Making the most of DCIM Get to know your data center inside out
What is DCIM? Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) is the discipline of managing the physical infrastructure of a data center and optimizing its ongoing operation. DCIM is a software suite that bridges the traditional gap between IT and facility management and coordinates between the two. DCIM reduces computing costs while making it easier to quickly support new applications and other business requirements. (source: Allen G. Taylor, DCIM for Dummies ) Let s put it this way: DCIM is a management solution for resource and capacity planning in the data center. Not too long ago, the addition of new equipment, upgrades and removals, triggered by changing business needs and the growth of the company, were mostly handled manually. Although not all of today s data centers are legacy monsters, this way of working often resulted in large, organically grown and complex data centers, which in the end are hard to support. With today s rapid growth of data center size and complexity, keeping track of data and equipment has become increasingly important. The same applies to facility management aspects. DCIM is the link between IT and facility management, offering a solution that helps manage capacity (power, cooling and space) in the data center. Why is that important? Today, the data center is the ultimate business-critical enabler for any company. Successfully and efficiently managing its infrastructure isn t just an objective, it is of vital importance to the business. In the age of digital transformation, reliance on high availability and efficiency is crucial. The data center plays an essential part in value creation. It is no longer considered the cost center of the past, on the condition that the IT-related cost factor (both direct and indirect) is kept under control. To do so, DCIM offers a solution to monitor, measure and report energy consumption, while keeping track of capacity and performance of all IT and facility-related components in the data center. Successfully and efficiently managing the data center requires insight into operational cost elements for both IT and facility management. From IT perspective, primary concerns relate to capacity, flexibility and availability of power, storage and network connectivity. In contrast, facility management focuses on energy consumption and cooling effectiveness. Both departments aim for a continuously operational, always-on data center, balancing the constantly changing demand for availability, performance and efficiency, while offering the best possible service at the lowest cost. DCIM offers the metrics that allow a company to not just run its data center daily, but equally develop a road map that enables proactive insight into future needs. 2
Why use DCIM? DCIM delivers insight into both the IT- and facility-related aspects of the data center: its operational reality, as well as its future needs. As it offers the metrics to develop a road map for future changes in the data center, DCIM can be considered the starting point for the associated change management. Moreover, DCIM has a role to play on both technical and business level, offering a tool for asset life cycle management, as well as for business management. DCIM is a collaborative effort DCIM offers insight into the data center s various components, ranging from the available floor capacity and rack space, to network occupancy and power usage. As a common tool for both the IT and facility teams, it helps bridge the gap between them, realizing they observe the same object from a different angle. Sharing information from a single, but well documented source, thus creates a common understanding. It allows the data center to be operated efficiently, and in a collaborative spirit. Time saved by both teams can be invested in activities that support the company s competitive advantage. DCIM enables the instant allocation of resources when and where they are needed, reducing the time-to-market of new IT services. When the physical state of the data center is fully documented, engineers can plan additions without a prior on-site visit, which is a definite time saver for remote sites. Being able to visualize the data center and plan changes proactively, will help IT cope with the complexity of the data center. By documenting all moves, additions and changes, it helps improve the productivity of the associated teams. DCIM improves asset life cycle management The data center has evolved from a static to a dynamic environment, with ever-shortening turn-around times. Before the introduction of DCIM, allocating space for a new server, for example, used to be a painstakingly time-consuming job. The same goes for asset life cycle management: how to keep track of every server, switch and network connection, from the moment they arrive in the data center, to the day probably some five years later when they are decommissioned. DCIM auto-allocation technology eliminates resource mismatching. It identifies and isolates stranded servers and other equipment. DCIM s metrics show where all the hardware is. It can intelligently place all hardware in the data center to avoid hotspots. This leads to smarter data center management, efficiently supporting the increased turn-around speed. Through improved efficiency, DCIM assists in lowering energy consumption and potentially extends the data center s overall life cycle. 3
DCIM provides the power to efficiently manage the data center A DCIM suite comprises a solution for power management. The newest generation of DCIM solutions combines a rather static focus on asset management and inventory, with a more dynamic focus on gathering data and monitoring systems in real time. Variables such as power consumption, temperature and humidity are captured by sensors. Their metrics are centralized, analyzed and visualized. This way, DCIM offers an in-depth view on the data center s performance over time, enabling both backward-looking reporting and forward-looking forecasting. Simulations and scenario analysis allow to evaluate the impact of failure or change in the data center. DCIM is a business management tool DCIM is more than just a tool to keep an eye on the data center s energy consumption. Precise management of data center changes will make it a lot easier for a company to control IT costs. A tool that detects and reports anomalies and unusual changes in data center environment or consumption, identifies potential risk. From that perspective it may be considered an essential part of a company s disaster prevention plan. DCIM provides a real-time overview of its dynamic environment. Increased consumption leads to extra cost, but may eventually cause insufficient free capacity. Periodic reporting visualizes trends, upon which management can act. Its usefulness extends to DCIM being a business management tool. Insights derived from DCIM offer valuable input, potentially making business processes more efficient and cost-effective throughout the organization. DCIM provides the monitoring and management functionality that is needed to deliver the right, high-performance and flexible data center environment for agile development and continuous delivery. 4
