Dell 2161DS-2 User manual

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Dell™ 2161DS-2/4161DS Console Switch
Installer/User’s Guide

USA Notification
Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible
for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, 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 instruction 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 will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Canadian Notification
This digital apparatus 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.
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage
radioélectrique édicté par le Ministère des Communications du Canada.
Japanese Approvals
Safety and EMC Approvals and Markings
UL, FCC, cUL, ICES, CE, N, GS, IRAM, GOST, VCCI, MIC, C-Tick, PSB
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Avocent is a registered trademark of Avocent Corporation. OSCAR is a registered trademark of
Avocent Corporation or its affiliates. Dell, Dell OpenManage, and the DELL logo are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Microsoft,
Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks
of Intel Corporation; Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or
their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
Model 2161DS-2/4161DS Console Switch July 2005

Contents 3
Contents
Safety Precautions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Rack Mounting of Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
LAN Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1 Product Overview
Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
SIP Intelligent Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Multiplatform Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Interoperability with Avocent®AVRIQ Intelligent Cabling . . . . . . . . 9
OSCAR®GUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Operation Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
FLASH Upgradeable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Cascade (Tier) Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2 Installation
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Setting Up Your Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Keyboards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Rack Mounting Your Remote Console Switch Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
To install the 1U four point switch mounting bracket: . . . . . . . . . . 15
Installing the Remote Console Switch Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Video Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Mouse Acceleration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Connecting a SIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Adding a Cascade Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Cascading with Legacy Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Adding a PEM (Optional). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connecting to the Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

4Contents
3 Basic Operations
Controlling Your System at the Analog Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Viewing and Selecting Ports and Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Selecting devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Soft Switching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Navigating the OSCAR®Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Configuring OSCAR®Interface Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Changing the Display Behavior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Setting Console Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Controlling the Status Flag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Setting the Interface Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Assigning Device Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Assigning Device Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Configuring Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Displaying Version Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Scanning Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Setting the Preemption Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Displaying Configuration Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Running System Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Broadcasting to Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
A Appendix A: FLASH Upgrades
Upgrading the 2161DS-2/4161DS Remote Console Switch . . . . . . . . 45
Upgrading the SIP module firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
B Appendix B: Technical Specifications
C Appendix C: Technical Support
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

5
Safety Precautions
Use the following safety guidelines to help ensure your own personal safety and to help protect
your system and working environment from potential damage.
CAUTION: The power supplies in your system may produce high voltages and energy hazards, which
can cause bodily harm. Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the covers and
access any of the components inside the system. This warning applies to Dell™ PowerEdge™ servers
and Dell PowerVault™ storage systems.
This document pertains only to the Dell 2161DS-2/4161DS Console Switch. You should also
read and follow the additional safety instructions contained elsewhere:
•TheRemote Console Switch Installation Guide included with your rack solution that
describes how to install your system into a rack.
• The User's Guide which provides information about setting up and operating your rack
mounted server system.
•TheAvocent AutoView 1000R/2000R Installer/User’s Guide if applicable.
General
• Observe and follow service markings.
• Do not service any product except as explained in your system documentation.
• Opening or removing covers that are marked with the triangular symbol with a lightning
bolt may expose you to electrical shock.
• Components inside these compartments should be serviced only by a trained service
technician.
– This product contains no serviceable components. Do not attempt to open.
• If any of the following conditions occur, unplug the product from the electrical outlet and
replace the part or contact your trained service provider:
– The power cable, extension cable, or plug is damaged.
– An object has fallen into the product.
– The product has been exposed to water.
– The product has been dropped or damaged.
– The product does not operate correctly when you follow the operating instructions.
• Keep your system away from radiators and heat sources. Also, do not block cooling vents.

