Avocent DSR Series DSR2161 User manual

The Power of Being There®
Case Study
Chemical Company discovers
unique element for success
“What truly sets Avocent apart
from all the others is the remote
accessibility. You don't have to
run to the office everytime there
is a problem. You can fix the
problem from wherever you are.
And that means reduced
downtime which benefits
everyone.”
Bruce Wright,
Systems Administrator/
Enterprise Server Operations,
Nova Chemicals
Nova Chemicals is a commodity chemicals company that produces exceptional resins and
chemical and energy co-products. These elements are the building blocks for a variety of
products used in everyday life. From grocery bags to packaging to medical devices, Nova
Chemicals is committed to excellence and ensuring that outstanding products provide
comfort, security and stability in today’s fast paced world.
World-wide locations cause major reactions
With operating centres in Calgary, AB and Pittsburgh, PA, manufacturing and research cen-
tres located in the Americas and Europe, and sales offices located across North America and
throughout Europe and Asia, Nova Chemicals essentially operated in numerous
time zones.
Add to that, Nova Chemicals had approximately 30 UNIX and 90 Intel windows servers that
were mostly connected individually or into non-networkable KVM appliances in the Calgary
centre and it’s easy to see that a problem in Europe for example, would cause a late night
reaction back home.
“We have eighteen IT staff, with all but two located in the Calgary Operations Centre”
explains Bruce Wright, Systems Administrator/Enterprise Server Operations. “Whenever
there is a problem in Europe, we would need a Calgary area IT staff member to wake up
and run down to the data centre at 2 or 3 in the morning. A process that inevitably creates
serious delays and increases our downtime.”
Avocent solution proves to be an essential element for success
When the data centre eventually moved to new premises, it provided an opportunity to
reassess the IT infrastructure and implement a new solution. One that would help staff
react and respond to problems sooner, reduce costly downtime and free up valuable data
centre space that was previously overloaded with individual cables, keyboards, and moni-
tors from the numerous servers.
However, changes are often met with some resistance. Therefore, choosing a solution was
not an easy task. It would require finding a solution that could be easily implemented and
essentially simplify the IT department’s training and responsibilities. More importantly, the
solution would need to meet the senior management’s necessity for cost efficiency and R.O.I.
“Avocent offered a complete solution that was web enabled and provided remote accessibility”
says Wright. “And because of their market share, they are the industry leaders and bring
with them a cache of exceptional products and extraordinary support.”

The choice was obvious. And when it came time, Nova Chemicals
ordered 7 Avocent DSR2161 KVM switches, in their quest to
substantially improve their IT infrastructure. Part of the Avocent
DS series, the premiere KVM over IP solution for enterprises,
the DSR2161 uses a combination of analog and digital technologies
to provide powerful server and serial device management –
anytime, anywhere. “Essentially, TCP/IP connectivity puts the
entire data centre at our fingertips, whether we are at the data
centre, at home, or around the world” adds Wright.
Implementation leads to increased benefits
The implementation of the new Avocent web-enabled solution at
Nova Chemical proceeded smoothly. IT staff found the physical
installation to be relatively easy and anytime a question arose,
Avocent technical support quickly provided an answer.
“The only challenge we faced was with the web enabled portion,
however Avocent technical support was super and quickly had
everything running smooth. They are reliable, really work with you
to help iron out any problems and have excellent follow up as well”
adds Wright.
Now, not only does the new, remote access, web-enabled solution
provide Nova Chemical with quicker response and reduced
downtimes, the solution also provides a host of new benefits.
These benefits range from centralized authentication and
administration, to scalability and CAT 5 advanced cable management.
DSView software is an important element of the Avocent DS series,
providing CLICK AND CONNECT™ access and control, anytime,
anywhere. DSView allows Nova Chemical IT users to view and
manage all of the data centre devices on one screen – regardless of
whether they are a mix of multi-platform servers, routers or power
devices or located around the world. In addition, centralized
authentication and administration leverages existing network
credentials, ensures security and simplifies system administration.
The new solution has also helped Nova Chemicals to free up
valuable data centre space – since there are a lot less keyboards,
monitors and bundles of cable hanging around. The DSRIQ cable
interface allows servers to be attached using standard CAT 5
cabling, which significantly reduces cable clutter.
Favourable Reactions
Wright noted that they are very pleased with the Avocent solution
and judging from the initial success he would definitely consider
upgrading to the latest Avocent DS Series application and implement
it into new data centres in the future.
“I can tell you that the IT staff love it. It has made their jobs and
their lives easier. And because we don't have to be on site, we can
fix the problem from wherever we are. It definitely helps us to react
and respond to problems much quicker and cuts down our response
time significantly. Plus, it makes more efficient use of our IT staff
time, since we’re not wasting time running back and forth to the
data centre” asserts Wright.
Now with remote access, Nova Chemical IT staff can use the current
network to access current servers – a process that was previously
unavailable on the individual servers. So, now when someone in
Europe experiences a problem, they can simply access the centre
and fix the problem. And that makes senior management extremely
happy, because reduced downtime benefits everyone.
“Avocent, as an OEM, really know their products,” concludes
Wright. “You get superior products and tremendous support. And
that has created favourable reactions around here”.
About Avocent
Avocent is the leading worldwide supplier of KVM switching and
connectivity solutions that provide IT managers with access and
control of multiple servers and network data centre devices.
Avocent was formed in July 2000 by the merger of leading industry
innovators Cybex Computer Products Corporation and Apex Inc.
Avocent’s KVM solutions are distributed by the world’s largest
server manufacturers and installed in Fortune 100 companies
around the world.
Headquartered in Huntsville, Ala., Avocent has locations in the
states of Washington, Florida, Massachusetts and Texas.
International locations include Canada, Australia, Ireland,
Great Britain, Germany, Japan, China and Singapore.
Visit www.avocent.ca for more information about Avocent products.
Avocent Canada
Toll-free Tel: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Avocent, the Avocent logo, The Power of Being There, are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Avocent Corporation.
All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
© 2004, Avocent Corporation.
0704-XX-XX
50 Mural Street, Unit 5
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 1E4 Canada
Toll Free Tel: [phone]
Web Site: www.avocent.ca
Avocent’s DSR™ switching solutions offer a
flexible, scalable design that work with existing
network architecture.