[K12OSN] Documenting the Network

["Terrell Prudé Jr."]

j.w. thomas wrote:
> How do you guys document your networking environment?
>
> I am the sole admin of a small system, and it just seems bad practice 
> for the sole repository of all that info to be my head.  For one, my 
> head is notoriously unreliable for that sort of thing.  Also, it can't 
> be backed up.
>
> Right now I have a small setup with a firewall, an ltsp server, five 
> clients, a wireless connection, and a stand-alone workstation.  More 
> to come later (printers, more services, etc).
>
> I'm planning to fire up an svn server to use as a repo for all the 
> /etc directories on all the machines.  I also have a text file with 
> descriptions of every technical detail I could think to put in it:
> equipment specs, models, location, function, wireless encryption keys, 
> power feeds (i.e., ups or not), ip addresses, services, etc.
>
> I intend to draw a network map tonight, and I'm going to print that 
> and the text file out and keep them in the network closet, maybe 
> hanging on the wall.  I'm also thinking that I will write the root 
> passwords down on a piece of paper, seal it in an envelope, and put it 
> in the network closet.  That might seem like a bad idea, but if they 
> can get in the network closet, they can already pwn the system.  A 
> sealed envelope would provide for an easy way to get the info should 
> something happen to me, and would provide a pretty decent indication 
> that the info had been accessed.  Kind of an "In case of emergency, 
> break glass" approach.
>
> Is there a better way to store all this info?  Maybe some software 
> (FLOSS only please) has been written to deal with this already?  What 
> do you guys do?
>


I draw pictures and type up a description.  Then this stuff goes in a 
file labeled "Network Documentation."  Yeah, I know, low-tech, but it 
works very, very well.

--TP
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