Software to keep track of patch panel connections?

Wed Mar 12 11:37:58 PDT 2008

At 3:28 PM -0700 3/10/08, Ulf Zimmermann wrote:
>My search foo must be weak or there is just no such thing:
>
>Has anyone seen or is using software to keep track of patch panel/cross
>connects? In our colocation we have now around 840 ports on patch panels
>and a few hundred ports on network switches. I want to start to put this
>into a database, for two reasons: Remote Hands and replacement of network
>switches.
>
>Soon we will replace our current network switches, so I need an inventory
>of what is connected where, so I can layout the new switches in advance.
>
>And as we do much remote, being able to tell the remote hand "check
>cable X going from A to B to C" would be helpful.
>
>So has anyone run across some scripts/software/database to do that?

There are a variety of Visio add-ons and standalone tools available, 
and while I've often found tools like that useful for planning 
initial installations, they haven't been so useful for ongoing 
maintenance. The problem is, whatever documentation you create gets 
out date pretty quickly, unless you're very disciplined about it, 
which almost nobody is...

Instead, I've found it most useful to simply follow good cable 
management practices:

	Labelling both ends of all cables with a unique identifier, but
	not what it's currently used for (because that will inevitably
	change, and the only thing worse than no label is an incorrect
	label).

	Always taking the time to dress cables in neatly, rather than
	draping them haphazardly.

	Removing cables when you disconnect one end, rather than just
	leaving them hanging.

	Using easy-to-change physical cable management systems, like
	clips and velcro, rather than hard-to-change systems like
	cable ties, so that it's easy to "do it right" (see the above
	2 points).

	Using cables of just the right length, rather than too-long
	cables that you then somehow have to manage the excess for
	(or too-short cables with a patch hidden somewhere inaccessible
	in the middle of the run). This means keeping a selection of
	cables available in various lengths, so that the right one is
	available when you need it.

	Having and religiously following a color coding scheme (for
	example, orange for crossover, red for Internet/DMZ stuff, blue
	for consoles that are Cat5 but not Ethernet, white for regular
	internal Ethernet connections, etc.).

-Brent