Rack Configuration

Racks are containers for your devices. This guide covers rack creation, configuration, and all available settings.

Creating a rack

Click “New Rack”

Find the New Rack button in the toolbar or use the keyboard shortcut.
Enter a name

Give your rack a descriptive name (e.g., “Primary Server Rack”, “Network Closet”).
Select rack width

Choose from standard widths:
- 19“ — Standard rack (most common)
- 23“ — Telco/data centre rack
- 10“ — Small desktop/DeskPi rack
Set the height

Pick from presets or enter a custom height (1–100U).
Click “Create”

Your new rack appears on the canvas, ready for devices.

Rack sizes

Standard heights

Size	Use case
42U	Full-height data centre rack
24U	Half-height rack, medium deployments
18U	Compact rack, small server rooms
12U	Wall-mount or small homelab

Small form factor (10“ racks)

10-inch racks have limited height options to match their smaller form factor:

Size	Use case
12U	Desktop homelab rack
8U	Network equipment enclosure
6U	Small network closet
4U	Mini portable enclosure

Custom heights

Enter any height from 1U to 100U for non-standard requirements. This is useful for:

Documenting partial rack allocations
Planning custom enclosures
Mapping unusual equipment configurations

Rack widths

The most common rack width, used by virtually all IT equipment.

External width: 19 inches (482.6mm)
Mounting width: 17.75 inches (450.85mm) between rails
Use for: Servers, storage, networking, most rack-mount equipment

Form factors

Rackula supports five rack form factors, matching the rack types in your physical setup:

Form Factor	Description
2-Post	Two vertical rails, no rear support
4-Post	Front and rear mounting rails
4-Post Cabinet	Enclosed 4-post with doors and panels
Wall-Mount	Wall-mounted enclosure
Open Frame	Open 4-post without side panels

The form factor affects the visual representation in Rackula but doesn’t restrict device placement.

Rack properties

Basic settings

Property	Description	Default
Name	Display label for the rack	“Racky McRackface”
Height	Total height in rack units	42U
Width	Rail width (10“, 19“, 23“)	19“
Form Factor	Physical rack type	4-Post Cabinet

U numbering

Configure how U positions are numbered:

Setting	U1 Position	Common use
Bottom-up (default)	Bottom of rack	Most data centres
Top-down	Top of rack	Some enterprise standards

Starting unit

The first U number in your rack. Default is 1, but you can change this for:

Continuation racks — Start at 41 if documenting U41–84 of a tall rack
Offset installations — Match physical labelling on existing equipment
Multi-section documentation — Split a large rack into separate Rackula racks

Display options

Option	Description	Default
Show rear	Display rear view on canvas	Enabled

When “Show rear” is disabled, only the front view appears on the canvas. This is useful for:

Simplified documentation
Focusing on front-facing equipment
Smaller canvas when rear placement isn’t needed

Editing rack settings

Select the rack

Click on the rack background (not a device) or click the rack name in the tab.
Open the edit panel

The properties panel shows rack settings when a rack is selected.
Modify settings

Change name, height, numbering, or display options.
Changes apply immediately

Updates are saved automatically.

Changing rack height

You can resize a rack at any time with some constraints:

Growing — Always allowed (add more U positions)
Shrinking — Blocked if devices would be cut off

Quick resize buttons in the edit panel offer common heights (12U, 18U, 24U, 42U) for fast adjustments.

Rack notes

Add documentation notes to your rack:

Select the rack
Find the Notes field in the edit panel
Enter relevant information:
- Location details
- Power specifications
- Cooling requirements
- Asset information

Notes are saved with your layout and exported with documentation.

Multiple racks

Current workflow for multiple racks

Until multi-rack support arrives, you can:

Create separate layouts — One layout per rack, exported separately
Use naming conventions — “DC1-Row2-Rack4” to identify physical locations
Export and combine — Export images and combine in external tools

Planned features

Future versions will support:

Multiple racks per layout
Rack arrangement and positioning
Cross-rack cabling documentation
Multi-rack exports

Deleting a rack

Select the rack

Click on the rack background.
Open rack settings

Find the delete option in the edit panel.
Confirm deletion

Removing a rack also removes all devices in that rack.

Best practices

Naming conventions

Use consistent naming that includes:

Location — Data centre, room, row
Identifier — Rack number or position
Purpose — Function or department

Examples:

“DC1-R1-01” (Data Centre 1, Row 1, Rack 01)
“Homelab-Primary”
“Network-Closet-Building-A”

Height selection

Choose rack height based on:

Physical rack size — Match your actual equipment
Growth planning — Leave room for expansion
Documentation scope — Document what’s relevant

U numbering direction

Scenario	Recommended
New homelab	Bottom-up (default)
Matching existing labels	Whatever’s on the rack
Enterprise environment	Check your standards
Mixed environment	Pick one and be consistent

Rack Types — Understanding form factors
Rack Units — U measurement basics
Device Management — Add devices to your rack
Import/Export — Save and share your layouts