The Dominion® KSX II is a combined KVM over IP and Serial Console Server appliance. It gives you secure, anytime/anywhere access to all the devices in your remote and branch offices. The KSX II offers award-winning, BIOS-level KVM over IP performance, true serial console access and optional remote power control.
Targeted at branch and remote offices, the Dominion KSX II is also ideal for labs, computer rooms and data centers with racks with serial and KVM-controlled devices. You’ll eliminate travel costs and increase uptime, productivity and security.
PRODUCTS OVERVIEW
The Dominion KSX II secure appliance provides:- Award-winning KVM over IP performance, reliability, usability and security
- Remote console control of serial devices via SSH, Telnet or Raritan Serial Client
- Optional remote power control (with Raritan PX™ rack PDUs)
- Virtual media to install software, run hardware diagnostics, transfer files and for remote booting
- Absolute Mouse Synchronization™ which reduces installation time and sets a new standard for mouse synchronization
- Advanced security features like FIPS 140-2 encryption, Smart Card/Common Access Card (CAC), 256-bit AES encryption, dual stack IPv4/IPv6 and strong passwords
- True serial control with: cut and paste, console logging, keyword alerts and log off commands
- A built-in modem for emergency access
- CommandCenter® Secure Gateway management giving a consolidated view of all IT equipment
Dominion KSX II offers IP-based access to troubleshoot and manage your remote equipment including: servers, switches, routers, network devices, firewalls, load balancers and more.
Dominion KSX II is available in two models:
- KSX2-144 (4 serial ports; 4 KVM ports)
- KSX2-188 (8 serial ports; 8 KVM ports)
FEATURES & BENEFITS
Feature | Benefits |
Flexibility and Control | |
KVM-over-IP, Serial Console and Remote Power Control | Remotely access servers and networking equipment in your branch and remote offices by combining KVM-over-IP, serial and remote power control in one secure appliance. Access hundreds or thousands of remote devices when integrated with Raritan’s CommandCenter® Secure Gateway (CC-SG). |
Centralized Access for Remote and Branch Offices | If you have geographically dispersed equipment at branch and remote offices, the KSX II enables you to reduce travel costs, increase IT productivity, decrease mean time to repair and achieve higher service quality. |
Manage Racks of KVM – and Serially Managed Devices | The Dominion KSX II is also ideal for labs, computer rooms and data centers with racks containing both serially and KVM – controlled devices. |
Two Secure Hardware Appliance Models | The Dominion KSX II is available in two secure hardware appliances. The DKSX-144 features four KVM-over-IP ports, four serial ports, two power control ports and a local port for direct access. The DKSX-188 features eight KVM-over-IP ports, eight serial ports, two power control ports and a local port for direct access. Includes a built-in modem for emergency access and dual LAN ports for reliability. |
BIOS-Level KVM-over-IP Access | KSX II provides virtually all of the KVM-over-IP features of the award-winning Dominion KX II as of Release 2.3. With the Dominion KX II as its foundation, the KSX II enables new levels of KVM-over-IP performance, reliability, usability, compatibility and security. See the Dominion KX II Features and Benefits for the complete features list. Note that the tiering (cascading) feature is not yet available for the KSX II. |
Secure Console Server Access | The KSX II enables true serial access of serially-controlled equipment including networking equipment, headless servers (UNIX®, Linux®, Sun®) and other devices. Providing many serial features of the Dominion SX, the KSX II does not require expensive serial dongles, like competing solutions. |
Remote Power Control | You can remotely power up, down or cycle devices connected to optional Dominion PX™ power distribution units. An administrator can power cycle a hung or crashed server with a click of the mouse. The KSX II includes two power control ports that can be connected to two Raritan PX strips. |
Virtual Media | Mount remote drives/media on servers in remote offices to support software installation, remote booting and diagnostics. Using virtual media, you can even remotely re-image a server in a branch office. The Dominion KSX II supports a wide variety of media options, including CD/DVD/floppy drives, hard drives, USB drives and ISO image files. |
Availability | |
Dual Gigabit Ethernet Ports with Failover | Provides high availability with dual gigabit Ethernet ports for redundancy. Should one Ethernet switch or interface card fail, Dominion KSX II will automatically failover to the other port and continue operating. |
