KVMoIP Sessions & Power cycles

We offer our client’s a KVMoIP session (often referred to as a KVM or virtual KVM) as a way of remotely accessing their servers; in a way which is independent of their hardware and software.

Our KVM devices act as a virtual Keyboard, mouse and monitor. The devices are attached to the USB and VGA ports of your server, as well as a switch port on one of our top of the rack switches, and replicate the access you would have if you were in the Data Centre, with a keyboard, mouse and monitor attached to the server.

KVMs are normally used as the first way in which clients can troubleshoot a server that is inaccessible. They can also be used to install your own operating system onto a server; or to perform work on a server which involves the server becoming inaccessible remotely. KVMs can be used to access an OS, which is not directly remotely accessible through the operating system, so that it and its configuration can be troubleshooted by the client. KVMs can also be used to confirm the current status of a server; to check for any hardware related issues or errors.

You can raise a KVMoIP request through your MyServers control panel; through the IS page, under support. Each client is allocated a certain amount of free KVMoIP sessions. If you run out of free sessions, KVMoIP sessions may be chargeable. Please see the section on requesting KVMoIP sessions for more details on this.

If you have any further questions about KVMoIP that is not answered by our FAQ page, please feel free to get in touch and we will be happy to help.

A KVMoIP session can be easily requested through your MyServers account.

To request a KVMoIP sessions, first log in to your account on the MyServers control panel. Once on your account, click on the My Servers tab.

Then click on the IS number of the server you wish to have the KVM attached to.

Now you are on the IS page for the device. Click on Support and then KVMoIP Request, on the right hand side of the page.

You will now be taken to the KVM request page. Here, you will see how many free KVM sessions you have left, how many other clients are currently waiting for a KVM, and the estimated time it will take for the session to be ready for you to access. If you have no free KVM sessions available, you will be charged a one of fee for this session. Once you are ready, press Request KVM Session.

The KVM request will now be sent to the local technicians to action.

You will receive an email once the KVM device has been setup and is ready for you to use. KVMs are normally set-up within half an hour of the request being made; however, it can sometimes take longer, based on our technicians work load, how many KVM devices are currently available at this site and how many other clients are in the queue. Please wait for the email saying your KVM is activated. Please also make sure you check your junk folder for this email. You can also keep an eye on the KVM request from the MyServers IS page.

If you have any more questions about our KVMoIP sessions, please look through our FAQ section for help, or raise a support ticket and a member of team will be happy to help.

Please be aware that we also offer remote management access packages (OOB access; such as iDRAC, IPMI and iLO) on most of our dedicated servers. These remote management systems provide you with permanent remote access, similar to our KVM sessions, which you can use at any time. It can also be used to monitor the health of your server. Please get in touch, via a ticket, if you wish to know more.

Once you have requested a KVM session (or we have done this on your behalf) and the local technicians have set-up the KVM device, you will receive an email to the email address associated with your account, which will contain the KVM’s access details. Please make sure you check your Junk folder for this email. You can also find the KVM’s access details for the KVM session on the server’s IS page.

Please note that once the KVM has been activated, the standard length of a KVM session is 4 hours. You now have 4 hours to use the KVM.

To access our KVM devices, you will first have to have VNC viewer downloaded and installed onto your home/work computer. You can find a link to the latest version of the VNC viewer software at the following address: http://95.154.206.51/

Open up the software once you have downloaded and installed VNC viewer. Now take the IP address for the KVM device, supplied in the email and on the IS page, and enter it into the search box/IP address box of VNC viewer and press enter.

Please note that the appearance of your version of the VNC viewer may differ from the version used in the screenshots above and below; however, the principles outlined in the steps in this FAQ are the same. Also, both the username and password change and are randomly generate each time a KVM session is setup, automatically. So the credentials in the images above and below no longer apply to any of our KVM devices.

You now should be presented with a window where you can enter the login details. Enter the Username and Password from the email into the window. Then press OK / Enter.

You will now be presented with a remote console window. In my example below, my remote console shows that my server (which has a Windows Operating System) is sat at the lock screen, as I would expect.

Please note that if there is something wrong with your server (such as a hardware error), you may be presented with BIOS or OS error messages. If there is a problem with your server that has caused it to completely crash, the KVM and server may not be responsive. If this is the case, you may need to raise a power-cycle request.

You can now use the KVM until the session expires (normally 4 hours after the session is activated). If you need longer, please get in touch and we can discuss extending the KVMoIP session for you. Please note, this may incur a fee.

If you have any more questions about our KVMoIP sessions, please look through our FAQ section for help, or raise a support ticket and a member of team will be happy to help.

Once the KVM device has been set-up and once you have logged into the KVM session using VNC viewer, you are able to use the VNC viewer window to control the KVM device. Our KVM devices replicate the access you would have to the server if you were at the server, with a monitor, keyboard and mouse attached. You can now use the KVM to work on your server.

