FACILITIES DCIM
As part of this solution, APG created a single, central team of data centre management specialists whose role is to ensure that all sites are managed to the same standard. This centralised approach was only possible by the introduction of a remote data centre management solution and Emerson’s Avocent system which was selected for the task. APG now needs fewer IT staff to handle basic server and network management at each of its main data centre sites, whilst being able to act faster in case of an infrastructure failure. By freeing onsite staff from the need to monitor their location’s data centre they have been able to spend more time on other site-specific IT tasks and thus add more value to the business.
The introduction of the Avocent system has been a success which APG will build on. As the company increases the proportion of the infrastructure that is managed by the Avocent solution, it achieves a simpler, more manageable IT infrastructure and a leaner, more streamlined organisational structure. This will produce a more responsive and reliable service for the business, and ultimately, for its customers.
Capgemini, improving use of resources As an IT service provider, Capgemini provides a full outsourcing portfolio, from application and infrastructure management to business process management. In 2006, the Capgemini data centre in Essen closed and the responsible administrators went their separate ways: the IT infrastructure moved to Frankfurt and the managers to Düsseldorf. In order to be able to control the hardware and software securely, the company installed remote management solutions from Avocent. Capgemini has since expanded its operations to Eastern Europe and Asia and its administrators based there have had to deal with a level of documentation and planning complexity which could not be supported by spreadsheets, charts and manual efforts. Emerson Network Power’s Avocent DCIM solution has been rolled out to fully address and solve the problems posed by this rapid expansion.
The company adopted the Avocent Data Centre Planner as it allowed room and rack views, as well as details of information on location, space, power consumption, heat dissipation, connections and network. It enables the administrators to see at a glance where capacities are still free in the rack, where dependencies exist or if certain areas of the data centers are overheated. They can also model planned changes before implementing them, identify their effects and then reach the optimum solution.
The combination of Data Center Planner, DSView 3 management software and the remote management components has improved Capgemini’s administration of the entire IT infrastructure throughout all locations. Currently, 140 administrators in Germany, Eastern Europe and Asia work with the solutions. Integrating the management of IT infrastructure and facilities such as room, power consumption and climate control promises more efficient use of resources in data centres.
Atos, controlling IT remotely
In the past, the outsourcing specialist Atos only used on-site administrators to manage IT, which led to high travel costs. This was especially prevalent during vacation times or when extra technical staff members were required. Now, a total of around 1,500 IT components at 11 sites are operated securely and location-independently by Atos via a remote management solution; this consists of Avocent DSView™ 3 management software, KVM switches, serial console servers, service processor managers and rack power distribution units (PDUs). Before choosing the solution, Atos was especially looking for a
with the help of more than 85 KVM
switches, serial console servers, service processor managers and rack PDUs for power management, a total of
approximately 1,500 components in six of the central data centres and five of Atos’s decentralised server rooms are being centrally managed using the software
comprehensive strategy for managing the IT infrastructure and a comprehensive implementation of remote access.
The new network architecture, allowing remote access to the devices, was installed first in combination with independent installations of the DSView 3 management software at sites in Essen, Frankfurt and Nuremberg. As part of the organisation’s realignment, the IT teams across Germany were merged, which also led to a consolidation of the infrastructure. So, with the help of more than 85 KVM switches, serial console servers, service processor managers and rack PDUs for power management, a total of approximately 1,500 components in six of the central data centres and five of Atos’s decentralised server rooms are being centrally managed using the software. The numbers are expected to increase quickly, since Atos virtual server and other IT sites could be added in the near future.
All of the technical engineers at Atos who are responsible for server and storage support and maintenance - about a hundred in total - are able to operate the distributed infrastructure remotely and can even access the IT equipment up to BIOS level. The solution makes it easier to manage systems in terms of on-call services or for smaller server rooms which don’t have an on-site administrator. The team has to be able to work location-independently in order to maintain their clients’ environments at other sites.
If an administrator in Essen is on-call for several sites at the same time, he can access all the IT equipment through a single interface, whether in Essen, Frankfurt or Nuremberg, unlike before when an administrator had to be on-site or use isolated applications which were not rolled out uniformly and used different standards. The remote solution will pay off quickly for Atos, just in the travel and administration expenses it saves. The simple fact that Atos is the official “worldwide IT partner of the Olympic Committee” and has landed the biggest IT contract in sporting history is a sure sign that the IT service provider has got the monitoring, operation and management of its IT components under complete control. As an outsourcing specialist and service provider, the success of both Atos and its clients ultimately depends on the seamless management of IT infrastructure.
So, the experience from around Europe points to a number of benefits from early adoption of Data Centre Infrastructure Management. These include reduction in personnel and costs, improved visibility and planning and standardisation across different locations. The determination of those already using it to apply DCIM and its components to as many systems as possible clearly shows that this is a crucial tool for all those looking to manage their data centre more effectively.
May 2012 I
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