okvm

okvm's console manager

The okvm console manager enables system and network managers to securely control the IT infrastructure in their data centers, and at their remote sites. A console server built with okvm software delivers secure in-band and out-of-band access to the serial console ports on the servers and network appliances at these sites.

okvm is an open source project. System and network managers with Linux experience can assemble their own cost-effective console servers, with customized serial management capabilities, by installing okvm on x86 systems fitted with standard serial multiport cards. Or they can create a dedicated small-footprint management appliances using off-the-shelf x86 SBCs running okvm). The okvm console management software has all the features you'd expect to find in a quality console server:

• Secure Shell (SSH V2)
• TACACS+ , RADIUS and LDAP authentication
• PAP/CHAP authentication (dial up)
• Per port user access lists
• Dial back support
• Local authentication
• System event syslog
• SSH port and IP forwarding support
• IP packet filtering
• SUN / Solaris ready (no inadvertent breaks)
• Break over SSH support
• Port triggers and alerts
• Offline data logging (Syslog, NFS, CIFS)
• Online data buffering
• Multiple users per port (with port sniffing)
• Access by TCP port
• Telnet/SSH/Raw TCP connect
• Clustering
• Command Line interface (Linux Shell)
• ARP-PING (IP assignment)
• SNMP
• In-Band (Ethernet) and Out-of- band (Dial-up modem access)
• DHCP for dynamic IP assignment
• NTP for time synchronization
• PPP for dial up access
• RFC 2217 - Port Redirection

The okvm Console management software has been optimized to provide secure access to serial consoles of critical server systems. It is based around 2.4 uClinux kernel and embodies a myriad of popular and proven Linux software modules for networking (NetFilter, IPTables), secure access (OpenSSH) and communications (OpenSSL) and sophisticated user authentication (PAM, RADIUS, TACACS+ and LDAP). Full source code is available, enabling simple custom configuration.

The okvm source code can be freely downloaded from the okvm Project page. Third parties can utilize okvm under the terms of GPL to develop commercial solutions. Opengear supplies a line console server products (CM4000 and CMx86) which are built using code from the okvm project.