What should I pay attention to when selecting DCIM for a data center?

What should I pay attention to when selecting DCIM for a data center?

DCIM stands for Data Center Infrastructure Management, namely, Data Center Infrastructure Management. IT aims to use a unified platform to manage critical Infrastructure such as UPS, air conditioning, and IT Infrastructure such as servers at the same time, data analysis and aggregation are used to maximize the operational efficiency of data centers and improve reliability.

The concept of DCIM originated from abroad, and different organizations have different definitions of DCIM. However, the same idea is that DCIM tools can build a bridge between critical infrastructure and IT equipment, this helps operators manage data centers.

Data Center Infrastructure Management DCIM tools monitor, manage and control all IT-related equipment (such as servers, storage and switches) and infrastructure-related equipment (such as PDU and precision air conditioners) in the data center) usage and energy consumption level.

The data center infrastructure system continuously collects and manages the assets, resources, and running statuses of various devices in the data center, and then extracts useful data through analysis and integration, this helps data center managers manage data centers and optimize performance.

DCIM provides the following important values for IT enterprises:

Continuous re-optimization of power, cooling, and physical space usage in data centers can help save money to expand existing data centers or build new data centers.

Integrated IT and data center facility management. This helps to narrow the gap between IT management personnel and facility management personnel, provide them with information and analysis, and bring these two jobs together.

Achieve higher energy efficiency. From the perspective of energy cost savings alone, it is sufficient for enterprises to consider purchasing DCIM tools. Moreover, these tools provide other benefits that may be more difficult to quantify, such as improving workflow.

Modeling and/or simulating a data center allows IT administrators and facility managers to analyze "assumptions" scenarios.

Enhance resource and asset management by displaying how resources/assets are associated.

Good DCIM software should be a valuable tool to help manage operations, and to warn of upcoming problems, almost without human investment.

All data center infrastructure Monitoring and Management DCIM tools share one thing: data. However, a DCIM product that tells you all about data can also share with you more things you want to know.

No one can accurately define DCIM or precisely explain what it can do. Why? Each tool is different, and they monitor a wide range of data center infrastructure. In addition to basic alarms, there are more details. It is very practical to make full use of input personnel to support operations. The data center is complex and can benefit from the DCIM tool, but you only need to select the tool.

Prior to DCIM, the data center operator was happy to know that the temperature was rising, the cooling unit was ineffective, or the UPS was diverted. The running status and status of servers, air conditioners, UPS systems, refrigeration devices, mobile sockets, and all other devices are clear. It is important to manage data centers for the purpose of energy efficiency and reliability.

DCIM captures not only basic data, but also the IT asset tracking function, which is very useful, but these are not the main selling points or the reasons for making purchase decisions. Good DCIM products can convert a large amount of performance data into actual management information. The defined DIM package is the degree of completion of the target, which is the most important consideration when evaluating a tool.

If the most important task of the DCIM tool is not to collect data, but to condense it into useful information, what makes the information more useful?

From one data center to another, the useful monitoring output will be different, depending heavily on the monitored things and actually available data. Similarly, consider who is using and maintaining the tool.

Each DCIM product provides a standard GUI. The main screen should be logical, so that any user can quickly capture at least 85% of the display information. If it cannot be done, it is not intuitively designed and does not have the GUI You Want. In an emergency, almost anyone knows what went wrong, even if they didn't use the DCIM system or were trained. Good DCIM tools should also generate easy-to-understand trends based on all data, and provide warnings before critical system crashes.

Maintaining DCIM should not be a full-time job. In the data center, the personnel are very compact. If you spend too much time maintaining DCIM, the cost will be low. Maintenance Time is part of the functions designed by DCIM, but it can also lead to overbuy a system.

 

A strong DCIM should be modular. Modules can be assembled according to their own needs. When adding modules, you can evaluate the utility, cost, and maintenance requirements.

Through research, it is found that end users are prone to the following three misunderstandings during the evaluation and deployment of DCIM solutions:

First, an inappropriate solution is selected. DCIM vendors and solutions on the market are growing. These DCIM solutions seem the same and different, and often confuse users. In any case, when selecting a specific DCIM solution, you should check whether the DCIM solution has certain basic features, such as scalability, modularization, standardization, pre-made, and open communication architecture.

Second, an inadequate or mismatched process is adopted. End users should plan, create and support DCIM solution implementation processes and daily operation processes from a long-term perspective.

Third, lack of necessary attention and unclear attribution of responsibility may also lead to failure to provide original design functions for the Toolkit selected by the user. In fact, the data center facilities department, IT department, and management team should be involved in the evaluation phase. They must reach an agreement on the needs, objectives, and implementation plans of the enterprise organization, specify the owner of each process.