[ale] 1U server question

[Jim Lynch]

Jonathan Rickman wrote:
> All the major vendors offer a remote management solution that is 
> adequate for a *nix system. Dell and HP offer a solution that is also 
> great for a Windows system. Not sure about IBM. Regardless of which 
> solution you choose, if you don't have at least one static IP to 
> assign to it, it will be as useless as a screen door on a submarine as 
> none of them provide any type of dynamic DNS capability that I am 
> aware of.
>
> --
> Jonathan
Oh, sure I'll have an IP address, however if all I have is the lan how 
do I set the ip address initially and/or how do I access the console 
while the initial install is booting?  Seems like a catch 22, but I'm 
sure there is an answer.

It may be moot since I'm looking at a system that has KVM.  The only 
problem with the system is that it only has a SATA controller and the 
box has only a slot for a slim cd/dvd drive.  I can't find a slim 
optical drive.  Is it common to find a bios that boots from a usb 
optical drive?  Or maybe a usd thumb drive?

Jim.