If you are a guy who is involved in a data center, probably you would understand the complexity of it. A place where it involves a combination of mechanical, electrical, technological and may more functionalities clubbed together to provide the best experience for its services. Is that task is so easy to be? How better can you manage the entire infrastructure manually? An understanding of data center infrastructure management software can be the answer to all these queries.

Data Center Infrastructure Management(DCIM) encompasses various tools that enable organizations to measure, track, control and manage various data center resources especially related to white space area and some of the backbone infrastructure. The goal of a DCIM initiative is to provide administrators with a holistic view of a data center’s performance so that energy, equipment, and floor space are used as efficiently as possible. Data center infrastructure management started out as a component of building information modeling (BIM) software, which is used by facilities managers to create building digital schematic diagrams. DCIM tools bring the same capabilities to data centers, allowing administrators to collate, store and analyze data related to power and cooling in real-time. Most tools permit diagrams to be printed out — a useful feature when maintenance is required or data center administrators need to install new equipment.

DCIM had virtually no market penetration until 2009. But thanks to the highly dynamic nature of data centers and the strong focus on energy efficiencies driven by, for example, power usage effectiveness (PUE) measures, DCIM is playing a bigger role in data centre managers’ tooling strategies.

DCIM tools can help administrators locate and identify relationships between a building and its IT systems. Energy-monitoring sensors and supporting hardware can be installed along all points of the power infrastructure so the DCIM software can accurately aggregate and analyze power usage effectiveness (PUE) and cooling system energy efficiency. Some organizations will couple DCIM with computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis to optimize airflow and systems placement to further reduce cooling expenses. This type of approach is called continuous modeling. Continuous modeling allows the administrator to observe and quantify the engineering cause and effect of proposed IT or infrastructure changes before any money has been spent.

Why an effective DCIM tool is required in a data center?

A data center manager often butts heads with the FM team because FM sees the data center as just one part of its overall domain, whereas, for the data center manager, it is the main focus of his department’s very being. This can lead to finger-pointing when the FM group doesn’t move fast enough or refuses to adapt an existing data center facility in order to meet the energy distribution needs of growing equipment densities. Ultimately, that causes the business to suffer from a sub-optimal data center.

DCIM helps in such situations by enabling FM and IT to work together against a common dataset so that each can be better informed.

Let’s say a data center manager needs some extra kW of power for a new IT platform architecture. The FM team, however, doesn’t have access to the power cabling it needs outside of the data center facility.

By plugging DCIM tools into the FM team’s tools such as building information systems (BIS), the data center manager can then understand the constraints that are outside of the data center itself. The manager also understands what changes he must bring to the facility based on future equipment plans.

Likewise, the FM team gains greater insights into what will be required from the facility when it comes to power and cooling and can start to plan accordingly.

One of the primary benefits of DCIM is the ability to answer questions such as the following,

1. Where is my data center asset located?
2. Where is the best place to place a new server?
3. Do I have sufficient space, power, cooling, and network connectivity to provide my needs for the next months? Next year?Next five years?
4. An event occurred in the data center – What happened, what services are impacted, where should the technicians go to resolve the issue?
5. Do I have under-utilized resources in my data center?
6. Will I have enough power or cooling under fault or maintenance conditions?

Thus, on an overall note, DCIM serves as an actionable insight to those managing server farms. These insights help decision-makers streamline various IT operations and work out resource optimization strategies applicable to space, digital systems, power, cooling systems and human resources deployed at the facility. 

Features of DCIM

With a promise to cut costs, reduce downtime, automate network planning, implementation, and operational tasks, DCIM tools merge four core capabilities,

1. Infrastructure Management
2. Optimization of environmental conditions
3. Improving power consumption monitoring and control
4. Intelligent physical layer infrastructure management.

At a minimum, any DCIM system will include the following things:

