Power Devices...................................................................................................................16
Configure Power for the Console Server.........................................................................................17
Connect to the Network....................................................................................................................18
Make a Direct Connection to Configure Network Parameters .......................................................18
Ways to Access the Web Manager...................................................................................................19
First Time Configuration.................................................................................................................19
Install and Configure PC Cards......................................................................................................22
Chapter 3: Access with the Web Manager, Telnet or SSH ......................................... 25
TABLE OF CONTENTS

iv Cyclades ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Installation/Administration/User Guide
Log Into the Web Manager..............................................................................................................25
Common Features of the Web Manager for Administrators ...........................................................25
Overview of Appliance Settings Options .........................................................................................27
Common Features of the Web Manager for Regular Users ............................................................29
Overview of the Web Manager for Regular Users ..........................................................................29
Telnet/SSH Access to Connected Devices........................................................................................30
Chapter 4: Configuring Network Settings and SNMP................................................. 33
Network Configuration Options.......................................................................................................33
IPv6...........................................................................................................................................33
Devices......................................................................................................................................33
Bonding.....................................................................................................................................34
IPv4 and IPv6 Static Routes.....................................................................................................35
DNS...........................................................................................................................................35
Hosts.........................................................................................................................................36
SNMP...............................................................................................................................................36
Chapter 5: Configuring Security, Authentication and User Settings........................ 39
Security, Authentication and Users Menus......................................................................................39
Security.....................................................................................................................................39
Authentication...........................................................................................................................40
Users.........................................................................................................................................43
Chapter 6: Users and User Groups.............................................................................. 45
User Account Types .........................................................................................................................45
ACS 6000 User Groups....................................................................................................................45
admin Group.............................................................................................................................46
appliance-admin Group............................................................................................................47
user Group................................................................................................................................47
Managing User Groups ...................................................................................................................47
Chapter 7: Ports Configuration..................................................................................... 51
Physical Ports..................................................................................................................................51
CAS Profile ......................................................................................................................................52
Dial-In Profile..................................................................................................................................55
Power Profile...................................................................................................................................57

Table of Contents v
Chapter 8: Power Management..................................................................................... 59
Power Management Options ...........................................................................................................60
Power Configuration .......................................................................................................................60
Configuring a port for a connected PDU.................................................................................61
Chapter 9: Global Settings, Syslog, Event Notification and Firewall........................ 67
Global Settings.................................................................................................................................67
Sessions.....................................................................................................................................67
Sensors......................................................................................................................................67
Event Notifications...........................................................................................................................68
Event Notifications - Settings ...................................................................................................68
Event Notifications - Events......................................................................................................69
Syslog...............................................................................................................................................70
SNMP...............................................................................................................................................70
Firewall configuration..............................................................................................................71
IPSec(VPN)...............................................................................................................................74
Date and Time...........................................................................................................................75
Boot Configuration...................................................................................................................76
Online Help...............................................................................................................................77
Active Sessions..........................................................................................................................77
Monitoring................................................................................................................................78
Appendices..................................................................................................................... 79
Appendix A: Technical Specifications .............................................................................................79
Appendix B: Safety, Regulatory and Compliance Information........................................................81
Appendix C: Technical Support.......................................................................................................85
Index................................................................................................................................ 87

vi Cyclades ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Installation/Administration/User Guide

vii
List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Front of the Console Server with PC Card Slots and LEDs (ACS6032 Console Server
Shown) ............................................................................................................................................2
Figure 1.2: Rear of the Console Server (ACS6032 Console Server Shown)..................................3
Figure 1.3: Typical ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Configuration......................................4
Figure 2.1: Bracket Connections for Front Mount Configuration...............................................13
Figure 2.2: Example: Daisy-chained Cyclades PDUs.................................................................16
Figure 2.3: DC Power Connection Terminal Block.....................................................................17
Figure 3.1: Administrator Web Manager Screen.........................................................................26
Figure 3.2: Web Manager Regular User Screen..........................................................................29
Figure 8.1: Power Configuration of AUX/Modem or Serial Port................................................61
LIST OF FIGURES

viii Cyclades ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Installation/Administration/User Guide

