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The PC Weasel 2000

Issue 85

From Issue #85
May 2001

May 01, 2001  By Jon Valesh
 in
The PC Weasel is an ISA card that replaces the system video card in servers intended for headless (without monitor and keyboard) operation.
Summary

The PC Weasel adds to the capabilities of a standard PC running any text-mode operating system, providing a watchdog timer, remote reboot capability and a serial console to make bringing large numbers of server consoles to one workstation or remotely accessing those same servers in a cost-effective manner. However, it may not be the best choice for everyone. At $250 each, you need to take a hard look at how much the card will save you. How often do your servers crash? How much effort and time is involved in hooking a keyboard and CRT up so you can watch them reboot? If the server is at the other end of an airplane flight, the PC Weasel is a no-brainer, but if the server is at the other end of the room, or if pressing the reset button is a telephone call away, it may not be the right choice.

Born at the beginning of the microcomputer age, Jon Valesh (jon@valesh.com) has pushed and been pushed by computers his entire life. Having run the gamut from games programmer to ISP system/network administrator, he now occupies himself by providing technical assistance to ISPs and small businesses whenever his day job doesn't get in the way.

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