A Server Interface Pod (SIP) is a proprietary hardware unit developed by Dell and Avocent. It sends keyboard, video, and mouse signals over Category 5 cables, greatly decreasing the workload of managing normally bulky and expensive KVM cables.
One side of a SIP consists of either two PS/2 cables and a VGA cable or a single USB cable and a VGA cable, which are connected to a host. The other side consists of a female 8P8C (RJ-45) modular connector which is connected to a KVM switch via a straight-through Cat 5 cable.
A SIP can be interfaced via CAT-5 cable directly to a KVM or through a "Dell Port Expansion Module" which connects eight SIPs to a single KVM port. This is useful for installing a single KVM into a multirack environment with minimal cabling.
Upon connection to the KVM the SIP will register itself, and the user can then allocate a name to the SIP, such as the server's name. This name is stored on the SIP, so if the KVM switch is replaced, reconfiguration of each SIP is not required.
Many of Dell's KVM switches are IP enabled, allowing users to remote control servers with a Linux or Microsoft Windows client.