Configuration Item - Equipment Racks DRAFT

Equipment racks (including those for servers, PDUs, telecom equipment, etc.) require unique identifiers based primarily on the rack's physical location. Rack names are divided into three segments with the segments separated by hyphens. Since rack names are based on the rack's location, a rack name could change in the event the rack is moved from one physical location to another. Rack names follow the form of:

      {data_center}-{zone}-{identifier}

Where:

{data_center}	A code representing the standard UCI abbreviation for the data center or computer room in which the rack is located. All data centers and computer rooms have a unique identifier. See the list below for acceptable data center codes.
{zone}	A code indicating the unique space identified for the room or area where the rack is located. If the zone has a room number that defines the entire zone then that room number should be used. If the rack is located in a room that is divided into several smaller areas then use a code that indicates in which area in the room the rack is located. See below for a list of valid zone codes when a room number is not an appropriate choice to indicate the zone.
{identifier}	An identifier that is unique to the rack within the data center and zone where the rack is located. The identifier can be any combination of characters, numbers, or symbols but should be kept fairly simple in order to keep the complete rack name easy to manage.

Data Center Codes

Only data center codes from the following list should be used when generating rack names:

Code	Data Center
OITDC	OIT Data Center at Engineering Gateway
ADC	Aldrich Hall Data Center
CPDC	Central Plant Data Center
SLDC	Science Library Data Center
SDSC	San Diego Supercomputer Center

Zone Codes

Only zone codes from the following list should be used when a room number is not appropriate for a rack name:

Code	Zone
SSP	Secure Server area in the OIT Data Center at Engineering Gateway
CORE	Core Server area in the OIT Data Center at Engineering Gateway
ALH115	Room 115 at Aldrich Hall
EG1141	Room 1141 at Engineering Gateway
ROWx	A Row of racks with x being the row designation.

Equipment Rack CI Name Examples

The following are examples of CI names that have been standardized using the conventions described above.

Rack Name	Description
OITDC-CORE-J31	Rack J31 located in the core zone of the OIT Data Center at Engineering Gateway.
ADC-MAIN-B	Rack B located in the main zone of the Aldrich Hall Data Center.
CPDC-ROWA-01	Rack 01 located in Row A at the Central Plant Data Center.

Typical Life Cycle for Equipment Racks

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Although some CIs have a special life cycle, the typical life cycle for most CIs representing hardware is:

Phase 1: Request & Approval
During this phase, a need for the asset is determined and a decision is made to deploy the asset. Specifications for the equipment are determined, quotes are obtained, approvals are collected from appropriate stakeholders, and a supplier is selected. In some cases, the "supplier" may be internal if, for example, an existing device can be repurposed or one is located in another department.

Phase 2: Ordering & Acquisition
If the asset is being acquired from a third party, an order is placed. If the asset is being transferred internally within OIT or from another department, the required documentation is prepared and executed. This phase ends at the point where the asset has been delivered and is ready for installation or configuration.

Phase 3: Testing & Installation
The asset must be compared to the original specifications and acquisition documents to confirm that it matches the original requirements. Any required assembly and configuration is done during this phase. This includes operating system software, application software and services, databases, network connections, user definition and security rules, and arrangements made for backups and disaster recovery. When all configuration steps are complete, a system test is performed on the asset in place to ensure it meets all client requirements. This phase ends when the asset is ready to be deployed into production.

Phase 4: In Service & Maintenance
This phase represents the useful production life of the asset. Throughout this phase, the asset will undergo periodic maintenance, upgrades, failures, and fixes. At some point, the usefulness of the asset will come to an end and plans need to be made to take it out of service. (Normally, these plans are made well in advance of the decommissioning of the asset.)

Phase 5: Retirement
When the asset is no longer needed, either because it is being replaced by something newer or it no longer serves any useful function, it is retired. Retirement can be a fairly complex process depending on the asset class. If the services provided by the asset are no longer needed then retirement can be as simple as taking the asset off line and disposing of it or making it available for other purposes. Plans for retirement are generally made well in advance of the actual deinstallation of the asset.

CI Maintenance

Owner	Create CI	Change CI	Decommission CI	Maintain Relationships	Comments
OIT group responsible supporting the equipment.	Equipment Owner Configuration Review Team	Equipment Owner Configuration Review Team	Equipment Owner	Equipment Owner Configuration Review Team