Avoiding Common Pitfalls of Evaluating and Implementing DCIM Solutions

by Patrick Donovan

Executive Summary

While many who invest in Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software benefit greatly, some do not. Research has revealed a number of pitfalls that end users should avoid when evaluating and implementing DCIM solutions. Choosing an inappropriate solution, relying on inadequate processes, and a lack of commitment / ownership / knowledge can each undermine a chosen toolset’s ability to deliver the value it was designed to provide. This paper describes these common pitfalls and provides practical guidance on how to avoid them.

Conclusion

The benefits of a datacentre infrastructure management system are achievable, but action on the part of users is still required. This is the underlying theme of this paper. At first glance, the need for significant user action may seem counterintuitive since effective DCIM solutions can, in fact, simplify and automate many aspects of infrastructure management. With the right systems in place, for example, there is no need to have people in the data center white space checking on the status of individual power, cooling and security devices. Guesswork as to where to place the next physical or virtual server is removed. Developing an internal system to create and manage work orders is unnecessary. There’s no longer the need to monitor temperature, humidity or look for hotspots using primitive, labor-intensive methods. Reports can be easily and quickly created at any time without having to collect lots of data manually.

This ability to automate and greatly simplify infrastructure management can cause users to underestimate or not properly account for the effort still required on their end. This paper  tries to point out what needs to be done by describing the traps that lead to disuse and then offering simple tips on how to avoid them. The bullet points below summarise what is needed to avoid these common pitfalls of evaluating and implementing DCIM solutions:

• Solution should embody certain fundamental properties – scalable, modular, standardised, pre-engineered, open communication architecture with a strong vendor support structure.
• Processes required for implementation and on-going operations needs to be determined, created and supported for the long term; focus on asset management, system configuration, reporting and alarm integration.
• Facility, IT and management should all be involved in the evaluation stage; they must come to agreement on needs, goals and implementation plans, as well as determine ownership for all processes.

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