ix
List of Tables
Table 1.1: Connectors on the Console Server Front.........................................................................2
Table 1.2: LEDs on the Console Server Front ..................................................................................2
Table 1.3: Connectors on the Console Server Rear ..........................................................................3
Table 1.4: Typical ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Configuration...........................................4
Table 1.5: Security Profile Services, SSH, and HTTP/HTTPS Definitions.......................................8
Table 2.1: Cyclades Serial Port Pin-out..........................................................................................14
Table 2.2: Cisco Serial Port Pin-out ...............................................................................................14
Table 2.3: DC Power Connection Details.......................................................................................17
Table 2.4: First Time Configuration Menu Options........................................................................19
Table 3.1: Web Manager Screen Areas...........................................................................................26
Table 3.2: Appliance Settings Overview..........................................................................................27
Table 3.3: Web Manager Regular Users Screen Functional Areas ................................................29
Table 3.4: Appliance Settings Overview..........................................................................................29
Table 4.1: Device Configuration Settings........................................................................................34
Table 4.2: Add Static Routes............................................................................................................35
Table 5.1: Security Menu Overview ................................................................................................39
Table 5.2: Password Expiration Parameters ..................................................................................43
Table 7.1: Physical Ports Options...................................................................................................51
Table 7.2: CAS Profile Options.......................................................................................................52
Table 7.3: Dial-In Profile Options ..................................................................................................56
Table 7.4: Power Profile Options....................................................................................................57
Table 8.1: Power Management Tasks Overview .............................................................................59
Table 9.1: Event Notifications - Settings Screen Description .........................................................68
Table 9.2: Syslog Destination..........................................................................................................70
Table 9.3: Firewall Configuration - TCP and UDP Options Fields...............................................72
Table 9.4: Field and Menu Options for Configuring IPSec(VPN)..................................................74
LIST OF TABLES

xCyclades ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Installation/Administration/User Guide
Table 9.5: Boot Configuration Form Fields....................................................................................76
Table 9.6: Monitoring Screens ........................................................................................................78
Table 10.1: Technical Specifications for the ACS 6000 Console Server Hardware.......................79

1
CHAPTER
1Introduction
Each model in the Cyclades ACS 6000 advanced console server series is a 1U appliance that serves
as a single point for access and administration of connected devices. ACS 6000 console servers
support secure remote data center management and out-of-band management of IT assets from any
location worldwide.
NOTE: References to ACS 6000 console servers in this document refer to all models in the 60XX series.
Administration can be performed with the Web Manager (with HTTP/HTTPS), the Command Line
Interface (CLI utility) or DSView®3 management software (version 3.5.1 and greater). Multiple
administrators can be logged into the console server at the same time.
ACS 6000 console servers provide secure local (console port) and remote (IP and dial-up) access.
The console servers run the Linux®operating system with a persistent file system in Flash memory,
and they can be upgraded from either an FTP or DSView software server.
Two PC card/slots support modem (V.92 and ISDN), Ethernet, fast Ethernet (fiber optic), wireless
LAN and storage PC cards (16 bit and 32 bit). Two fast Ethernet ports support connections to more
than one network or configuration of Ethernet bonding (failover) for redundancy and greater
reliability. Optional internal modems can be factory installed for dial-in and secure dial-back with
PPP. External modems can also be used. Connected power devices (optional) can be used for
remote power management.
ACS 6000 console servers support IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, DHCP, static and dynamic IP address
assignment (with AIDP).
Security Profiles determine which network services are enabled on the console server.
Access to ports can be optionally restricted, based on authorizations that an administrator can
assign to custom user groups. Groups can also be authorized to manage power while connected to
devices. The following are also configurable:
• Local and remote authentication
• Support for remote groups on Radius, TACACS+ and LDAP authentication servers
• Local and remote data buffering. Groups can also be authorized to manage buffered data
• Event notifications

2Cyclades ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Installation/Administration/User Guide
•SNMP
• Packet filtering
• VPN connections based on IPSec
• Time synchronization with support for global time zone, custom time zones and NTP
• Strong password enforcement, password expiration and single sign-on
• Auto discovery of server names (so that administrators do not need to configure port names
manually to identify connected servers)
Connectors on the ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server
The following figure shows the connectors on the front of the ACS 6000 console server.
Figure 1.1: Front of the Console Server with PC Card Slots and LEDs (ACS6032 Console Server Shown)
Table 1.1: Connectors on the Console Server Front
Number Description
1USB connector. Reserved for future use.
2LEDs. See Table 1.2.
3PC card slots. Supports modem (V.92 and ISDN), Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Wireless LAN and
EV-DO storage device PC cards.
Table 1.2: LEDs on the Console Server Front
Label Description
PWR/CPU Blue
• Blinks - During unit boot
• Solid - During operation
• Off - Power is off
ETH 0/ETH 1 • Amber - Link at 10BaseT speed
• Yellow - Link at 100BaseT speed
• Green - Link at 1000BaseT speed
• Off - No link/cable disconnected/Ethernet fault
231

