Black Box LES1208A-R2 User manual

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8-/16-/32-/48-Port Advanced Console Servers QS Guide
Customer
Support
Information
LES1208A-R2
LES1216A-R2
LES1232A
LES1248A-R2
Order toll-free in the U.S.: Call 877-877-BBOX (outside U.S. call 724-746-5500) •
FREE technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax
724-746-0746 • Mailing address: Black Box Corporation, 1000 Park Drive, Lawrence,
PA 15055-1018 • Web site: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: [email protected]

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8-, 16-, 32-, 48-Port Advanced Console Servers Quick Start Guide
TRADEMARKS USED IN THIS MANUAL
Black Box and the Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of
BB Technologies, Inc.
Nagios is a registered trademark of Nagios Enterprises, LLC.
Any other trademarks mentioned in this manual are acknowledged to be
the property of the trademark owners.

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8-, 16-, 32-, 48-Port Advanced Console Servers Quick Start Guide
QS1. Introduction
This Quick Start Guide walks you through installation, configuration, and local
operation or your LES1208A-R2, LES1216A-R2, LES1232A, and LES1248A-R2
8-/16-/32-/48-Port Advanced Console Servers. For more details, please refer to the
user’s manual on the CD-ROM.
QS2. What’s Included
Your package should contain the following items. if anything is missing or damaged,
contact Black Box at 724-746-5500.
• Console Server
• (2) UTP cables
• (1) DB9F-RJ45S straight cable
• (1) DB9F-RJ45S crossover cable
• (1) Power cable
• Printed Quick Start Guide
• User’s manual and SDT connector tool software on CD-ROM
QS3. Connect the Hardware
1. Plug the Advanced Console Server into the AC power. The Advanced Console
Server has dual universal AC power supplies with automatic failover built in.
2. Connect the NETWORK1 port on the console server to your network. Connect
your serial devices to the SERIAL PORTS 1-8/16/48.
NOTE: If you plan to use out-of-band (OoB) dial-in access, connect the internal
modem to the phone line. If you plan to use broadband OoB, connect the
access device (such as DSL modem) to NETWORK2.
QS4. Set Up the Advanced Console Server
The default console server IP Address is 192.168.0.1 (subnet mask 255.255.255.0).
Using a Web browser on any computer that is LAN connected to the Console Server:
1. Enter https://192.168.0.1 into the address bar.
2. Log in using the default system user name root and the default password. A
Welcome screen listing the basic configuration steps is displayed.
3. Select “System: Administration,” enter and confirm a new System Password and
click “Apply.”

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NOTE: The computer connected to the LAN must have an IP address in the same
network range (192.168.0.xxx) as the Advanced Console Server. Alternately,
you can use the ARP ping command to set the IP address (refer to the user’s
manual). The embedded DHCP client is enabled by default, so it will
automatically accept any network IP address assigned by any DHCP server on
your network—and will then respond at both 192.168.0.1 and its DHCP
address.
Figure QS-1. System Administration screen.
4. To assign your Console Server a static IP address or to permanently enable DHCP,
select “System: IP” and check “DHCP or Static for Configuration Method.”
The Advanced Console Server also has a second Ethernet network port (Network 2)
that you can configure as a management gateway/LAN port (with firewall/router
isolation and DHCP server) or as a failover/OoB access port. By default, this port is
inactive.
To activate broadband failover/OoB, refer to the user’s manual, otherwise leave
Failover Interface at its default selection, None.
To use Network 2 as the management LAN gateway:
1. Select “System: IP” then “Network 2” and uncheck “Disable.”
2. Enter the IP Address and Subnet Mask for this segment of the Management LAN
(leaving Gateway and DNS fields blank). Refer to the user’s manual if you want to
enable the DHCP server.
NOTE: By default, only HTTPS and SSH access is enabled to the Advanced Console
Server itself. Use the Service Access menu on “System: Firewall” to change
this, and to change access privileges for connected serial and network devices.
Similarly, use the “Forwarding & Networking” menu to permit remote IP
access to devices on Network of Management LAN.

