The right cable.
A clearer plan.

Cable tracker — the work we need to do

Each row is one required connection. There are 2,048 connections in this plan. Four trunks on the same route are four separate connections, each needing its own cable.

Trunk ID — the connection to be installed

This identifies the target connection in Plane 0 or Plane 1. For example, Trunk 2050 may need a cable from rack 1A09 to rack 6A02. Use this target's label rows when preparing new labels.

Stock ID — one physical cable

For example, STK-1053 identifies one particular cable in the warehouse. Keep this ID with that physical cable. Giving it a new route does not change its Stock ID. One Stock ID cannot be used for two connections at the same time.

Original route and Original Trunk ID

These describe the cable's previous destination or markings. They help you find the cable. The original Trunk ID can be blank if it was not recorded. The new destination is the route on the assigned Tracker row.

Pallet / location

Where the physical cable is stored, for example “Pallet 12, shelf B”. Enter it in Stock so the next person can find the cable.

Example: Trunk 2050 is the job. STK-1053 is the cable chosen for that job. Its old marking might say 1B09 → 5B03, while its new job is 1A09 → 6A02.

1. Open the latest saved Excel. In Stock, filter by the racks and original Plane written on the cable.
2. Choose the row for that physical cable. For a newly found cable, use an unused NoData slot for its original route. Do not overwrite another measured cable or create a second record for the same cable.
3. Enter the measured cable length, Cable form (Stock column I) and pallet/location. Keep the Stock ID with the cable so similar cables can be told apart.
4. Save Excel before selecting the file in this calculator.

NoData means there is no measured length in that slot. A prefilled slot is not proof that a cable is in the warehouse. A positive numeric length makes it Eligible when Hold / review is Clear. Eligible means it can be considered; it does not mean it has been assigned.

Check data and Unavailable block new automatic assignments. A zero, negative or non-numeric length needs checking. Do not remove a hold until someone has resolved the problem.

Example: STK-1200 has no length, so it is NoData. The warehouse finds it, measures 104 m and records Pallet 12. With Hold / review set to Clear, it becomes Eligible. It can now be considered on the next calculation.

It first keeps existing assignments. It then compares unassigned connections with free, Eligible cables. It checks cable type, measured length and the allowed extra length. These are whole cable assemblies: the calculator does not cut or join cables.

Required length is the length the target connection needs, including the route additions and reserve. The calculation uses the Tracker settings: tray route + 2 × end allowance + number of A–B crossings × crossing allowance + reserve. The current standard settings are 3.50 m per end, 6.20 m per crossing and 1.50 m reserve. Do not add these again to the displayed Required length.

Surplus = measured cable length − required length. A cable must reach the destination. With the standard maximum surplus of 40 m, the accepted range is from 0 to 40 m extra, including both limits. The actual limit is read from Tracker P7.

Stock's Route required m describes the cable's original route. When assigning it elsewhere, the calculator uses the new target's Required length in Cable tracker.

1. Closest length first. The calculator looks across all remaining cables and connections, starting with the smallest surplus. It does not simply work down the visible Excel rows.
2. At the same surplus, assign as many as possible. A cable and a connection can each be used once.
3. At that same surplus and assignment count, first build matches with fewer route changes. Keeping the original pair of racks reduces relabelling.

Example: two connections need 100 m and 103 m, and only one 104 m cable is free. It goes to the 103 m connection: 1 m extra is closer than 4 m extra.

Cable forms within a group. A group means four trunks with the same From rack, To rack and Plane. After finding the closest matches, the calculator exchanges only new, compatible cables of exactly the same length to favour matching forms within each group. Existing reservations stay fixed. It prefers fewer route changes when form consistency is equal. This is a best-effort preference: mixed groups are allowed, and the tool does not guarantee that every possible uniform group will be found.

Example: mixed forms with 1 m extra beat four matching forms with 5 m extra. If the lengths are equal, the calculator tries to keep the group in one form. A locked Roll cable helps it prefer more Roll cables for the same group when equal-length alternatives exist.

Stock → Cable form: Fiber means numeric Book2 marking such as “998-1074=76”; Roll means “Roll”; Thin fiber means “Small faber cable”, including “Small faber roll”. Unknown means the form still needs checking. Choose the form from the dropdown when adding warehouse measurements. These are warehouse categories; Cable type still controls connector compatibility. Unknown cables get no matching-form preference.

Cable tracker: Original cable form and Assigned cable form update from Stock. Group form status shows Single form, Mixed forms, Check form or No assignment. Single form describes the assigned cables so far; it does not mean all four are assigned. Manual assignments also update these fields.

