General usage [ edit]
- Out-of-band agreement, an agreement or understanding between the communicating parties that is not included in any message sent over the channel but which is relevant for the interpretation of such messages
- More broadly, communication by any channel other than the primary channel can be considered "out-of-band". ...
What is out of band management in networking?
Out-of-band management. In systems management, out-of-band management involves the use of management interfaces (or serial ports) for managing servers and networking equipment. Out-of-band management allows the network operator to establish trust boundaries in accessing the management function to apply it to network resources.
What is the difference between in-band and out-of-band Device Management?
While device management through the out-of-band management connection can be done via a network connection, it is physically separate from the "in-band" network connection that the system is serving.
What is out-of-band (OOB)?
Out-of-band ( OOB) is a networking term which refers to having a separate channel of communication which does not travel over the usual data stream. Out-of-band management allows the network operator to establish trust boundaries in accessing the management function to apply it to network resources.
How secure is the out-of-Band Network channel?
Unauthorized users do not have access to the out-of-band network channel because there is no connection to it from the regular network channel, making it very secure. It is best practice to choose a Console Server that offers high-level security features for secure access to critical network devices.
Out-of-Band Management Basics
With hardware-based out-of-band management, IT teams can access PC-based devices even if they are powered off or if the OS is unresponsive.
In-Band Management vs. Out-of-Band Management
There are plenty of remote monitoring and management (RMM) solutions available in the market. Many are software based, allowing IT administrators to manage devices from a single interface. However, these software-only solutions are limited, since they depend on in-band management.
Benefits of Out-of-Band Management
With out-of-band management, any device that has access to a network connection and a power source can be managed. IT teams can reach devices whether they are powered on or off, located on- or off-site, or are inside or outside the corporate firewall. This translates into several business benefits.
Purpose
A complete remote management system allows remote reboot, shutdown, powering on; hardware sensor monitoring (fan speed, power voltages, chassis intrusion, etc.); broadcasting of video output to remote terminals and receiving of input from remote keyboard and mouse ( KVM over IP ).
Implementation
Remote management can be enabled on many computers (not necessarily only servers) by adding a remote management card (while some cards only support a limited list of motherboards). Newer server motherboards often have built-in remote management and need no separate management card.
Remote CLI access
An older version of out-of-band management is a layout involving the availability of a separate network that allows network administrators to get command-line interface access over the console ports of network equipment, even when those devices are not forwarding any payload traffic.
What Does Out-of-Band Management Mean?
Out-of-band management is a device and system management technique primarily used in computer networking, but is also applied to other fields of IT where similar methods are used . This management method involves an alternate and dedicated connection to the system separate from the actual network that the system runs on. This allows an administrator to ensure the establishment of trust boundaries since there would only be a single entry point for the management interface.
What is out of band channel management?
The out-of-band channel management interface is usually available even though the network may be down or even if the device is turned off, in sleep mode, hibernating or otherwise simply inaccessible through the operating system, making this a very powerful management control tool. This can be used to remotely manage powered-down devices outside working hours or during holidays, or it can be used to reboot devices whose operating system has hung or crashed. This is usually done through special operating system extensions and dedicated hardware specifically designed for out-of-band management.
Can an unauthorized user access out of band?
No unauthorized user would be able to access the out-of-band network channel because there is simply no connection to it from the regular network channel that everyone uses, making this a very secure channel.
Is out of band network management still done?
Device management through out-of-band management is still done via a network connection, but this is entirely separate physically from the "in-band" network connection that the system is serving. Think of this as the door marked as "employees only" found in restaurants and shopping centers. No unauthorized user would be able to access the out-of-band network channel because there is simply no connection to it from the regular network channel that everyone uses, making this a very secure channel.
What is in band?
In-band refers to managing through the network itself, using a Telnet/SSH connection to a router or by using SNMP-based tools. In-band is the common way to manage the network, where actual data/ production and management traffic may use the same path for communicating with various elements.
What is in band management?
It is a common way that provides identity based access control for better security. It is good practice to segregate your management traffic from your production customer traffic. Create a management VLAN or loopback interface for other management activities such as device monitoring, system logging and SNMP.
How does OOB work?
In-band works when network link is up and OOB is alternate path when network goes down. In-band is Synchronous and OOB is Asynchronous. In-band requires no physical access and OOB also does not require physical access because dial line is available. In-band connection speed is high and OOB connection speed is slow.
When is an alternate path required to reach the network nodes?
When network is down and traffic is not flowing, in such a scenario, an alternate path is required to reach the network nodes. Here we need a secure remote emergency network access path to manage and troubleshoot the device when network traffic is down. For critical networks, in-band management tools are not enough. Management using independent dedicated channels is called OOB. OOB provides accessibility when an alternate path is needed to access the network nodes.
