A computer management system attains, through one line, the uniform and
steady system management through an agent such as monitoring of fault and
power control in a computer connected by LAN as well as a public line,
and system management for an off-state of the computer or abnormal
operation state of the computer such as remote power control and notice
and diagnosis of critical fault by the direct connection with a service
processor through the line. The system includes an agent connected to a
computer to be managed for executing instructions on the computer to be
managed, a service processor board having a processor independent from
the computer to be managed for monitoring fault in the computer to be
managed and controlling power of the computer to be managed, a manager
for executing instructions on a management computer and conducting
controls such as fault monitoring and power control through the agent
over a network including a public line, and a service processor manager
directly connected to the service processor for conducting remote
power-on and receiving and diagnosing critical fault. The service
processor and the service processor manager are provided with switching
circuits for switching an asynchronous interface for remotely connecting
to the computer to be managed and an asynchronous interface for directly
connecting to a local processor of the service processor.