Network Out-of-Band Management (OOBM) for the 6600 Switch
Concepts
Concepts
Management communications with a managed switch can be:
■ in band—through the networked data ports of the switch
■ out of band—through a dedicated management port (or ports) separate
from the data ports
Out-of-band ports have typically been serial console ports using DB-9 or
specially wired 8-pin modular (RJ-style) connectors. Some recent HP
ProCurve switches have added networked out-of-band management ports.
The illustration below shows management connections for a typical switch.
Figure J-1. Management ports
Out-of-band management (OOBM) operates on a “management plane” that is
separate from the “data plane” used by data traffic on the switch and by in-
band management traffic. That separation means that out-of-band manage-
ment can continue to function even during periods of traffic congestion,
equipment malfunction, or attacks on the network. In addition, it can provide
J-2
