Configuration Item - Equipment Racks DRAFT

Equipment racks (including those for servers, PDUs, telecom equipment, etc.) are supporting frameworks containing computer equipment and other hardware modules. Equipment racks typically contain servers, hard disk drive arrays, network gear, and other computing equipment. Racks make it possible to contain a lot of equipment in a small physical footprint without requiring shelving.

CI Naming Convention

Equipment racks 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 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 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. A zone may also be a row of racks installed in a physical location, a group of racks being used for a common purpose, etc. 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.

NOTE

When a rack is no longer is use and is not being replaced, the rack name must be modified to include a prefix of RETIRED to make it obvious in listings and searches that the rack is no longer available. If a rack is being replaced by a new one that will be installed in the same location as the original then a new identified must be used to indicate the replacement. Typically, the addition of a single letter or number suffix to the identifier segment of the name is all that is needed.

Data Center Codes Used in Rack Names

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
CPDC	Central Plant Data Center
SLDC	Science Library Data Center
SDSC	San Diego Supercomputer Center

Zone Codes Used in Rack Names

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
EG1141	Room 1141 at Engineering Gateway
ROWx	A row of racks with x being the row designation.

Examples

The following are examples of equipment rack names that use this standard:

CPDC-ROWD-08 - Rack 08 located in Row D at the Central Plant Data Center.
OITDC-CORE-J31 - Rack J31 located in the Core Zone of the OIT Data Center at Engineering Gateway.
OITDC-SSP-H15 - Rack H15 in the SSP Zone of the OIT Data Center at Engineering Gateway.
RETIRED - CPDC-ROWA-05 - Rack 05 in Row A at the Central Plant Data Center.

Typical Life Cycle for Equipment Racks

Phase	CI Activity
Phase 1:Rack Sourced & Acquired This phase covers the original requirements definition, sizing, sourcing, and acquisition of the equipment rack. This phase ends when the rack is ready to be installed and used for production.	No CI required. A CI does not need to be added to the CMDB until the rack is acquired and is ready for installation.
Phase 2: Rack Deployed When the client is satisfied that the rack meets all the initial requirements and OIT determines that it is ready to begin installing equipment in the rack, the rack is installed in an appropriate environment. This phase ends when the equipment rack is ready to be used for its intended purpose.	Submit a ServiceNow Configuration Item Update Request and the new CI will be added by the CMDB Administration Team. Once the CI has been added to the CMDB, you can use the Status and State fields to indicate the installation status and operational state of the equipment rack.
Phase 3: Rack in Service & Maintained This phase represents the useful production life of the hardware. Throughout this phase, the rack will undergo periodic maintenance, failures, and fixes. At some point, the rack will no longer be needed and plans need to be made to deinstall it. This phase ends when the rack is no longer being used and is ready for disposal.	If a CI is in ServiceNow for the asset then Status, State, and other fields are maintained by the asset owner. If a CI has not yet been added, then submit a ServiceNow Configuration Item Update Request and the new CI will be added by the CMDB Administration Team.
Phase 4: Rack Retired When the equipment rack is no longer needed, either because it is being replaced by something newer or it no longer serves any useful function, it is retired.	The Status and State are updated by the equipment rack owner to reflect the fact that the rack has been decommissioned. *Under no circumstances should a CI ever be deleted* from the CMDB. Deleting a CI record will make it impossible to trace the history of the rack and any activity documented by incidents and change requests. When there is no longer a need for the rack, the rack name in the CI is modified to include a prefix of RETIRED** to make it obvious in listings and searches that the application is no longer in use.