KEYBOARD, VIDEO AND MOUSE SESSION CAPTURE

• US 20090013109A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raritan Americas Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Raritan Americas Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Schweig, Marc E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,397,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/72
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence

Abstract

Keyboard, mouse and video (KVM) capture session architecture that includes command center forensics. That is, redirector hardware (HW) and a command center forensics (CCF) appliance. The redirector HW includes a computer interface module (CIM) with a computer readable encoded media. The CIM is configured to record at least one KVM session. The computer readable encoded media is configured to instruct sending an identical copy of the recorded at least one KVM session to the CCF appliance. The CCF appliance being configured to store and playback the identical copy.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in a system wherein at least one console remotely manages at least one server via a network and wherein management is provided by bidrectionally coupling keyboard, mouse and video (KVM) signals between said console and said server, each of said KVM signals having a source and a destination, said apparatus comprising:

a first unit for coupling each of said KVM signals to their respective destination and also providing a representation of each of said KVM signals at an output; and

a second unit responsive for storing said representation at said output.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each representation is a replica of its associated KVM signal and said second unit stores each replica.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each representation is a packetized version of its associated KVM signal and said second unit stores each such representation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus is responsive to command signals.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the command signals direct the apparatus to store all or a predetermined portion of the KVM signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the command signals direct the apparatus to store KVM signals upon a predetermined condition.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the predetermined condition is a reboot condition.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the server provides video signals having a predetermined screen resolution and said predetermined condition is a change in said screen resolution.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the command signal specifies the quality of the video signal stored.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second unit can store representations of KVM signals from different consoles destined for different servers simultaneously.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second unit can retrieve stored representations of said KVM signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said second unit is responsive to retrieval signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the retrieval signals direct the second unit to retrieve all or a portion of the stored representations.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the stored representations of the KVM signal are time stamped.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the stored representations of the KVM signal are encrypted.

16. A method for use in a system wherein at least one console remotely manages at least one server via a network and wherein management is provided by bidirectionally coupling keyboard, mouse and video (KVM) signals between said console and said server, each of said KVM signals having a source and a destination, said method comprising the steps of:

coupling each of said KVM signals to their respective destination and also providing a representation of each of said KVM signals at an output; and

storing said representation at said output.