DOCUMENTATION

Racketeer v0.3.2 — offline-first rack documentation for fire & security, IT, and AV integrators.

System Requirements

Install — Windows

Download Racketeer-Setup-0.3.2.exe from the releases page. No Docker required — Node.js is bundled.

1. Right-click Racketeer-Setup-0.3.2.exe → Run as administrator.
2. Enter your licence key (leave blank for the Free Plan) and choose a port (default 3000).
3. The installer deploys the application, registers a background Windows Service (Racketeer), and adds a Start Menu shortcut.
4. When the installer finishes, click Open Racketeer in browser or navigate to http://localhost:[chosen port].
5. Racketeer starts automatically on every boot — no further action required.

Managing the Windows Service

# Check status
Get-Service Racketeer

# Stop
Stop-Service Racketeer

# Start
Start-Service Racketeer

# Open in browser
http://localhost:3000

Install — Linux

Download Racketeer-0.3.2-linux.zip from the releases page and extract it.

unzip Racketeer-0.3.2-linux.zip -d racketeer
cd racketeer
chmod +x install.sh
sudo ./install.sh

Node.js 22 is installed automatically on Ubuntu/Debian and RHEL/Fedora. The installer registers a systemd service (racketeer). Racketeer is available at http://localhost:3000 and starts automatically on boot.

# Check status
sudo systemctl status racketeer

# Stop
sudo systemctl stop racketeer

# Start
sudo systemctl start racketeer

Install — macOS

Download Racketeer-0.3.2-macos.zip from the releases page and extract it.

unzip Racketeer-0.3.2-macos.zip -d racketeer
cd racketeer
chmod +x install.sh
sudo ./install.sh

Node.js 22 is installed automatically if Homebrew is present. The installer registers a LaunchDaemon so Racketeer starts at boot. Access at http://localhost:3000.

Changing the Port — Linux / macOS

On Linux, edit the systemd service file and reload:

sudo systemctl stop racketeer
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/racketeer.service
# Change:  Environment=PORT=3000  to your new port
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start racketeer

On macOS, edit the LaunchDaemon plist and reload:

sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.racketeer.app.plist
sudo nano /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.racketeer.app.plist
# Find <key>PORT</key><string>3000</string> and change the value
sudo launchctl load -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.racketeer.app.plist

First Login

Navigate to http://localhost:3000 (or the port you configured).

The default admin credentials are:

Username:  admin
PIN:       0000

License Activation

The Free Plan is active by default — no license key required. It includes 3 users, 5 sites, and 10 racks with no expiry.

To activate a purchased license key:

1. Log in as an admin user.
2. Click your username in the top-right corner → License.
3. Paste your RKS1.-prefixed license key into the field and click Activate.
4. The page will confirm your plan tier, seat count, and expiry date. No internet connection is required.

Sites & Racks

The Racketeer data hierarchy is: Sites → Racks → Devices → Ports.

• A Site represents a physical location (e.g. "Head Office", "Client A — Server Room").
• A Rack lives inside a site and has a U-height (e.g. 42U), a key number, and optional power budget.

From the dashboard, click Add Site to create a site, then Add Rack inside it. Click a rack card to open the rack builder.

Adding Devices

Inside the rack builder, the device palette appears on the left. Drag a device type from the palette and drop it into a U-slot in the rack. You can also click any device in the palette and then click the target slot.

• Devices can be placed on the front or back of the rack (toggle the Flip button).
• Full-depth devices (servers, UPS) block the opposite face at that U-position.
• Half-width and quarter-width devices allow multiple devices per U.

Click any placed device to open its detail panel where you can rename it, set IP addresses, power draw, serial number, and more.

Built-in Device Types

The standard device palette includes:

• Networking — Switch, Firewall / Router, Media Converter, Patch Panel, PoE Injector, Cable Tidy
• Servers & KVM — Server, NAS / Storage, KVM, Console Server, Drawer
• Power — UPS, PDU, PSU
• Security / AV — NVR / DVR (CCTV), PAVA Controller, Access Control
• Fillers — Blanking Plate, Brush Plate, Tray

Port Mapping

Click a device in the rack, then click the Ports tab in the detail panel. Click any port to open the port details dialog.

For each port you can set:

• Label — e.g. "Gi0/1", "Port 3", "HDMI-Out"
• Connected To — free-text or pick another device/port. Both ends update when you save.
• Cable ID — optional asset tag for the physical cable (e.g. "CAT6-042")
• Cable Length — in metres
• IP Address, VLAN, MAC — for network ports
• Notes

Capacity Planning View

Click the Capacity button in the dashboard header to overlay capacity indicators on every rack card:

• U Space — filled U / total U as a progress bar (green <70%, amber 70–90%, red >90%)
• Power — total device power draw / rack power budget (set in rack settings)
• Ports — connected ports / total ports across all devices

Cable Register

Navigate to Cables in the dashboard header (or go directly to /connections). The cable register shows every port-to-port connection across all your sites and racks in a single table.

• Filter by site, rack, cable type, or free-text search.
• Export the full register as CSV or PDF.