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Figure QS-2. Management LAN interface screen.
QS5. Configure Serial and Network Devices
1. Select “Serial & Network: Serial Port” to display the labels, modes, and protocol
options currently set for each serial port—by default all serial ports are set in
Console Server mode (refer the user’s manual if other modes are required).
2. To configure a serial port, click “Edit.” Configure the Common Settings (Baud
Rate, Parity, Data Bits, Stop Bits, and Flow Control) to match those of the device
being controlled.
Figure QS-3. Serial and Network: Serial Port.
3. Select the console server protocols (Telnet, SSH, TCP, and RFC2217) that are to be
used for the data connection to that port.
4. You may also set a Logging Level to specify the level of information to be logged
and monitored for that port. Click “Apply.”
5. To access locally networked computers (referred to as Hosts) through the console
servers, select “Serial & Network: Network Hosts” and click “Add Host.”

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Figure QS-4. Serial and Network: Network Hosts screen.
6. Enter the IP address/DNS Name of the host.
7. Edit the Permitted Services used for accessing this host, for example, HTTPS (TCP
Port 443), VNC (TCP Port 5990), or add custom TCP or UDP port numbers. Only
the services specified here are tunneled to the host, all other services are blocked.
8. At this stage, you may also specify the level of information to be logged and
monitored for each host access.
9. Click “Apply.”
10. The Advanced Console Server has one USB 1.1 port (on the front panel) and two
USB 2.0 ports on the back panel. Attached USB devices are auto-configured.
• The console server has an internal 16 GB flash drive for log file storage. However,
the USB 1.1 port can be used with an external USB flash for loading updated
firmware or config files.
• The USB 2.0 ports can also be used for connecting to USB console ports on UPS
supplies or attaching cellular USB modems.
QS6. Add New Users
NOTE: We recommend that you set up a new Administrator user (in the admin
group with full access privileges) and log in as this new user for all ongoing
administration functions (instead of continuing as root).

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Figure QS-5. Serial and Network: Users and Groups screen.
1. For each new user, select “Serial & Network: Users & Groups” and click “Add
User.”
2. Enter a Username and enter and confirm a Password, and name the Accessible
Hosts and Accessible Ports the user is allowed to access.
3. Click “Apply.”
NOTE: The Console Server comes with a default certificate for initial configuration
only. When you first browse to the Console Server, you will receive a message
that the certificate is “untrusted.” Initially, you'll need to direct your browser
to (temporarily) proceed and accept this untrusted certificate.
We recommend that you generate and install a new trusted certificate as soon
as possible thereafter. To produce the unique CSR and later upload the newly
issued certificate, select “System: SSL Certificates.”
QS7. Advanced Configurations
The Advanced Console Server offers many more advanced functions including:
• The Alerts & Logging: Alerts facility that monitors serial ports, hosts, user logins,
UPSs and PDUs. You can specify a broad selection of trigger events (such as data
patterns, temperature, or battery levels). When triggered, a warning e-mail, SMS,
Nagios®, or SNMP alert is sent to a nominated destination.

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• Extensive management of third-party UPSs and PDUs using open source NUT and
Powerman tools. The Manage: Power facility enables both administrators and
regular users to monitor and control attached PDU power strips, and servers with
embedded IPMI BMCs.
• Historical logs of all communications with serial and network attached devices,
system activity, UPS and PDU power status, environmental status, etc. The level of
logging is set as ports and devices are configured. Alerts & Logging: Port Log
enables this history to be saved locally or remotely. Logs can be viewed from the
Status and Manage menus.
• Other advanced features, such as Dashboard, Serial Port Cascading, remote
Authentication, Trusted Networks, Secure Tunneling, Nagios Distributed
Monitoring, and the Command Line interface are covered in detail in the User’s
Manual on the CD-ROM.
NOTE: On the CD-ROM, you will also find the SDT Connector software tool. Once
you have configured the console server, this tool provides you with secure,
point-and-click access to it and all its attached managed devices. Refer to the
provided SDT Connector Quick Start Guide for details on setting up remote
management of the console server and connected devices.

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©Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.
LES1208A-R2 Quick Start Guide, version 2