Common IO Device Configurations in Servers

Common I/O Device Configurations in Servers

Most typical servers use the following I/O devices discussed earlier in this chapter:

• PS/2 keyboard and mouse

• CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive connected to an onboard ATA/IDE (PATA) host adapter

• Onboard PCI video

These devices are found in virtually all servers, and they provide more-than-adequate performance for the task. In addition to or instead of these, in some cases you might need the following devices:

• A USB keyboard and mouse instead of those that interface with the server by using a PS/2 connection. This is a desirable option if you don't want to keep a mouse and keyboard attached to the server at all times. USB devices, unlike PS/2 devices, can be hot-swapped. However, although USB-compatible KVM switches exist, they might not work as well as PS/2-based KVM switches, particularly in a mixed Windows Server/Linux environment.

• An add-on PCI, AGP, or PCI-Express video card in place of onboard PCI video. If your server does not have onboard video, or if the onboard video fails, you need to install some type of video card to be able to configure and monitor the system. You should use the least-expensive and simplest video card possible: a PCI card. If you need dual-display functionality, dual-head PCI cards are available.

• A rewritable DVD drive in place of a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. You should make this substitution if you plan to use the DVD drive to perform data backups.