Have a Company Data Center? Why You Need DCIM Solutions

If you own and manage your company’s data center, whether on or off-premises, you need Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) services. It’s critical to maintain your data center infrastructure to the highest degree possible.

When it comes to managing your assets, every detail matters: from your cabling setup and equipment racks to energy consumption and temperature control.

What is Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)?

DCIM optimizes your data center’s performance from top to bottom. Consisting of tools and best practices, DCIM will help you monitor and manage all of the complex components you rely on to run your data center.

DCIM services will help you maintain your servers, storage hardware, and network equipment. If you haven’t looked into it yet, it’s time to consider how data center infrastructure management solutions (DCIM) can help streamline your operations.

You’ll have one cohesive system for all employees and contractors to work from, which will streamline your operations. When every team has an accurate representation of the entire system, you’ll see fewer mistakes and have less work that needs to be redone.

DCIM can even include taking a photo of your server racks to make sure they stay exactly as intended anytime work needs to be done or components need to be replaced or repaired.

The Advantage of DCIM Solutions

So, you know you need professional services to manage and monitor your data center, but what does DCIM provide that you can’t get from your local IT tech?

Most local IT techs are great when you have a simple, one-off problem to solve. For example, if a network switch goes down or you need to add a router to your system, you can call just about any IT tech in your area.

A local IT tech, however, won’t be able to provide you with dedicated, ongoing support on a deep level. DCIM solutions can.

What DCIM Solutions offer:

• Discovery. Do you know exactly what IT devices you have in your data center? DCIM solutions include network device discovery – a process that will inventory all your devices. This inventory will also include any devices being used to measure air quality or control power distribution.
• Monitoring and detailed reports. You can’t run a reliable data center without monitoring. DCIM solutions will log key events so you can quickly discover (and handle) potential issues.
• Network mapping. Once your infrastructure is listed, DCIM solutions can turn that into a visual map to help your data center staff understand how the network is set up and how information flows.

It’s important to maintain accurate, organized documentation of your entire network, including your hardware inventory along with a map of all components in the room. If you need to repair a network switch, you need to know where all of your switches are to find the one that went down.

• More uptime. When your critical systems are being monitor, you can resolve issues as they arise, which means you’ll have more uptime. Downtime can be quite costly for your business. You can’t avoid all downtime, but DCIM solutions will provide a reduction.
• Better productivity. Combined with a professional cabling job, DCIM tools will streamline workflows, which will support your employees responsible for maintenance.
• Cost-savings. When your data center is being closely monitor, it’s easier to hang on to your legacy equipment and have it serviced through a third-party maintenance company. It won’t matter if a component has reached the end of its service life – you can hang on to your mission-critical components longer.

DCIM Solutions Equal Better Data Center Performance

Without DCIM solutions, you might be able to keep your data center running, but you’ll have to chase issues and troubleshoot problems after they’ve already impacted your system. DCIM solutions help you avoid problems before they grow and negatively impact your network.

DCIM services will help you maintain a low-cost IT budget without sacrificing quality or essential services. You’ll save plenty of money in the long run by not having to deal with outages and other complex issues because most of these problems can be prevented through monitoring.

A third-party DCIM service will help you develop a strong infrastructure management strategy to keep your data center performing at its optimal potential. When your data center is running optimally, so is your business.