KVM-over-IP User Stations

What is a KVM-over-IP User Station and What Do We need it For?

Introduction

KVM-over-IP switching is a technology that supports remote access to AV and/or computing resources over an IP network such as the Internet.

This remote access capability supports a scenario in which the AV and/or computing resources are located in one place, while the user or users (of these AV and/or computing resources) are located elsewhere.

To access these AV and/or computing resources, a remote user would typically use a computer connected to the network. The remote user would then bring up a Web browser on the computer, type in the IP address of the KVM-over-IP device connected to the AV and/or computing resources and – voila – access to the resources has been established on the remote user's monitor, allowing the remote user to control the resources with their keyboard and mouse.

This traditional setup is characterized by organizations keeping users close to the IT infrastructure. Directly connecting operators to the hardware running their applications is familiar, it's the way PCs have been used for decades.

Learn more about remote server management: KVM-over-IP vs. software

Shifting Workflow Paradigm

However, in a world that demands greater flexibility every year, operators and administrators (users) increasingly cannot be located next to the IT infrastructure. Organizations seeking operational efficiency or cost-effectiveness may put some distance between the computing devices that create and store data, and the operators or administrators that control the systems.

This shift toward remote connectivity is a continuation of the pandemic-era shift toward remote work.

Many time-sensitive, deadline-driven organizations utilize intensive audiovisual (AV) applications to support business operations. These AV workloads put unique demands on organizational IT infrastructure, because they run on high-performance servers and workstations, and create, edit, display, and save massive volumes of quickly changing, time-indexed audiovisual content. This content often consists of 1080p or 4K video.

In order to equip remote administrators, many organizations use high-performance KVM-over-IP switches to connect the application hardware (usually servers and/or graphics workstations) to one or many multi-monitor setups at remote locations. These KVM-over-IP solutions serve as high-performance transmitters and receivers, sending terabytes of data over private IP networks and/or the Internet. With this approach, any workflow can be performed remotely, regardless of where the IT hardware is located, as long as it's connected to a high-performance IP network.

Organizations that want to decouple users from high-performance AV hardware, however, often have other motives and considerations, including:
• A desire to share expensive AV hardware
• Key talent residing elsewhere, even in another country
• The organization's collaborative workflow with users in several locations

In parallel to this shift toward remote connectivity, a need to steer away from using a PC as the remote-access facilitator has emerged as a compelling consideration.

Users or operators of these audiovisual applications are typically not IT people. But a PC used to facilitate remote access requires IT maintenance which isn't always readily available at remote locations. Using a PC by these operators of audiovisual applications is also distracting and inefficient, because it requires attention to periodic rebooting needs, OS updates and other PC idiosyncrasies.

On the other hand, these operators of audiovisual applications do have distinct requirements. They typically use keyboards, monitors, and pointing tools, just like a typical PC, but also usually require multiple monitors to allow multiple data displays and more efficient workflows.

Because much of the content being managed in these audiovisual applications is time-indexed, users must be able to access and manipulate the applications in real-time, without latency or lag.

The combination of shifting towards remote connectivity, reducing the need for IT maintenance in remote locations, simplifying the remote access process being conducted by broadcast and AV users (who are not IT proficient) while improving their efficiency and providing them with a remote-access facilitator that meets their unique requirements, created the need to come up with a new remote-access appliance to replace the PC.

This remote-access appliance is what we now know as a KVM-over-IP User Station (aka Console Station).

KVM-over-IP User Stations

A KVM-over-IP user station is a standalone, self-contained, low-maintenance, dedicated hardware appliance for high performance IP access to servers, with a slim form factor that allows it to easily sit on a desk or be VESA-mounted on the back of a monitor.

A KVM-over-IP user station lets an operator securely access and control multiple remote computers, servers, or virtual machines over a standard IP network.

It acts as a high-performance receiver, decoding video, audio, and USB signals sent from target machines, providing an "at-the-PC" experience from anywhere in the world.

Used mostly in broadcast, control rooms, labs and studios, its productive user interface supports multiple 1080p or 4K video sessions at 60 frames per second (FPS), with low latency, simultaneous access to multiple servers, up to four monitors, audio, and virtual media.

A KVM-over-IP user station (aka console station) supports simultaneously access, view, and control of multiple servers, spread across up to 4 monitors, keyboard and mouse sharing for working across  6, 9 or more monitors, as well as Web-based remote control of the user station connected to wall monitors in studios and control rooms.

Perfect for broadcast, labs, studios, control rooms, offices, and data centers, user stations can replace outdated analog matrix switches, supplement inflexible broadcast systems or be deployed anywhere a hassle-free IP access is needed.

