CERN Accelerating science

Office Moves Involving Network Equipment

  Mike Gerard IT/CS

When any office move involves computer equipment which is connected to the CERN general-purpose computer network, it is almost always necessary to indicate the move details via a Web Network Connection Request Form at URL:

The only exceptions to this requirement are portable computers duly registered as such.

In the normal case that the new office already has the structured cabling it will be necessary to select an unused network outlet there. Checking which outlets are unused should be done from this request form via the function:

"View or correct the registered information about a device"

and specifying the "Building and room number" ("Search by Location") of the new office.
Note that an outlet there may appear to be free (no computer physically connected) but yet be connected in the star point and reserved for some different equipment : specifying a non-free outlet will cause the device registered as on that outlet to be disconnected.

If there is no available free network outlet then the use of a fan-out, permitting multiple connections on a single outlet, will be necessary. Where necessary a user may call in at the Network Operations Office (513 R-034, 74927) to obtain one on loan.

The Web Network Connection Request Form also permits the user to select the function:

"Move and Reconnection of a device"

Inside this function it is possible to specify the computer equipment to be moved in any of several ways (name, location, owner etc.) and the new location. Users may also correct any wrong information concerning the device and indicate an e-mail address for any automatic correspondence concerning the move request.

Once all details of the move request have been accepted by the request form procedure, and confirmed by the user, then the computer equipment may be physically moved. Note, however, that the network connection cables and any existing fan-out device should not be touched : the network support persons will recuperate old cables and supply new ones of a length appropriate to the new office.

Almost all computer equipment will have an associated Internet Protocol (IP) address. In moves inside buildings this address may often remain unchanged, although this cannot be guaranteed. If a new IP address is needed then the user sending the move request will be informed of the new address, and will be responsible for making the change as soon as the equipment is in the new place. For all standard equipment the procedures are documented and available on the Web and via the standard CERN support.

Portable computers properly registered may be moved around the site without any administrative procedures, although they may only be connected to network outlets registered as portable: such outlets should already have been clearly marked with a sheet of paper indicating the fixed IP address (or addresses, in the case of a fan-out) for the outlet. Such outlets also permit the use of the automatic IP configuration procedure known as DHCP.

Please note that it is very important to register any portable computer as such, including a device name (not the same as an IP name) which may be used to identify it when accessing the CERN NICE servers. It is also important that the physical ethernet address of the portable be included in this registration, so that, in case of any problem on a portable outlet, we know who to contact (and do not risk having to disable the outlet temporarily if the problem is serious). Portable computers are registered via the same request form using the included function:

"Portable registration"

In case of any problem with the use of the request form there is a large amount of included help information. If this information, plus the contents of any diagnostic messages, is not sufficient to make the required move request then a user may send e-mail to: Network.Support@cern.ch In urgent or complex cases phone 74927.