How to find the right partner for DCIM? Today s data center is the company s ultimate business-critical enabler. Successfully managing its infrastructure is of vital importance to the company s business. When a company decides to start implementing DCIM, the selection of the software suite will most likely get the highest priority. However, it is extremely important to keep in mind that the software alone doesn t offer the guarantee of a successful take on DCIM. It is essential to back the introduction of a DCIM software suite with the right service quality levels, delivered by a knowledgeable partner. So how does a company best select the winning combination of an adequate solution and the right partner to implement it? Check the partner s DNA Having a clear view on the partner s capabilities and experience is essential to the success of the entire DCIM track, as both IT and facility teams will rely heavily on this partner s commitment and responsiveness. Thus, a partner s selection should be based on both technical expertise and customer-centric attitude. A broad background in data center design, fit out, audit and operation will help a potential partner to understand the technical and business implications of the DCIM project. Review the partner s maturity What differentiates a great, from a good partner, is his capacity to understand your needs and his ability to provide the best solution in return. A great partner simply goes the extra mile. He won t just help select and implement the DCIM software suite, but will make sure it fits the broader strategic scope. A great partner knows the company s processes inside out and understands how a DCIM solution enables the business to do better. A great partner is in for the long run, with advice and support levels that target the company s long-term strategy. The potential partner s maturity can be seen in the relationships the partner has established with customers as well as with one or more DCIM solution providers. A partner who values customer-oriented, long-term relationships, is more likely willing to invest the time to help build an entire DCIM project from the ground up. Independent analyst reviews can also shine a light on the manufacturer s position in the market. Furthermore, official certification for partner and employees is a solid indication of the provider s experience with the product. Finally, vendor due diligence is the most effective way to narrow the choices. Get the right services DCIM is more than just a data center management tool. DCIM also plays a strategic role. It enables the instant allocation of resources when and where they are needed, offering the flexibility that strengthens the company s competitive advantage. To make the most of its investment in DCIM, a company needs a partner that won t just sell the solution, but also offers the services and support to enjoy DCIM to its full potential. In the end, every DCIM project is different. That s why the role of the partner shouldn t be underestimated. The partner s expertise, flexibility and creativity are key to the success of each project, as is his proximity and capacity to fully understand the company s business processes and subsequent DCIM needs. Look for a vendor-independent partner, capable of pointing out a solution s strengths, as well as its weaknesses. To get started, the partner s understanding of life cycle management in a data center environment will be of utmost importance. Selecting a partner that can meet all your floor management needs, is considered a plus. 5
Getting started with DCIM DCIM calls for a long-term approach. Getting started means: define a strategy and goal for the data center, set up a road map to meet these objectives and book your first successes by focusing on low-hanging fruit. After having looked at the what, why and how, let s outline some critical steps towards a successful DCIM implementation. Build a solid business case As with any other investment, a DCIM project starts with a business case. The starting point is an overview of the costs and complexity, linked to IT and facility aspects, while running the company s data center. In the event of a greenfield implementation, the introduction of DCIM offers the opportunity to document, assess and streamline both data center costs and the operational management upfront. Sometimes the company already has some experience with DCIM, but isn t satisfied with its current approach or system. Likewise, difficulties encountered with the integration into other applications or simply being let down by their DCIM partner, may be valid reasons for change. All these scenarios are genuine motives to get a fresh start with a new DCIM suite and partner. Create a road map, identify your goals Which functionalities are most critical and what controls does the DCIM suite offer to integrate with over time? A DCIM project typically starts with assets, then capacity planning, monitoring and alerting. The trick is to select and prioritize. Work towards your goals, step-by-step. To do so, define as-is and to-be while setting up a road map to go from the current situation to the next-level data center the company is aiming for. Get started with the core processes that are needed most. Start small defining quick wins, then slowly but continuously, grow into a wider roll-out. Prepare the migration of your data Preparation is the key to success. Make sure to get the correct data from the existing data sources and normalize it. Look for a solution that provides a bulk data manager, which pinpoints data sources and maps them to destination sources. This way users can extract data from spreadsheets and other static sources, to migrate them accurately and efficiently. 6
Import your data Effectively importing the data into the DCIM tool performing the actual data migration is the next critical step. Determine workflows A workflow determines who administers the data center and when, where and how changes are to be handled. As data centers become more complex and distributed, formalized roles and responsibilities help keep their management under control. Be aware that setting up these workflows may call for organizational changes in the company. As processes and procedures will change, so will the roles of some of your co-workers. Create visibility When people judge and justify the investment in a DCIM solution, reporting is very important. Having invested in the implementation of DCIM through prior critical steps, it is time to reap the benefits and create visibility towards peers and management alike. Standard reports and dashboards are a key part of a DCIM solution, capturing and centralizing the information and rendering it in an easyto-read format. Over time, customized reports and dashboards will provide insight across teams, including finance, IT operations, development, operations and facilities. Keeping key stakeholders in mind, a DCIM project needs to produce periodic executive reports, that upper management can rely on for key business decisions. Integrate with other systems Integrating different applications can be a daunting task that should not be taken lightly. It s a critical step nonetheless, which should form an integral part of the DCIM road map. Linking different enterprise systems must have a clear added value, be cost-effective, highly functional and manageable. The existence of standard connectors to external systems, created and maintained by the DCIM manufacturer, is considered advantageous. Look for a solution that safeguards business logic, workflows and data mapping during transformation, every time you extend the reach of the newly implemented DCIM solution. 7
About Simac ICT Belgium Simac ICT Belgium is part of Simac Techniek, a strategic ICT integrator active in the BeNeLux. Our core business is ensuring that your company s ICT infrastructure is working at its best in order to advance the business rather than merely support it. Simac ICT Belgium offers services in Cabling & Infrastructure, Business Management Solutions, Integration and Professional Services. Contact www.simac.be Info@simac.be