Rackmount Keyboard - Space Savings with a Slide
You probably are familiar with the universal remote and how it can operate multiple electronic devices designed by different manufacturers from a single control device. Instead of have a remote for each device you use the single universal remote. Analogous to the universal remote is a rackmount keyboard combined with a mouse, trackball or trackpad and housed within a single drawer. The drawer takes up only 1U, or about 1.75 inches of rack space.
A rackmount keyboard or combination keyboard, mouse and display unit are space savers. The rackmount keyboard is housed in a sturdy metal tray that is mounted on a server rack. The tray slides in and out on metal ball bearings. They are very economical solutions when compared to traditional types of 'shelf' keyboards. The shelf type of keyboard and mouse are pretty useless unless you have a separate shelf to rest them on. Of course you could always ask the technician to sit on the floor and operate this type of keyboard and mouse, but then she wouldn't be able to see what was happening on the monitor.
Costly Floor Space Demanded a Solution
Over the past twenty years the price of computer hardware has been on a downward spiral. However, the cost of server room floor space has only gotten pricier. Companies could afford to buy more and more hardware, but didn't consider the cost of the facility space to house the equipment. As racks in server rooms filled and floor space became a rare commodity, there had to be some consolidation of functions and services in order to continue the technology expansion. Facility managers breathed a collective sigh of relief when the multi-purpose rackmount keyboard, mouse and display units showed up on hardware catalogues and tradeshow displays. There's more good news. These keyboards are available in PS2 and USB connectors and come with a touch pad or trackball mouse. That eliminates the need to manage yet another connection plus this configuration offers more reliable service without another connection point.
Extra Savings- Use KVM Switches
KVM switch devices also add more valuable space to your rack. These allow multiple servers to be managed by a single keyboard, video and mouse devices. They also are compatible with PS2 or USB connections and come in 2 - 32 device switches. These also connect to the rack similar to any other rack mounted device. They have a mounting bracket that fits standard sized racks and some brackets are adjustable to fit into smaller or larger compartments. This Rackmount keyboard has fixed slide rails that lock into place to prevent movement when in use.