Data Center Infrastructure Management and Breakers for Data Centers
As data centers become more and more complex, management of those data centers and breakers for data centers can be very cumbersome and complicated when attempting to combine IT infrastructure management with building management. The use of data center infrastructure management (DCIM) tools can help bridge the gap between these two important areas, while ultimately creating a more energy efficient and safe workplace.
What is Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)?
Data center infrastructure management (DCIM) involves the combination of IT and facility management into a centralized monitoring system. This type of system offers not just a simple centralized monitoring system, but the ability to better plan for capacity, change management and critical system adjustments. Ultimately, this allows for better enterprise management of systems with fewer resources in a more efficient manner.
DCIM systems are made up of multiple facets, including software, hardware, and sensors that provide real-time monitoring and management for all inter-dependent systems across IT and facility infrastructures. This also includes the management of important power equipment, such as breakers for data centers, which help protect valuable IT equipment from power anomalies.
The use of DCIM is expected to grow to 60 percent by 2014, according to independent technology research company Forrester. In their research, they found several different drivers for the move to the utilization of DCIM systems. They include:
- Increased power and heat density
- Data center consolidation
- Virtualization and cloud computing
- Increased reliance on critical IT systems
- Energy efficiency or Green IT initiatives
Breakers for Data Centers
One of the top considerations for moving to a DCIM plan is related to the increased power and heat density within today’s data center. This is directly related to new data center designs that include high density computing, virtualization, and the utilization of blade servers that provide terabytes of space for data in a small physical space. While these new data center designs provide great solutions for businesses, they create unique power challenges for IT staff and building maintenance professionals. It is critical that not only these data centers stay online, but run in a safe manner. An important part of power systems running safely including utilization of breakers for data centers.
The challenges from the use of new technologies, such a virtualization, create a dynamic environment within a static power environment. These result in rapid changes in computing loads increases power consumption and heat dispersal. If these changes are not appropriately planned for, heat densities can place real stress on a data center’s infrastructure, resulting in inefficiencies in power as well as increasing risk for overloading and power outages. This can turn into dangerous “hot spots” in different areas within the physical data center.
All the risks and challenges mentioned above is exactly why DCIM is becoming a popular way to bridge the gap between IT management and facilities management in an effort to create a more efficient and safe working environment. As IT professionals are expected to do more with less, the use of DCIM definitely helps them keep their finger on the pulse of all the systems they need to manage.
