SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECORDING, MAINTAINING AND VIEWING CONFIGURATION AND PLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT IN FIELD SITES

A system and method for recording, maintaining and viewing placement and configuration of equipment within remote field sites. Specifically, a means is provided for defining equipment, in terms of components, such as modules shelves and racks. Once components are defined, they are configured by specifying interrelationships between components. Once racks are configured, they are placed within a particular location in a particular remote site. A site hierarchy is created prior to creating placing racks in remote sites. An example of a site hierarchy is a site, structure, floor, zone, planning unit and row. Graphical tools are used to assist the user in configuring components, defining hierarchy levels and placing racks. Data related to components, configured equipment, site hierarchies and placement of equipment are stored in a central database. In addition, architectural floor-plan drawings can be used as an underlay for composite graphical representations of floors in sites. Preferably, a CADD program or the like is used for this purpose. Typically, the times for the placement and removal of equipment is specified so that site planners can view the configuration of remote sites on a time dependent basis. Additionally, a means is provided for inputting and for retrieving power data from the database to calculate the adequacy of available power supplies for remote site loads. Also provided is a means for generating a wide variety of reports from the individual tables in the database that are used to record information and relationships between the components, site hierarchies, configurations, placements and power requirements.