Raritan today announced the new release of the Dominion® KX II that delivers improved usability and advanced management features designed to increase data center productivity. Release 2.3 of the KVM-over-IP switch provides new security features, the industry’s highest video resolution and new flexible configurations.

With high-definition, remote video resolution of 1920 x1080 pixels and multi-monitor support, the Dominion KX II makes managing servers easier. It offers full- and wide-screen options, and users can set the default settings to open KVM sessions in full-screen mode on a secondary monitor. "It’s a huge productivity boost for IT administrators who need to multitask to survive," said Raritan Senior Product Manager Richard Dominach. "Multiple monitors mean that IT administrators can simultaneously and productively work more issues, and HD video resolution means they can take full advantage of today’s larger LCD monitors."

Designed for customers requiring secure server access from anywhere, Dominion KX II switches enable multiple IT administrators -- remote and local users -- to access multiple servers. The KX II provides BIOS-level access, so that all servers, including blades, are always accessible -- even if a server's operating system is not working. The KX II also enables remote installation of software, file transfers, data backup and diagnostics with its Universal Virtual Media feature, and can control power to servers with optional remote power strips.

"Our enterprise-class Dominion KX II switches are designed to be flexible and support virtually any customer situation," said Peter Suriani, Raritan Director of Product Management. "The Dominion KX family offers the largest number of configurations. We are the only company that offers 64-port digital KVM switches. We also offer 1-, 8-, 16- and 32-port switches. Flexible configurations are supported by our new Cascading feature and our Extended Local Port feature."

Other new features in Dominion KX II 2.3 include:

Tiering/Cascading -- Directly connect one (base) KX II switch to others (tiered switches), and access the tiered switches through the base switch. This feature is useful for local port consolidation, and also enables small and medium-sized businesses to consolidate remote access to multiple KX II switches.

Dual Computer Interface Module (CIM) -- Connect one target server to two KX II switches with this CIM to increase redundancy and reliability, and to double the IP access to the target server. If one switch has used up all its IP user channels, for example, the target server can still be accessed using the other switch.

Security Enhancements -- New security features include: Customizable security banner when logging in, and configurable TCP/IP ports to frustrate hackers. Dominion KX II's advanced security features include: 256-bit and 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) of keyboard, video, mouse and virtual media data, strong password support, password aging, per-port authorization and built-in authentication capabilities. Dominion KX II integrates with industry-standard directory servers -- such as Microsoft® Active Directory, using either the LDAP or RADIUS protocols -- which enables the use of pre-existing username/password databases for security.

The Dominion KX II is also the first digital KVM switch with an embedded Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 certified encryption module, making it the most secure KVM-over-IP switch in the industry. Designed to protect sensitive information in data centers, the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Module in the Dominion KX II encrypts KVM session traffic consisting of video, keyboard, mouse, virtual media and smart card data.