Audit Log PROFESSIONAL+

Navigate to Audit in the dashboard header (admin users only, visible on Professional plan and above).

Every change to the database is recorded with a timestamp, the logged-in username, the action type (create / update / delete), and the entity affected. The audit log is immutable — entries are never edited, only appended.

• Filter by action type, user, entity type, or free-text search.
• Export as PDF for client handover or compliance documentation.
• Entries are retained up to 10,000 (oldest evicted first).

Rack Templates & Duplication PROFESSIONAL+

Duplicate a rack: click the ⋮ menu on any rack card → Duplicate. The clone is added to the same site.

Save as Template: click the ⋮ menu on any rack card → Save as Template. Give the template a name. IP addresses, MAC addresses, and asset numbers are stripped automatically.

Create from Template: click From Template below the "Add Rack" button. Pick a saved template — a new rack is created pre-populated with all devices and port configurations from the template.

Site Client Info & PDF Cover Page

Click the ℹ (info) icon on any site card to open the Client Info panel. Fill in any combination of:

• Client / company name
• Site address
• Contact name, phone, email
• Contract reference
• Next service date
• Notes

When client info is present, all PDF exports for that site include a formatted cover page. The site card will show the client name and, if a next service date is set, highlight it amber when it falls within the next 30 days.

Asset License Tracking PROFESSIONAL+

Navigate to the Expiring Licenses card on the dashboard (or go directly to /licenses) to manage software, hardware, subscription, and maintenance licenses for your customer installations.

For each license you can record:

• Name — e.g. "Milestone VMS Pro"
• Type — Software / Hardware / Subscription / Maintenance
• Vendor, License Key, Seats/Nodes
• Site — link to a specific site, or set as Global
• Purchase Date, Expiry Date — leave expiry blank for perpetual licenses
• Cost and Notes

The dashboard "Expiring Licenses" card turns amber and shows a count when any license expires within 30 days. The full license list can be exported as CSV.

PDF & CSV Export

Exports are available at both the site level and individual rack level.

Site PDF

From the dashboard, click the ⋮ menu on a site card → Export Site PDF. Includes a cover page (if client info is set), a summary table of all racks, and device listings for each rack.

Rack PDF / Mounting Guide

Open a rack, click Export → Rack PDF or Mounting Guide. The mounting guide lists each device with its U position, height, and weight.

CSV Export

From the dashboard Tools menu → Export CSV. Produces a spreadsheet of all devices across all sites and racks.

Cable Register PDF / CSV

From the Cables page, use the Export buttons in the top-right corner.

Asset Licenses CSV

From the Licenses page, use the Export CSV button to download all visible (filtered) licenses including status, cost, and expiry date.

NVR / DVR Camera Configuration

When you place an NVR / DVR device in a rack, a Configure Cameras button appears in its detail panel. This opens the camera configuration dialog where you can document all cameras connected to that recorder.

For each camera you can record:

• Name — e.g. "CAM-01", "Reception Front"
• Type — Bullet, Dome, Fish-eye, Pano, PTZ, Predator, Thermal, Thermal PTZ
• IP Address, Subnet, Gateway
• MAC Address, VLAN
• Asset Number & Drawing Reference Number
• Connection — Rack Device (patch panel/switch + port) or Direct (cable number)
• Patch Location — auto-populated from the device/port selection

Camera data is included in PDF and CSV exports for that rack.

PAVA Device Configuration

Public Address & Voice Alarm (PAVA) amplifiers and controllers support speaker documentation. Click Configure PAVA in the device detail panel to manage speakers connected to that device.

For each speaker you can record:

• Name & Zone
• Type — Ceiling, Wall, Column, Horn, In-Ground
• Wattage
• Location description
• Cable number & drawing reference

PAVA speaker details appear in the rack PDF export, giving you a complete record of all loudspeaker positions and wiring without leaving Racketeer.

Drive Bay & Storage Management

Servers, NAS / Storage devices, and NVR / DVR devices support drive bay documentation. Click the Drive Bays tab in the device detail panel to document installed drives.

For each bay you can record:

• Bay number
• Status — Populated, Empty, Failed
• Capacity — in GB or TB
• Drive type — HDD, SSD, NVMe
• Serial number
• Notes

A storage summary (total capacity, filled bays) is shown at the top of the drive bay view and is included in the rack PDF export.

Custom Device Library

Need a device type that isn't in the standard palette? Click the ⋮ menu in the top-right → Custom Devices to open the custom device manager.

For each custom device you can set:

• Name — appears in the palette and on the rack
• U Height — how many rack units it occupies
• Width — Full, Half, or Quarter width
• Port count & type
• Colour — to visually distinguish it in the rack view

Custom devices appear in their own section at the bottom of the device palette and can be placed, configured, and exported like any built-in device type.

IP Address Management (IPAM) PROFESSIONAL+

Navigate to IPAM in the dashboard header (or go directly to /ipam) for a cross-site view of every IP address in your estate.

