Re: Ethernet-to-RS232

[Eric Norum <norume@aps.anl.gov>]

We have an 'iocConsole' script which ssh's to a common machine as a  
common user (controlled by ssh public keys) and connects to a screen  
session if it is active and otherwise starts a screen session.  The  
screen session multiplexes access to the single serial line.  This  
deals with most of your concerns, I believe.

1) We can control access without having to deal with IT administrators  
(other than setting up the common user account to begin with) -- just  
add a public key to the common user account.
2) Multiple users can access a serial line session at the same time.
3) Persistent scrollback, even if no users are currently attached.


On Jul 9, 2008, at 2:26 PM, Maren Purves wrote:

> Reading up on that, I'm not sure that's what we'd be after, because,
> wouldn't it require to know what machine the other person is logged
> into the serial device from, and being able (privilege-wise) to
> attach to that process?
>
> Consider the following: a serial console of an IOC throws errors
> and people in different locations (e.g. at their homes at night)
> work on trouble shooting. While you can copy, paste and email
> that, it's rather roundabout.
>
> KVM switch was something that came to mind, but I don't quite
> know how to interface those as the ones we have are either PS2
> or USB. - A lot of the time even a web interface would be quite
> sufficient. -
>
> Aloha,
> Maren
> UKIRT
>
> Matthieu Bec wrote:
> > 'screen' is a neat gnu alternative for devices that do not support  
> > multiplexing/logging etc.
> > Rod Nussbaumer wrote:
> > > Do any of the devices you folks are using allow multiple  
> > > concurrent IP (ssh/telnet/whatever...) connections to a single  
> > > RS-232 port? This would seem to be useful to allow monitoring of  
> > > the vxWorks shell on the likes  of VME or other headless CPUs.
> > >
> > > Rod Nussbaumer
> > > ISAC Controls, TRIUMF
> > > Vancouver, Canada.

--
Eric Norum <norume@aps.anl.gov>
Advanced Photon Source
Argonne National Laboratory
(630) 252-4793