Chapter 1: Introduction 3
The following figure shows the rear connectors on the console server.
Figure 1.2: Rear of the Console Server (ACS6032 Console Server Shown)
AUX/MODEM Dual LED: Yellow on top, Green on bottom
• Yellow - DTR/DCD activity
• Green - TXD and RXD activity
• Off - No activity
[One LED for each serial port] Green
• Blinks - Ready, with activity
• Solid - Ready
• Off - Not ready
Table 1.3: Connectors on the Console Server Rear
Number Description
1Power supplies (dual AC shown). Models come with either single or dual AC or DC power.
2Serial ports (32 ports shown). Models come with 16, 32 or 48 serial ports to connect to device
consoles, power devices, or external modems.
3ETH 1 10/100M/1G Ethernet port. Can be connected to a second network or used for failover.
4AUX/Modem port - if an optional internal modem is ordered, this port is defined as a V.92
modem at the factory and can be used to connect the console server to a dedicated phone
line; otherwise, the port is factory-defined as RS-232 with an RJ-45 Cyclades pin-out and can
be used to connect either an external modem or a power device.
5ETH0 10/100M/1G Ethernet port for remote IP access.
6Console port allows for local administration and access to connected devices through a
terminal or a computer with a terminal emulator.
Table 1.2: LEDs on the Console Server Front (Continued)
Label Description
1
3
2
4
56

4Cyclades ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Installation/Administration/User Guide
Typical ACS 6000 Network Configuration
Figure 1.3: Typical ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Configuration
Table 1.4: Typical ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Configuration
Number Description
1ACS 6000 advanced console server
2Target devices
3PDU (one or more)
4Serial port connection
5PC card (modem, ISDN, Ethernet or storage)
6Either AUX/Modem or any serial port
7Modem (ordered and configured internally at the factory - or external, either on a PC card in
one of the PC card slots or connected to a serial port or the AUX port)
8Phone line
9Remote dial-in client
3
2
5
110
8
9
11
14
12
13
47
46

Chapter 1: Introduction 5
Web Manager
Users and administrators perform most tasks through the Web Manager (accessed with HTTP or
HTTPS). The Web Manager runs in any supported browser (such as Netscape®, Internet Explorer,
Firefox®or Mozilla) in any supported computer that has network access to the console server.
The administrator can use the Web Manager to create user accounts, authorize groups and
configure security and ports. An authorized user can access connected devices through the Web
Manager to troubleshoot, maintain, cycle power, reboot connected devices and change the user
password.
An IP address is needed to launch the Web Manager in a browser. The IP address is usually
configured as a static IP address assigned to the console server during initial configuration. If
DHCP is used, then the user must be able to discover the IP address assigned by the DHCP server.
Access Options
Secure access is available through the following local (analog console port) and remote (digital IP
and dial-up) options:
• LAN/WAN IP network connection.
• Dial-up either to a factory-configured internal modem (optional), to a modem connected either
to a serial port or the AUX port (which is only possible when an internal modem is not
installed), or to a PC phone card (modem, ISDN, GSM or CDMA) installed in one of the PC
card slots.
• Target device connection. If a serial port is connected to the console of a device, an authorized
user can make a Telnet, SSH v1 or SSH v2 connection to the device console through the Web
Manager. An authorized user can also use a Telnet or SSH client to make a connection directly
to the console of a target device. (For Telnet or SSH to be used for target device connections,
the Telnet or SSH service must be configured in the Security Profile that is in effect.)
• ACS 6000 console server console connection. An administrator can log in either from a local
terminal or from a computer with a terminal emulation program that is connected to the
console port and can use the CLI utility. The CLI utility prompt (--|- cli>) displays at login.
10 Local Area Network (LAN)
11 LAN firewall
12 Remote authentication server
13 DSView client/server
14 Remote/local Windows/Linux computer
Table 1.4: Typical ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Configuration (Continued)
Number Description

