- A data centre is a chain of boxes: transfer switch, switchgear, UPS, PDU, remote power panel, rack. Every box in that chain needs a plate with its name and what feeds it.
- Engraved lamacoids go on the equipment that stays put for the life of the room. Patch cords and ports keep their printed labels.
- A side and B side should look different. One colour pair per side, used on every plate in that path.
- Send the one-line names as a spreadsheet. We engrave the whole room in Burlington, the same day.
In a data hall, nobody wants to guess. The technician on a night shift with an approved change ticket has to open the right breaker on the right panel feeding the right rack, and leave the other power path alone. That only works if every piece of equipment between the utility and the server says what it is and where its power comes from. This post covers where lamacoid labels go in a data centre, when an engraved plate is the right call, and how to name the A and B sides so they can never be confused.
01Why data centres label everything
A data centre is built so that one power path can be shut down for maintenance while the other keeps every server running. That design is only as safe as the labels. If a technician opens a breaker on what they believe is the B side and it turns out to feed the A side as well, redundancy is gone in one click.
So the rule in a well-run room is simple: every piece of electrical and mechanical equipment carries a permanent name, and every name matches the one-line drawing, the monitoring system and the maintenance procedure. Engraved lamacoids are how that name goes on the equipment. They are cut, not printed, so the name is the same on the last day of the lease as it was at commissioning.
02Where lamacoids go in a data centre
Walk a data hall and the electrical room behind it and you pass the same kinds of equipment over and over. Each one needs a plate.
Switchgear and transfer switches
Section IDs, main and feeder breakers, and the transfer switches that pick between utility and generator. The plates people read before any switching.
UPS systems and battery cabinets
UPS modules, bypass cabinets, maintenance bypass switches and battery strings. The bypass switch plate has to say exactly which way is safe.
PDUs and remote power panels
Floor PDUs and the remote power panels at the row ends. Panel ID, voltage, and the box that feeds it, with breaker labels inside.
Racks and row ends
A grid name on the front and back of every rack, and a row letter at both ends of each aisle, so the rack in the ticket is the rack in front of you.
Generators and fuel
Generator IDs, fuel tanks, day tanks and the load bank connection. Usually outdoors or in a hot room, so screw-mounted.
Emergency power off
The EPO station says exactly what it shuts down. It is the one plate where a vague name can take a whole room offline.
Add cooling: CRAH and CRAC units, chillers, pumps and the panels that feed them. Then the fire side: clean agent release stations and abort switches. Each one gets a name that matches the drawings.
03When an engraved plate is the right call
Not every label in a data centre should be a lamacoid. Patch cords, port numbers and cable ends change all the time, and printed labels made on site are the right tool for them. Engraved plates are for the things that stay put. Choose a lamacoid when:
- The equipment will outlive the tenant. Switchgear, UPS systems, PDUs, panels and generators stay for decades. Their names should too.
- Someone will switch power by reading it. Any plate a person reads before opening a breaker, transferring a load or pressing a button.
- The spec calls for engraved nameplates. Data centre electrical specifications commonly call for engraved lamacoid nameplates on distribution equipment, and commissioning agents check them.
- It has to match the one-line. Engraved names do not get handwritten corrections or a second sticker on top. What was approved is what is on the box.
- The room runs hot or gets cleaned. Hot aisles, generator rooms and battery rooms are hard on adhesive and on printed film.
- It is a safety control. EPO stations, bypass switches and fire release points get engraved plates in colours people recognise.
04A side and B side: make them look different
The single most useful labelling decision in a data centre is to give each power path its own colour pair and use it on every plate in that path, from the UPS to the rack strip. A technician then knows which side they are touching before they read a word.
- Pick two pairs that read well side by side. Black/White and Blue/White, or White/Black and Black/White, are easy to tell apart in a dim hot aisle.
- Keep red for safety. Red/White belongs to EPO stations, fire release points and danger plates. Using it for a power side dilutes the warning.
- Put the side in the name as well as the colour. UPS-A, PDU-2A, RPP-2A. Colour helps people who see well in that light; the letter helps everyone else.
- Follow the owner first. Colocation providers and large tenants often have a written colour standard. Send it with the order and we match it exactly.
