Re: Database for customer assignments [WAS Re: Data Center Wiring Standards]

["Andy Johnson" <andyjohnson () ij net>]

    In my experience, most folks roll their own IP management software. Most
coming from spreadsheets such as yourself, end up with some sort of custom
written provisioning software that integrates into their existing
applications. I've seen very few commercial products in use, though I can't
say whether or not they were any better or worse than the home grown
solutions.

    IIRC, there were two major open source projects, FreeIPDB, and
Northstar. Both had some promise for a decent open source IP management
suite. As far as Switch Ports/Patch panels, I've not seen anyone keep real
good track of usage other than switch port descriptions.

---
Andy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick Kunkel" <kunkel () w-link net>
To: <nanog () merit edu>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 1:30 PM
Subject: Database for customer assignments [WAS Re: Data Center Wiring
Standards]


> Thanks much for all the info folks.  I'm sure I can amalgamate this info
> into a good plan, or at least a pie-in-the-sky place to reach for.
>
> On a related but dissimilar topic:  What are people using for storing
> customer assignment info and stuff?  Right now, we've got an Excel
> spreadsheet covering patch panels, another covering colo customers and the
> types of usage plans that they're on, and our general customer database
> that hasn't been updated since the colo biz has picked up, and is thus
> currently poorly equipped to deal with it.  Additionally, we use RTG for
> usage stuff, and a combination of well-commented DNS zone files and
> customized Excel spreadsheets for managing IP Space.
>
> Needless to say, the integration of these things is pretty non-existent.
>
> Are people using off-the-shelf products (freeware or otherwise) for these
> types of things, or are they custom designing their own?  I've recently
> started to create a "proper" database that stores patch panel, switchport,
> customer, VLAN, and usage information, but the queries I'm dealing with in
> an attempt to extract information from it are so complex that I just can't
> seem to justify spending the time on this, when -- regardless of the
> low-techiness of them -- the current method of spreadsheets and such gets
> by.  Eventually though, I'm sure it's the scalability that will be the
> killer.
>
> I've messed briefly with IPTrack (or was that the old name for it?) for IP
> address management, but nothing else too much.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Rick Kunkel