6
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• Do not spill food or liquids on your system components, and never operate the product in
a wet environment. If the system gets wet, see the appropriate section in your
troubleshooting guide or contact your trained service provider.
• Use the product only with approved equipment.
• Allow the product to cool before removing covers or touching internal components.
• Operate the product only from the type of external power source indicated on the
electrical ratings label. If you are not sure of the type of power source required, consult your
service provider or local power company.
NOTICE: To help avoid damaging your system, be sure the voltage selection switch (if provided) on the
power supply is set for the voltage that most closely matches the AC power available in your location.
Also be sure that your monitor and attached devices are electrically rated to operate.
• Be sure that your monitor and attached devices are electrically rated to operate with the
power available in your location.
• Use only power cables provided with this product.
• To help prevent electric shock, plug the system and peripheral power cables into properly
grounded electrical outlets. These cables are equipped with three-prong plugs to help
ensure proper grounding. Do not use adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from a
cable.
• Observe extension cable and power strip ratings. Make sure that the total ampere rating of
all products plugged into the power strip does not exceed 80 percent of the ampere ratings
limit for the power strip.
• To help protect your system from sudden, transient increases and decreases in electrical
power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner, or uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
• Position system cables and power cables carefully. Route cables so that they cannot be
stepped on or tripped over. Be sure that nothing rests on any cables.
• Do not modify power cables or plugs. Consult a licensed electrician or your power
company for site modifications. Always follow your local/national wiring rules.
Rack Mounting of Systems
• Refer to the rack installation documentation accompanying the rack for specific caution
statements and procedures.
• System rack kits are intended to be installed in a rack by trained service technicians. If a
non-Dell rack is utilized, be sure that the rack meets the specifications of a Dell rack.
• Elevated Ambient Temperature: If installed in a closed rack assembly, the operation
temperature of the rack environment may be greater than room ambient. Use care not to
exceed the rated maximum ambient temperature of the unit.
• Reduced Air Flow: Installation of the equipment in a rack should be such that the amount
of airflow required for safe operation of the equipment is not compromised.

7
• Mechanical Loading: Mounting of the equipment in the rack should be such that a
hazardous condition is not achieved due to uneven mechanical loading.
• Circuit Overloading: Consideration should be given to the connection of the equipment to
the supply circuit and the effect that overloading of circuits might have on overcurrent
protection and supply wiring. Consider equipment nameplate ratings for maximum
current.
• Reliable Earthing: Reliable earthing of rack mounted equipment should be maintained.
Pay particular attention to supply connections other than direct connections to the branch
circuit (for example, use of power strips).
LAN Options
• Do not connect or use during a lightning storm. There may be a risk of electrical shock
from lightning.
• Never connect or use in a wet environment.

8
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Product Overview 9
1
Product Overview
Features and Benefits
The multiuser, Dell™ 2161DS-2/4161DS Remote Console Switch integrates Dell field-proven
digital keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) switching technology with advanced cable
management, flexible access for up to four simultaneous users, and a patented, next-generation
user interface. The Remote Console Switch features user-side USB and PS/2 ports that support
major device platforms.
Using powerful on-screen management through the OSCAR®interface, the Remote Console
Switch’s graphical user interface (GUI), provides easy system configuration and device
selection.
SIP Intelligent Module
The Remote Console Switch also provides SIP intelligent module capability. The SIP module
with CAT 5 design dramatically reduces cable clutter, while providing optimal resolution and
video settings. The built-in memory of the SIP module simplifies configuration by assigning and
retaining unique device names and Electronic ID (EID) numbers for each attached device. The
SIP module is powered directly from the device and provides Keep Alive functionality even if
the Remote Console Switch is not powered.
Both PS/2 and USB SIP modules are available allowing direct KVM connectivity to devices.
Each Remote Console Switch has up to 16 Analog Rack Interface (ARI) ports for connecting
SIP modules.
Utilizing the SIP module, you can attach additional switches to expand your Remote Console
Switch system. This flexibility allows you to add capacity as your data center grows.
Multiplatform Support
The Dell SIP modules are available for use with the Remote Console Switch support PS/2 and
USB device environments. Using the OSCAR®GUI in conjunction with these modules
allows you to switch easily across platforms.
Interoperability with Avocent
®
AVRIQ Intelligent Cabling
Avocent AVRIQ intelligent cable may also be used to connect devices to the Remote Console
Switch. PS/2, USB, Sun, and serial cabling options are available. Please refer to the Avocent
AutoView 1000R/2000R Installer/User Guide for more information.

10 Product Overview
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OSCAR®GUI
The Remote Console Switch uses the OSCAR®interface, which features intuitive menus to
configure your switch system and select computers. Devices can be identified by a name, EID or
port number, allowing you to assign unique device names.
Security
The OSCAR®interface allows you to protect your system with a screen saver password. The
screen saver mode engages and access is prohibited until the appropriate password is entered to
reactivate the system. By typing Help in the password dialog, you are directed to Dell Technical
Support.
Encryption
The Remote Console Switch supports DES, 3DES, and 128-bit SSL encryption of keyboard,
video, and mouse sessions.
Operation Modes
The OSCAR®user interface provides convenient operation modes for easy system
administration of the Remote Console Switch. These modes (Broadcast, Scan, Switch and
Share) allow you to manage your switching activities. Chapter 3, “Basic Operations” on page 25
explains these modes in detail.
Video
The Remote Console Switch provides optimal resolution for analog VGA, SVGA and XGA
video. You can achieve resolutions of 1024 x 768, depending on the length of cable separating
your switch and servers.