PORT LABELS - IT Documentation
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- We're going to kick off some videos on documentation with my favorite type of documentation -- Port Labels or Port Descriptions! They are free and if you take three seconds to use them you'll always know what is supposed to be plugged into a port!
Sharing information and the ability to share makes you a better part of the team. Withholding when there is no business reason or procedure makes you a liability!
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Totally agree! I just replaced the gigabit top-of-rack switch for our server cabinet with a larger one, including setting port descriptions, and while I was rewiring, I also labeled the cables with the same info. I take it a step further and add the interface of the device on the other side, e.g. "freepbx-eth1" "esxi01-vmnic0" or "dellserver-idrac" or "poeswitch-0/49", even if the box only has one interface configured.
Absolutely! To take it a step further we came up with a naming protocol to quickly identify the owner, location, device type, ordinal and a mnemonic as elements of the device name. For example "GRN-T-SW-7-EDGE". This tells us that it's the 7th switch belonging to client "GRN" at their office in a city beginning with "T" and the mnemonic suggests that it's an EdgeSwitch.
Well said about liability
Agree 100%, knowledge sharing, port labeling should a best practice
In my experience patch cables get moved around for various reasons making the description in the switch no longer valid. I use a program called Lantopolog that does a great job of querying the switches and creating an easy to navigate html map that lists a lot of info on switches and their ports.
If I need to know where workstation01 is plugged in I can pull up the map (or the gui of the program itself) and search for the computer name, ip address, or mac address and it'll take me right to the switch and port that the device is plugged into.
It can also notify you when a new mac address is on the network, or when certain thresholds on a port are met. I highly recommend the program, though I will admit I keep it on a computer that doesn't have internet access.
Always been a pet peeve of mine. Some sites I go to every few years, without a port label with Dxxx and room number, I would never find anything.
I have a policy with my customers of making manuals and updating them over time. For several reasons. My first ever big customer, the previous consultant / programmer who still maintained some systems. Had documented stuff, for the reason that he was older and legally blind. The concern was that he would further loose the tiny bit of vision he had. To the point of not being able to easily communicate it with someone else. When I started working for this company, I had previously worked in places that all had fully documented networks. I also have some semi serious health problems that land me in the hospital sometimes at random. So if I have to walk someone else through what to do. I want there to be documentation on hand. I also label as much as I can in my racks these days. Just to make it much quicker to troubleshoot on the fly when the shit is hitting the fan.
Yes customers can complain about the cost of documentation and often do. But when it saves the day which it often does. Its a completely different story. If someones going to replace you purely on documentation stuff and sharing information with other staff. They where never planning to let you have any job security in the first place. So they are doing you a favor that you will likely not be working with them again. Or when you get that inevitable phone call down the road related to that information, Charge accordingly. They don't hold their pennys so close when the cows are out, and rampaging through the building.
We do that on all our switches esp for phones.
I see a UNMS Switch Lite in the background 👀