n00b question - Computer Rooms and Data Centers

[Jim C_1]

Can someone help clarify the suggested use of the "Computer Room" and "Data Center" items in the CMDB? I see that there are soem pre-seeded relations between them, but they don't seem to work the way I thought they would.

In our scenario, we have a small handful of real "Data Centers", but we also have several small "Computer Rooms" in our remote offices, which typically hold a rack or two, but sometimes more of a closet (for a couple switches or routers) than a room. Is it expected to use these items this way, or is one supposed to be contained in the other?

[rkmullis]

Timely question, as I've spent the last few weeks adding 'Data Center' and 'Rack' CIs, creating relationships, and the like. We have a similar scenario whereby there are a handful of true data centers but several telecommunications rooms (or closets) that may house a couple of servers. For our purposes I classify any location (data center, computer/telecomm room, etc.) that houses one or more servers as a 'Datacenter' (cmdb_ci_datacenter table). Each data center will contain one or more racks, which are defined in the 'Rack table (cmdb_ci_rack). Each rack will contain 'x' numbers of servers.

The following relationships types were used to complete the model:

Dependent class: Server
Relationship: In Rack
Base class: Rack

Ex: Server(s) --> In Rack --> Rack Rack --> Rack contains --> server(s)

Dependent class: Rack
Relationship: Located in
Base class: Data center

Ex: Rack --> Located in --> data center Data Center --> Houses --> Rack

Using the above model we can visually identify, via the BSM, the following relationships:

business service --> Depends On --> business system --> Depends On --> server --> In Rack --> rack --> Located In --> data center

Hope this helps.

Keith

[Jim C_1]

Thanks, at least I'm on the right track! Our newest data center is pretty big, so I was going to use "Zone" to represent the "Rack Row" in the DC, but otherwise I was thinking along the same lines.

So.. extending that thought, if a room with one or more servers is a data center, then is a room with zero servers (but telco/network equipment, like an IDF/MDF) supposed to go in a "Computer Room"? if so, how bad is it to rename that to "Wiring Closet"?

[rkmullis]

In our environment, we're only accounting for data centers / pseudo-data centers (telecomm rooms, wiring closets) that contain one or more servers. I would leverage the out-of-the-box classes as much as possible.