Built-in Modem with Dial-back | The Dominion KSX II has a built-in modem for out-of-band access if the primary network is unavailable. As an added security benefit, dial-back authentication is supported. |
Security | |
Validated FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Module for KVM and Serial Sessions | For government, military and other high security applications, the Dominion KSX II is the first combo digital KVM and serial switch with a validated FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Module for enhanced encryption. Modules tested and validated as conforming with FIPS 140-2 are accepted by the federal agencies of the U.S. and Canada for the protection of sensitive information. FIPS 140-2 encryption can be applied to both KVM and serial sessions. |
Smart Card and CAC Authentication | The Dominion KSX II supports smart card and DoD Common Access Card (CAC) authentication at the rack, stand-alone over IP and through CC-SG. Meets U.S. Government HSPD-12, PIV and CAC directives and ISO 7816, PC/SC and CCID standards. All Dominion KSX II models support smart cards using the D2CIM-DVUSB CIM. |
256-Bit AES Encryption | The Dominion KSX II uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption for added security. AES is a U.S. government–approved cryptographic algorithm that is recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in FIPS 197. |
Configurable Strong Password Checking | The Dominion KSX II has administrator-configurable strong password checking to ensure that user-created passwords meet corporate standards and are resistant to brute force hacking. The administrator can also enforce password aging and lockout after failed attempts. |
Group and Port-level Permissions | Administrators can ensure that only the right people access remote IT equipment by setting permissions down to the port level. Administrators can also grant or deny virtual media and power cycling privileges on a port and user basis. |
RADIUS and LDAP and Active Directory® Authentication | Dominion KSX II integrates with industry-standard directory servers, such as Microsoft's Active Directory, using either the RADIUS or LDAP protocols. This allows Dominion KSX II to use preexisting username/password databases for security. |
Configurable Security Banner | For government, military and other security – conscious customers requiring a security message before user login, the KSX II can display a user-configurable banner message and require acceptance before user login. |
Upload Customer-Provided SSL Certificates | You can upload digital certificates to the Dominion KSX II (self-signed or certificate authority provided) for enhanced authentication and secure communication. |
Advanced KVM-over-IP Features | |
High Performance, Next-Generation Video Hardware | Dominion KSX II’s KVM-over-IP engine uses Raritan’s next-generation technology, providing virtual at-the-rack performance. Next-generation features include ultra-fast screen refresh, 1920x1080 high-definition (HD) remote video resolution, advanced color calibration and per server video optimization. |
Blade Server Access and Control | Dominion KSX II supports popular blade server models from HP, IBM® and Dell®. It provides simple, automated and secure KVM-over-IP access (1) at the rack, (2) remotely over IP, (3) via CommandCenter Secure Gateway and (4) by modem. Blade servers are displayed by chassis with simple one-click access. The Dominion KSX II’s blade features are available to SMB customers with no management system required. For enterprise customers, seamless blade server integration with CommandCenter Secure Gateway is available. |
Dual Stack IP Networking with IPv6 | The Dominion KSX II provides dual stack IP networking with simultaneous support of IPv4 and IPv6. |
Secure Virtual Media with 128/256-Bit Encryption | Virtual media sessions are secured using 128- or 256-bit AES. Also available is 128-bit RC4 encryption. |
New Dual-USB Virtual Media CIM and USB Profiles | The dual-USB virtual media CIM (D2CIM-DVUSB) and USB profile feature enable expanded BIOS use of virtual media drives to the broadest range of servers and BIOS versions. |
Ease of Use | |
Next Generation Common User Interface | The Dominion KSX II has a next generation, browser-based user interface for enhanced usability and productivity. This interface is common across the local port, remote access, management software as well as other Raritan products. This reduces training time and increases productivity. |
Absolute Mouse Synchronization™ | The Absolute Mouse Synchronization feature is the ultimate mouse synchronization solution. For servers with a compatible USB mouse port, there is no need to adjust the mouse settings on the target server. This reduces installation time and enhances the Dominion KSX II's plug-and-play nature. In addition, the remote and target server mouse pointers never go out of synchronization. This feature is enabled by the D2CIM-VUSB and D2CIM-DVUSB virtual media CIMs. |