• A Single Repository — One accurate, authoritative database to house all data from across all data centers and sites of all physical assets, including data center layout, with detailed data for IT, power and HVAC equipment and end to end network and power cable connections.
• Data center asset discovery and Asset Tracking: A DCIM tool should be able to create an inventory of what already exists within a data center facility, including servers, storage, and networking equipment and other network-attached systems, as well as facility systems such as power distribution units, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and chillers, typically added manually. This will capture assets, their details, relationships, and interdependencies.
• Advanced asset information: A DCIM system should also include databases of equipment along with real-world energy requirements. Data center managers must remember that using “plate” values (the power details printed on the equipment) will lead to massive over-estimation of energy requirements. This is because plate values give the rating of the power supply — not the average energy draw.
• Granular energy monitoring: Whether it’s done through the use of specialized power distribution units or by making the most of intelligence built directly into the equipment, DCIM tools must be able to monitor and report on real-time energy draws, constant power monitoring with alerts before circuits fail and quickly determine how much power is being consumed and how much is available. This will help data center managers identify spikes that can indicate the start of a bigger problem and lead to remedial action.
• Provisioning New Equipment — Automated tools to support prompt and reliable deployment of new systems and all their related physical and logical resources.
• Detailed reporting: DCIM tools’ dashboards should be capable of providing different views for different individuals. For example, an FM employee may want to see the loads being applied against a power distribution unit, while an IT employee may want to know if there is sufficient power available for an additional server in a specific rack. Both teams need to be able to work against the same data, drill down through the views to identify the root cause of a problem, and discuss areas of mutual concern with one another.
• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD): Today’s data centers are prone to overheating, and it is important to ensure that cooling is applied effectively. CFD analyses air flows and shows where hotspots are likely to occur. The CFD analysis should also be able to provide advice on how to change the air flows to remove such hotspots.
• 2-D and 3-D data center schematics: Instantaneous visual and textual information on data center assets can be generated. Preferably, the schematics produced by a DCIM tool should be active, operating against live equipment data and filterable. For example, it should be possible to look only at the network wiring, or only at the server topology, or only at the ducted cooling systems — or to be able to overlay a mix of different systems as required. The schematics should display CFD Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis results to help data center managers visualize hotspots and understand if there is an easy solution such as re-routing some cooling.
• Structured cabling management: Many data centers, particularly those with raised floors, rapidly lose any structure to their cabling, using long cables when shorter ones would do, and looping or pushing any extra cable length out of the way. The lack of structure is not just messy; it also impedes airflow and can result in data transmission issues stemming from interference between power and data cables. Structured cabling — where data and power are carried in different sectors and the cables are bundled in an engineered manner can help avoid such issues. DCIM software should show where cables should be placed and tell the user what length of cable is actually required.
• Environmental sensor management: With data centers running at higher temperatures and increasingly using free or low-cost cooling, DCIM tools must integrate with environmental sensors to alert IT when temperatures are exceeding allowable limits. With this information, the IT team can take action such as increasing cooling or identifying an underlying issue such as an equipment failure. A DCIM tool’s environmental monitoring and management capabilities should not be limited to temperature but also include humidity, smoke and water, and even infrared sensors.
• Event management: A DCIM system must be able to initiate events based on what it identifies. Such an event engine has to integrate with an organization’s systems management software, its trouble ticketing systems and its security systems so that all actions that take place within the data center are appropriately logged.
• Real-Time Data Collection — Integration with real-time monitoring systems to collect actual power usage/environmental data to optimize capacity management, allowing review of real-time data vs assumptions around nameplate data.
• Reporting — Simplified reporting to set operational goals, measure performance and drive improvement.
• Process Driven Structure — Change management workflow procedures to ensure complete and accurate adds, changes and moves.
• Capacity Planning — Capacity planning tools to determine requirements for the future floor and rack space, power, cooling expansion, what if analysis and modeling.
• A Holistic Approach — Bridge across organizational domains facilities, networking, and systems, filling all functional gaps used by all data center domains and groups regardless of hierarchy, including managers, system administrators and technicians.
• Ability to identify and proactively respond to events through real-time monitoring and automation.
• Centralized database enables accurate record-keeping and process.
• Quickly model and allocate space for new assets with capacity management.
• Manage power and network connectivity in a single location.
• Fully integrated workflow management with change management.
• Identification of environmental hot spots with thresholds and alerts.
• Knowing whether you are overcooling or wasting energy.
• Intelligent PUE analytics and reporting to assist with management decision making.
• “What if” scenario capabilities: Increasingly, DCIM systems can help data center managers try out new ideas and gauge their impact. For example, increasing the energy requirements on a specific rack may require changes to its power distribution and cooling capabilities, whereas placing the new equipment into an existing, partially-filled rack elsewhere may mean that the equipment can be introduced without any changes to the facility. DCIM systems should not just be able to show the direct outcome of a proposed change, but should also be capable of advising alternative approaches.

By understanding some of these features, what you want to say to DCIM tools? Is that a big YES to adopt for your operation and stick with the traditional way of manual sheets?

Top DCIM Tools

Curious about DCIM? Choosing a data center infrastructure management tool can be a daunting task, but doing so can go a long way toward making your data center more efficient. Here are some of the most comprehensive tools that you may want to choose,

1. Datacenter Clarity LC

Datacenter Clarity LC is a real-time DCIM solution developed by MayaHTT (partner with Siemens). The software is hyper-scalable. It can track an unlimited number of assets at unlimited data centers.

IT managers love this software because it helps them optimize equipment placement and energy efficiency. Datacenter Clarity LC can also help manage the data center infrastructure with powerful tools such as power consumption optimizers, equipment placement, and pictures of asset attributes in 3D.