05What goes on a data centre plate
Three things on every distribution plate: the equipment name, its rating, and where its power comes from. The name gets the biggest letters because it is what people search for from the aisle.
| Equipment | Example plate | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| Switchgear section | SWGR-A SECTION 3 / FED FROM ATS-1 | 4" × 2" or match the gear |
| Transfer switch | ATS-1 / NORMAL: UTILITY / EMERG: GEN-1 | 4" × 2" |
| UPS system | UPS-A / 600V IN / FEEDS PDU-1A, PDU-2A | 4" × 2" |
| Maintenance bypass | UPS-A MAINT BYPASS / SEE PROCEDURE | 3" × 1.5" |
| Floor PDU | PDU-2A / 600V-208Y/120V / FED FROM UPS-A | 4" × 2" |
| Remote power panel | RPP-2A / 208Y/120V 225A / FED FROM PDU-2A | 4" × 2" |
| Rack | RACK C07 | 2" × 0.75", front and back |
| EPO station | EPO / DATA HALL 2 ONLY | 3" × 1", Red/White |
For letter heights that read from a distance, see our lamacoid size guide. Inside the remote power panels, breaker and circuit labels follow the same approach as any panel; our post on electrical panel labels covers it.
06Data centre labelling facts worth knowing
- Redundancy depends on labels. A room built to keep running with one path down is only safe to maintain if people can tell the paths apart on the floor.
- Plates do not conduct. The engraving laminate is non-conductive, so a plate on a live panel or busway does not add anything to touch.
- The name should match three places. The one-line drawing, the monitoring system and the plate on the box. When they disagree, people stop trusting all three.
- Racks are usually named by floor grid. Many sites name cabinets by their floor-tile coordinates, in line with the TIA-606 administration standard, so the name tells you where to walk.
- Engraved names do not drift. Printed labels get reprinted, retyped and corrected over the years. An engraved plate keeps the name that was commissioned.
- Hot aisles are hard on glue. Exhaust air runs warm all day. Screw holes, or adhesive on a clean, cool surface, keep plates where they belong.
- Commissioning checks labels. Missing or wrong nameplates are a common punch-list item at turnover, and a whole room of them is quicker to fix in one order than one at a time.
07What to send when you order
| Detail | Example |
|---|---|
| Wording, one row per plate | Straight from the one-line or the equipment schedule |
| Which side each plate is on | A, B, or common, so we apply the right colour pair |
| Colour standard | The owner's or tenant's standard, or our suggestion |
| Size | 4" × 2" for distribution, 2" × 0.75" for racks, or match existing |
| Mounting | Screw holes, adhesive back, or both |
| Quantity per item | Rack IDs front and back, row ends at both aisles |
A data hall is a spreadsheet job. Export the equipment list, add a column for the side, and send it; our post on ordering from a spreadsheet shows how. For a handful of plates, design and price them in the Lamacoid Builder. Email lists to sales@llamacoids.ca. We engrave in Burlington, Ontario, the same day, and ship Canada-wide.
08Common questions
What labels does a data centre need?
Every piece of power and cooling equipment needs a permanent name that matches the drawings: switchgear, transfer switches, UPS systems, PDUs, remote power panels, generators, cooling units and EPO stations. Racks and row ends need location names. Patch cords and ports use printed labels.
Should data centre equipment labels be engraved?
For equipment that stays put, yes. Engraved lamacoids do not fade, peel or get reprinted with a different name, and data centre electrical specifications commonly call for engraved nameplates on distribution equipment.
How do you label A and B power in a data centre?
Put the side in the name, like UPS-A and PDU-2A, and give each side its own colour pair on every plate in that path. Keep red for EPO and safety plates. If the owner has a colour standard, follow it.
How should racks be labelled?
Name each rack by its floor-grid location and put the plate on the front and the back. Add a row-end plate at both ends of each aisle so people can find the row before the rack.
What should a PDU or RPP label say?
The equipment name, its voltage and rating, and the equipment that feeds it, for example RPP-2A / 208Y/120V 225A / FED FROM PDU-2A. Use the wording from the approved drawings.
Can you make labels for a whole data hall at once?
Yes. Send the equipment list as a spreadsheet with the wording, side and size for each plate. We engrave it in Burlington the same day and ship Canada-wide.