Data Center Infrastructure Management

DCIM stands for Data Center Infrastructure Management. DCIM helps data center manager run wide range of critical systems under their supervision. It tracks and monitors the power and data utilization of all the IT-related assets and infrastructure components that make up your data center. It allows you to run your data center efficiently.

DCIM is a solution set that extends the traditional data center management function to include asset and resources found in facilities and IT domain.

DCIM is a collection of many components and includes hardware, software, and processes.  DCIM provide meaningful, timely, and actionable information about data center assets, resource usage, and operational status from the lowest level of facilities infrastructure to the IT stack.

With DCIM, you can better manage data center operations and design future infrastructure effectively which ultimately impacts cost reduction and optimizes consumption. DCIM provides visibility into current and projected needs and existing infrastructure, backed by monitoring data.

 


What does a DCIM do

  • Monitor, measure, manage, and/or control data center
    • IT related equipment such as servers, storage, network gear
    • Facility equipment such as UPS, PDUs and CRAH/CRACs
  • Improve energy and operational efficiency
  • Identify risk
  • Reduce energy costs
  • Prevent downtime, maximize uptime
  • Manage physical and virtual assets
  • Streamline operations
  • Enhanced visibility and real time dashboards
  • Improved collaboration between IT and Facilities teams

DCIM Functions

Functions of a DCIM system varies from vendor to vendor, but in general, a complete DCIM offers most of the following functions

  • Environmental monitoring
  • Capacity Management
  • Asset Management
  • Change Management
  • Inventory Management
  • Alarming, Alerting, Notifications
  • Power and Energy Management
  • Network Management
  • KPI Dashboards
  • Reports
  • Customer Portal

DCIM FAQ

  • What is a DICM
    • Data Center Infrastructure Management. A collection of many components including hardware, software, services, and processes.
  • Do I need a DCIM?
    • Absolutely yes. Chances are, you have a DCIM in some form or the other..even if it is spreadsheets containing a list of your racks, servers, and PDU readings.
  • How much does DCIM cost
    • Depends..
  • Would it replace my existing systems?
    • Shouldn’t have to. DCIM can be implemented around your existing systems.
  • How do I find the best solution?
    • Coming Soon
  • Should I implement inhouse or get professional services
    • Coming soon
  • I’m struggling with ROI on my DCIM
    • Coming Soon

Comprehensive audit of your DCIM tools, systems, processes and practices. Make recommendations on opportunities for improvement and optimization. Identify gaps and propose solutions.

  • Audit of your data center
  • Asset Inventory
  • Installation and setup
  • System Configuration
  • Scans, discovery, import
  • Data migration: We use as much data from existing sources as possible
    •  Spreadsheets
    • Monitoring systems
    • Homegrown databases
    • Legacy systems
  • Build rack elevation and dashboard
  • Model your entire data center power, cooling, networking infrastructure
  • Integration with 3rd party systems such as Monitoring systems, ITSM, CMDB, Asset Management, Virtualization platforms etc
  • Requirements and use cases development, solutions comparison, vendor selection.

Integrating DCIM within your business processes and with 3rd party systems is a key strategy for expanding and enriching the role of DCIM software. Integrate with systems such as BMS, CMDB, ITSM, Asset Management and Tracking systems, Monitoring and control systems to create vast repository of data and information. With an integrated DCIM system, you can perform easier, quicker, and more efficient planning and expansion activities. You also get single pane of glass dashboards and monitoring, along with simplified management and scalability.


We help you achieve and maximize your ROI on DCIM systems. Lack of time, awareness, and proper training result in underutilization of DCIM. Consistent review and optimization are required, just like your AHU needs periodic maintenance and filter replacement. Your business keeps evolving, so should your DCIM system.


DCIM Pilot/Proof of Concept

  • We help you validate your DCIM solution by rolling out on a limited scale and test, verify, and benchmark the results. We provide the data, findings, and apply our experience to discover the complexities of the system and help you avoid costly mistakes. We will help you to
    • Clearly define the business problem
    • Specify attributes of the solution
    • Measure outcome and performance
    • Determine resources and technology requirements
    • Define and refine acceptance criteria
    • Adjust ROI calculations and projections

 

We help you avoid these common pitfalls when it comes to DCIM

  • Unrealistic requirements and expectations
  • Vendors hyping overly complex solutions
  • Budget and schedule
  • ROI calculations and projections
  • User adoption