Serial over LAN (SOL) is a mechanism that enables the input and output of the
serial port
A serial port is a serial communication Interface (computing), interface through which information transfers in or out sequentially one bit at a time. This is in contrast to a parallel port, which communicates multiple bits simultaneously in Pa ...
of a managed system to be redirected over
IP on a
local area network
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, campus, or building, and has its network equipment and interconnects locally managed. LANs facilitate the distribution of da ...
(LAN).
Details
On some managed systems, notably
blade server
A blade server is a stripped-down server computer with a modular design optimized to minimize the use of physical space and energy. Blade servers have many components removed to save space, minimize power consumption and other considerations, wh ...
systems, the serial ports on the managed computers are not normally connected to a traditional serial port socket. To allow users to access applications on these computers via the serial port, the
input/output
In computing, input/output (I/O, i/o, or informally io or IO) is the communication between an information processing system, such as a computer, and the outside world, such as another computer system, peripherals, or a human operator. Inputs a ...
of the serial port is redirected to the network. For example, a user wishing to access a blade server via the serial port can
telnet
Telnet (sometimes stylized TELNET) is a client-server application protocol that provides access to virtual terminals of remote systems on local area networks or the Internet. It is a protocol for bidirectional 8-bit communications. Its main ...
to a
network address and log in. On the blade server the login will be seen as coming through the serial port.
SOL is implemented as a payload type under the
RMCP+ protocol in
IPMI.
IPMI Specifications
/ref>
See also
* Console redirection
* Emergency Management Services
* Intelligent Platform Management Interface
The Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) is a set of Interface (computing), computer interface specifications for an autonomous computer subsystem that provides management and monitoring capabilities independently of the host system's C ...
* Shell shoveling
* Virtual COM port
References
External links
IPMI Technical Resources
Local area networks
Out-of-band management
Serial buses
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