Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Software Defined
If you run a data center of any size, it is helpful to educate yourself about data center infrastructure management (DCIM). DCIM software is a tool used to monitor and manage the physical infrastructure of a data center. This includes things like power and cooling systems, network equipment, and servers. DCIM software typically includes features such as real-time monitoring, capacity planning, and asset management. The goal of DCIM software is to improve the efficiency and reliability of data center operations by providing a centralized view of the entire infrastructure and automating routine tasks. Further, it is designed to help you lower your operational costs, reduce energy consumption, and anticipate problems before they become critical issues.
Watch a 10-minute demonstration of data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software.
What DCIM Software Can Do
Infrastructure monitoring and tracking has always been a feature of information technology, and data center infrastructure management builds on this approach by combining many discreet actions into one overarching approach. Rather than focusing on a single factor, this approach focuses on the entire issue and how each aspect of a data center works with the others. These aspects include the following:
- Asset management
- Asset discovery
- Asset tracking
- Capacity planning
- Changing management strategies
- Energy management
- Power monitoring
- Structured cabling management
- Consolidating resources and locations
- Floor and rack space management
- Running modelling scenarios in order to plan for the future
How DCIM Systems Work in Action
DCIM solutions vary widely and are directly tied to the data center in question. Considering all the variables at play such as the size of the data center, the equipment being used, the age of the equipment, and the requirements of the business, it is impractical to make generalizations that apply to all data centers. Looking at the following hypothetical examples can better illustrate how the process works:
- If a company wants to create records of all their data center assets, including both the technical aspects (programs being run) and financial aspects (serial numbers), it should use strategies to analyze how the overall assets affect and relate to one another, and whether this benefits or obstructs business goals.
- Another strategy involves using real-time DCIM monitoring and predicative analysis to allow data center technicians to spot problems before they occur, and then shift resources proactively in order to avoid interruptions. This approach also empowers technicians to increase resource utilization and maximize efficiency.
- Environmental monitoring is crucial for the health of servers. DCIM tools can be used to integrate data regarding server performance and environmental conditions to create reports and models that reveal the health of the entire infrastructure and each of the constituent pieces. This allows technicians to head off potentially catastrophic failures and make minor tweaks to improve overall performance.
Data Center Infrastructure Management Accessibility
Infrastructure management can be a difficult process, but it is important to realize that the time, money, and energy spent are all valuable investments. When approached correctly, data center infrastructure management can help lower utility bills, extend the life of servers and improve their performance, eliminate downtime, and maximize the value of your mission-critical IT infrastructure. Begin implementing a strategy by following these four steps:
- Monitor and Access – Institute systems that allow for 24/7 real-time monitoring of data center assets, and then facilitate remote access so that technicians can respond to issues immediately.
- Capture Data for Planning – Make data capture automatic, comprehensive, and multifaceted, and use the captured data to guide the planning process.
- Analyze and Diagnose – Using captured data and real-time monitoring, analyze overall data center performance and diagnose issues that keep it from operating at its peak.
- Recommend and Automate – Identify the criteria necessary for data center optimization, and automate processes designed to maintain those criteria. This removes technicians from the previous three steps as much as possible.
There are a number of DCIM softwares on the market that are designed to facilitate one or more of these steps. One such software is Hyperview, the leading cloud-based DCIM software platform. Hyperview is one of the few applications that monitors all three layers of you IT infrastructure: Facility (UPS, cooling, generators, CRAC), IT (servers, storage, network devices) and Virtual (VMs and cloud). Its tools are as meaningful to the c-suite as it is to data center operators. It is easy to deploy and use, delivers real-time insight and actionable intelligence, enables management of workloads, reduction in IT cost and mitigation of outages.
Ready to modernize your data center operations? Sign up for a 30-day free trial of Hyperview’s cloud-based DCIM software. No credit card needed, access all the features.
FAQs
One such software is Hyperview, the leading cloud-based DCIM software platform. Hyperview is one of the few applications that monitors all three layers of you IT infrastructure: Facility (UPS, cooling, generators, CRAC), IT (servers, storage, network devices) and Virtual (VMs and cloud).
