DCIM software for data center challenges

In their last DCIM Magic Quadrant report, industry experts at Gartner define DCIM as “tools (that) monitor, measure, manage and/or control data center utilization and energy consumption of all IT-related equipment (such as servers, storage, and network switches) and facility infrastructure components (such as power distribution units (PDUs) and computer room air conditioners (CRACs).” The report goes on to make clear DCIM primarily covers “the equipment that provides the power, cooling, and physical security necessary to keep the IT systems up and running.”

DCIM goes beyond basic device monitoring to enable data center operators to understand what’s happening in their environments, including power and cooling device status. The idea is to help managers prevent problems and to aid in planning for future requirements and optimum equipment placement.

As detailed in a blog post by our colleague, Kevin Brown, customers faced some challenges with traditional DCIM tools, including long deployment times and a high degree of complexity in terms of use and maintenance, including software updates.

Data center management software generally falls into two main categories: monitoring/automation and planning/implementation.  The first category deals with monitoring and automation of the IT room and facility power, environmental control, and security. It helps ensure the data center is operating as designed and provides user-configurable thresholds for alarms on physical devices, including heat, ventilation, and air conditioning. It also reports on real-time, average, and peak power use, and measures power usage effectiveness (PUE).  Planning and implementation software focuses on helping IT managers facilitate data center changes, deploy new equipment for peak efficiency, and track assets. It supports “what-if” scenarios to help with planning and reduce the total cost of ownership.

DCIM helps customers with four key pain points: 

• Preventing downtime.
• Lack of remote monitoring and management.
• Managing equipment from multiple vendors.
• Dealing with a large number of sites with limited or no IT staff.

There isn’t just one solution for protecting your IT infrastructure from security risks. Your approach should be multi-layered.

Physical security is the first line of defense. Your assets may be remote, so to avoid data loss and prevent downtime, you need a way to keep an eye on them at all times. Equipping them with high-quality, integrated video surveillance systems enables remote, real-time monitoring, so you can watch out for unusual activity and badged rack-access control helps mitigate unauthorized access. And we can’t ignore the threat of environmental factors like temperature, humidity, smoke, and water, which pose a significant threat to the company’s IT infrastructure.

Then there is the logical layer. DCIM solutions such as secure, cloud-based, end-to-end monitoring software centralize the management of appliances deployed across various locations, enabling always-on-site monitoring to prevent failure and resolve issues quickly.

Consider both cybersecurity and physical security as equally important parts of the equation to avoid downtime and disruption.