THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS "DIVA"

Susan,

When it comes to those of us that manage networks for a living, it goes without saying that we should be using a remote management setup that avoids this problem.

Intel = RMM2 or RMM3 (Remote Management Module)

Dell = DRAC (Dell Remote Access Controller)

HP = iLO (Integrated Lights Out - requires Activation Key)

The above parts provide out-of-band, or low level console control, of the server. We can remotely reset, power cycle, power up, power down, and manage the various internal components of the server.

They also provide console level access to the server, BIOS, hardware firmware/BIOS, and the server's OS. This means that when in use, we are essentially using the keyboard, mouse, and monitor that sits at the server (if it has them). Thus, the SBS OS RWW update "problem" is a moot point.

These remote management modules also allow us to remotely boot the server from a USB flash or hard drive connected to our local PC giving us the ability to flash low level firmware on the mainboard, RAID controller, or other server hardware components.

With this capability in place we have no boundaries on our client's location. We can design our solutions around the fact that we can go so far as to restore the entire server without _any_ input from someone local.

Philip Elder