What is DCIM in data center? ›
Data center infrastructure management (DCIM) has been described as the convergence between facilities management, IT management, and automation. Because today's capacity to monitor and analyze every aspect of a data center is becoming more cost-effective, DCIM is quickly rising as an industry best practice.
What does data center infrastructure mean? ›
Data Center Support Infrastructure
Data centers are a critical asset that is protected with a robust and reliable support infrastructure made up of power subsystems, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), backup generators, ventilation and cooling equipment, fire suppression systems and building security systems.
What are the three main components of a data center infrastructure? ›
Understanding the three main components of a data center is crucial to appreciating the intricate dance of hardware and software that keeps the digital realm alive and kicking.
- Servers: The Workhorses of Data Processing. ...
- Networking Equipment: Bridging the Digital Divides. ...
- Storage Systems: Safeguarding the Digital Wealth.
Hyperscale data centers are massive business-critical facilities designed to efficiently support robust, scalable applications and are often associated with big data-producing companies such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, IBM, and Microsoft.
What is the use of the DCIM? ›
The goal of a DCIM initiative is to provide administrators with a holistic view of a data center's performance so that energy, equipment and floor space are used as efficiently as possible. DCIM software is used to measure, monitor and manage the IT equipment and supporting infrastructure of data centers.
Where does DCIM stand for? ›
DCIM stands for Digital Camera Images, which probably helps this folder make a little more sense.
How is the data centre connected to your computer? ›
A large number of networking devices, such as cables, switches, routers, and firewalls connect other data center components to each other and to end-user locations. They provide flawless data movement and connectivity across the system.
What is the purpose of data infrastructure? ›
Data infrastructure provides the foundation for an organization to create, manage, use, and secure its data. One of its most critical roles is to ensure that the right data can get to the right users or systems at the right time to make effective data-driven decisions.
What is the difference between a cloud and a data center? ›
The main difference between data centres and the cloud is that data centres are used to store data and applications, while the cloud provides access to resources and services over the internet. The cloud can be divided into three main categories: public, private, and hybrid.
Data Center is a type of self-hosted deployment. The primary difference on a technical level in a comparison between Data Center vs Server is that Data Center permits multiple application servers running in parallel. Server only permits one application server.
Who owns data centers? ›
Data centers are typically owned and operated either by big companies (such as cloud vendors, banks, or telcos) for their own purposes or by co-location companies.
What is the largest data center in the world? ›
What is the largest Data Center in the world? After this extensive analysis, the world's largest and most expensive data center is the China Telecom-Inner Mongolia Information Park. The Asian country is also the world's largest reference for data processing centers, followed by the United States.
What type of hypervisor is a data center? ›
Type 1 hypervisors are typically used in data centers, enterprise computing workload situations, web servers, and other primarily fixed-use applications. Cloud computing environments run bare metal hypervisors to offer the most performant virtual machines (VMs) for the underlying physical hardware.
How many servers does a data center have? ›
The average full-scale data center is 100,000 square feet in size and runs around 100,000 servers, which are essentially powerful computers. Servers are often stored in racks, which is like a cabinet for multiple servers.
Is IT OK to delete DCIM? ›
No one can delete DCIM folder, that is not allowed. The DCIM folders fall under the internal storage of the iPhone. However, it is possible to view the photos in order to save the photos elsewhere and/or delete them. If you 'empty' all DCIM folders, you cannot delete them either.
Does DCIM contain all photos? ›
One of the files preinstalled on your Android smartphone is called DCIM, which stands for Digital Camera Images. All photographs taken using the Camera on your phone will be saved in this folder. It includes any screenshots you have taken on the device in question.
Why does DCIM have so many folders? ›
There are many reasons why the iPhone will create additional DCIM folders. After a certain number of photos, it may create a new folder. Or if a different app is used to take the photos, it may create a new DCIM folder. Also, you can sync photos from your computer to your iPhone using iTunes.
Where is DCIM on my computer? ›
Way 1: Connect Your Camera to your PC Directly
Step 1: Connect your camera to the computer with a USB cable. Step 2: Press Win + E to open File Explorer on the computer. Step 3: Wait for a few seconds, and you will find a new drive appeared. Step 4: Double-click on it and you'll see the DCIM folder.
