Infrastructure Management of the Data Center:

The Datacenter Game Changer

Data Center Infrastructure Management is taking the industry by storm. It is predicted that by 2014, 60% of corporations will have implemented the use of DCIM; a huge leap from the mere 1% in 2010. With
statistics like these, there is no question that DCIM is more than just an offshoot of the green IT initiative.

Originally created to fill a need to understand and reduce energy consumption, DCIM has evolved into a solution that integrates IT physical infrastructure management, facilities management, and systems
management, transforming how the IT ecosystem is seen and managed. A true DCIM solution is a game-changer.

So What Does All of This Really Mean?

Data Center Infrastructure Management, when it is the right solution from the right vendor, can enhance the performance, efficiency, and business value of the data center and help to keep it seamlessly aligned with the needs and agenda of the corporation.

Four Successive Stages of DCIM Progression:

DCIM Can Help Decision-Makers:

• Provide a 3-dimensional map of the data center infrastructure which displays where all IT equipment and servers are located. In turn making it easier for technicians to install new equipment, as they have a clear direction and idea as to where the equipment is to be installed.
• Align IT to the needs of the business and create a viable way to maintain that alignment, no matter how radically those business requirements may change and grow
• Automate capacity planning with unparalleled forecasting capabilities, including the use of “what if” scenarios.
• Visualize, locate, and manage all of their physical assets within an integrated “single pane” view of the entire infrastructure. DCIM gives a clear assessment of the entire inventory in the data center by showing the whole infrastructure on a single monitor.
• Reduce energy consumption, utility costs, and carbon footprint – saving the planet while potentially saving millions
• Allow data center technicians to monitor individual servers and equipment, giving staff more time to respond to the needs of the equipment.

However, not all DCIM vendors are created equally. IT decision-makers must carefully evaluate the products and promises made by each vendor before being able to accurately choose an option to best fill their company’s needs. They must, essentially, strip away all of the misconceptions and myths that frequent the DCIM market.

Implementation:

As important as choosing and implementing the best suited DCIM software is, it is also equally as significant to have a method in place for the physical moving and lifting of servers, racks, and gear within the datacenter. Without the employment of proper tools, the increased efficiency generated by the usage of DCIM software and technologies is diminished. Hence, completely undermining the original value created, consequently altering the actual level of efficiency and performance predicted. Bearing this information in mind, most Fortune 500 companies have come to realize the necessity of using a tool such as a server lift to assist in maintaining overall efficiency and performance. The implementation of these products into data centers has not only boosted efficiency, performance, and safety, but overall HIPAA data center compliance as well.

The Various Infrastructure Management Functions with Information as the Core

The Bottom Line:

The physical layer has increasingly become the single point of IT operational dependency in a world of increasing convergence. DCIM is the natural evolution of this process. The physical layer is now being treated with the same level of priority as the logical layer. Investments in managing the logical layer are shifting to investments in managing the physical layer.

*DCIM is defined by Gartner as the integration of information technology(IT) and facility management disciplines to centralize monitoring, management and intelligent capacity planning of a data center’s critical systems. Achieved through the implementation of specialized software, hardware and sensors, DCIM will enable a common, real-time monitoring and management platform for all interdependent systems across IT and facility infrastructures.