Strategies for managing distributed IT environments Anne-Marie Gignac Vice President Networking Solutions Schneider Electric APC by Schneider Electric Anne-Marie Gignac May 8, 2012
Agenda Trends & Challenges in Distributed IT Spaces Importance of managing these critical spaces 10 recommendations for optimizing the management of distributed IT spaces
Changes affecting the IT environments NETWORK Virtualization Consolidation Co-Location Cloud Adoption + Users Data to access Ways to access it Places to access it Connectivity
Today s technological reality
Trends in the workforce TRENDS CREATE CHALLENGES FOR YOU More connected devices User expectation of connectivity EVERYWHERE Remote workers (home, business travelers) Employees are located everywhere but the data and applications are centralized In light of all the challenges that constantly change the way we deploy equipment, we know that you must offer robust and available networks and VPN to allow users to connect.
Importance of Network Connectivity Many businesses have robust protection and management strategies in the data center while network closets and distributed server rooms are often neglected. Small room Shared space Hot spot Messy Cables Unmanaged With the increased demand on availability: The forgotten space is becoming critical space.
Importance of Physical Infrastructure Three of the top 15 reasons for unavailability in 2010 are related to the infrastructure and physical space where your equipment is installed: 1. No monitoring of relevant components 2. Poor physical environment 3. Lack of infrastructure redundancy There are some simple steps that can be taken to ensure that even a oneman show can effectively manage multiple sites, mitigate risks and maintain availability of the network.
A tough job Besides lack of budget and space, the biggest challenge we see is lack of technical man-power on the site. Ask yourself: How many sites are you responsible for? 5, 50, 500? How spread out are these sites? Same campus, state, continent? How many people are on your team to help maintain these sites? 0?
10 RECOMMENDATIONS to optimize management of remote sites and make your job easier!
1. Remote power management Deploy a PDU or Outlet strip that has outlets which can be controlled remotely The strip should have the ability to cycle power, shed load and sequence outlet power via a remote network interface or programmed control. Real Life Reasons for implementing: This can drastically reduce downtime from hung servers and network devices which simple need to be power cycled. This allows you to leave unused outlets OFF so that someone can t use them and risk tripping the breaker.
2. Protect against power failures Deploy UPS systems to protect critical equipment, maintain availability during scheduled and unscheduled power outages UPSs come in all shapes, sizes and runtimes and it is important to size them according to the equipment you are looking to protect. Most UPSs will also protect against power problems like surges and spikes. Real Life Reasons for implementing: An average US business experiences 214 minutes of power loss every year. Outages could mean lost data, configurations or more importantly revenue. Ask yourself how much will be lost in your business
3. Monitor environmental conditions Install probes to capture temperature, humidity and even sensors for door entry, motion, smoke, leaks Simple devices that capture these characteristics can be set up and integrated into your IT system so that even if you are not onsite, you can know what the situation is. Real Life Reasons for implementing: Knowing about environmental issues early can protect equipment and reduce damage from everyday risks like water leaks. This data can help make decisions about implementing cooling or ventilation by proving that it is necessary
Remote monitoring Example. Retail scenario. In this example: Home improvement retail with 2000+ different locations Application: Distributed critical power in store Remotely Monitor Physical IT Infrastructure: Power status Power problem Temperature changes No IT personal required on-site! Network Management card Temperature sensor UPS
4. Centrally manage multiple sites Use a central management system to aggregate data and statistics from all of your sites on one easy to read user interface Find a vendor neutral system that allows for multi-site management, blanket upgrades and that can relay proactive notifications to the right people. Real Life Reasons for implementing: Logging into each device/site is extremely time consuming. Allows for multi-user access and is a great way to manage changes to a physical infrastructure.
5. Deploy scalable power & management Subscribe to scalable systems that allow you to rapidly increase capacity for power requirements and management A scalable solution will allow you to pay as you grow, rather than size a solution with the maximum load/growth in mind. This improves efficiency as well. Real Life Reasons for implementing: IT needs change rapidly and can grow quickly. Rightsizing, not supersizing, keeps both capex and opex down
6. Take advantage of field upgrades To minimize the cost of new functionality in brownfield environments (where some or all of the physical products exist) make use of field upgradable or buy-up enhancements Some vendors offer field enhancements such as the ability to add remote management to a device after it has already been installed. Real Life Reasons for implementing: Minimize costs by enhancing what you already own rather than buying new just to gain a new feature. Example: Almost every APC UPS in the network and server room space is field upgradeable with the ability to add remote management after installation.
7. Start to monitor energy usage Deploy equipment that allows you to monitor energy usage, even if you are not being asked to report it yet. Some vendors even offer the ability to integrate with energy management platforms such as Cisco Energywise to monitor and optimize energy usage throughout an enterprise Real Life Reasons for implementing: If you don t care now, your boss will eventually. Being green is on everyone s mind. Starting to monitor energy helps make decisions on how to consolidate equipment, where to install new items, etc.
8. Deploy pre-installed equipment Buy racks and enclosures for branch offices that can be shipped with equipment inside, allowing you to pre-install equipment before shipping to the site Some vendors sell pre-configured IT solutions to be shipped directly to the customer site, ready to simply plug-in and turn on. Real Life Reasons for implementing: This can drastically reduce installation time and complication. When this work is done before hand, it can be tested and validated. Easier way of rolling out IT equipment to branch offices and remote sites.
9. Don t rely on dedicated IT spaces Don t be afraid to move IT equipment out of a poor space, especially if it was never designed for equipment in the first place. Vendors offer sound proofed enclosures for putting equipment into the office space outside of closets and rooms. These often have ventilation built in and can blend into office type environments. Real Life Reasons for implementing: If there is no alternative to a server room or closet, consider a server room in a box enclosure solution. When compared to building out a space, this is often times a much easier and more cost effective approach
IT Room in the office space Example. IT Hub scenario. In this example: IT Reseller with offices in 3 different locations Application: Main IT Hub, housing servers, network switches & storage Savings: $17.8k upfront building costs $18k space saving (annual rent) $8k annual energy reduction Soundproof server room in a box Estimated $50K total year 1 savings.
10. Monitor everything If a piece of equipment allows for remote monitoring, use it. You never know what you don t know Monitoring sites, equipment, power and environmental conditions can help make key decisions, as well as provide evidence needed to get project funding Real Life Reasons for implementing: Many devices do this by default, or offer low cost remote management that let you get information at your desk, instead of spending your day walking around to inspect spaces. Knowledge is power and will help you be proactive, rather than reactive.
In Summary Simplify your infrastructure and create an IT environment that is Manageable, Adaptable and Simple using easy and repeatable remote management techniques. If you need help has the solution for you Stop by booth 2019