Included in Section 5, “Connecting Managed Systems— Detailed Information” is a generic description of the use of a terminal/communications server, with specific examples taken from the CISCO model 2509 Access Server and the Unisys ATS/NAS Terminal server. This server has been qualified for use with Operations Sentinel. Other terminal/communications servers can possibly be used with Operations Sentinel, as long as the proper interfaces are available. Use the descriptions for the Unisys ATS/NAS and the CISCO Access server as a guide to configuring your terminal/communications server.

With a TELNET connection, you can access the managed system only while the TELNET server process is active. This limits your access until after the boot process and initialization process on the managed system are complete.

When using an SSH connection, you can access the managed system only while the SSH server process is active. This is similar to a TELNET connection. It limits your access until after the boot and initialization processes are completed on the managed system.

Ping monitoring provides a high-level view of the accessibility of the system to the network. It is particularly useful if the target is not a computer system, such as a router or printer. Ping is also useful on a system where the console cannot be monitored as described above or if TELNET and SSH have been disabled.