NetApp Site Survey Questionnaire / Template / Checklist

I was asked “have you a template that you use for site surveys?”
Now I’ve done the odd Site Survey myself, but I realize I just had it in my *ahem* head precisely what was needed.

It’s never worth reinventing the wheel, so I dug around for a bit without success to see what’s out there. There was a NetApp official “Site Requirements Guide” that’s dated 2014, and is not going to be updated since everyone is - quite rightly - redirected now to http://hwu.netapp.com/  for site requirements.

I remember from a very old (February 2012) study notes post - http://www.cosonok.com/2012/02/netapp-ns0-502-study-notes-part-34-san.html
- that I wrote:


Prepare site for installation:
- Be able to review implementation flowchart with customer and assign task areas.
- Make contact with datacenter/site personnel.
- Validate equipment move path to installation location.
- Verify site infrastructure including: dual power (and proximity of power drops to the install location), floor space, floor loading plan, HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.)
- Validate logistics plan for staging and installation of equipment.
- Verify Ethernet cabling plan and availability of cable supports.
- Verify fiber cabling plan and availability of cable supports.


I Googled “NetApp site survey form” / “NetApp site survey template” and the only decent result - in the first 2 pages of search results - was Mike Brown’s Preparing for a data center site survery.


NetApp Site Survey Questionnaire / Checklist / Template

Since I don’t post spreadsheets/word docs on this blog, here’s my take on this in blog format.

Before Site Visit

+ Have you got a cabinet layout diagram (excel, visio, ...)?
+ Have you got access to the sales order(s) / bill of materials?
+ Does everything look in order on the bill of materials (sufficient cables and of sufficient length, SFPs, IO cards ...)?
+ Check NetApp Hardware Universe for site requirements for the involved hardware (power requirements, hardware dimensions, compatibility ...)
+ If this is adding to an existing installation, verify Interoperability on the NetApp IMT (the IMT also needs to be checked if this is a new FC SAN installation)
+ Who is the site contact?
+ Has site access been arranged?

Equipment to Bring

+ Identification Documents (if required)
+ Safety Equipment (if required: like steel tipped boots...)
+ Documentation
+ Pen and paper/laptop
+ Tape measure
+ Tools (knife - to open boxes, torch ... and whatever else you think might be useful.)

Site Visit

+ Make contact with datacenter/site personnel.
+ If the new hardware is on site, request an inspection (to make sure all parts are present and as expected, and so that the installation engineers know where to find the parts.)
+ If the new hardware in not on site, discover where it will be stored.
+ Validate equipment move path to installation location.
+ Verify the cabinet(s).
-- Cabinets are not damaged.
-- Cabinets are big enough (front posts are forward enough and there is enough length in the cabinet) to take the hardware.
-- There are no obstructions in the cabinets (like cabling, switches, cooling pipes, other hardware units not in the cabinet layout ...)
-- Cabinet feet are down.
+ Verify site infrastructure including:
-- Power (ideally dual power on separate circuits, plug and socket types, proximity of power drops to the install location, PDUs will not obstruct removal of controller trays out the back of the cabinet for non-disruptive maintenance...)
-- Floor space
-- Floor loading plan
-- HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.)
+ Validate logistics plan for staging and installation of equipment.
+ Verify Ethernet cabling plan, availability of cable supports/tidies and cable lengths.
+ Verify fiber cabling plan, availability of cable supports/tidies and cable lengths.

Post Site Visit

+ Document your observations (what’s good, what’s bad, concerns ...)
+ Distribute to the relevant parties.
+ Follow up where there were concerns needing addressing.

Image: Site Survey

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