FEATURE IIM
IIM – Wise Investment or Unnecessary Expense? In for a Penny... By Alberto Zucchinali RCDD, Siemon
Intelligent infrastructure management (IIM) has been gaining market acceptance for a while, but continues to face perceived barriers to even more widespread deployment. So are the benefits of IIM really worth the outlay?
IIM serves some major business and IT imperatives. For example, it has a role in managing risk, it can improve security, enhance efficiency, provide auditable information for regulatory compliance, improve existing return on IT investment, reduce support costs, improve reliability, reduce downtime, reduce energy consumption and empower IT professionals with essential data. With so many pluses, it’s hard to understand why this technology has not instantly taken off and become an IT must-have. To explain the possible reluctance
to deploy these systems, it’s worth understanding that when they were launched nearly a decade ago there were some major limitations with the first generation solutions. For a start, the premium for
intelligence was hard to justify and the return on investment wasn’t that quick. Hardware required significant amounts of space in cabinets and racks and brought with it power consumption demands and heat generation. An additional and somewhat cumbersome cabling system was needed to connect the different elements of the IIM solution and intensive training was required for field technicians in order to get the information they needed. Moreover, some basic information required the adoption of mobile devices to connect to the centralised server in client-mode. In sum, it seemed too expensive, too difficult, too demanding and too hard to justify. The good news is that some next
generation IIM systems have solved all these problems and turned the proposition around for this hugely useful IT element. Before we consider this though, let’s first understand the benefits that IIM can conceptually bring to the table.
Compliance
At the core of many security issues is a common problem – current network management systems don’t know who or what is connected to the network and where they are connected, because the network physical infrastructure simply isn’t monitored and controlled electronically. In fact, it’s not monitored at all.
24 NETCOMMS europe Volume I, Issue 6 2011 Your monitoring systems may tell you
the ‘network address’ of each device but, for most organisations, the only records describing what is connected to where are incomplete paper records. IIM is a good example of a
straightforward approach to security at the physical layer. It identifies connections, status and actions and keeps a dynamic database of the network, giving you an accurate map of your organisation’s infrastructure. This database is constantly updated and keeps a full audit trail log of moves, adds and changes to the physical infrastructure. The system will alert you in real time if, when and exactly where on the network a security breach occurs. IIM goes beyond knowing just the
network address of devices connected to the network. It also detects the status of each connection. It works by tracking any physical layer changes such as unauthorised removal of equipment or connection of unapproved devices (such as a third party laptop) and makes location of the breach instantly identifiable to enable swift remedial action. The devices that are connected
to the network are becoming ever more portable so keeping track of who is doing what and where has never been more challenging. IT attacks don’t only come from
outside the organisation; various sources indicate that around half of all hacking attacks are internal and often go undetected. There’s also a risk from unwitting attacks, such as an employee plugging in a virus-infected laptop. Consider a multi-building company HQ or university campus: with IIM, IT staff know exactly where that person is – which building, which desk – and can therefore get to them fast, even in a remote location in another country! IT directors now have to devote large
portions of budget to securing systems and ensuring regulatory compliance. Those budgets are under tight constraints, and IT departments are quite rightly being asked to show clear returns on investments. The information kept by IIM systems is detailed, accurate and automatically captured and logged, adding traceability for regulatory compliance. The information can be audited and fulfils the demands of governance.
IT attacks don’t only come from outside the organisation; various sources indicate that around half of all hacking attacks are internal and often go undetected.
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