Data centers have become the cores of many businesses. As dependence on data centers increases, and technology continues to evolve, companies are discovering the advantages of data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software to help them navigate operational complexities.
Whether you are constructing a new data center or upgrading your existing facilities to meet your business goals, you need the centralized information management that DCIM software provides. A solution such as Schneider Electric’s StruxureWare for Data Centers, a suite of DCIM software tools, is the key to optimizing the performance of your data center throughout its life cycle.
The five phases of the data center life cycle are:
- Plan
- Design
- Build
- Operate
- Assess
To complete any of these phases effectively, you need intelligent processing of a wealth of information about your available resources. DCIM software can monitor and report on all aspects of the physical infrastructure, including room or rack space, equipment inventory (servers, generators, uninterruptible power supply systems, HVACs), capacity, power consumption, environmental controls, and more. With all of this data, you can identify potential problems, analyze efficiency to pinpoint areas to improve, and predict the impact of proposed changes.
A major advantage of DCIM software is that it not only provides visibility across your enterprise, but also makes the information available to all stakeholders. It bridges a gap between IT and facilities personnel. In the past, these groups often worked in silos, with each team working separately, focused on their area of responsibility, but not really seeing the big picture. In the dynamic environment of today’s data centers, all parties need transparency to understand how an event or change will impact the rest of the enterprise. This holistic, integrated view of operations leads to optimized strategies and practices.
One of the biggest priorities in data center optimization is energy efficiency. Data centers consume a lot of power, and costs are rising. Companies want not only to save money but also to comply with regulations and be perceived as “green” or “eco-friendly.” DCIM software provides detailed and actionable information about power consumption. It can monitor overall usage and break it down into how many kilowatts a particular rack or piece of equipment is using.
Operators can identify excessive or unnecessary expenditures and analyze how much power is required to maintain steady, reliable uptime. This information is critical at any stage of the data center life cycle, whether you are planning and designing new facilities or assessing the efficiency of your current operations.
DCIM software is an indispensable source of knowledge that can be implemented at every stage of the data center life cycle. It provides the operational data necessary to make informed decisions about your entire physical infrastructure. And it makes this information available in real time, accessible from any location. When you have questions such as whether your racks are operating at full capacity, or whether your cooling system can support an additional server, or how many UPS units your new facility will need, DCIM software will have the answers.