Cabling databases and wireless networks
Hello, The institution that I work for is rolling out wireless services on our campus which spans about a 10x10 block area. We currently have a pretty robust cable management database for tracking and relating our wired runs, switch ports, subnets, and physical rooms. We're trying now to figure out how to handle and document our wireless deployments with the same type of information and relationships. The problem that I see is that our database is structured around a relationship hierarchy of Campus -> Building -> Floor -> Room, where each item is a sub category of the one before it with no knowledge of adjacencies. For example, the database might know that room 300 and room 301 are both on the 3rd floor, but it doesn't understand if they are next to each other nor if room 401 is above 301. This seems like it will become more and more important since, with wireless gear, we're looking at coverage areas instead of lit wall outlets. Has anyone else tackled this yet or is there any good software out there to track this? Thanks Eric :)
Though I do not have a specific solution for you, your Campus -> Building -> Floor -> Room hierarchiy will work for managing the actual equipment. If you want to deal with layer2 and up, (channel, segment, subnet) I would recommend listing Switch -> VLAN ->Port, and make it compatible with Router -> Subnet, and for the actual wireless segments, use GIS information, whereby you enumerate the wireless networks by B/SSID (if they are wavelans), link that information with your switching information, and then walk around with a laptop, wireless card, and a GPS and calculate the range of each access point, and put the results on a map using GRASS, or HUGO . On Wed, 12 Dec 2001, Eric Gauthier wrote: :Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 15:18:59 -0500 :From: Eric Gauthier <eric@roxanne.org> :To: nanog@merit.edu :Subject: Cabling databases and wireless networks : : :Hello, : :The institution that I work for is rolling out wireless services on our :campus which spans about a 10x10 block area. We currently have a pretty :robust cable management database for tracking and relating our wired runs, :switch ports, subnets, and physical rooms. We're trying now to figure out :how to handle and document our wireless deployments with the same type :of information and relationships. : :The problem that I see is that our database is structured around a :relationship hierarchy of Campus -> Building -> Floor -> Room, where each :item is a sub category of the one before it with no knowledge of adjacencies. :For example, the database might know that room 300 and room 301 are both on :the 3rd floor, but it doesn't understand if they are next to each other :nor if room 401 is above 301. This seems like it will become more and :more important since, with wireless gear, we're looking at coverage :areas instead of lit wall outlets. : :Has anyone else tackled this yet or is there any good software out :there to track this? : :Thanks : :Eric :) : -- -- batz Reluctant Ninja Defective Technologies
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batz
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Eric Gauthier