[Info-vax] OpenVMS Remote Management (was: Re: Most usable graphics card(s) for VMS on a DS10)

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2020-10-07 17:27:27 +0000, Simon Clubley said:

> For those of you managing Linux and other Unix servers, how many of you 
> go and sit at the server console to do GUI work and how many of you 
> just run any needed X applications remotely over SSH from your normal 
> desktop machine ?

I've not used remote X for any of that, with any Unix or Linux systems 
I've managed.

The remote management is all web-based either directly or via REST 
(Redfish / DMTF / etc), either directly or from a provisioning portal.

If it's hosted, it's all managed off the portal, at least until you can 
ssh into the box "normally" for further customizations—and the portal 
can usually help set up the ssh keys.

Or it's command-line, either into a running system or into iLO / DRAC / etc.

Other than some testing and target practice systems, all have remote 
management hardware.

> Would it make more sense to manage VMS systems in that way instead of 
> having to sit at the VMS console to do GUI work ?

OpenVMS doesn't have a GUI management system. Not for X.  I mean, yeah, 
I customized FileView too, but... It's all command line.

Options here for OpenVMS remote management have involved Argus / OMS / 
Management Station, and the newly-announced WebUI web-management system 
from VSI.

Or what most folks use, ssh or other command-line access via iLO / DRAC / etc.

Yes, there are probably some using the iLO web management and maybe 
still using SMH with OpenVMS, but I've been very skeptical about the 
security there. (Newer iLO security is better, but OpenVMS lacks that.)

> Are there any performance or other limitations which make this approach 
> not practical for VMS servers ?

Remote X will work, but when you're tossing around remote DECterm 
sessions for command-line access, it becomes more of a "why bother?" 
discussion.


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