A full service ICT infrastructure provider increases server security while optimising the accuracy and speed of server room audits and moves, adds and changes, with on-metal NFC labels.

Challenge: Secure server identification

A large ICT infrastructure provider wanted to completely anonymise physical servers to further increase customer security. At the same time, servers needed to remain identifiable to maintain intervention efficiency. Both in-house professionals and external partners would need access to specific server data to various degrees, while other servers should stay anonymous.

In addition, the ICT-infrastructure provider was looking for a solution that enabled flexible server locations.

Solution: Encrypted server labels

With encrypted data layers, linked to a user management on Brady’s on-metal Near Field Communication (NFC) labels, data centre servers are both identifiable and anonymous at the same time.

• Secure NFC labels

On-metal NFC labels can enable Near Field Communication with tablets and smartphones in close proximity, even when applied on metal surfaces and in metal-rich environments. Brady pre-programmed the label chips to include 2 layers of data. The top layer is accessible to in-house professionals and external contractors. A deep security layer is inaccessible to anyone except in-house administrators.

Only professionals who are performing relevant maintenance interventions are enabled to read any of the label data layers. To do this, they need a dedicated RFID pen allocated by a data centre administrator that is set up to the professional’s specific user.

• Custom software app

Brady wrote a custom Windows touch screen software app for the customer’s tablets to enable relevant label chip reading with the RFID pens. The customer can easily set up a user or admin and provide these user profiles with the tablet and pen to perform a server intervention. At the same time, the identification of all other servers in the rack and server room remains hidden and secure.

• Print & program

With the ability to print and program additional NFC labels on-site, the ICT infrastructure provider is in full command of their secure server identification solution. Thanks to the print & program capabilities, any NFC label can also be reprogrammed when relevant. Rewrites require administrator access, a tablet and a pen for security reasons.

Results: Heightened security and efficiency

Intervention efficiency and security in the customer’s data centres has been optimised with on-metal NFC labels. Labels can easily be printed and programmed at the data centre, or reprogrammed when physical servers need relocation. Each label offers a secured and layered NFC signal that can be read with programmed tablets and RFID pens, linked to a user or admin profile.