INTERNET-DRAFT EXPIRES JANUARY 1998 INTERNET-DRAFT Network Working Group J. Walker INTERNET-DRAFT Cisco Systems, Inc. 04 July 1997 The Site Installation Handbook Status of this Memo This document is an Internet-Draft. Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its areas, and its working groups. Note that other groups may also distribute working documents as Internet-Drafts. Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to use Internet- Drafts as reference material or to cite them other than as ``work in progress.'' To learn the current status of any Internet-Draft, please check the ``1id-abstracts.txt'' listing contained in the Internet- Drafts Shadow Directories on ftp.is.co.za (Africa), nic.nordu.net (Europe), munnari.oz.au (Pacific Rim), ds.internic.net (US East Coast), or ftp.isi.edu (US West Coast). This memo provides information for the Internet community. This memo does not specify an Internet standard. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. Introduction This memo is a first attempt at providing guidance on how to deal with the perplexity of new LAN and WAN site installs. Experienced and less experienced network engineers often do each installation blindly without any form or fashion. This document is an attempt to document specific install issues, practices and procedures. It is also intended to be a future installation reference handbook. Please email me with any comments or additional items that may have been overlooked. Hopefully you will see this as a starting point to collect data for the site installation that you are completing. Purpose of this Work This handbook should be used as a manual for necessary details pertaining to site installs. This manual lists issues and factors that a site must consider when setting up their own Data closets, Wiring closets, or Data Centers. This handbook is only a framework for setting install procedures and practices. In order to have an effective set of procedures and practices, each location will have to make decisions particular to their needs and requirements. Audience The audience for this document is network engineers, system engineers, systems integration specialists, and cable installation specialists. The focus of this document is on the procedures and practices that need to be in place to support any technical data room that a site may be implementing. Walker [Page 1] July 11, 1997 - 2 - I/D Site Installation Handbook 04 July 1997 Scope This document covers issues about what a site implementation guide should contain, and what kinds of procedures are needed to ensure a successful install. This memo assumes that all preliminary user input into the network design has been completed before site installation. Remember each site has different needs; the installation in one building with one set of requirements might well be different from another building or site. Be sure it fits the needs and requirements of the site and the users involved. To work and be successful it must be timely and functional. Documentation The most important process of the whole install is documentation. This begins with the pre-install document and ends with a post- install document. The items to start with are initial physical and logical network diagrams. Next, what specific protocols and their addresses per interfaces will be needed. All standard contact info for SNMP should be entered into the device and on the documentation. Relevant information that will be used can be very important both before and after the install. It should include circuit numbers along with any other pertinent information like DLCI numbers or framing or encapsulation type, carrier phone numbers and your company's contact names and numbers, utility company phone numbers, and equipment manufacturer numbers along with serial numbers and warranty contract numbers. It is helpful to have a sheet showing rack placement and equipment location placement. To reduce confusion, labels are helpful to document where lines go. However, do not forget to place them on the lines. Also, take advantage of any vendor's place to input descriptions into the network hardware configs. After the install the pre-install documentation can be turned into post-install documentation that can aid in troubleshooting or disaster recovery later. Minimum user guides for equipment installed should be left with the equipment along with the completed post-install documentation. Communication Lines This section deals with what communication lines you will need for the particular site install that is being completed. The most important line that will ever be needed is an async line preferably installed in wiring closets with at least "800#" access for the purpose of troubleshooting with data centers or vendor tech support. In the event of voice troubleshooting the network equipment with a technician or dialing into that same equipment, you will really need this line. In addition to your primary lines, if budget allows, an July 11, 1997 - 3 - Walker [Page 2] I/D Site Installation Handbook 04 July 1997 ISDN line for WAN backup will save a lot of time and money for you and your users in the event of dedicated line outage. If your budget is tight you can still use an async line for a primary link backup as well. As for the LAN lines this will depend on your environment, just be sure you have enough interfaces for your particular needs, i.e. ATM, Ethernet, Token Ring. The WAN lines should also be ordered for the particular bandwidth requirement this particular site has, i.e. DS-3, OC-3, T1 or FT1. Also, be certain that you know if you need ATM, SONET, Frame Relay, or ISDN. Before you go to the site or send the equipment out, make sure you have all the LAN, WAN, and general cables that are needed to complete the install. Premise or Structure If this is a new