High Definition (HD) Remote Video Resolution– 1920x1080 | The Dominion KSX II supports full high-definition (HD) remote video resolution (1080p). In addition, popular widescreen formats are supported including 1600x1200, 1680x1050 and 1440x900, so you can work with today’s higher resolution monitors. |
Full-Screen Video Display | With the Dominion KSX II’s full-screen video display, you appear to be directly connected to the target server. You can view the full video display from the target server without window borders or toolbars. A hidden toolbar of KVM client commands is available. |
Automated and Manual Bandwidth Settings | Video performance can be configured to match the available network bandwidth. With highspeed LAN access, more bandwidth is available and higher quality video information can be sent, resulting in better performance. When accessing via a limited bandwidth connection, Dominion KSX II can be configured to the limited bandwidth available. |
PC Share Mode | Up to eight users can connect and remotely access each KVM – connected server. This feature is very useful for administrator collaboration for teamed troubleshooting. |
Serial Console Capabilities | |
True Serial Access | The Dominion KSX II provides true, remote serial console access to either four or eight serial devices, without the use of expensive serial dongles. Note that simultaneous access to four or eight serial ports is provided, with no blocking. In addition, multiple users can connect simultaneously to a serial device. |
Multiple Serial Clients | Access to serial devices is provided via the Raritan Serial Console, SSH or Telnet clients. |
Key Logging and History | The Dominion KSX II provides a true serial connection to network devices and serially managed equipment. This includes the ability to log serial sessions and retrieve the session history. |
Copy and Paste | You can copy and paste session information between different devices. |
Keyword Monitoring and Alerting | You can define, for each port, a set of keywords (port triggers). The KSX II will scan the data coming from the port, and if a keyword is encountered, it will log the event and send alerts via SNMP. This allows for monitoring and alerting of problems with remote devices even when you are not connected. |
Session Disconnection Commands | Once you have timed out for inactivity, a user-defined logoff command is sent to the serial device. Improved security of user sessions results, as the next user that connects to the port will need to log in to the target with their own credentials. |
Secure Chat Instant Messaging | Allows encrypted instant messaging for online collaboration with other authorized browser users and maximizes the effectiveness of a distributed workforce. Reduces time to resolve problems and allows multi-person troubleshooting. |
TCP Port Addressing for Telnet and SSH | Direct port addressing to specific devices via IP address and/or TCP port number for both Telnet and SSH. |
Manageability | |
Remote and Local Management and Administration | You can perform all management, administration and configuration operations, using a simple graphical user interface, remotely from the convenience of your desktop or while in the data center. |
Centralized Management with Raritan CommandCenter Secure Gateway | Like the rest of the Dominion series, Dominion KSX II features CommandCenter Secure Gateway integration, allowing enterprise users to consolidate all Dominion devices into a single logical system, accessible from a single IP address and under a single management interface. |
Remote Power Control | The Dominion KSX II has two dedicated power control ports for Raritan PDUs like the Dominion PX. This enables you to remotely power cycle IT devices from the KSX II management interface. |
SNMP Management and Syslog | The Dominion KSX II SNMP agent distributes SNMP traps for important system events to SNMP management systems. SNMP traps are fully configurable by the administrator. Syslog is also supported. |
Plug-and-Play Appliance Offers Quick and Easy Setup | Dominion KSX II is a completely self-contained system (i.e., an appliance). All KSX II features, including authentication and Web access are built into the unit and do not require the use of an additional server. |
Command Line Interface | A comprehensive Command Line Interface is available via SSH, Telnet or the local serial port. With the CLI, the user can configure, maintain and troubleshoot the KSX II, as well as connect to serial devices. |
FAQ
Question | Answer |
What is the Dominion KSX II? | The Dominion KSX II is an integrated remote access and control appliance that provides secure, out-of-band KVM-over-IP, serial access and power control for IT assets in remote and branch offices. |
