Data center utilization continues to grow and expand. Cloud computing, IT consumerization and new types of advanced workloads all place new demands on the modern data center platform. In fact, the latest Cisco Cloud Index Report indicates that annual global data center IP traffic will reach 7.7 zettabytes by the end of 2017. By 2017, global data center IP traffic will reach 644 exabytes per month (up from 214 exabytes per month in 2012).There are new technologies being placed within the modern data center and this trend will only grow. Today, the data center is seen as the home of all modern technologies. In fact, many organizations have shifted their entire business model to be built around their data center platform. With this in mind – how are administrators controlling their infrastructure? How are they meeting new performance demands while still keeping their entire data center running optimally? Most of all – how is the modern infrastructure capable of staying proactive and meeting business needs?

Data center management has always been an integral part of the infrastructure control process. However, with new types of demands, DCIM needed to evolve. In fact, modern DCIM technologies have come a really long way. With DCIM trending so much – here is what you need to know!

• Efficiency is key. We’re not dealing with just hardware any longer. Virtual systems make up a large part of the modern data center. These systems utilize the same physical resources – just a bit differently. Modern DCIM systems must have visibility into the physical and logical components within a data center. In many cases, cooling or airflow may need to be adjusted for high-density, multi-tenant, systems running within your data center. Cloud computing and virtualization have introduced new parameters around data center management. Your DCIM solution should be cloud and virtualization ready.
• Automation, control, and being proactive. All of a sudden, you experience a spike in users. Your DCIM platform must be capable of seeing this type of dynamic change and help you adjust your data center to accommodate for these new specifications. Furthermore, proactive control means having the capabilities to catch data center issues before they become serious problems. By finding hot or cold spots before they get larger – you’re able to better control physical as well as virtual resources. The other powerful control mechanism is the ability to tie in your DCIM solution with an overall management platform. Continuous monitoring will create a proactive system capable of handling business and IT changes very rapidly.
• Using next-generation DCIM technologies. Your data center model is distributed, you have numerous users spanning the globe, and you have a number of resources sitting both within your data center – and maybe one that’s hosted. DCIM platforms now span data centers and global nodes when it comes to infrastructure controls. Reports, logs, and proactive systems continuously allow you to set global policies and have direct visibility into your entire technological plane. Furthermore, APIs now allow DCIM systems to integrate with other core data center components as well as underlying virtual systems.

More technologies will be placed into the data center platform. Already we are seeing even greater numbers of devices requesting specific services from corporate infrastructures. Users and enterprises are becoming a lot more mobile and their dependence on the data center continues to grow. All of this requires new levels of data center control where a proactive model keeps your infrastructure running optimally. Now, with advanced software mechanisms and logical controls – DCIM can begin to examine numerous critical components running within your platform. As you build your next-generation data center model, make sure to take the data center management process into consideration. This will help you proactively control your infrastructure and help it align with current and future business goals.