The traditional method of diagnosing, troubleshooting and maintaining field-installed equipment (with RS-232 connection points for management access) has been to dispatch technicians to the site suspected of being at fault. Once there, the technician would have to use his laptop and a serial cable to plug right into the suspected system and access the built-in management functions (see Diagram).

 
Before: Tech must travel to site

There are cases however, where this scenario creates logistical difficulties as such incidents might occur while there are already a lot of other problems to attend to throughout the network, or they happen at sites to which no convenient and quick access can be gained. Under worst-case conditions, this may result in hours of delay to fix or diagnose even the simplest faults.

The Optima Solution

To resolve these issues, the Optima T:LANs offers the SDCoIP mode (Serial Data Conduit over IP). Any site equipped with an SDCoIP enabled T:LAN unit can be accessed remotely and more importantly, these T:LANs can be used to communicate with any field deployed equipment even if these systems do not support TELNET access or insist on conversing through traditional serial means only (see Diagram below).

 
After: Tech accessing site remotely

How does it work?

Serial data received at either end is encapsulated in a TCP/IP packet stream and sent via Ethernet/WAN circuits to the opposite T:LAN unit. This technique creates a virtual serial link between two geographically separate endpoints, simulating a real physical RS-232 connection that would exist if the two interconnected devices were located in close proximity to each other. Optionally, rate limiting can be employed to curb the maximum bandwidth requirements.

Types of SDCoIP Links

Setup and use of the SDCoIP mode is very intuitive, providing real physical ports and connectors at each end, which accept standard serial cabling. Optima Technical Support can provide cabling diagrams, including specific instructions on how to assemble your own serial cables. Two different link types are offered by the SDCoIP mode:

QUICK SDCoIP LINKS

The QUICK SDCoIP link always goes from the CRAFT port interface (located at the front panel for easy access) of the local T:LAN unit to any back-panel SERIAL port at the remote T:LAN.

FIXED SDCoIP LINKS

The FIXED SDCoIP link is symmetrical, connecting a back-panel SERIAL port of the local T:LAN with the same back-panel SERIAL port of the remote T:LAN.

Translation of Interface Settings

SDCoIP connections also offer the optional ability to translate serial port parameters. If no serial port parameter translation is desired, configure the serial ports at both ends of the SDCoIP link with the same values, or enable port synchronization.

Synchronizing Port Settings

The SDCoIP port on the local T:LAN can automatically replicate/mirror the SERIAL port settings used at the remote T:LAN. To operate both ports participating in a SDCoIP link with the settings of the remote port, enable the ‘Synchronize SDCoIP Settings’ option during the setup procedure. Depending on the selected SDCoIP link type, the local port will be re-configured with the parameters in use at the remote port.

Conclusion

Optima's SDCoIP Mode is a unique, indispensable tool and a real time-saver that will quickly increase the productivity and effectiveness of your technicians, whether they are out in the field or working from a central location. SDCoIP helps you maintain and grow your network faster than ever.