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9.1 The DCIM Journey: From Vendor Selection to Implementation and Beyond

Stuart Hallin Sr. Technical Consultant

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As an attendee you have a right to enforce this policy of having no sales pitch within a session by alerting the speaker if you feel the session is not being presented in a vendor neutral fashion. If the issue continues to be a problem, please alert Data Center World staff after the session is complete.

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The DCIM Journey: From Vendor Selection to Implementation and Beyond

If you’re interested in DCIM, follow these steps for selecting the right vendor to match your needs: prepare for what to expect in terms of monetary and people resources, set goals, implement DCIM successfully and expand DCIM beyond the initial implementation…because DCIM is a journey.

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Presentation Contents

Solution Selection Focusing needs, not wants

Understanding input, update, and output

Analyze resources

Solution Implementation The Process – who, what, where, when?

The Foundation – equipment and related info

The Work – import, audit, test

Beyond! Roll out to other facilities or sites

Monitor power, temperature, or others

Analyze your data, find new uses

Relax!

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What really works for DCIM?

Simple – Eases adoption and training, increases use and allows for staff turnover

Accessible – Increases likelihood of use, give access to everyone

Seek out solutions with mobility for enhanced accuracy

Process Integration – Ingrain DCIM into DC processes so data stays relevant and used long term

Flexible – Choose a solution with scalable abilities, grow it with the organization

The best solution for you – Consider solutions from vendors you don’t use today

Interface(s) – DCIM is part of an ecosystem, not monolithic

Just enough management – Solve the biggest problems first

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Solution Selection

Focus on needs, not features One size does not fit all – solutions will differ by vendor

Choose the one that’s right for you

Establish top 2 to 3 biggest needs right now

List and send what’s being tracked now (with formatting if your org. allows)

Focus on your biggest costs/pains instead of features

Every data center is a unique entity – only you can decide what’s best

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Solution Selection

Focus on needs, not wants Everybody wants to fix everything – it’s natural!

DCIM is part of an overall strategy, not a magic bullet

Not everything can be made perfect in one project

Establish/evaluate based on deeper goals (e.g. automation or integration) but save their implementation for later

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Solution Selection

Don’t make setup and configuration the center of your evaluation

Focus on enforcement of process, updates, and keeping the DCIM accurate

Get better tools

Use RFID/barcodes and mobile tools to make the system updates easier on Operators

Focus on needs, not wants

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Solution Selection

DCIM

Focus on needs, not wants Establish the framework or ideal implementation

of your process

Start at a high level (equipment comes in, gets maintained, then decommissioned) then dive deeper

Vendors are happy to respond to this need most of all – they understand the value of accuracy and reliability

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Solution Selection

Understand input, update, and output Share goals and working process with vendors…

Be open with vendors. They want to help you!

Package process framework info with your RFI/RFP to increase understanding

Narrow potential solutions by issuing RFI/RFP, then request demos from the best responses

Vendors want to answer your toughest questions – include them in the RFI/RFP

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Solution Selection

Understand input, update, and output …then make them prove it works

Have vendors prove they can meet top needs through a demonstration, followed by Proof-Of-Concept or trial

Be sure to establish criteria for success before POC or trial

Want the best evaluation? Pay for the trial, some consulting, or on-site presence

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Solution Selection

Understand input, update, and output Choose a single site or area for initial deployment

Set your main stakeholders (e.g. DC operations, facilities, network, sysadmin, etc.) and evaluate accordingly

Each stakeholder group (probably) has:

Managers

Operators

“Grazers”

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Solution Selection

Understand input, update, and output Managers – How easy or hard is it to…

See the past, present, and future?

Demonstrate reduced costs or increased efficiency?

Get “snapshot” information (e.g. from dashboards) about compliance issues?

Enforce process?

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Solution Selection

Understand input, update, and output Operators - How easy or hard is it to…

Maintain and query inventory?

Plan and execute change?

Get troubleshooting information (outage)?

Make efficient updates?

“Grazers” - How easy or hard is it to…

Search for information flexibly?