What is the typical application of the KSX II? | The Dominion KSX II is targeted at centralized, remote management of IT devices at branch and remote offices. This enables IT administrators to remotely access, control and manage hundreds or even thousands of sites. |
What types of IT equipment can the KSX II manage? | KSX II can manage KVM- and serially-controlled equipment, including computer servers and equipment, telecommunications gear and networking devices. KSX II can perform remote power control using the optional Dominion PX™ rack-based power distribution units (PDUs). |
What type of remote management functions are supported? | The KSX II provides complete, out-of-band, remote management. This includes BIOS-level KVM-over-IP control, remote serial console access, remote power control and remote virtual media. KSX II provides complete remote management, regardless of the target device’s state. You can enter at the BIOS level, run hardware diagnostics, reboot a hung server, install software from DVDs and even re-image a server. |
Can you describe a typical remote office customer? | The typical customer is a company with IT assets in multiple branch offices, looking for centralized remote management of those devices. Customers increasingly have dispersed IT assets, but do not have IT staff at these facilities. Examples of customers are: banks with multiple branches, retail chains with multiple stores and brokerage firms with multiple offices. |
Any other customer types? | Another class of customer has multiple types of equipment in a rack, lab or office (or even a closet) and would like to manage these diverse devices remotely with a single secure appliance. By replacing two devices (KVM switch and serial console server) with a single appliance, customers will: (1) save money, (2) reduce rack space and cabling, (3) decrease energy usage and (4) increase productivity through anytime/anywhere remote access. |
What is the KSX II’s value proposition? | The KSX II’s value proposition is based on anytime/anywhere, centralized, remote access and control of geographically dispersed equipment. KSX II customers benefit from: (1) reduced travel expenses, (2) increased IT productivity, (3) decreased mean time to repair and (4) higher service quality. |
Technical Features | |
In a nutshell, what is the KSX II? | The Dominion KSX II is a combination of the Dominion KX II KVM-over-IP switch and features from the Dominion SX Secure Console Server. It provides world-class KVM-over-IP, serial-over-IP and remote power control in a single appliance. |
What KSX II models are available? | The Dominion KSX II is available in two secure hardware appliances. The DKSX-144 features four KVM-over-IP ports, four serial ports, two power control ports and a local port for direct access. The DKSX-188 features eight KVM-over-IP ports, eight serial ports, two power control ports and a local port for direct access. |
How does the Dominion KSX II compare to the Dominion KX II? | Built on a foundation of the award-winning Dominion KX II, the Dominion KSX II provides virtually all of the KX II’s KVM-over-IP software features as of Release 2.3. Note that the tiering (cascading) feature is one of the few exceptions. See the Dominion KX II Features and Benefits document for the complete KX II KVM-over-IP software features. In terms of hardware features, the KSX II has four or eight KVM-over-IP ports, four or eight dedicated serial ports, a single power supply, dual gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, local port, admin port, a built-in modem and two dedicated power control ports. The KSX II supports a single KVM-over-IP remote connection, an independent local port KVM connection and either four or eight serial port connections. |
How are remote power control strips connected to the KSX II? | Dominion PX PDUs are connected via Cat5 cable to the two power ports on the KSX II. No CIMs are required. |
Does the KSX II have a modem port? | Actually, the KSX II has a built-in modem for emergency use if the primary network is down. |
What are some sample Dominion KX II features? | Some sample Dominion KX II features available in the KSX II are:
See the Dominion KX II Features and Benefits document for more information. |
Is the Dominion KSX II FIPS 140-2-certified? | The Dominion KSX II uses a FIPS 140-2-certified encryption module for both serial and KVM sessions. The KSX II also supports DoD Common Access Card, Secure Login Banner and IPv6 – three other features of interest to government and military customers. |
How does the Dominion KSX II compare to the Dominion SX? | Like the Dominion SX, the KSX II supports true serial connections with dedicated serial ports and SX-like functionality. Select Dominion SX II features are supported by the KSX II, including:
