Raritan introduced the Dominion® KSX II, a more powerful and sleeker version of its integrated remote management appliance that provides always-available direct access – through secure out-of-band connectivity – to IT equipment typically found in the equipment rooms of branch offices and other remote locations.

The new management appliance offers expanded remote control capabilities, including power management control and file transfers, along with stronger security, improved usability and the industry’s highest video resolution (1600 X 1200 pixels).

To access and perform maintenance on virtually any piece of IT equipment – including servers, switches, routers and PBXs – the Dominion KSX II integrates key remote management and control technologies – including KVM- (keyboard/video/mouse) and serial-over-IP – in a single appliance. By providing full BIOS-level and keyboard/mouse control, as well as power cycling control, of remote equipment from a corporation’s main office or from wherever IT experts are located, companies can increase productivity and uptime at remote offices.

“The KSX II is an optimal choice for remote office or SMB IT management,” said Christian Paetz, Director of Product Management. “There are millions of branch office locations that have little or no IT support on premises. The KSX II eliminates the need to visit remote locations when a server or network problem arises, resulting in savings in travel time, travel expenses, and lost productivity due to equipment downtime and IT staff time away from the office.”

The next-generation KSX II is unique in that it includes integrated virtual media and remote power control support on all models. With virtual media, IT administrators can conveniently transfer data to remote servers using their own local storage media (CD/DVD/USB drive/Hard drive) through a KVM-over-IP connection. This is ideal for installing software, upgrades and bug fixes. When used with Raritan’s intelligent power strips (Dominion PX), the KSX II – which comes with two power control ports – can monitor power status, as well as cycle power to any attached IT equipment, from anywhere.

Other features on all KSX II models include:

• Advanced security features, including: 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption of keyboard, video and mouse data; strong password support; failed login lockout support; and built-in authentication capabilities. Dominion KSX II also integrates easily with third-party AAA servers, and SNMP and Syslog event management systems.
• Raritan’s unique Absolute Mouse Synchronization™ feature, which eliminates time-consuming extra steps to adjust mouse settings for each target server.

A new HTML user interface that provides IT managers with a real-time, graphical view of all the IT equipment connected to the KSX II at a branch. For a consistent user experience, the new browser-based user interface is used for both remote KVM management and for at-the-rack server management – an industry first introduced by Raritan last year.

Integrated modem with dial-back for emergency access when the primary network connection is not available.

For enterprises with a high number of remote locations, the Dominion KSX II is CommandCenter® Certified, so that multiple Dominion KSX appliances – and connected servers and other IT equipment – can be managed from one IP address.

CEDALION – a Charlotte, N.C.-based Managed Service Provider – will be using the Dominion KSX II to support its customers by managing KVM server targets, networking devices, and Raritan PDUs (power distribution units).

“Security is a top concern for customers,” said William Thorpe, President of CEDALION. “Customers that have many branch offices – especially our Retail and Financial customers – are looking for ways to streamline the cost of managing IT equipment in their remote branch offices and in keeping those assets secure. We chose the KSX II because it will enable us to access and service any piece of equipment in a remote server room or back office without having to travel to the site; and, because it supports security best practices.”

About Dominion KSX II

The Dominion KSX II is available worldwide starting today, and comes in two models. The KSX2-144 has four KVM ports, four serial ports and one power control port. The KSX2-188 has eight KVM ports, eight serial ports and one power control port. No additional software or authentication servers are required.

About Raritan