The Case for Deploying KVM-over-IP User Stations

By reviewing some of the use cases or situations where organizations need high-performance remote AV functionality, it's known that organizations use KVM-over-IP to work with:

• Broadcast systems that handle live events for news, sports, and even radio
• Critical infrastructure management and monitoring for air traffic, railroads, highways, and shipyards
• Military command and control infrastructure, for requirements as far-reaching as logistics and battle
• Movie/TV post-production work, standard video editing, and CGI rendering
• Financial transactions and stock trading, especially when traders aren't near their high-frequency trading clusters
• Graphics card test labs for PC and component manufacturers
• Medical Imaging, especially 3D imaging and functional MRI reviews across multiple hospitals

All these workflows share a common need: high-performance connectivity to give users a way to access and use audiovisual information, at scale, for time-critical requirements, without degradation of image quality or transmission delays.

These workflows rely on support for high-definition digital video and audio, quick application switching, minimal latency, and multi-video and monitor setups.
These are demanding requirements, and organizations need to be confident that they're choosing an appropriate solution.

But what's the right solution for addressing these needs?

Exploring an Ideal KVM-over-IP Platform

For a KVM-over-IP solution platform to be effective, it must meet the following requirements:

Video Quality and Performance 

1. Enhanced Video Quality: Support for high-resolution, high-frame-rate digital video and audio formats to ensure operational quality. Support for 4K resolution, at 30 fps or more alongside support for 60 fps at 1080p resolution should be a basic requirement.

2. Low Latency: Minimized lag time, crucial for real-time video applications. The solution should use efficient video compression algorithms to minimize latency and ensure a smooth editing experience.

3. Color Accuracy: Accurate color representation for critical video tasks is essential despite the need for compressing data streams to provide the required quality and latency. A high-performance KVM could, for example, support chroma subsampling to reduce the data included in each frame without sacrificing quality.

Operational Efficiency

1. Novice Operation: An ideal solution can be operated and used by non-IT people, requiring fewer cables, with a streamlined setup, and reduced IT-maintenance and operational complexity.

2. Scalability: Handles numerous video sources and displays simultaneously. The receiver should be able to utilize sources from multiple servers and graphic workstations with no-compromise control. It should also be able to support multiple monitors.

3. Resource Utilization: Allows multiple users to share expensive video equipment. Each remote user has its own KVM setup, improving the utilization of complex, expensive AV hardware while improving operational efficiency. Hardware can be shared and can support collaborative workflows that require multiple users.

Remote and Centralized Management

1. Remote Access: Allows for remote control and monitoring of video equipment. For control, the solution must support a keyboard, mouse, media, and other capabilities typically found in a local workstation, without introducing delays or functional restrictions.

2. Centralized Management: Simplifies management of multiple applications on different sets of hardware. Users should be able to use multiple systems, quickly switching from one to another seamlessly. Also, the remote keyboard, mouse, and media setups should be attached and removed from remote systems quickly and easily.

Security and Access Control

1. Access Control: Provides granular control over who can access video content. Functions like single sign-on (SSO) provide a way to prevent unauthorized access.

2. Data Encryption: Protecting confidential information from attacks and threats, data encryption provides another layer of safety.

Compatibility and Reliability

1. Compatibility: The ability to work well with all operating systems.

2. Redundancy: The solution should be built for 24x7 demands, with redundancy built-in to ensure smooth uptime for years.

Solutions

The optimal solution to an ideal KVM-over-IP platform typically consist of two hardware components:

1. Transmitter: The transmitter connects to your IT hardware in Location A, an office or a data center. It connects to video ports, an audio connection, the keyboard, the mouse, and media connections. It then sends those signals over an IP network, which could be a LAN or WAN, or the Internet.
These transmitters are KVM-over-IP Gateways and KVM-over-IP Switches.

2. Receiver: The receiver is connected to an IP network and supports multiple monitors, a keyboard, a pointing device, and media at Location B, where the operator or administrator is located. It takes the IP data stream from Location A, and converts it back to audio, video, and data. It also sends data back to the transmitter, enabling the user to access and control the remote IT hardware just as they control their local PC.
These receivers are KVM-over-IP user stations (aka console stations)*.

This solution-set works well for the use cases described above. It's a mature way of delivering high-performance applications at a distance.

Conclusion

Over the past few years, some leading organizations turned to a combination of KVM-over-IP switches with enhanced user stations (aka console stations). This combination of products supports high-performance audiovisual use cases while reducing costs and improving efficiency without cutting effectiveness.

KVM-over-IP user station solution is already in use by various-sized organizations around the world, supporting leading-edge requirements for organizations in both the private and public sectors. The features, functionality, and benefits make it a powerful alternative to other, more conventional remote AV solutions.

Compared to other high performance access solutions, KVM-over-IP switching combined with the use of KVM-over-IP user stations is less expensive, more flexible, secure, and reliable. It's easier to deploy and expand, and it offers the performance organizations can trust.

Need help? Call KVMGalore at 1-800-636-3434 or submit your question.

* KVM-over-IP user stations are proprietary-branded, available primarily from major KVM-over-IP manufacturers:
• Raritan: Dominion KX IV Enhanced User Station; Dominion KX III Enhanced User Station; Dominion KX III User Station
• ATEN: KA8270; KA8278; KA8280; KA8288