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Is a CIM (dongle) required to access serial devices? | A CIM is not required for the KSX II as it provides a true serial connection – no serial converter or external power adapter is required. However, like the Dominion SX, an inexpensive serial adapter may be required based on the exact pin-out of the serial device. |
What is virtual media? | Virtual media is a powerful feature that enables a user to mount drives and media from the user’s desktop to remote servers during a KVM connection. This is ideal to install software, run hardware diagnostics, transfer files and even remotely reimage a server. |
What types of virtual media does the Dominion KSX II support? | Dominion KSX II supports the following types of virtual media: internal and USB-connected CD/DVD drives, USB mass storage devices, PC hard drives and local and remote ISO images. |
Is virtual media secure? | Yes. Virtual media sessions are secured using up to 256-bit AES or 128-bit RC4 encryption. |
Does the KSX II support the D2CIM-DVUSB? | Yes. With release 2.3, KSX II supports the dual USB virtual media CIM (and USB profile feature) which enable expanded BIOS use of virtual media drives to the broadest range of servers and BIOS versions. |
Does the Dominion KSX II provide an integrated interface that gives a view of all connected devices? | Yes. Dominion KSX II provides a single, consolidated view of all KVM and serial devices via one sign-on. A single IP address gives access to all connected serial devices. For CLI connectivity, any Java™-enabled Web browser provides VT100/ANSI terminal emulation. |
Can I access serial devices from the KSX II’s local port? | Yes. From the KSX II’s consolidated VGA-based local port, you can access both KVM – and serially managed devices. Serial devices can also be accessed via the serial admin port of the KSX II. |
What is Absolute Mouse Synchronization? | This is a technology developed by Raritan in which mouse cursors stay in synch right out of the box. It eliminates the need to manually change the mouse settings on each target server. It is a feature supported by USB 2.0-enabled servers. |
Is the Dominion KSX II Sun® "break-safe"? | Yes. The Dominion KSX II units are Sun "break-safe" for use with Sun Solaris™. |
What type of remote power control capabilities does the Dominion KSX II offer? | The Dominion KSX II has two dedicated power control ports in which Raritan’s Dominion PX power strips can be connected. After a simple one-time configuration step, just right click on the server name to power on, off or recycle a hung server. Note that a hard reboot provides the physical equivalent of unplugging the server from the AC power line and reinserting the plug. |
Does the KSX II have a CLI? | Yes. A comprehensive Command Line Interface is available via SSH, Telnet or the local serial port. With the CLI, the user can configure, maintain and troubleshoot the KSX II, as well as access serial devices. |
Can the KSX II be managed by CommandCenter® Secure Gateway (CC-SG)? | Yes. With CC-SG, customers can access and manage hundreds or even thousands of devices spread across the country, or even the world. |
TECHNICAL SPECS
Specifications for All Dominion KSX II Models | |
| Form Factor | 1U, full width, rack mountable (brackets included) |
| Dimensions - (WxDxH) | 17.3" x 11.4" x 1.75"; 439 x 290 x 44mm |
| Weight | DKSX2-144: 8.51lb (3.86kg); DKSX2-188: 8.64lb (3.92kg) |
| Power | 100V/240V 50/60Hz 0.6A |
| KVM Ports | 4 (KSX2-144 model) or 8 (KSX2-188 model) |
| Serial Ports | 4 (KSX2-144 model) or 8 (KSX2-188 model) |
| Power Control Ports | 2 |
| Local Admin Port (VGA) Video Keyboard/Mouse | HD15(F) VGA Mini-DIN6(F) PS/2 and USB(F), 1 USB front, 3 USB rear |
| Local Admin Port (Serial) | DB9(M) RS232 |
Environmental Requirements | |
| Operating Temperature | 32°F (0°C) to 104°F (40°C) |
Remote Connection | |
| Network | Dual 10/100/1000 gigabit Ethernet Access (RJ45) with failover. Dual stack IPv4/IPv6 |
| Modem | Integrated 56K V.90 (RJ11 port) modem |
| Protocols | TCP/IP, UDP, RADIUS, LDAP, SNMP, SNTP, DHCP, PAP, CHAP, HTTP, HTTPS |
| Sample Video Resolutions | 640x480, 720x400, 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1152x900, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1680x1050 1600x1200, 1920x1080 |
KVM Computer Interface Modules (CIMs) | |||
| CIM Model | Description | Dimensions (WxDxH) | Weight |
| D2CIM-DVUSB | Dual USB CIM for BIOS virtual media, smart card/CAC and Absolute Mouse Synchronization | 1.7" x 3.5" x 0.8"; 43 x 90 x 19mm | 0.25lb; 0.11kg |
| D2CIM-VUSB | USB CIM for virtual media and Absolute Mouse Synchronization | 1.3" x 3.0" x 0.6"; 33 x 76 x 15mm | 0.20lb; 0.09kg |
| DCIM-PS2 | CIM for PS/2 | 1.3" x 3.0" x 0.6"; 33 x 76 x 15mm | 0.20lb; 0.09kg |
| DCIM-SUN | CIM for Sun | 1.3" x 3.0" x 0.6"; 33 x 76 x 15mm | 0.20lb; 0.09kg |
| DCIM-USBG2 | CIM for USB and Sun USB | 1.3" x 3.0" x 0.6"; 33 x 76 x 15mm | 0.20lb; 0.09kg |