6Cyclades ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Installation/Administration/User Guide
More than one administrator (root or admin or a user in the administrator group) can log into the
console server and have an active CLI or Web Manager session. All sessions receive a warning
message when the configuration is changed by another administrator: “The appliance configuration
has been altered from outside of your session.” Upon receipt of this message, each administrator
needs to verify that changes made during the session were saved.
NOTE: If cron jobs are run by automated scripts, a root or admin user login can cause the cron jobs to fail.
IPv4 and IPv6 Support
The ACS 6000 console server supports dual stack IPv4 and IPv6 protocols. The administrator can
use either the Web Manager or the CLI to configure support for IPv4 addresses only or for both
IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. The following list describes the support provided in the console server for
IPv6 addresses:
• Linux kernel
• Both the eth0 and eth1 Ethernet interfaces can be configured for IPv6
• DHCP
• Access to the console server or to target devices with SSH or Telnet
• Syslog server
• Dial-in sessions (PPP links)
• Firewall (IP tables)
• DSView software integration
Remote authentication, IPSec and SNMP are not supported with IPv6 but are supported with IPv4.
Users, Groups and Authorizations
A user account must be defined for each user on the console server or on an authentication server.
The admin and root users have accounts by default, and either administrator can add and configure
other user accounts.
User account types
The following gives additional details about the local user account types supported on the ACS
6000 console server:
• admin - Performs the initial network configuration. The factory default password for admin is
avocent. The admin user is a member of the admin group. The admin user can configure the
console server and ports. Administrators also configure user and group authorizations.
• root - Has the same permissions as the admin user. The factory default password for root is
linux. In the ACS 6000 console server, the root user is a member of the admin group.
CAUTION: Change the default passwords for root and admin before you put the console server into operation.

Chapter 1: Introduction 7
• Administrator-added regular users - Have limited access to the Web Manager features based on
the group(s) to which they are assigned. Users can change their own passwords. By default, all
users have access to all enabled ports.
User group types
Each local user account is assigned to one or more of the following user groups:
• admin - Has the same access and configuration authorizations as the default admin user.
• appliance-admin - Can configure the console server and ports. Cannot configure users and
group authorizations.
• user - Can access ports and power outlets as authorized by an administrator. Access rights are
configurable.
Overview of Configuring User Access to Ports
During hardware installation, the installer connects servers, devices and any modems or power
units to the serial ports. During software configuration, the administrator must enable the ports and
configure each port to match the type of device connected. The administrator can optionally
configure ports for data buffering.
The ACS 6000 console server is shipped with all ports disabled. After ports are enabled and
configured by administrator action, all configured users can access all enabled ports.
Administrators must decide whether to allow all users to access all ports or to configure restricted
access. Additional configuration required to restrict user access to ports is listed below.
• The administrator must enable the security option that allows restricted access to ports. In the
Web Manager and the CLI, this option is labeled, “Port access is controlled by authorizations
assigned to user groups.” In the CLI, the spaces are replaced with underscores.
• The administrator can then authorize groups for access to ports, multiple user sessions and
power management and assign users to the groups.
NOTE: Some configuration of user access can be done in the First Time Configuration screen. For more
information, see First Time Configuration on page 19.
For more information on configuring power management, see Chapter 8, Power Management.
Security
During initial configuration, the console server administrator must configure security parameters to
conform with the site security policy. The security parameters can be modified later. The following
security features can be configured either in the Web Manager or the CLI:
• Enable or disable automatic detection of PC cards
• Enable or disable RPC

8Cyclades ACS 6000 Advanced Console Server Installation/Administration/User Guide
• Either allow all users to access enabled ports or allow the configuration of group authorizations
to restrict access
• Select a security profile, which defines:
• Which services (FTP, ICMP, IPSec and Telnet) are enabled
• SSH and HTTP/HTTPS access
The administrator can select either a preconfigured security profile or create a custom profile.
All the services and the SSH and HTTP/HTTPS configuration options that are enabled and disabled
for each security profile are shown in the First Time Configuration window, the Appliance Settings
- Security - Security Profile window and the CLI show command list.
The following table shows the configuration of each predefined security profile.
Authentication
Authentication can be performed locally, with One Time Passwords (OTP), or on a remote
Kerberos, LDAP, NIS, Radius or TACACS+ authentication server. If the ACS 6000 console server
is managed by a DSView 3 software server, DSView authentication is also supported. The console
server also supports remote group authorizations for the LDAP, Radius and TACACS+
authentication methods.
Table 1.5: Security Profile Services, SSH, and HTTP/HTTPS Definitions
Service or Other Security Parameter Secure Moderate Open
Telnet X
SSH v1 X X
SSH v2 X X X
Allow SSH root access X X
HTTP X X
HTTPS XXX
HTTPS - SSL v2 X X
HTTPS - SSL v3 (also enables TLSv1) X X X
HTTP redirection to HTTPS X
SNMP X
ICMP X X
FTP (None. Can be set only in custom.)
IPSec (None. Can be set only in custom.)