Subnets

Define your subnet structure — add CIDRs such as 192.168.1.0/24 with a name (e.g. "Management VLAN"), VLAN tag, and optional site scope. Racketeer automatically calculates:

• Used / Total — how many IPs from each subnet are assigned to devices, shown with a progress bar
• Free — remaining usable host addresses
• Conflicts — duplicate IPs within that subnet flagged in red

IP Registry

The registry tab aggregates every IP address across all sites, racks, and devices into one searchable table — including device management IPs, port-level IPs (e.g. switch VLAN interfaces), camera IPs, PAVA device IPs, and gateway addresses.

• Duplicate IPs are highlighted in amber with a ⚠ warning
• Filter by site, VLAN, subnet, or enable "Conflicts only" to see just the problems
• Device names link directly to the rack they live in
• Export the full registry as CSV

Service & Maintenance Log PROFESSIONAL+

Navigate to Maintenance in the dashboard header (or go directly to /maintenance) to keep a structured record of all service and maintenance work carried out on your racks.

For each log entry you can record:

• Date of the visit
• Site & Rack the work was performed on
• Engineer Name
• Type — Preventive, Reactive, Inspection, Installation, Firmware Update, Other
• Description — what was done
• Next Service Date (optional) — colour-coded amber within 30 days, red when overdue
• Notes

Log entries can be filtered by site, rack, type, and free-text search, and exported as CSV or PDF.

QR Code & NFC Labels PROFESSIONAL+

Generate printable label sheets for your racks so engineers on site can scan directly to the rack view without logging in or searching.

From the dashboard, click the ⋮ menu on any rack card → Generate QR Label.

• The dialog auto-detects your server's local IP and pre-fills the URL (e.g. http://192.168.1.50:3000/rack/abc123)
• A live QR code preview updates as you edit the address
• The NFC Payload section shows the same URL with a one-click Copy button — paste into NFC Tools (Android) to write to a blank NFC tag
• Toggle Include device labels to add individual labels for every placed device in the rack
• Choose label size: Standard (63.5 × 38 mm, 21 per A4 sheet) or Small (38 × 21 mm, 65 per A4 sheet)

Click Download PDF to generate a ready-to-print label sheet. Print on standard Avery-compatible label sheets and attach to the rack door.

QR Scan On Site

The search bar on both the dashboard and inside any rack includes a scan button (the QR icon). Tap it to open the camera scanner.

• On HTTPS connections, a live camera viewfinder opens and detects QR codes automatically
• On HTTP (local network), tapping Open Camera opens your phone's native camera — take a photo of the QR code and it is decoded automatically
• If the QR code contains a Racketeer rack URL, you are navigated directly to that rack
• Any other scanned text is dropped into the search bar

No app install required — this works in any modern mobile browser.

Tools & Calculators

Navigate to Tools in the dashboard header to access the built-in engineering calculators. The IP Subnet Calculator is available on all plans. The CCTV, RAID, and Battery calculators require Professional or above.

CCTV Storage Calculator

Estimate required storage for a CCTV system. Enter the number of cameras, resolution, frame rate, compression (H.264/H.265), and retention period in days. The calculator outputs total storage in GB/TB and suggests drive configurations.

RAID Calculator

Calculate usable capacity and fault tolerance for common RAID levels (RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10). Enter drive count and individual drive size to see usable space, minimum drives, and drives that can fail before data loss.

Battery Backup Calculator

Calculate required UPS battery capacity. Enter total load in watts and required runtime in minutes to get the minimum VA rating and recommended battery capacity in Ah (at 12V).

Mobile & On-Site Use

Racketeer is fully responsive and designed to be used on a phone or tablet while standing in front of a rack. All pages reflow to a single-column layout at mobile widths.

Mobile Dashboard

The dashboard header collapses to a compact nav bar. The site/rack search bar remains accessible at the top, and a QR scan button sits alongside it so you can jump to any rack without typing.

Mobile Rack View

Inside a rack the header is split into two rows to keep controls usable on small screens:

• Row 1 — back/sidebar toggle, rack name, Flip view button, ⋮ actions menu
• Row 2 — power / heat stats and the U-size slider
• Full-width search bar — with the QR scan button on the right

Secondary actions (view image, upload image, export, clear rack) are grouped into the ⋮ menu to keep the header uncluttered.

On-Site Workflow

1. Print or display a QR label for a rack (Dashboard → rack ⋮ → Generate QR Label)
2. Stick the label on the rack door or keystone patch
3. On site, open Racketeer in your phone browser and tap the scan button, or just scan the QR code with your camera app — it opens the rack directly
4. Log a maintenance entry while on site via ⋮ → Log Maintenance from within the rack

Plan Comparison

Default Credentials

Username:  admin
PIN:       0000

Change these immediately after installation. Go to the user menu (top right) → Accounts.

Data Location & Backup

All application data (sites, racks, devices, accounts, license key) is stored in a single JSON file:

# Windows
C:\Program Files\Racketeer\data\db.json

# Linux
/opt/racketeer/data/db.json

# macOS
/opt/racketeer/data/db.json

Back up the entire data/ folder (or directory) regularly. Restoring is as simple as replacing the folder and restarting the service. The data/ folder also contains your license.key file — include this in your backup.

Changelog

See the full CHANGELOG.md on GitHub for a complete version history.