Getting the most from DCIM - turning up the business returns

KEEPING A FIRM GRASP on data centre operations has never been a simple task and as the infrastructure contained in the data centre space becomes ever more varied and complex balancing power, cooling, storage, space and many other factors can prove to be a real head-scratcher for IT managers.

Demands
The core objective is always to keep everything working in perfect harmony and ensure that downtime is kept to an absolute minimum but the data centre demands no longer end there. Data centre managers are now expected to plan for future infrastructure needs by implementing new systems and applications, increasing capacity and reducing energy consumption - often on a tight budget and under project time pressures. In allowing them to keep control of data centre assets and measure activity on multiple levels, Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) has quickly become an invaluable tool for many IT professionals. Over the past few years the DCIM revolution has gone mainstream and the number of DCIM solutions on the market has increased exponentially. The increased awareness is now driving DCIM innovation and encouraging both manufacturers and end users to look at ways to take the technology to the next level in order to maximise returns for businesses.
Dashboard approach
DCIM is essentially a toolset that is designed to bring together data centre assets, providing a single view of everything and outlining every component’s relationship with each other. A dashboard view provides the user with unprecedented levels of clarity where these assets are concerned, presenting a real time status report on every component connected to the system. The dashboard can often be customised to suit the users’ needs, providing a complete overview of data centre environment - however, it is vital that the system is able to communicate with all of the connected physical devices. If the link to one or more devices is broken it can compromise the accuracy of the data being displayed on the dashboard so that multiple readings - the PUE metric for example - are no longer reliable.
Monitoring
The earliest DCIM systems were developed to reduce energy consumption by monitoring and managing levels in the data centre. Boasting a plethora of features and applications, modern systems are almost unrecognisable from their DCIM ancestors and have come a very long way in a relatively short space of time
DCIM monitoring can now effectively be split into six categories, all of which help the data centre manager obtain a holistic view of the facility and provide an opportunity to make efficiency savings wherever possible.
 Asset management - Allows the operator to view the physical
assets they have, how they are configured and connected, where
they are located, who owns them and the maintenance required.
 Change management - Lets the operator plan moves, adds and
changes, see the potential impact, schedule who does the work
and know when it is complete.
 Capacity management - The operator can see how much capacity
they have and when it is set to run out. They can better manage the
power chain and find the ideal location for new equipment in order
to get the most from it.
 Power monitoring - Gives the operator insight into the power
being consumed and availability, helping them to ensure uptime
and improve reliability.
 Environmental monitoring - Allows the operator to manage hot
spots, evaluate cooling options and maintain a safe environment
for IT equipment.
 Energy management - Provides the operator with data on who is
using energy, how much it is costing and lets them see where there
is potential to save energy.
Bene fits
A properly implemented DCIM solution, possibly paired with a Building Management System (BMS), can save time, lower costs and improve productivity. By taking advantage of remote monitoring, users are able to free themselves from the data centre shackles and add a degree of flexibility to their work patterns, safe in the knowledge that they have real time data at their fingertips whenever they need it. This progressive approach to data centre management means it is possible for employees to spend time away from the site without losing the ability to identify their data centre assets and work out what power, cooling and space they currently have at their disposal. Reducing the number of boots on the data centre floor frees up staff and allows for increased productivity in other areas.
Decisions, decisions
A DCIM system can often come into its own when making decisions on what to add or change in an existing setup. For example, although on the face of it increasing power capacity may seem like a straightforward decision, the effect on other elements within the data centre arena is often underestimated - DCIM allows the data centre manager to stand back and look at what everything else is doing before making a final decision, getting a complete picture of the situation and minimising the risk of failure.
Similarly, something as simple as introducing a new server can present the data centre manager with multiple dilemmas. Access, power, space, weight, cooling and networking elements all come into play and DCIM can bring all of the information together, increasing decision accuracy and speeding up the overall decision making process. Essentially this boils down to reducing the risk and saving time - goals that every business aims to meet on a daily basis. For a large number of IT departments DCIM is all about finding additional capacity within an existing facility. By identifying the ‘stranded capacity’ and utilising it, this allows the business to delay spending significant resources and invest them elsewhere, helping to grow the business. Energy efficiency and carbon reduction are also key considerations for the 21st century business and DCIM can be used to keep a close eye on energy usage, allowing operators to make adjustments that can help lower costs.
BMS
Many moons ago, before DCIM had truly seen the light of day, organisations would frequently deploy BMS to monitor and control the facilities infrastructure inside the data centre. A BMS is able to monitor/control fire detection systems, security alarms, lighting, heating and ventilation, doors, lifts etc. but is limited when it comes to IT management. For this reason BMS fell under the domain of the facilities manager, adding to the tension that often seems to exist between the facilities team and the IT department.
With DCIM fully established and take-up increasing all the time it is now getting to the point where questions need to be asked over whether an organisation needs both DCIM and BMS. There is certainly an ‘overlap’ between the two systems and as DCIM systems are often more powerful and contain more advanced functions it would seem that BMS is losing the monitoring battle. The problem is that DCIM systems can’t yet monitor every aspect of a building and are not specifically designed to link to an entire building, and while this is the case the facilities manager will always argue the case for a BMS.
In years to come we may well start to see DCIM systems merge with BMS in order to provide one single point of reference for employees - however, for this to really take off the IT and facilities teams would need to learn to share responsibility, a significant obstacle on the road to full integration.
Performance
For now it seems IT decision makers should continue to focus on DCIM and how it can help to transform operations in the data centre space. With first hand experience of the benefits that such a system can offer, DCIM enabled IT departments are now perfectly placed to help their organisations develop a truly integrated IT monitoring system, squeezing every last drop of performance from the current set-up as well as seamlessly introducing new technologies designed to streamline operations and, to some extent, future-proof IT operations. By making full use of the information and insight offered by a DCIM system it shouldn’t be long before the company bottom line receives a welcome boost.