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Solution Selection

Analyze Resources Determine cost of investment – items

include: License – by asset, seat, feature, or other

Maintenance/Support – critical for upkeep

Professional Services – best used for existing record conversion and integration

Hardware – Appliances? Mobile devices? Barcode/RFID scanners?

Internal staff time – how many hours per week?

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Solution Selection

Analyze Resources Determine budget

Consider tapping budget from multiple departments – IT, Facilities, Operations, etc.

Consider how much work should be outsourced

Record conversion should be top item for outsourcing

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Solution Selection

Analyze Resources Budget tips

Consider tapping budget from multiple departments – IT, Facilities, Operations, etc.

Consider using OpEx instead of CapEx by…

Finance through a lease, rent-to-buy agreement, etc.

Purchasing license increases over time

Spread cost across sites

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Solution Selection

Analyze Resources Determine people resources

Elect one to two administrators who can enforce setup and implementation

Who is involved in your process? Count how many will need to be trained – that’s who will use the DCIM

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Implementation

Congrats!

You’ve chosen a system.

Now what?

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Implementation

The Start – Kick off Step 1: Set up system framework

Schedule training (the earlier the better)

Install software

Set project requirement details with vendor: custom field names, reports, dashboards, etc.

Set or limit the scope of initial deployment to help control/test process and input

Setup system

framework

STEP 1

Import existing

equipment records

STEP 2

Audit STEP

3

Test your process

again

STEP 4

Establish output

STEP 5

Optimize process

STEP 6

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Implementation

The Foundation – Equip. location & data Step 2: Import any/all existing equipment records

Starting from scratch is (usually) too time consuming

You’re already better off by giving records structure in a database

Your data is not any less accurate after migration

Use professional services or consulting when possible

Exceptions: those with new sites or truly terrible records

Setup system

framework

STEP 1

Import existing

equipment records

STEP 2

Audit STEP

3

Test your process

again

STEP 4

Establish output

STEP 5

Optimize process

STEP 6

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Implementation

The Work – Auditing Step 3: Audit

“True up” record set with a full equipment audit

Follow up with a full patch connection audit

Break audits into small segments

Start with areas that change infrequently

End with areas that change frequently

Setup system

framework

STEP 1

Import existing

equipment records

STEP 2

Audit STEP

3

Test your process

again

STEP 4

Establish output

STEP 5

Optimize process

STEP 6

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Implementation

The End – Testing and Output Step 4: Test your process again

Step 5: Establish output

Add users for stakeholders

Build and/or schedule reports for output

Set up dashboards

Step 6: Optimize process

Run, fail, and update your process for a month or two before rolling out to other sites

Setup system

framework

STEP 1

Import existing

equipment records

STEP 2

Audit STEP

3

Test your process

again

STEP 4

Establish output

STEP 5

Optimize process

STEP 6

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Beyond!

Take it to the next level (or facility) Deploy to other sites/facilities

Provide or purchase training for new users

Update the process to incorporate their needs but…

Enforce the process on new users – some will resist simply because change is difficult

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Beyond!

Monitor power, temperature, or others Use the chosen system’s functionality to monitor:

Power – Go direct to PDUs with SNMP or another monitoring program with an API

Temperature – Most DCIM vendors will have a partner who can provide sensors if you need them

Network – Uptime, throughput, and error rates are the simplest measurements to collect

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Beyond!

Analyze your data, find new uses Integrate DCIM with other systems

Monitoring

Work/task management

Automated provisioning

ERP

CRM

The list goes on!

Order Management

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Beyond!

Relax! Things are under control

Records are accurate

Planning is a breeze

Efficient capacity utilization

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3 Key Things You Have Learned During this Session

1. What specifics should be considered when evaluating DCIM solutions

2. How a DCIM project should be structured

3. The fact that a DCIM project is never “one and done”

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Thank you

Stuart Hallin Sr. Technical Consultant

Let’s chat about DCIM!

Email: shallin@cormant.biz

Phone: +1 805 242 5310