Configuring a PM-2 portmaster to provide serial console access

The following describes configuring a Livingston PM-2 Portmaster to provide access to the serial ports of devices such as Sun servers via a TCP/IP network to which the PM-2 is connected. This access can be utilized either by logging into the Portmaster and attaching to a particular serial port, or by telnetting directly to a particular TCP port on the Portmaster that corresponds with a particular serial port.

Connect the Sun's console serial port to the PM-2 using a straight DB-25 cable and a DB-25 null adapter. Login to the PM-2 as !root and add this configuration.

General configuration for this or all ports:

set <port|all> extended on
set <port|all> speed 9600
set <port|all> databits 8
set <port|all> xon/xoff off
set <port|all> override xon off
set <port|all> rts/cts on
set <port|all> modem off
set <port|all> hangup off
set <port|all> cd off
set <port|all> service_login netdata
set <port|all> device /dev/network
save <port|all>

Per-port configuration for network access:

set <port> service_device netdata <tcp port>
set <port> prompt <hostname> console
save <port>
reset <port>

...where <tcp port> is the port you want to telnet to in order to access a particular serial port (tcp/6001 for s1, etc.), and <hostname> is the name of the device attached to that port.

If you prefer a password prompt in front of the open telnet ports, add this:

add user fred
set user fred password What4ever
set user fred service telnet 6001
set user fred host <PortMaster ether0 IP address>
save user

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