Task 01: Visual Hardware Inspection

DOCUMENT CATEGORY: Runbook
SCOPE: Physical infrastructure verification
PURPOSE: Verify all hardware is properly installed before network validation
MASTER REFERENCE: Dell AX Installation Guide

Status: Active Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Overview

Perform visual inspection of all physical infrastructure to verify installation matches the Low-Level Design (LLD) specifications before proceeding with network validation.

Performed by: On-site technician or remote validation via photos/video

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Variables from variables.yml

Variable Path	Type	Description
compute.nodes[]	Array	Node hostnames, management IPs, iDRAC IPs, MAC addresses
compute.nodes[].hostname	String	Server hostname for label verification
compute.nodes[].idrac_ip	String	iDRAC IP address for remote management
networking.network_devices.opengear	Object	OpenGear console server hostname, IP, model, port mappings
networking.network_devices.switch_primary	Object	Primary ToR switch hostname, IP, model
networking.network_devices.switch_secondary	Object	Secondary ToR switch hostname, IP, model

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Execution Options

On-Site Inspection

Walk the data center and verify each checklist item below. Take photos of:

• Overall rack layout
• Server front panels (LED status)
• Cable routing and management
• OpenGear installation

Photo storage location: artifacts/phase-02-enterprise-readiness/hardware-photos/

Orchestrated Script

When to use: Managing from a domain-joined management server — config-driven via variables.yml

Script

Primary: scripts/validation/03-onprem-readiness/phase-02-enterprise-readiness/task-01-hardware-inspection/powershell/Test-HardwareInspection.ps1

Alternatives:

Variant	Path
Azure CLI	scripts/validation/03-onprem-readiness/phase-02-enterprise-readiness/task-01-hardware-inspection/azure-cli/Test-HardwareInspection.ps1
Bash	scripts/validation/03-onprem-readiness/phase-02-enterprise-readiness/task-01-hardware-inspection/bash/test-hardware-inspection.sh

Code

# ============================================================================
# Script: Test-HardwareInspection.ps1
# Execution: Run FROM management server — reads variables.yml
# Prerequisites: powershell-yaml module, network access to OOB VLAN
# ============================================================================

param(
 [Parameter(Mandatory = $false)]
 [string]$ConfigPath
)

$ScriptDir = Split-Path -Parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path
if ($ConfigPath) {
 $ConfigFile = $ConfigPath
} else {
 $ConfigFile = Join-Path $ScriptDir "..\..\..\..\config\variables.yml"
}
if (!(Test-Path $ConfigFile)) { throw "variables.yml not found at $ConfigFile" }

Import-Module powershell-yaml -ErrorAction Stop

$config = ConvertFrom-Yaml (Get-Content -Path $ConfigFile -Raw) -Ordered
$nodes = $config["nodes"]

Write-Host "[1/3] Testing iDRAC connectivity..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
$results = @()
foreach ($key in $nodes.Keys) {
 $node = $nodes[$key]
 $hostname = $node["hostname"]
 $idracIp = $node["idrac_ip"]

 $test = Test-NetConnection -ComputerName $idracIp -Port 443 -WarningAction SilentlyContinue
 $status = if ($test.TcpTestSucceeded) { "Reachable" } else { "UNREACHABLE" }
 $color = if ($test.TcpTestSucceeded) { "Green" } else { "Red" }
 Write-Host " $hostname ($idracIp): $status" -ForegroundColor $color
 $results += [PSCustomObject]@{ Node = $hostname; iDRAC = $idracIp; Status = $status }
}

Write-Host "
[2/3] Testing OpenGear connectivity..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
$ogIp = $config["network_devices"]["opengear"]["ip"]
$ogHost = $config["network_devices"]["opengear"]["hostname"]
$ogTest = Test-NetConnection -ComputerName $ogIp -Port 443 -WarningAction SilentlyContinue
$ogStatus = if ($ogTest.TcpTestSucceeded) { "Reachable" } else { "UNREACHABLE" }
$ogColor = if ($ogTest.TcpTestSucceeded) { "Green" } else { "Red" }
Write-Host " $ogHost ($ogIp): $ogStatus" -ForegroundColor $ogColor

Write-Host "
[3/3] Summary" -ForegroundColor Cyan
$results | Format-Table -AutoSize

Standalone Script

When to use: Quick verification without variables.yml — manually set variables in the configuration block.

