The M-Series

Adam Cady

The purpose of this article is to make you aware of improvements to the CDI products, and share an update as to End-of-Life (EoL) and End of Support (EoS) dates of current products.

CDI products have been used for a generation by clients that require secure Out-of-Band Management.  With the first ever FIPS 140-3 Validated OOB products, CDI continues to push the security boundary of remote OOB access.  Today we have a newer solution that is faster, easier to use, and more reliable; the M-Series appliance.

Existing non-M-Series (Legacy) products have an EoL date of June 2022, with an End-of-Support date of June 2027.  The best way to discern if your equipment is M-Series or Non M-Series (Legacy) is to take a quick look at Serial number.  The M-Series products begin with the prefix P0 (that’s “P” and zero).  Non M-Series (Legacy) devices will begin with Serial Number “PA”.

The replacement for the old to the new is a forklift solution and will require the purchase of an up-to-date appliance.  Both the M-Series and Legacy (non M-Series) devices will continue to be supported by OBM software up to the End of Support dates.

There are some significant updates to the M-Series appliances that may affect/help your environment.

M-Series System updates include:

• Automation and integration with internal tooling by offering a secure, REST API (soon to be FIPS 140-3 certified)
• Greater and tighter compatibility with networking gear by utilizing a full Linux OS
• Offering more advanced capabilities by leveraging a faster CPU
• 2 x USB Port
• Gigabit port Interface

If you are an existing CDI customer, and need information on the newer products, please visit us at www.commdevices.com/products.  If you would like more information about Trade-Up credits, or how to order the M-Series, please contact sales@commdevices.com