> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/allegro/ralph/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)

> Manage data center assets, racks, and infrastructure with Ralph's DCIM capabilities

Ralph's DCIM module helps you manage and track your data center infrastructure including servers, racks, network equipment, and their physical locations.

## Overview

The DCIM module allows you to:

* Track data center assets with detailed specifications
* Manage rack layouts and equipment placement
* Organize assets by data center, server room, and rack
* Configure configuration management paths for automation tools
* Maintain asset relationships and dependencies

## Managing Data Center Assets

### Adding a New Asset

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Asset Creation">
    Go to **Data Center → Hardware → Add data center asset**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill Required Fields">
    At minimum, you need to provide:

    * **Model** - The hardware model (create new if needed)
    * **Barcode** or **Serial Number** - Unique identifier
    * **Service Environment** - The service and environment this asset belongs to
  </Step>

  <Step title="Specify Location">
    Define where the asset is located:

    * **Rack** - The physical rack where it's installed
    * **Position** - U-level position in the rack (use 0 for back-mounted equipment)
    * **Slot** - For blade systems that occupy the same U position
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the Asset">
    Click **Save** to create the asset. It will now appear in your data center visualization.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Asset Models

Models help you organize devices of the same type. When creating a model:

1. Click the **+** button in the Model field
2. Enter the model name (e.g., "PowerEdge R620")
3. Select a category from the tree menu
4. Set **Type** to "data center" for DCIM use
5. Optionally specify layout dimensions for visualization

## Configuration Management Integration

Ralph supports integration with configuration management tools like Puppet and Ansible through configuration paths.

### Setting Up Configuration Modules

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create Configuration Module">
    Navigate to `/assets/configurationmodule/` and create a new module.

    Configuration modules can be organized in a tree structure to reflect your directory layout.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Configuration Classes">
    Go to `/assets/configurationclass/` to add classes that will mark hosts with specific configurations.

    * For **Puppet**: These map directly to Puppet classes
    * For **Ansible**: These can be mapped to Playbooks
  </Step>

  <Step title="Assign to Assets">
    On your Data Center Asset, use the **configuration path** field to attach the configuration.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Using Configuration Variables

Custom fields can be exposed as configuration variables:

1. Create a custom field (see [Custom Fields](/user-guide/custom-fields))
2. Enable **"use as configuration variable"** in its settings
3. The field will appear under `configuration_variables` in the REST API

Example API response:

```json theme={null}
{
  "configuration_path": "ralph/www",
  "configuration_variables": {
    "monitoring": "zabbix",
    "environment": "production"
  }
}
```

## Asset Organization

### Service Environments

Service Environments group assets by their purpose and deployment stage:

* **Service** - The business purpose (e.g., "Load Balancing", "Database Cluster")
* **Environment** - Deployment stage (e.g., "production", "testing", "development")

This information is critical for:

* Patch management decisions
* Deployment automation
* Upgrade planning
* Change management

### Physical Location Hierarchy

```
Data Center
└── Server Room
    └── Rack
        └── Asset (at specific U position)
```

## Asset Relationships

Use the **parent** field to establish asset hierarchies:

* Blade server → Blade chassis
* Virtual machine → Hypervisor
* OpenStack VM → OpenStack tenant

## Rack Accessories

Ralph tracks various rack-mounted accessories:

* Brush panels
* Fiber channel patch panels
* UTP patch panels
* Cable organizers
* Power sockets

## REST API Integration

Fetch configuration data programmatically:

```bash theme={null}
# Get asset with configuration
curl https://<YOUR-RALPH-URL>/api/data-center-assets/1234/ \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_API_TOKEN"
```

The response includes `configuration_path` and `configuration_variables` fields for automation.

## Tips and Best Practices

<Tip>
  **Configuration Module Hierarchy**: Use parent-child relationships in configuration modules to mirror your actual file/directory structure in Puppet or Ansible.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  **Position Zero**: Use position `0` for equipment mounted on the back of racks, like power supplies or cable management.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  **Blade Systems**: For blade chassis, set the number of slots in the Model configuration under "layout of front/back size" fields.
</Tip>

## Related Documentation

* [DC Visualization](/user-guide/dc-visualization) - Visual rack management
* [Custom Fields](/user-guide/custom-fields) - Extend asset data
* [Deployment](/user-guide/deployment) - Automated server deployment