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Where can I buy stickers/labels to put on rack systems/servers to identify them? I want to put my companies logo on them and also I want 2 sizes: small and larger. The larger stickers should have a place to write the IP Address on them and/or the system name.

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closed as not constructive by voretaq7♦, mailq, djangofan, Zoredache, Ward Dec 15 '11 at 1:50

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3 Answers

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Sysadmins typically use P-Touch labelers to identify servers by name and IP address. It is best to use a PC-connectable model with an ample supply of white-on-black TZ tape. Note that the "default" label tape color is black-on-white, which is more likely to look unattractive or unprofessional on a black server chassis.

As for stickers with your company logo, you may want to look at getting asset tags which include not only your company name or logo but also a serial number. Both accounting people and security auditors generally smile upon the use of asset tags (example), especially when the tag numbers have been entered into an asset-tracking database like OCS Inventory NG.

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White-on-Black versus Black-on-White is a personal choice -- I favor Black-on-White myself because it makes the sticker stand out when you're scanning the rack looking for a specific host (sadly many of my systems are older and only have an ID light on the front. Typically I'm in the back of the rack when I need to get at a box), but as long as you're consistent... – voretaq7♦ Dec 14 '11 at 23:21
Also +1 for asset tags (the kind that don't want to come off, and leave a checkerboard mark behind if you tear 'em off). Auditors and accountants LOVE these things, and if your servers aren't physically secure there is a slim chance they may actually be useful one day in deterring theft. – voretaq7♦ Dec 14 '11 at 23:23
Certainly! As far as the back of the server goes, I'd actually agree with you that white-on-black would be preferable. It can be dark in there! However, I would venture that in most contemporary environments, we hope not to look at the backsides of servers very often once they are installed and commissioned... – Miles Erickson Dec 14 '11 at 23:27
That's true, but all it takes is one unfortunate unplugging of the wrong machine (say the one that's still alive after a HA pair suffers a hardware failure) -- (other people's) bitter experience has taught me the virtue of labeling both sides of a box :) – voretaq7♦ Dec 15 '11 at 3:17
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up vote 2 down vote

Talk to any company that sells stickers or labels. Google is your friend.

You'll find that most shops use some variant of a dymo label maker, and dispense with the logo bit.

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up vote 1 down vote

I'd just pick up some of these and design and print them yourself.

That said, I've never seen a company that had their logo printed on the server/rack labels - often there's very little space available on the front panel of most servers, making it difficult to apply anything but a small label with hostname.

Additionally - you really don't want to hand-write these labels - that's just asking for problems. As voretaq7 suggested, pick up a label printer and be done with it.

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Honestly I don't even bother with the IP. Short-Qualified hostname (app01, app02, db01, db02, etc.) stuck on the CD-ROM tray and on one of the PCI slot blanks in the back is as far as I'll usually go. – voretaq7♦ Dec 14 '11 at 23:13
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Agreed. I've actually not even been ordering optical drives on my servers lately (HP DL 380 series), which has made it challenging to find a spot to stick a label without covering up air intake holes. – ErikA Dec 14 '11 at 23:17
That's about the only reason I still get the optical drives (and that I haven't had time to set up a proper netboot-installation environment, so we still do a CD install to populate the bare metal) – voretaq7♦ Dec 14 '11 at 23:19
I still do CD-install, but via the iLO remote media option instead of a physical drive. – ErikA Dec 14 '11 at 23:20
I had to label a SuperMicro chassis the other day where the entire front of the chassis was covered in 24x drive bays. In the end I just had to wrap the label around the rack handles. – Mark Henderson♦ Dec 14 '11 at 23:33
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