Most of the enterprises are using colocation providers for managing their servers. They evaluate colocation providers by comparing their cooling capability, power, and space. But, they don’t think about other important factors.
The DCIM solutions used by these providers are the most important thing. If any data facility is using underwhelming DCIM platform, then it will become difficult to evaluate that data center equipment. Thus, it is important to look for providers that are using powerful DCIM solution. These solutions will also increase the control and visibility of these data centers.
Data center operators are trying to make sure that everything is running smoothly. If a data center is running properly, then it will provide more support to its users. It can also easily maintain some important things like cooling and power use. Data center operators are consistently monitoring their power usage and temperature. DCIM or data center infrastructure management solutions help these operators in monitoring these centers. These solutions will make sure that all the servers are running optimally. In this article, we are going to talk about features that you should look for in a DCIM solution.
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Access Control
Every data center user is worried about their data security. They are always worried about the fact that someone can walk into the server room without having proper authorization. Most of the data centers are using various physical security measures like CCTV cameras for protecting their servers. Their customers can determine who can physically access their servers. But, it is difficult to maintain an access list. Most data center operators find it difficult to keep credentials up-to-date. If you are using good DCIM tools, then you can easily make a change to your access list. It will allow you to change your access list in real-time. This will make sure that unauthorized users can’t access your physical servers. These access controls will also help you in checking who have already accessed your system. It will also show what changes they made.
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Bandwidth Usage Data and Power
Power and Bandwidth usage are the two most important factors for any data center customer. If servers are processing more functions, then the power consumption will automatically spike. You can check this data against the server traffic history. If there is a significant jump in traffic, then you should increase the capacity of your server. This will make sure that your server can handle the increased demand. But, if there is no relation between your traffic history and power consumption, then your server is not functioning properly. Your server is performing poorly due to some factors. If you are also monitoring your bandwidth usage, then you can check how much data your network actually needs for functioning properly. Thus, you can check if your server is working optimally. You can also set up alerts in DCIM tools for monitoring bandwidth usage and power.
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Customer Support
You can use DCIM tools for monitoring and locating your collocated assets which are important for your business. But, these features won’t help you in dealing with the problem. If you are using good DCIM software, then they will provide 24*7 customer support to you. Your DCIM software will allow you to manage and create IT support tickets. This is very important for organizations that want to provide 24*7*7365 services. If you want to perform a visual inspection of the server or install something new, then you can create a ticket. DCIM tool will also allow you to monitor the status of your ticket. It will send you real-time updates on your ticket.
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Visualization
DCIM tools will monitor and collect all the data for you. But, it is difficult to understand this complex data. Thus, DCIM tools will also convert this data into graphical data. Some of the DCIM tools can also provide you 3-D model of your whole building. This will make sure that you can easily understand the complex data. DCIM tools will provide you with accurate and complete information.
These tools will allow your IT staff to accurately visualize all the data. This will reduce incident response errors. Also, this will help your IT department by creating more effective strategies.
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API functionality
It is difficult to maintain an IT infrastructure. You need to use various custom solutions that will meet your current business needs. Most of the DCIM solutions will allow you to manage and monitor your assets remotely. But, they will do this only on your colocation provider term. You might need to set up a separate system for managing your resources. Sometimes you need to log into a digital portal for checking your collocated assets.
But, good DCIM tools will provide you an API or Application programming interface. Thus, your IT team can directly integrate your old IT systems with the new platform. This will allow you to manage your assets directly from your old systems. You don’t need to worry about setting up a new system. If ease of use and speed are important for your organization, then API functionality is perfect for your company. It will allow you to respond quickly to any issue. This will make sure that all your servers are running optimally.
Conclusion
Some colocation providers think that DCIM solutions are a luxury. But, these DCIM tools have become important very every colocation provider. It will provide power and control to your customers. If you are using a quality DCIM solution, then it will become easy to deal with downtime. You can also control the costs of your data center. It will also increase the security of your data center. Thus, you don’t need to worry about data breaches. If you want to know more about the DCIM solution, then you can contact Bleuwire.
Contact us today to learn about Bleuwire™ services and solutions in how we can help your business.
