Diagram your rack environment in detail with this Visio stencil Originally Published: Nov 2005 IT pro revamped his Visio stencil for creating device and server diagrams. Among the additions to this version are:.
HP ProLiant DL series servers. HP ProLiant BL blade enclosures. HP StorageWorks hard drive enclosures. APC rack-mount batteries. Bayed rack enclosures.
Translucent pop-up monitor in rack (Visio 2002 and later). Callouts for Virtual Machine infrastructure The stencil also includes specialized serial devices, physical circuit switches, and lots of new devices for use in diagramming your rack environments. Use this tool as part of your current system documentation, new system planning, or server room consolidation strategy.
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Microsoft Visio is the leading Software Program for drawing Network Diagrams, Rack Diagrams. Here is the Links to Free Download Sites of Visio Stencils & Shapes by Computer Hardware Companies!
Historically, rack hardware was reserved for the largest IT enterprises and service providers. Today, however, organizations across the board are finding that rack servers are a good fit for their IT environment. Because working with rack servers demands some special design considerations, I created a Visio diagram and a custom stencil to help you plan and document your rack equipment. In this article, I'll introduce some elements used in this diagram and discuss a few of the software solutions for documenting rack equipment that are offered by popular server vendors Compaq, IBM, and Dell.
Visio resources My Visio diagram and the custom stencil are available for. The stencil (.vss file) contains common items that are used in rack environments. Some of these items are:. Actual rack enclosures in 47, 42, 41, 36, 34, 22, and 20 U heights. Generic blade server devices. Generic rack servers in heights of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6U. Labels for equipment.
Rack-mounted keyboard/mouse trays, monitors, and KVM pop-ups. Cable management panels.
Blank panels. The cabinets also provide you with a number to denote the position. It would be worthwhile to label your rack in the same manner. My Visio rack diagram contains a sample 34U rack with objects from the custom stencil, as well as some Visio default items.
Many items from Visio's PC & Peripherals, Network Devices, and General Manufacturer Equipment stencils also have the correct size ratio to be placed into the rack. Figure A shows a preview of the rack diagram. Figure A Rack server diagram (available for download as a Visio file) Installing the custom stencil I created the custom stencil that goes with the rack diagram in Visio 2000, but it should work with other recent Visio releases as well. You can access Visio stencils when they're placed in the correct location. By default, Visio stencils are kept in C: Program Files Visio Solutions. To use this stencil, you'll need to follow these steps:. the Visio diagram and stencil.
Extract the stencil file (the one with the.vss extension) to the Solutions folder. If you want, you can create a folder within Solutions to organize your stencils. Axis camera station license serial.
Open Microsoft Visio and create a new blank drawing. Click Open Stencil on the toolbar. Select the rackhardware stencil that appears at the bottom of your menu, as shown in Figure B. Figure B Importing the custom stencil After you open the stencil, you can customize the diagram for your rack server environment. Now let's take a look at some vendor tools that can assist in the process of designing and documenting your racks. Rack software from the server vendors Your equipment manufacturer may provide tools to help you diagram your rack equipment—good news for those of you with deep brand loyalty. Some of these tools are Web-based and some are applications you install.
We will take a look at three of these tools:. Compaq Rack Builder Online. IBM Rack Configurator. Dell Rack Advisor These utilities are aimed more at designing new solutions, but they can help you document your equipment as well. Compaq Rack Builder Online Compaq Rack Builder Online is a Web-based tool that will allow you to select a Compaq rack, add Compaq equipment, and create a visual display of your equipment. This tool is available online from Compaq’s Web site and as a stand-alone application for download, although the online version is probably a better choice since it stays current with Compaq hardware.
The online version of the tool also provides a lot of information you can use to configure your Compaq hardware solution. Provides information on power requirements for the equipment you have selected and a wizard to help you design solutions to meet your needs. In addition, it will inform you about products that may be near their end of life. After you set up a free profile for yourself, you can access some advanced features like creating configuration reports, storing configurations, and ordering lists of part numbers. Rack Builder Online also allows you to validate a solution to make sure that all components have their required accessories in place in your system’s design.
Figure C shows a preview of a sample configuration. Figure C Compaq Rack Builder Compaq Rack Builder includes functionality to add a non-Compaq device. You simply provide a description, height, weight, heat output, and power consumption. Then, you can add the custom device to your configuration. IBM Rack Configurator has a robust user interface for configuring IBM rack equipment. You download and install the Rack Configurator tool on your system. It lets you store configurations, print reports, add non-IBM devices, and validate a configuration.
My favorite feature of Rack Configurator is the built-in specification window displayed for each device as you add it. This provides base specs of each piece of equipment. Figure D shows a preview of a sample configuration.
Visio Stencils Apc Rack
Figure D IBM Rack Configurator This utility needs to be kept up to date by downloading a new version of the application on a regular basis. Dell Rack Advisor is also an installable application.
You can download it from Dell’s Web site. Rack Advisor offers similar functionality as the Compaq product. It provides part numbers, reports, and validation and allows you to add non-Dell equipment to the configuration. Dell Rack Advisor also lets you add to your design from a list of legacy products, which is handy when documenting equipment or when integrating new equipment into an existing environment. Figure E shows a sample configuration.
Figure E Dell Rack Advisor Dell Rack Advisor keeps a local copy of available products for current configurations. You can obtain updates by downloading the most recent version of Rack Advisor. Summary By providing a visual picture of your rack equipment, you will be better equipped to handle change and transfer knowledge within your IT department.
These resources should help you better design your rack servers and document your work. See the resources below for more information on managing rack servers. Managing rack servers. Related Topics.
Professional diagrams Lucidchart offers an extensive library of rack-specific images, including symbols for racks, servers, hard drives, keyboards, switches, power strips, power supply, and more. Design and document the layout of your network equipment in just minutes.
Each icon is designed to fit precisely with others and to expand with the appropriate dimensions. Work with your team With real-time collaboration, you can work with an unlimited number of colleagues to fine-tune your server rack diagrams. Our technology eliminates the need to merge different versions or to send a document back and forth.
Apc Rack Visio Stencil
We even support Visio stencil import for those hard-to-handle scenarios. Publish and share When your server rack diagram is finished, invite others to see it online, or publish it as a PDF or image to include in documentation. Your document is always stored securely on Lucidchart servers, so it will be accessible anywhere, any time. There’s no need to switch licenses, because you can sign in on multiple devices. Get started now With Lucidchart's rack diagram software, your output will rival that of similar programs, and you'll have the added advantage of cross-platform compatibility and on-the-go access. If you need help with anything, we provide a team of dedicated customer support representatives.