Template · Smart Hands & Remote Hands

Remote hands request template

A copy-ready form for asking a technician to do physical work in a data center, with notes on how to fill each part in.

Free to use and share. Last reviewed October 2026.

Quick answer

What goes in a request?

A good remote hands request names who is asking, when, where the device is, exactly what to do in order, what not to touch, and what proof you want back. Send those six things in one message and the engineer can act without guessing, which is where most wrong-port and wrong-host mistakes start.

COPY AND USE

Copy-ready request

Paste this into an email or ticket and fill in each line. Delete lines that do not apply. Replace every field with real values before sending.

REMOTE HANDS REQUEST

1. REQUESTER
Name:
Role:
Phone (reachable during the work):
Email:
Authorized requester on file? (yes / no)
Your ticket or change number:

2. TIMING
Priority (emergency / same day / scheduled):
Requested start (date, time, time zone):
Latest finish:
Is a change window or approval already in place? (yes / no, reference)

3. LOCATION
Facility name and address:
Suite, cage or room:
Cabinet or rack ID, and U position of each device:
Facility ticket or access reference:
Escort or badge needed? Who arranges it?
Loading dock or parts delivery notes:

4. THE TASK
Task type (power cycle / reseat / cable swap / drive or part replacement / install / label check / photos only / other):
Device make, model and serial number:
Device label as it appears on the front and back:
Steps, in order (one action per line):
  1.
  2.
  3.
What the engineer should see when each step is done:
Cable details (A end port, B end port, type, length, label text):

5. LIMITS
Do not touch (devices, ports, cabinets):
Stop and call me if:
Rollback if something goes wrong:
May the engineer troubleshoot beyond these steps? (no / only with my approval on the call)

6. PARTS
Part number and quantity:
Where the part is (on site, arriving, to be sent) and tracking reference:
Who receives it at the facility:
What happens to the removed part (return, destroy, leave on site):

7. EVIDENCE AND REPORTING
Photos wanted (labels before, rack front and rear after, indicator lights):
Where the work notes should go (ticket system, email, shared folder):
Bridge or phone number for live guidance:
Who signs off the work:

STEP BY STEP

How to fill it in well.

PART 01

One action per line

Write steps the way you would read them out on a phone call. The engineer can then follow, confirm and report each one.

Use the label text exactly as printed on the device or cable, not a nickname.
Give the port at both ends of a cable, and the cabinet and U position of each device.
Say what the engineer should see after each step, for example which light, which screen message.
Keep one request to one task. If there are three unrelated jobs, send three requests.

PART 02

Say what must not be touched

Most mistakes in remote hands work come from touching something next to the target.

List devices, ports and cabinets that are off limits, including the neighbours of the target.
State the stop condition: when the engineer should pause and call you instead of continuing.
State the rollback: how to put things back if the step does not behave as expected.
Say whether troubleshooting beyond the written steps is allowed, and who approves it.

PART 03

Plan access before the day

Check that the engineer is registered with the facility and that your name is on the authorized requester list.
Raise any ticket the facility needs for entry, and put its reference in the request.
Do not put door codes or passwords in the request. Share them by a separate secure route if they are needed at all.
Say who receives parts at the facility and where they go on arrival.

PART 04

Ask for evidence

Ask for photos of labels before the work and of the rack front and rear after it.
Ask for indicator light photos where a light is the proof the work succeeded.
Say where work notes should land, for example the ticket in your ITSM tool.
Name the person who signs off the work, and how they will confirm.

This is general guidance. Always follow the rules of the facility and your own change process, which take priority over anything here.

QUESTIONS

Common questions.

Smart Hands & Remote Hands

What is a remote hands request?

It is a written instruction asking a technician at a data center to do physical work you cannot do from a distance, such as a power cycle, cable swap, drive replacement or label check. The clearer the request, the less the engineer has to guess.

How much detail does a request need?

Enough that someone who has never seen your rack can find the right device and do the right step. That means the location, the exact device label, the steps in order, what must not be touched and the proof you want back.

Should I include passwords or door codes?

No. Keep credentials out of tickets and email. If an engineer needs access details, share them by a separate secure route that your own policy allows, and only for the task.

Can the engineer fix things that are not in my request?

Only if you say so. The safe default is that the engineer follows the written steps and calls you if anything looks different. Add a line stating whether wider troubleshooting is allowed and who approves it.

Can Deploris do remote hands work for my site?

Deploris scopes remote hands in writing for each site, including access, authorized requesters, response tiers and reporting. Use the contact form with the facility, the work you expect and the hours you need covered.

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