install, take measures to ensure that you have the proper location for the data or wiring closet, preferably in the center of the building. Equal distances to all four corners of the office space could save issues with cable run distances. Actual runs of LAN cable should be certified to be of correct distance and type. It is suggested that additional cables are pulled at time of installation if possible, this will allow migration to future technologies and general growth. Always be sure that you have a large enough room for today's equipment and tomorrow's expansion of technology. You can never have enough room or cable. Both existing and new installs should accommodate for equipment rack placement and be free of any hazards such as water pipes that could damage or obstruct the equipment. There should be 36 inches clear on all four sides of the rack. Equipment should be placed in racks in such a way that the removal/replacement of circuit card assemblies is easy. If forced to choose between placement for the viewing of LEDs verses ease of repair, repair wins. Cables should be installed in such a way that they are easily traced and not block access to card removal or installation. Equipment itself should not be placed in such a way that it becomes a tempting shelf. This could block cooling of the equipment or worse, become a shelf for a liquid that could be spilled on the equipment. This can be avoided by placing the equipment near the top of racks or by installing an actual shelf above the electronic equipment. The shelf, mentioned above can make a great location to rest a PC used for configurations or a LAN Monitor device for traps and troubleshooting. It is also very important to have the proper air conditioner tonnage for correct cooling of the room and that it will be on twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. Check with your State and City laws about emergency power shutoff regulations and accommodate accordingly. Two items that are often overlooked are power requirements and receptacle types. Tied in with July 11, 1997 - 4 - this is UPS sizing. Check your equipment first, to see if it is AC or DC, next check WATTS, AMPS, VOLTS, and possibly receptacle plug types. Decide if you need online, backup, or standby UPS. Grounding Walker [Page 3] I/D Site Installation Handbook 04 July 1997 is also a very important issue for the safety and longevity of your devices. You may want to look at your particular City's Code Book for Data or wiring closets. You may need certain types of fire extinguishers or sprinklers. Remember the old adage, "better safe that sorry." All equipment, if possible, should be mounted so that the power switch and cord are out of the way of traffic. This also applies for LAN and WAN cables. Tie wrap all cables to the data rack for a clean and manageable installation. Security Considerations Physical security of the data room is very important not only to prevent purposeful tampering, but accidental tampering as well. A log should be kept of anyone who walks into the room. This will help in tracking down issues that may mysteriously arise. Alarms for fire should be heard if this is a Data Center room. July 11, 1997 - 5 - Walker [Page 4] I/D Site Installation Handbook 04 July 1997 Install Template DOCUMENTATION Diagrams Physical Logical Rack Placement Equipment Placement Interfaces Protocols Addresses by Protocol Snmp Contact Location Chassis' ID Numbers Project Contact Phone Numbers Circuit Numbers, DLCI info, PVC info, and Framing info Carrier Phone Numbers and Contacts Utility Companies Phone Numbers and Contacts July 11, 1997 - 6 - Equipment Manufacturer Phone Numbers and Contacts Walker [Page 5] I/D Site Installation Handbook 04 July 1997 Hardware Device Serial Numbers Device Warranty Numbers or Contract Numbers Hardware Description Field in Device Software To and From Information per Interface Circuit Number on WAN Interfaces Contact Phone Numbers per Interface if Needed Purpose per Interface Labeling Device Name Interface Information COMMUNICATION LINES Async Lines Number Needed LAN Lines and Type July 11, 1997 - 7 - Number Needed of Each Type Ethernet Fast Ethernet ATM Walker [Page 6] I/D Site Installation Handbook 04 July 1997 Token Ring FDDI WAN Lines and Type Number Needed of Each Type OC-3 DS-3 T1 64K 56K Type I.E. ATM, SONET, FRAME-RELAY, DEDICATED, SWITCHED Speed I.E. OC-3 at 10Mbps or DS-3 at 20Mbps Cables Purchase all required cables for LAN and WAN PREMISE July 11, 1997 - 8 - Location Size Placement of Equipment on Floor and in Racks Tie wraps for Dressing Air Conditioner Sizing Emergency Power Shutoff Power Requirements for Each Device Walker [Page 7] I/D Site Installation Handbook 04 July 1997 Receptacle Type for Each Device UPS Sizing and Type Grounding Fire Equipment Needed City Codes SECURITY Physical Security Locks or Card Readers or Combo Locks Audit Trail Logbook or Card Reader Logs Alarms Audible Alarm Siren to hear building Alarms July 11, 1997 - 9 - Walker [Page 8] I/D Site Installation Handbook 04 July 1997 Acknowledgments Thanks to my wife for putting up with the long hours and many frustrations during my numerous installations. Thanks goes to Kevin Hanahan (Cisco Systems, Inc.) who is right now going through numerous installations of his own and suggested that we document the procedures in writing not only for us, but for the Internet Community and every engineer out there. His added comments and editing have been immensely appreciated. Thanks also go to my Professor, Chip McGinnis (NCR/Park College) for direction on my Senior Computer Science project. Author's Address James Walker Systems Engineer Cisco Systems, Inc. 9300 W. 110th St. Suite 260, Bldg. 55 Overland Park, KS 66210 Phone: (913) 344-6114 EMail: jawalker@CISCO.COM July 11, 1997 INTERNET-DRAFT EXPIRES JANUARY 1998 INTERNET-DRAFT