Apex Digital OutLook 140DX User manual
Run Your Servers Smarter
OutLook Switch
User Guide
140DX
180DX
Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide
CONTENTS 2
Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Console
Switch User Guide
© 2000 Apex Inc. All rights reserved.
First Edition June 2000
Printed in the United States of America
Part Number 998-0011-00 Rev. B
The information contained in this guide is
subject to change without notice.
Apex Inc. shall not be liable for technical or
editorial errors or omissions contained herein;
nor is it liable for incidental or consequential
damages resulting from the furnishing,
performance, or use of this material.
Product names mentioned herein may be
trademarks and/or registered trademarks of
their respective companies. PC/AT, PS/2 and
IBM are registered trademarks of International
Business Machines Corporation. Viewpoint,
Viewpoint 64, OutLook and OSCAR are
trademarks of Apex Inc.
Apex Inc.
9911 Willows Road NE
Redmond, WA 98052
USA
Telephone 800 861-5858
Fax 425-861-5757
Email [email protected]
Web Site http://www.apex.com
Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide
CONTENTS 3
SAFETY
Before installing this product, read the Safety Information book.
Antes de instalar este produto, leia o Manual de Informações sobre Segurança.
Læs hæftet med sikkerhedsforskrifter, før du installerer dette produkt.
Lue Safety Information -kirjanen, ennen kuin asennat tämän tuotteen.
Avant de procéder à l'installation de ce produit, lisez le manuel Safety Information.
Vor Beginn der Installation die Broschüre mit Sicherheitshinweisen lesen.
Prima di installare questo prodotto, leggere l'opuscolo contenente le informazioni
sulla sicurezza.
Pred instalací tohoto produktu si prectete prírucku bezpecnostních instrukcí.
Przed zainstalowaniem tego produktu należy przeczytać broszurę Informacje Dotyczące
Bezpiecze stwa.
Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide
CONTENTS 4
SAFETY (CONTINUED)
Lees voordat u dit product installeert eerst het boekje met veiligheidsvoorschriften.
Les heftet om sikkerhetsinformasjon (Safety Information) før du installerer dette
produktet.
Antes de instalar este produto, leia o folheto Informações sobre Segurança.
Antes de instalar este producto, lea la Información de Seguridad.
Läs säkerhetsinformationen innan du installerar den här produkten.
Перед установкой продукта прочтите брошюру по технике безопасности
(Safety Inf rmati n).
Pred inštaláciou tohto produktu si pre ítajte Informa núbrožúrku o bezpe nosti.
Preden namestite ta izdelek, preberite knjižico Varnostne informacije.
Installálás el tt olvassa el a Biztonsági el írások kézikönyvét !
Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide
CONTENTS 5
GETTING HELP, SERVICE, AND INFORMATION
Getting help, service, and information
If you need help, service, technical assistance, or just
want more information about IBM products, you will
find a wide variety of sources available from IBM to
assist you.
With the original purchase of an IBM hardware product,
you have access to extensive support coverage. During
the IBM hardware product warranty period, you may
call the IBM Personal Computer HelpCenter (1-800-
772-2227 in the U.S.) for hardware product assistance
covered under the terms of the IBM Statement of
Limited Warranty.
The following services are available during the warranty
period:
• Problem Determination - Trained personnel are
available to assist you with determining if you have
a hardware problem and deciding what action is
necessary to fix the problem.
• IBM Hardware Repair - If the problem is determined
to be caused by IBM hardware under warranty,
trained service personnel are available to provide
the applicable level of service.
• Engineering Change Management - Occasionally,
there might be changes that are required after a
product has been sold. IBM or your reseller, if
authorized by IBM, will make Engineering Changes
(ECs) available that apply to your hardware.
Be sure to retain your proof of purchase to obtain
warranty service. Refer to the IBM hardware warranty
for a full explanation of IBM’s warranty terms.
Please have the following information ready when you
call:
• Machine type and model
• Serial numbers of your IBM hardware products
• Description of the problem
• Exact wording of any error messages
• Hardware and software configuration information
On the World Wide Web, the IBM Personal Computing
Web site has up-to-date information about IBM
Personal Computer products and support.
Some helpful addresses are:
Table 1. IBM Personal Computing Web sites
World Wide Web site URL Description
http://www.ibm.com
Main IBM home page
http://www.ibm.com/pc
IBM Personal Computing
http://www.ibm.com/pc/support
IBM Personal Computing Support
http://www.ibm.com/pc/us/accessories
Options by IBM (U.S.)
http://www.ibm.com/pc/us/netfinity
IBM Netfinity Servers (U.S.)
http://www.ibm.com/pc/techconnect
IBM TechConnect
You can select a country-specific Web site from these
pages.
If you select Profile from the support page, you can
create a customized support page that is specific to
your hardware, complete with Frequently Asked
Questions, Parts Information, Technical Hints and Tips,
and Downloadable Files. You will have the information
you need, all in one place. In addition, you can choose
to receive e-mail notifications whenever new informa-
tion becomes available about your registered products.
You can also access online support forums, which are
community sites monitored by IBM support staff.
Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide
CONTENTS 6
Safety .............................................................3
Getting Help...................................................5
1OVERVIEW .................................................. 8
Product Overview ........................................... 8
Features...........................................................9
2QUICK START ............................................ 11
3RACK INSTALLATION .............................. 14
4CABLING .................................................. 15
Cable Lengths............................................... 15
Cable Locking Mechanism ............................ 15
Disconnecting Cables ................................... 16
Connecting Cables ....................................... 17
Starting the Switch Box ................................ 20
Powering Up the System............................... 20
Starting the Computers ................................ 21
Configuring the Switch Box .......................... 21
Unattended Reboot ...................................... 22
Resetting the Unit......................................... 22
Making Connections Under Power ............... 23
Alternative Configurations............................ 24
5USING OSCAR .......................................... 26
Launching OSCAR ........................................ 26
OSCAR Selection Screen ............................... 27
OSCAR Status Port Symbols.......................... 28
CONTENTS
Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide
CONTENTS 7
Command Summary......................................29
OSCAR Advanced Menus Screen .................. 30
Selecting Computers .................................... 31
Switching Tiered Systems ............................. 32
Assigning Unique Names to Computers........ 33
Changing Menu Attributes ........................... 35
Changing Status Flag Attributes ................... 37
Values and Effects of
Settings on Flag Appearance ........................ 38
Scanning the Computers .............................. 39
Broadcasting Commands .............................. 42
Securing Server Access ................................. 46
Displaying Version Information ..................... 50
Saving the Hardware Settings....................... 51
Resetting the Mouse and Keyboard .............. 52
Assigning Specific Device Types .................... 53
Capturing the Screen.....................................54
6UPDATING THE FIRMWARE ..................... 55
7TROUBLESHOOTING ................................. 57
APPENDICES ............................................ 63
A Specifications ............................................ 63
B Regulatory Compliance Notices ................. 65
C Power Cord Set Requirements................... 66
CONTENTS (CONTINUED)
1APEX OUTLOOK SWITCH USER GUIDE
OVERVIEW
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The Apex OutLook Console Switch enables you to control
large computer networks using a single keyboard, monitor,
and mouse. On a single video screen, you can select from
as many as 64 computers running different operating
systems.
The 140DX supports 4 computers and one user, while the
180DX supports 8 computers and one user. Both 4 and 8
port switches use the OSCAR on-screen display (OSD)
interface, which has intuitive menus for accessing each
attached computer. Computers can be identified by name
or number, enabling you to view and select server names
that make sense to you.
A typical Apex OutLook Console Switch, also known as
keyboard/monitor mouse (KMM) or keyboard/video/mouse
(KVM) configuration, consists of the console (monitor,
keyboard, and mouse), the switch unit, and the attached
computers.
Additional OutLook Console Switches can be connected to
the primary switch, called tiering, to increase computer
access from 4 computers to as many as 64 computers.
Tiering allows you to modify your OutLook Console Switch
system as your network system needs change.
To switch between computers, type a command at the
keyboard. The selected computer receives typed characters
and displays its video output on the monitor. You can also
use the mouse to interact with the graphic interface of the
selected computer.
Product Overview
Features
Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 9
Introduction
FEATURES
You can use the OutLook Console Switch in various configura-
tions to connect from 4 to 64 servers.
The features of the OutLook Console Switch include:
!OSCAR –Displays system-related information on the moni-
tor, such as power-up test data and configuration menus.
!Programmable scanning –Evaluates system performance by
sequentially scanning any or all of the computers in the
system. Programmable scanning allows you to determine
which computers to include as well as the duration of the
connection.
!Configuration non-volatile memory (NVM) –Makes it easy
to set configuration information using commands entered
from the keyboard. The NVM stores the resulting configura-
tion until you decide to change the information, even if the
unit loses power.
!PS/2 device reset switch –Resets the unit without interrupt-
ing power to the system if the keyboard or mouse communi-
cation is disrupted.
!Password protection –Protects against unauthorized users by
providing a password option for security purposes.
!Switch firmware update –Allows quick and easy update
since the application code of the switch resides in NVM. The
port communications settings are automatically configured to
allow direct downloading from the connected computer.
FEATURES
Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 1
Introduction
There are many ways to configure the OutLook Console Switch
to meet your specific organizational needs. Additional informa-
tionon configuring multipleOutLook Console Switchescan be
found in Chapter 4, Cabling.
A single switch box is used to connect 4 or 8 servers. In this
configuration, the keyboard, monitor, and mouse are connected
directly to the unit by their respective cables. You can connect
the OutLook Console Switch to servers located in the same or
adjoining racks.
You can tier multiple OutLook Console Switch units to connect
up to 64 servers. This configuration is shown above, where the
secondary unit’s device port is connected to one of the com-
puterports on theoriginal orprimaryunit. MultipleOutLook
Console Switch units can be tiered from the primary unit.
Keyboard,
Mouse,
and
Video Cables
HYDR-002.EPS
Primary Switch
Secondary Switch
FEATURES (CONTINUED)
This manual suits for next models
1
Table of contents
Other Apex Digital Switch manuals
