Systems
that incorporate several devices located at remote sites present a big
challenge to solution providers. This is particularly true for
industrial applications that use several headless embedded computers
distributed over a wide area. Although this type of computer is
generally accessible from over the network, the existing remote
management options present a rather clumsy solution for managing large
numbers of embedded computers.
The Telnet/SSH
Solution
Perhaps the most
common method of managing embedded computers remotely over the network
is to use Telnet/SSH. However, one of the main drawbacks to this type of
management is that you can only connect to one embedded computer at a
time. In addition, the administrator must actively type in the IP
address of the embedded computer to establish the Telnet/SSH connection.
It can be a real nightmare to keep track of which IP address is
associated with which embedded computer.
The Command Line
Solution
Another method of
managing an embedded computer includes working from the command line.
Although this can be done from over the network, most administrators
find it difficult to remember all of the commands that are required to
manage files and run programs. Script files that combine several
commands in one text file can be used to automate the command line
method, but this option can also be quite time-consuming for
administrators that manage tens if not hundreds of machines.
Using MDM (Moxa
Device Manager) to Manage Embedded Computers
Moxa Device
Manager (MDM for short) is an easy-to-use remote management tool for
managing Moxa's ready-to-run embedded computers over the Internet.
Moxa's embedded computers make excellent front-end computers at remote
sites for on-site data collection and industrial control applications.
MDM is designed to make it easy for system administrators to manage
their remote embedded computers. One of the key benefits of MDM is that
management tasks, such as configuring the network, managing and/or
transmitting text and binary files, and monitoring and controlling
processes, can be handled easily using a Windows-based user interface.
In addition, MDM can be used to manage different models of embedded
computers, and embedded computers that use different operating systems,
all from one centrally located computer. As long as the individual
embedded computers are pre-installed with an MDM agent, they can be
recognized and managed by the unified MDM tool from your PC. These
features help ensure that MDM gives system integrators an efficient tool
for handling all remote devices from one computer.
In addition to controlling heterogeneous computer systems, the traffic
between the MDM tool and any of the MDM agents is encrypted. This
feature protects data transmitted from the system. Users can comfortably
manage the remote devices without worrying about the usual risks
associated with transmitting data over a network.
The Benefits of
MDM
Remote Control
and Management
Supports
all models of Moxa's embedded computers and Linux, WinCE, WinXPe
operating systems
Control and
monitor remote embedded units over the Internet
Broadcast
search for Moxa embedded computers on the same LAN
Get instant
device status
List basic information (IP, Model,
Firmware version, OS, hostname, CPU, product image, memory information,
and storage information) of all devices on the main page
Easy-to-use User
Interface
User-friendly
"click and operate" interface for remote device management
Friendly
windows-based utilities for easy configuration
Command-line
Free Configuration and Maintenance
Launch
programs automatically when booting up
One-to-multiple
file transfers
Perform remote
file system management
Configure
network interfaces
Monitor and kill processes
View detailed
system information
Reboot devices
Upgrade
firmware for multiple devices at one time
Update system
time
How
to Get MDM
Moxa Device Manager
comes with MDM Agent, MDM Tool, and MDM Gateway. Users can download the
Moxa Device Manager package from the "Support --> Software" page on
Moxa's website.