Labels example: a 104 m cable from another route is preferred over a 110 m cable already labelled for a 103.65 m route. Length comes first. If both choices were 104 m, keeping the route would be preferred when the other priorities are equal.

This priority can leave more connections unassigned. The calculator does not undo a closer match just to use more cables with larger surpluses. For example, with needs of 100 m and 105 m, and cables of 105 m and 144 m, it first makes the exact 105 m match. The remaining 144 m cable is too long for 100 m under the 40 m limit. It keeps that exact match instead of changing both assignments to use both cables.

Transfers between Plane 0 and Plane 1 are allowed. Swapping the four trunks within the same pair of racks does not count as changing the route. Read Label action: a Plane transfer can still require updating the Plane labels.

1. The tool checks the input. Conflicting Stock IDs or invalid new manual assignments must be corrected before processing.
2. Assignments marked Assigned - check, Issued or Completed stay reserved. A newly found, better-fitting cable does not replace them automatically.
3. New suitable matches receive a Stock ID, the cable's original details, length, surplus, pallet and label action. Their status becomes Assigned - check.
4. Connections without a match show No suitable cable.
5. Press Download updated Excel. Open that new copy and use it for the next warehouse update or calculation.

Example: 998 cables are already assigned. You add a new measurement and recalculate. The result says “New assignments: 1. Locked assignments retained: 998.” You now have 999 allocated connections; the previous 998 were kept.

Why can Stock show free cables while Tracker says No suitable cable? Free only means “not reserved”. Those cables may be too short, too long, the wrong type, unmeasured or on hold. Some better fits may already have been reserved for other connections.

1. Open Rack details for the rack. Click the target Trunk ID to open its Tracker row. Click Assigned Stock ID to open its Stock row. The original route and pallet help locate the physical cable. Clear Rack details filters after changing the selected rack.
2. At Assigned - check, confirm the Stock ID, actual length, cable type and condition. Read Label action. Assignment is a reservation, not confirmation that someone has checked the cable.
3. If new labels are needed, use Target labels in Excel, or Locate label rows here, to find the target Trunk ID's original rows on Plane 0 or Plane 1. Use the target job's labels. The original Plane sheets retain their layout.
4. Once the cable is checked, labels are ready and it is issued to the pulling team, set Issued. Record the pallet/location before issuing.
5. After the pulling team finishes installing the connection, set Completed.

Save Excel after edits there. If you change a status on this webpage, download the updated Excel again to keep that change.

In Excel, enter a free, suitable Stock ID into Cable tracker → Assigned Stock ID (Q). The cable's original route, old ID/Plane, measured length, surplus, pallet and label action fill automatically. A normal new assignment becomes Assigned - check.

The ID must exist in Stock, be Eligible, match the cable type and fit the target length within the surplus limit. It cannot already be used by another Tracker row. Normal typed invalid entries are rejected. Excel paste can bypass validation; pasted conflicts show ERROR, and this calculator blocks the file until they are fixed.

To replace an Assigned - check cable manually, enter another free, suitable Stock ID in that row. The old cable becomes free. Only do this when the physical work has not proceeded on the previous assignment.

For the release workflow, select Release assignment and run Recalculate. The old reservation is removed and the connection is considered again. The same cable can be selected again if it is still the best valid choice. If a cable is faulty or must not be used, set its Stock Hold / review to Check data or Unavailable before releasing it. Issued and Completed assignments must be released before replacing their Stock ID.

If a later measurement or hold makes an existing locked cable unsuitable, the calculator warns you and retains the assignment for review. It does not silently move a cable that may already have been issued.

Connections

All required jobs in the plan: 2,048. This is not a count of cables physically found in Stock.

Assigned / Issued / Completed / Unassigned

Separate workflow totals. Assigned counts allocated jobs that are not yet Issued or Completed. Together these four totals make up the connection count. A pending Release assignment remains allocated until recalculation processes it.

Measured / NoData slots / Check data

Stock information: rows with numeric measurements, slots without measurements, and rows needing review. Measured does not guarantee that a cable is free or eligible.

New assignments / Locked assignments retained

New matches from this run, and existing reservations preserved by this run.

Route changes / Surplus on new assignments

How many new matches change the pair of racks, and the total extra metres across new matches only. Plane-only changes do not increase the route-change count.

2050 / STK-1053: enter pallet before issue

Trunk 2050 uses STK-1053, but its location is missing. The assignment is kept. Find the cable and enter its pallet in Stock before issuing it.

One shared working copy, one person coordinating recalculation. This website processes the selected Excel in your browser. It does not keep a shared database or update other people's files. Two people calculating different copies can reserve the same physical cable. Agree which saved workbook is the latest and pass that copy to the next person.