Out-of-Band Management Switch
Nodegrid is the world’s first Gen 3 out-of-band management switch
The Nodegrid out-of-band management switch from ZPE Systems delivers high-speed OOB connectivity, cutting-edge security features, and end-to-end network automation capabilities with total vendor freedom. Nodegrid empowers organizations to streamline remote infrastructure management, quickly recover from failures, and reduce the cost of downtime.
What is an out-of-band management switch?
An out-of-band management switch (also known as an out-of-band serial console or console server) creates an entirely separate, parallel network that’s dedicated to the management, orchestration, and troubleshooting of production network infrastructure. The OOB management switch directly connects to networking devices via the serial port, so administrators have remote access that doesn’t rely on IP addresses, meaning they can still connect to and troubleshoot devices when the production network is offline. Plus, OOB switches provide multiple remote access interfaces (e.g., 5G/4G LTE, Fiber, and Wi-Fi) to ensure 24/7 availability even during an ISP or WAN outage.
Why you need an out-of-band management switch
Modern enterprise networks are large and complex, with infrastructure spread out across many different data centers, branch offices, manufacturing sites, and other remote locations. An OOB switch aids in the management and support of remote network infrastructure by providing the following benefits:
- An OOB management switch gives admins a single platform from which to remotely manage all connected devices, streamlining and simplifying the administration of complex and distributed enterprise networks.
- Direct serial connections ensure that teams have continuous remote access to troubleshoot and recover from device failures even if the production LAN goes down.
- Redundant network interfaces give admins an alternative path to reach their out-of-band management switch so they can remotely diagnose and fix WAN outages or continue monitoring remote infrastructure during ISP outages.
- With an OOB switch, organizations can fix critical infrastructure and network failures without dispatching truck rolls, which reduces recovery times and saves money.
Despite these benefits, traditional OOB management switches suffer from some critical limitations, such as vendor lock-in, insufficient security, and a lack of third-party automation support. These Gen 1 and Gen 2 out-of-band switches make it more difficult for organizations to modernize their networks to take advantage of automation and orchestration, or to follow Zero Trust Security best practices to protect their valuable data. Luckily, a third generation of out-of-band management switches has arrived to overcome these limitations.
Why choose the Nodegrid Gen 3 out-of-band management switch from ZPE Systems?
Nodegrid OOB management switches are the first to deliver Gen 3 capabilities like complete vendor freedom, comprehensive Zero Trust Security, and end-to-end automation support.
- Gen 3 Nodegrid hardware includes legacy pinouts and flexible port configurations so you can manage and automate other vendors’ hardware without expensive adapters or complicated configurations.
- In addition to onboard security features like secure boot and disk encryption, Nodegrid supports integrations with third-party solutions for functionality such as identity and access management (IAM), two-factor authentication (2FA), and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE).
- Since Nodegrid is a truly vendor-agnostic platform, you can also host or integrate your choice of automation tools, including custom scripts, playbooks from popular solutions like Chef and Ansible, and many more.
Nodegrid empowers organizations to achieve end-to-end infrastructure and network automation while ensuring reliable and fast OOB management access.