Random Thoughts On Data Centers And The Role Of Dcim

By Author: Greenfield Software
Total Articles: 5
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Ask any average person on the street to mention the most important developments in technology in the last decade or so, and they will list the things that they use every day from smartphones to tablet computers and the way social networking has changed the way we connect with each other and maintain relationships.

What they will most likely not be aware of is that most of the advances in technology are made possible because of the existence of large data centers hosting computers, servers and other telecommunications and networking equipment that can store massive amounts of data and make it available to the right person at the right time.

Say you wake up one morning and cannot decide whether to take an umbrella with you to work. You check the weather forecast on your mobile and find out that it might rain that evening on the way back home from work. You do not hesitate to get your umbrella out since you know that your umbrella might come in handy when you walk to the train station from your office.

While waiting for your train you decide to order a present on Amazon for your sister who is expecting a ...
... baby next month. You look up books for mothers-to-be and order one that looks just right and comes for under $20. It doesn't take you more than ten minutes to do this since your credit card details are already stored on Amazon's servers and you didn't have to search long and hard for a suitable present.

You are automatically let into your place of work when your identity card is scanned and they identify you as a genuine employee. It is checked against your details stored in a centralized database and that information is sent back to a door that opens by itself to let you in. All this happens in seconds.

You turn on your work computer to check your emails and as the day goes by you update the company's systems in real time, so that any changes you make are immediately visible to anyone authorized to access the information.

While at the cafeteria for lunch, a colleague takes a picture of everyone at the table and casually updates his status on Facebook. You log in with your I-pad and post a witty comment under the picture. You also check your bank account to find out if you have been refunded the money that was accidentally deducted from your account.

You get back home from work on time and thank your stars you had your umbrella with you. The next morning you grab a quick sandwich before taking the car out to a beach place where you like to spend the weekends. You keep an eye on the speedometer to make sure you do not accidentally go over the speed limit. The last time it happened your car was captured on camera and a computer zeroed in on the license plate. The information was immediately sent to a centralized database and you were identified as the owner of the car. Later that week you got a letter from the police and you do not want that to happen again.

Such a lifestyle might have seemed extraordinary to someone living in the sixties when man first landed on the moon, but most of us take all of this for granted. We are so used to getting the information we need when we want it, we barely give a thought to the technology that lies beneath the surface of the latest advancements in technology.

The data we access using our latest gadgets is stored in state-of-the-art data centers that house hundreds, sometimes thousands of servers, routers and networking equipment that are interconnected and available 24/7. Many of these data centers are expanding at a very rapid rate. How many of us actually bother to delete the emails we no longer need? Security regulations like SOX require that companies keep records of all their transactions and keep records of every change that is made to their systems including the details of the person who made the changes and when. All this data has to be stored somewhere and presumably for eternity. There are users who upload hundreds of pictures on social networking sites without worrying about storage limits online.

Some data centers have become so big they consume as much electricity as a small town. Getting from one part of the data center to another is like walking through a maze unless you know where you are going. It is important that none of the equipment heat up beyond a threshold value since that could lead to a fire. Any equipment that is not functioning optimally needs to be replaced before there is any loss of data. Another challenge is to find ways to make optimal use of existing resources and overcome space constraints. Modern data centers are increasingly making use of lesser space while adopting the greenest technologies to save on power and meet greenhouse gas emission standards.

Managing data centers effectively has become a critical need for both Government and businesses. This can no longer be done with spreadsheets and Visio tools. There is an emerging class of software that is specifically meant to address the problem of managing data centers. Called Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software, this is like an ERP for the Data Center that helps to improve both operational as well as energy efficiency. From better asset management of both IT and Facilities, DCIM software also keeps track of power usage of all the hundreds of servers and other devices. A few DCIM solutions also map the entire chain of dependencies and interconnections from applications and their business user’s right up to primary and back-up power sources. Data Center Infrastructure Management Tools therefore also have the ability to help identify single points of failures and redundancy paths so that end-users get the benefit of a 24x7 and 365 days a year uninterrupted operation.

The benefits of installing DCIM far outweigh the initial investment cost. The cost savings accruing from managing data centers affects the health of the business as a whole. Many businesses have saved millions of dollars by making use of DCIM software. DCIM can help mitigate the risks of downtime and avert a potential disaster. It can even save the reputation of a business. If you needed money from your bank in an emergency and its systems were down, would you not think of switching to another bank?

Data centers form the foundation of most of the technology we take for granted and they have become crucial to businesses in the twenty-first century. The need for DCIM has never been as great as now.