KVM Console
The KVM console is an interface accessible from the Cisco UCS Manager GUI or the KVM Launch Manager that emulates a direct keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) connection to the server. It allows you to connect and control the server from a remote location and also to map physical locations to virtual drives that can by accessed by the server during this Virtual KVM (vKVM) session. Unlike the KVM dongle, which requires you to be physically connected to the server, the KVM console allows you to connect to the server from a remote location across the network.
Beginning with Cisco UCS Manager Release 4.1(1), the KVM console is available as an HTML5-based application on Cisco UCS B-Series M4, C-Series M4, and C-Series M5 servers. The console is no longer available as a Java-based application. For more information, see KVM Console for Cisco UCS B-Series M4, C-Series M4, and C-Series M5 Servers
Beginning with Cisco UCS Manager Release 4.2(1), an enhanced KVM console is available on Cisco UCS B-Series M6 and C-Series M6 servers. Beginning with Cisco UCS Manager Release 4.2(2), the enhanced KVM console is also available on Cisco UCS B-Series M5 servers. For more information, see KVM Console for Cisco UCS B-Series M4, C-Series M4, and C-Series M5 Servers
This enhanced KVM console offers the following additional features:
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The KVM console provides connection to KVM, SOL and vMedia.
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The vMedia connections are shared across KVM session and can be saved to the CIMC.
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Pasting text from the client has an advanced unsupported character support.
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CIMC vMedia mappings stored on the CIMC can be managed directly through the KVM console.
You must ensure that either the server or the service profile associated with the server is configured with a CIMC IP address if you want to use the KVM console to access the server. The KVM console uses the CIMC IP address assigned to a server or a service profile to identify and connect with the correct server in a Cisco UCS domain.
Instead of using CD/DVD or floppy drives directly connected to the server, the KVM console uses virtual media, which are actual disk drives or disk image files that are mapped to virtual CD/DVD or floppy drives. You can map any of the following to virtual drives:
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CD/DVD or floppy drives on your computer
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Disk image files on your computer
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CD/DVD or floppy drives on the network
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Disk image files on the network
![]() Note |
When you launch the KVM console from the physical server, the system checks if the server is associated to a service profile. If the server is associated to a service profile with an associated management IP address, the KVM console is launched using that management IP address. If no management IP address is associated in the service profile, then the system launches the KVM console using the physical server. |
Recommendations for Using the KVM Console to Install a Server OS
To install an OS from a virtual CD/DVD or floppy drive, you must ensure that the virtual CD/DVD or floppy drive is set as the first boot device in the service profile.
Installing an OS using the KVM console may be slower than using the KVM dongle because the installation files must be downloaded across the network to the server. If you map a disk drive or disk image file from a network share to a virtual drive, the installation may be even slower because the installation files must be downloaded from the network to the KVM console (your computer) and then from the KVM console to the server. When using this installation method, we recommend that you have the installation media as close as possible to the system with the KVM console.