Script

Primary: scripts/validation/03-onprem-readiness/phase-02-enterprise-readiness/task-01-hardware-inspection/powershell/Test-HardwareInspection-Standalone.ps1

Code

#region CONFIGURATION
$iDRACs = @(
 @{ Hostname = "node01"; IP = "10.245.64.11" },
 @{ Hostname = "node02"; IP = "10.245.64.12" }
)
$OpenGearIP = "10.245.64.5"
$OpenGearName = "og01"
#endregion

Write-Host "=== iDRAC Connectivity ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
foreach ($node in $iDRACs) {
 $test = Test-NetConnection -ComputerName $node.IP -Port 443 -WarningAction SilentlyContinue
 $status = if ($test.TcpTestSucceeded) { "Reachable" } else { "UNREACHABLE" }
 $color = if ($test.TcpTestSucceeded) { "Green" } else { "Red" }
 Write-Host " $($node.Hostname) ($($node.IP)): $status" -ForegroundColor $color
}

Write-Host "
=== OpenGear Connectivity ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
$ogTest = Test-NetConnection -ComputerName $OpenGearIP -Port 443 -WarningAction SilentlyContinue
$ogStatus = if ($ogTest.TcpTestSucceeded) { "Reachable" } else { "UNREACHABLE" }
Write-Host " $OpenGearName ($OpenGearIP): $ogStatus" -ForegroundColor $(if ($ogTest.TcpTestSucceeded) {"Green"} else {"Red"})

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Server Installation Checklist

Check	Description	Status
Rack position	Servers installed in correct rack units per LLD	☐
Power connections	Dual PSU connected to redundant PDUs	☐
Power status	All servers powered on, no amber LEDs	☐
Front panel	LCD/LED status indicators normal	☐
Cable management	Cables routed through management arms	☐

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Network Cabling Checklist

Management Network

Node	Port	Destination	Cable Type	Status
Node 1	iDRAC	OpenGear sw0p1	Cat6	☐
Node 2	iDRAC	OpenGear sw0p2	Cat6	☐
Node 3	iDRAC	OpenGear sw0p3	Cat6	☐
Node 4	iDRAC	OpenGear sw0p4	Cat6	☐

Storage/Compute Network (25/100GbE)

Node	Port 1	Port 2	Cable Type	Status
Node 1	TOR1 Eth1/1/1	TOR2 Eth1/1/1	DAC/AOC	☐
Node 2	TOR1 Eth1/1/2	TOR2 Eth1/1/2	DAC/AOC	☐
Node 3	TOR1 Eth1/1/3	TOR2 Eth1/1/3	DAC/AOC	☐
Node 4	TOR1 Eth1/1/4	TOR2 Eth1/1/4	DAC/AOC	☐

VLT Peer Link (TOR1 ↔ TOR2)

Connection	Ports	Cable Type	Status
VLTi Link 1	Eth1/1/11 ↔ Eth1/1/11	DAC/AOC	☐
VLTi Link 2	Eth1/1/12 ↔ Eth1/1/12	DAC/AOC	☐

---

OpenGear Console Server Checklist

Check	Description	Status
Rack position	OpenGear installed per LLD	☐
Power	Power LED solid green	☐
NET1	Connected to internet-routable network	☐
NET2	Connected to OOB management network	☐
Serial ports	Console cables connected to switches	☐
Integrated switch	iDRAC cables connected to sw0p1-sw0p4	☐

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Top-of-Rack Switch Checklist

Check	TOR1	TOR2	Status
Power	Dual PSU connected	Dual PSU connected	☐
Status LEDs	Normal operation	Normal operation	☐
Console cable	Connected to OpenGear	Connected to OpenGear	☐
Management port	Connected to mgmt network	Connected to mgmt network	☐
Uplinks	Connected to core/distribution	Connected to core/distribution	☐

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Issues Log

Document any discrepancies found during inspection:

Issue	Location	Severity	Resolution Required

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Acceptance Criteria

• All checklist items verified and documented
• Photos uploaded to deployment folder: artifacts/phase-02-enterprise-readiness/hardware-photos/
• Any discrepancies logged in Issues table

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Possible Cause	Resolution
Server not powering on	PDU circuit breaker tripped or power cable loose	Verify PDU status lights, reseat power cables, check circuit allocation
iDRAC not accessible	Incorrect IP assignment or VLAN tagging	Verify iDRAC IP matches LLD, confirm OOB VLAN is trunked to management switch
Missing serial port labels	Cable labels not applied during rack installation	Cross-reference OpenGear port mapping document and re-label
Network link LED not lit	SFP+ module not seated or wrong cable type	Reseat SFP+, verify DAC cable type matches switch port requirements

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Validation

All checks passed?

• ☐ YES - Proceed to Task 2: Network Service Verification
• ☐ NO - Document issues and coordinate with site team for resolution before proceeding

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Next Steps

Step Complete?	Next Action
✅ Yes	Proceed to Task 2: Network Service Verification
❌ No	Resolve physical infrastructure issues before continuing

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Toolkit Reference

Scripts for this task are located in the azurelocal-toolkit repository under scripts/deploy/ in the appropriate task folder.

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Alternatives

The procedures in this task use the scripted methods shown in the tabs above. Additional deployment methods including Azure CLI and Bash scripts are available in the azurelocal-toolkit repository under scripts/deploy/.

Method	Description
Azure CLI	PowerShell-based Azure CLI scripts for Azure resource operations
Bash	Linux/macOS compatible shell scripts for pipeline environments

Navigation

← Phase 02: Enterprise Readiness	↑ Part 3: On-Premises Readiness	Task 02: Network Service Verification →

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Version Control

Version	Date	Author	Changes
1.0	2026-01-31	Azure Local Cloud	Initial document
1.1	2026-03-03	Azure Local Cloud	Standardized runbook format

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End of Task