Tool(s) for labeling cables with unique ID numbers

Question

We are looking to (finally) implement a cable labeling procedure.

We already have a labler. Now we need a system to maintain unique IDs not related to anything.

I thought of getting a tally counter but perhaps there's another solution that does not involve two devices (a labler that prints out a number then increments it?).

Anyone have any suggestions?

Answer 1

If you aren't looking to obfuscate the identifiers for security reasons may I suggest a naming convention that tells you at a glance what's going where?

For example:
SW001/1/12 - TR1-11-24 - Immediately tells me this cable is SWitch 001, Blade 1, Port 12, and connects to Telecom Room 1, Patch Panel 11, Port 24

TR1-11-24 - 3-313-2 - Immediately tells me this cable goes from the panel identified above to the third floor, room 313, port (wall jack) 2.

If you use datacenter-style connectors that take a whole port group from your switch and connect it to a patch panel you would label the connector at the switch end with the panel it corresponds to(TR1-11), and label the panel / ports with the SWxxx/blade/port style labeling.

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There are a few big drawbacks to this (major infrastructure reorgs require a lot more relabeling than a blind number system), but also some big advantages (a server dropped off the network? You can locate the dead port/blade without needing to pull up your database of connection IDs).

Answer 2

aaa-xxxx-#-yyyy-bbb
where aaa and bbb are the endpoint connection id's
xxxx and yyyy are the rack/location id's
label the same labels on both ends so you read it in both directions as startpoint and endpoint.