Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
hardware configuration, meaning all or most of their IT equipment is of one type, supporting
a single or only a few platforms to keep things simple and easy to manage. But that will not
be the case forever. Eventually new technology has to replace the old, yet the services being
run on the older hardware still needs to be supported. Besides, you cannot change everything
at once, so there will be a period of transition when there are multiple technologies and plat-
forms running and supported. This introduces quite a bit of complexity into the operations in
the data center. Putting, for example, upgraded cooling systems and a redundant power infra-
structure in place also introduces complexity as people try to adjust to all the new equipment
with different needs.
To manage this complex environment, most data center operators deploy a myriad
of monitoring methods, like proprietary databases and custom-built software and even
manual monitoring systems coupled with software like Microsoft Excel and Visio. These
methods may work for some tasks, but they may not work for everything, plus they may
not work together effectively, which may lead to some user error caused by manually con-
figuring and calculating settings. For example, these tools may not work together to solve
a complex issue like quickly isolating a network bottleneck due to misbehaving network
equipment brought about by a power surge. With a mixture of systems and tools, you
might not even be able to tell what resources you have in your data center.
A new class of software called data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software
has been purposely built to help give operators the ability to run data center operations effi-
ciently. DCIM software bridges information between organizational domains like Facilities,
and IT incorporates it into data center operations in the network operations center (NOC),
which allows for the optimum utilization of the data center. It can provide clear visibility of
all data center resources together with their relationships and even physical connectivity in
order to support monitoring and reporting of all related data center infrastructure. As far
as optimization goes, this will increase data center computing efficiency and increase uti-
lization as well as make operations workflow smoother in order to save time and therefore
money for that company bottom line.
The beauty of a DCIM is that it does not really replace all those monitoring systems you
have in place. It will merely act as a bridge and a single point of contact, complete with
analytics functions and visualization of all that data so that it can be easily understood.
The Value of Energy Efficiency
We cannot talk about optimization and its importance to the bottom line if we do not
touch on energy efficiency. This would be the most obvious area where C-suite executives
look for way to save money, and everybody else would agree with them.
Since the data center became a standard for companies everywhere, energy efficiency has
always been something that people have been striving for. In the past few years, it has become
a nationally observed initiative and is no longer just an option or a luxury; industry-wide
regulations targeting energy conservation have been made and implemented across the board.
And it's no wonder; energy costs have only increased, even with so-called green energy being
implemented every day. Energy costs are the second highest expense in data center operations
next to labor costs. To give you perspective, a typical 1 megawatt data center is estimated to
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