Before they deployed DCIM software , one customer had a homegrown tool they had been integrating with other systems . They learned that , unless they were able to do this in near realtime , they were going to encounter data integrity issues where their asset tool could report values that weren ’ t accurate until a machine configuration was complete and this had the potential to create issues with operations , compliance and credibility . To overcome this challenge , they created the concept of a ‘ source of becoming ’ similar to the well-known ‘ source of truth ’. They realised that they needed a way to track both . The solution was to leverage the custom fields capability of their DCIM software . Instead of using a standalone database to capture these desired values , they capture data for both the desired values and the reported values within their DCIM software , then use those values as integration points for provisioning and orchestration tooling .
4 . Automate parts management
Contemporary DCIM software offers a Parts Management feature facilitating the centralised administration of diverse components , ranging from hard drives and memory modules to cables and even boxes of screws . This feature has brought relief to data centre managers , liberating them from the cumbersome use of spreadsheets .
Users of DCIM have achieved a fully automated parts management system . Through the implementation of DCIM software equipped with Parts Management and the adept utilisation of its open API and ODBC access , clients have seamlessly integrated their DCIM systems with platforms such as Slack and Jira . This integration allows the generation of daily reports detailing parts consumption per location , alerts for surpassing predefined consumption thresholds , identification of excessive usage of specific parts and the creation of deprecation reports for obsolete components .
5 . Leverage a business rules engine
Business rules are automation programs that a system admin can create to benefit all users . They streamline operations which improves productivity , reduces errors and saves money . With a modern DCIM solution , you can apply business rules to your data centre operations with an easy-to-use rules engine . A rules engine creates automation rules based on user-configurable conditions . For example , if a field is updated , another field is automatically updated with specific values based on the rule . Rules can be applied to any assets that qualify based on the rules ’ built-in logic and parameters . A rule is evaluated and applied whenever an asset that meets the rule ’ s criteria is created or updated .
6 . Automate device power budgeting
Data centre managers often struggle with the complexity of accurately planning and managing their power capacity . The traditional approach to device power budgeting is to derate the server nameplate value to around 60 %. This process is manual , estimated , largely inaccurate and often results in wasted space and money .
Leading data centre professionals are getting enormous ROI by leveraging DCIM software with an Auto Power Budget feature . This feature automatically calculates an accurate power budget number for
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