DCIM, an abbreviation for Data Center Infrastructure Management, is commonly referred to as a software employed to regulate, measure, and manage data centers, overseeing both IT equipment along with other supporting infrastructure such as power and cooling systems. They are specially curated to help managers attain maximum energy management while at the same time preventing equipment problems that would result in downtime.
DCIM goes way beyond basic device monitoring to help data center operators to understand what’s happening in their environments & machinery, such as power and cooling device status. The main motion is to facilitate managers in preventing problems from occurring and to help in planning for future contingencies and optimum equipment placement.
DCIM software generally consists of two primary categories: monitoring/automation and planning/implementation.
The first category encompasses the monitoring and automation of the IT room along with facility power, environmental control, and security. It helps guarantee that the data center is operating as needed as well as providing user-configurable thresholds for alarms on physical devices, including heat, ventilation and air conditioning. A DCIm software also reports on real-time, average, and peak power distribution, and measures power usage effectiveness (PUE).
Planning and implementation software directly relates to helping IT managers make data center changes, identify new equipment for enhanced efficiency, and track assets. It drives “what-if” scenarios to aid with planning and reduce total expense of ownership.
A DCIM software often leads to these 4 key benefits –
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Preventing downtime
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Lack of remote monitoring and management
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Managing equipment from multiple vendors
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Dealing with a large number of sites with limited or no IT staff
Modern, innovation & IoT driven DCIM software have started entering the market and are presenting themselves as viable investments. For example, #SchneiderElectric’s EcoStruxure™ IT Expert monitoring solution facilitates the monitoring of critical physical infrastructure from multiple vendors. This means that facility managers can avail centralized monitoring of all networked devices, including configuration changes, from any remote location.
EcoStruxure IT Expert also allows managers to enhance performance by comparing the performance of their infrastructure with that of competitors, and attain data-driven recommendations on how to scale up..
Another vital component of the Schneider Electric next-generation DCIM solution, EcoStruxure IT Advisor is that it offers capacity optimization. It helps managers estimate where to put additional servers and other IT equipment in terms of maximum operational efficiency from a power and cooling perspective. The brand has also explored voltage transformers and electrical switchgear as well. #LifeIsOn.