Why the IoT Needs Out-of-Band Management

The Internet of Things (IoT) promises to revolutionize entire industries through greater efficiency, enhanced customer service and improved decision-making. Forward-thinking organizations are also developing new products, services and business models that leverage Internet-connected devices that gather data and operate autonomously.

Imagine retail store shelves that send an alert to the warehouse when they need to be replenished. Smart buildings that automatically control lighting and temperature based upon room occupancy and ambient conditions. Fleet vehicles that calculate the best route, and machinery that schedules its own maintenance.

But for all its promise, the IoT has introduced some confounding problems. Organizations are finding that a centralized IT environment creates unacceptable latency when it comes to analyzing IoT data. As a result, more and more computing resources are being pushed to the network edge, closer to users and IoT devices. This creates a far-flung network infrastructure that’s extremely difficult for IT teams to manage.

The latest out-of-band management solutions address this challenge. Originally designed to give IT personnel access to devices when the primary (in-band) network is unavailable, out-of-band management has evolved to support advanced infrastructure management and automation tools. Out-of-band management also gives IT personnel access to equipment that has not yet been configured, enabling zero-touch provisioning of IoT devices and edge systems.

Nodegrid Bold SR from ZPE Systems is a compact form-factor appliance that provides resilient out-of-band management for the edge and IoT. Secure access and control of IT and IoT devices enables a virtual IT presence at the edge of the network. IT support staff can manage devices remotely, simplifying administration and troubleshooting while reducing staffing and travel costs.

The software-defined networking (SDN) capabilities of Nodegrid Bold SR provide a centralized view of infrastructure assets, and allow for automation and policy-based orchestration of network services and applications. Like all Nodegrid solutions, Bold SR features enterprise-grade security protocols and encrypted data transit.

Nodegrid Bold SR leverages network functions virtualization (NFV) to provide routing, firewall, system monitoring and VPN capabilities. NFV saves physical space and cuts hardware costs through the virtualization of physical network appliances. It also speeds deployment because there’s less hardware to install, and provides operational cost savings through reduced power consumption and cooling.

Redundant connectivity methods with automatic failover reduces downtime. Nodegrid Bold SR includes two 4G/LTE SIM slots, Wi-Fi capabilities and optional USB modem support to provide superior availability to devices deployed in pods, retail stores, remote offices and other edge locations.

Nodegrid Bold SR supports a variety of connection methods, including serial, network and USB, and provides in-band and out-of-band remote access and power controls. Bold SR also offers device health monitoring, alert notifications and actionable data capabilities.

The IoT is compelling organizations to implement micro-environments at the network edge to provide compute and storage resources for a wide range of devices. IT teams need a new set of tools that enable remote monitoring and management of these edge environments. Nodegrid Bold SR extends out-of-band management capabilities to the IoT, and provides reliable, secure and efficient connectivity for edge networks. Contact Rahi Systems to discuss how out-of-band management solutions from ZPE can support and enable your IoT strategy.

Rahi

Rahi is a Global IT Solutions Provider. We are uniquely capable of combining data center, IT and audio/video solutions to create an integrated environment that drives efficiencies, enhances customer service and creates competitive advantages. We offer a full suite of products in physical infrastructure, storage, compute, networking, power and cooling, and audio / video. In addition, Rahi offers professional and managed services to aid customers in logistics, delivery, set-up, and ongoing support of their technology solutions.

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