While clicked onto the KVM’s VNC Viewer window, you can use your mouse and keyboard to issue commands, like you would on a normal computer. The only difference is that certain key commands may not work over KVM (like Ctrl+Alt+Delete), as these affect the computer you will be using VNC viewer on. When this is the case, you can use the command buttons on the VNC viewer window to issue these commands.

There are also some controls at the top of the window. The below table shows you what these controls do:

Button	What is does
	Use this button to re-sync your computer’s cursor with the cursor on the server/KVM.
	Use this button to calibrate the remote console (video, keyboard, etc.).
	This is the Ctrl+Alt+Delete button. Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete on your keyboard will not work on the remote console; it will instead affect the system you are using the VNC viewer on. Use this button to issue this command to the server instead.
	If you press the controls button, it brings up a list of some extra controls. You can use these controls to change the session’s settings and add Virtual Media.
	Pressing the arrows here will switch the KVM user between Shared and Private mode. In shared mode, multiple people can access that session, if they know the username, password and the IP address of the KVM. In private, only the person on the KVM session at the time will have access to the KVM.

Please note that if there is a hardware or software error that has caused the server to crash, the KVM may not be responsive. You can raise a power-cycle request in MyServers to reboot the system, in an attempt to make the KVM and server responsive again. If you believe you need some hardware replaced or a re-install, please raise a ticket and we will be happy to help.

The KVM session will automatically become un-available after the session expires; typically after four hours. If you have finished using the KVM, the user and its credentials will be deleted after the session expires. If you require more time, you can either raise another KVM request after the session has ended, or you can raise a ticket on your MyServers account asking for the window to be extended. Please note, having a KVM session extended may incur a fee.

If you have any more questions about our KVMoIP sessions, please look through our FAQ section for help, or raise a support ticket and a member of team will be happy to help.

A power-cycle involves your device being hard powered off and then powered back on.

When a power-cycle request is raised against a device, one of our technicians or our automated system will remove the power going to your server; then, after a short period of time, the power will be restored to your server.

Power-cycles can fix some issues that servers encounter and is the first troubleshooting option we would suggest if you encounter a problem with your device.

However, please be aware that power cycling a machine that has not been shut down or reset gracefully can cause files to be lost and/or damaged. As a Managed Infrastructure Services provider, we are not responsible for any data-loss and the choice to power-cycle your server must be your own.

You can raise a power-cycle request through your MyServers control panel, under the device’s IS page, under the support section. Please see the “How can I get my server power-cycled?” section of the FAQ for more details.

If your device is a colocated device and there is a specific method for troubleshooting your server (e.g. do not hold the power button), please raise a ticket through the control panel, rather than requesting a power-cycle.

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch and we will be happy to help.

You can raise a power-cycle request through your MyServers control panel.

Once you have logged in to your account, locate the device’s IS page. A list of IS numbers can be found under the My Servers tab.

Once you are on the IS page, click Support and then Power Cycle on the right hand side of the page.

What the screen looks like now will depend on whether or not your device is hosted within our automated Bare Metal system or not. If it is, you will be presented with the option to Soft or Hard reboot your server. A hard reboot will completely remove the power to your server and then power it back on; while the soft reboot option will attempt to send a command to the device to reboot without powering off. If you server has crashed or is not responsive, we would suggest using a hard reboot. Click on the reboot type you require. If your server is not in our automated Bare Metal system, you can simply press Request Power Cycle.

Either a technician or our automated Bare Metal system will now power-cycle your machine; by removing the power going to your server; then, after a short period of time, restoring the power to your server (unless you requested a soft reboot). Please note that if your server is not hosted within the automated Bare Metal system, the power-cycle will completed when the next text becomes available.

If your device is a colocated device and there is a specific method for troubleshooting your server (e.g. do not hold the power button), please raise a ticket through the control panel, rather than requesting a power-cycle.

This can fix some issues that servers encounter and is the first troubleshooting option we would suggest if your server has encounter an issue.

However, please be aware that power cycling a machine that has not been shut down or reset gracefully can cause files to be lost and/or damaged. As a Managed Infrastructure Services provider, we are not responsible for any data-loss and the choice to power-cycle your server must be your own.

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch and we will be happy to help.

If your Enterprise Cloud Server has encountered a problem, we would first suggest stopping and then starting the Virtual Machine, through our MyServers control panel.

This option can be found on the VS page. A list of VS/IS numbers belonging to your account can be found under the My Servers tab.

Once you are on the VS page, you will see the current status of the VM (e.g. Running and Halted) and the option to Stop/Start the VM. If you have encountered a problem with the VM, you can now press the Stop VM button, wait a minute or two for the VM to successfully stop, and then press Start VM to affectively power-cycle the VM.

Please note that there is always a risk of data-loss when stopping and restarting a VM. As a Managed Infrastructure Services provider, we are not responsible for any data-loss and the choice to start and stop the virtual machine must be your own.

If you are still experiencing issues after you have restarted the VM, please raise a ticket through the MyServers control panel, and a member of our team will be happy to help.

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.