Datacenter Clarity LC comes with a comprehensive data center lifecycle management and real-time monitoring that helps you keep an eye on the entire data center. Its user-friendly web interface shows all managed devices and their locations through layouts and maps. The software also sends alarms and notifications through email or SMS when a limit is reached.

Key features

• Get high visibility with a floor layout and rack distribution.
• Real-time monitoring for Power Distribution Units (PDUs)
• Cable connectivity management
• Leverages Siemens PLM technology to deliver lifecycle management
• Real-time reports and analysis of the data center.

2. Nlyte Software

Nlyte Software is a popular DCIM tool that focuses on the management, planning, and optimization of your data center. The software can help maintain physical, virtual, or edge environments within a data center and optimize their utilization.

Nlyte software keeps a detailed inventory of your data center assets and monitors the environment. The auto-discovery process maintains an updated list of all equipment, and it also tracks changes in the configuration. Nlyte software is one of industries top leading DCIM software provider.

The software comes with powerful automation capabilities. It can automate processes such as the discovery of nodes, asset management, workflows, and reporting.

Key Features

• Computing infrastructure management.
• Asset lifecycle management.
• Comprehensive dashboards and reports.
• Capacity planning.
• Real-time data collection.

3. StruxureWare

StruxureWare is a DCIM tool provided by Schneider Electric which is also having a leader in the market.  StruxureWare provides an efficient way for organizations to monitor their company-wide multi-vendor physical infrastructure: power, cooling, security, and environment. Real-time monitoring, user-defined reports and graphs, and instant fault notification and escalation enable quick assessment and resolution of critical infrastructure events that can adversely affect IT system availability. This centralized repository of critical information can be accessed by multiple users from anywhere on the network, creating a consolidated view of the physical data center infrastructure. This open and flexible architecture expands with changing business needs through additional device licenses, add-on surveillance, capacity management, and change management modules, and integration with enterprise and building management systems.

4. openDCIM

openDCIM is a free and open-source solution for Data Center Infrastructure Management. It is already used by a few organizations and is quickly improving due to the efforts of its developers. The number one goal for openDCIM is to eliminate the excuse for anybody to ever track their data center inventory using a spreadsheet or word processing document again. We’ve all been there in the past, which is what drove us developers to create this project.

Key Features

• Image mapping with custom image for creating click-able zones for each cabinet
• Overlay layers on map for Power, Space, Temperature, and Weight capacity
• Mapping of power connections from device -> power strip -> panel -> source feed
• Mapping of network connections to any device classified as a switch
• Chassis device support
• Graphical Cabinet Viewer (user must supply graphic images)
• Multiple levels of user rights
• Basic workflow system for generating rack requests
• Reporting on Hosting Costs by department based on a cost per U and cost per Watt formula
• Reporting on Fault Tolerance status for devices, and impact simulation of a panel or source feed outage
• Support for automatic transfer switches

5. Trellis

DCIM tools developed and supported by VERTIV(Emerson Network Power). Trellis platform is a powerful real-time infrastructure optimization platform that’s versatile enough to adapt to your changing needs. Modular and adaptive, it delivers visibility into critical infrastructure systems across your enterprise to optimize performance and support your evolution toward automation and software-defined management. Trellis software also has a large market share also among this DCIM industry.

6. Sunbird dcTrack

Sunbird’s dcTrack is an award-winning, easy-to-use solution that provides you with real-time information about your facilities, networks and IT. dcTrack provides simple point-and-click information and visualization to enable quick, intelligent placement of IT equipment, capacity management, and accurate asset tracking. dcTrack is easy to implement, integrate, administer and operate, providing a fast ROI.

Providing easy access to real-time information about critical facilities, networks, and IT assets by removing the complexity and dependency on emails and spreadsheets, dcTrack DCIM Operations solution transforms the delivery of data center services. Featuring detailed information and visual mappings, dcTrack’s solution helps data center operators handle their most common tasks and processes faster and more efficiently than ever before while saving costs and improving availability.

There are many other DCIM tools also available in the market and have one perfect for your infrastructure is the key winning criterion. If you would like to have some more tools and information, you can read through the article by pcwdld.com. Understand carefully the features and drawback of yours to decide the best for you.

Summary

Data centers are complex facilities. Some of them have hundreds to thousands of devices interconnected together through networking equipment and endless cabling. But networking is not the only player in a data center; there are servers, firewalls, storage appliances, cooling and power systems, and more. Some superhero IT managers are capable of keeping these sophisticated environments in place, through spreadsheets and diagramming apps, but the sky has a limit.

The DCIM and the broader data center management tools will help you automate processes, improve uptimes, keep things organized, plan for capacity, AND MORE!

There are way too many benefits in these platforms that it is hard to continue using traditional administration solutions. Most of these tools have free versions of their software, and some others have fully-featured free trials for a limited time.

So there is no excuse to start managing your data center today!

Knowledge Credits: ComputerWeekly.com

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