RackDiag

RackDiag draws a rack elevation from a list of units and what is in them. Multi-unit equipment is declared with a span, and gaps are left visible.

Because it generates, keeping elevations current costs a line edit rather than a redraw.

#What it is good at

• Data centre and comms room documentation.

• Install planning, where the units have to add up.

• Remote hands instructions that reference unit numbers.

#What it draws

#A worked example

A 24U rack with gaps left visible:

The source, which you can paste into a new diagram and edit:

rackdiag {
  24U;
  1: UPS [2U];
  3: PDU;
  4: Patch panel A;
  5: Patch panel B;
  6: Core switch;
  7: ToR switch;
  9: App server 01 [2U];
  11: App server 02 [2U];
  13: App server 03 [2U];
  16: Storage array [4U];
  22: Console;
}

#A few things that catch people out

• Units are numbered from the bottom, as they are in the room.

• Leave gaps out of the list; the empty units are capacity, and they should be visible.

• Draw the rear as a second rack if cabling or power matters.

#Related

Thirty-one languages. Nobody knows them all.