DCS & RiT Tech - Questions and Answers

We were given the opportunity by DCS to provide some answers to questions surrounding the history of RIT Tech and around the greater perception of DCIM, and what RIT Tech are looking to do to change this perception.

Here is a sneak preview of the questions and answers ahead of publication in DCS magazine!

Be sure to stay updated with DCS ahead of this piece being published: https://datacentre.solutions/

Q: Please can you provide some background on the company?

A: Our company was established in 1989 with the vision of innovation and advancing infrastructure intelligence and management. RiT Tech is the pioneer of the Automated Infrastructure Management which is standardised by ISO/IEC and followed by TIA. The company has 1000’s of installations all over the world across many verticals, including Finance, Transportation, Government, Health Care, Education, Security Forces. With this expertise, our investment and focus has grown towards software innovation and improving the way in which the infrastructure and operations are managed within data centre environments.

Q: And what have been the major achievements to date?

A: 1Our achievements are always focused on true innovation outcomes that make a genuine difference. Together with our customers we are constantly evaluating how our software needs to progress and develop. For example, we have identified that there is a real need for traditional data centre infrastructure monitoring and documentation tools to progress towards proactive management capabilities. We already provide the much-needed customisation, integration and multi-layered automation. This is our biggest achievement yet and there is more to come – it really will be difficult to catch us up!.

Q: Please can you give us an overview of the company's technology portfolio?

A: RiT Tech provides an innovative data centre infrastructure management solution for data centres and workspace facilities. We offer Automated Infrastructure Management (AIM) and advanced connectivity solutions to enable optimising of business operations, resource management, asset utilisation and highly effective infrastructure planning and operations.

Q: In more detail, can you talk us through the cabling solutions? And how do you see the copper v fibre optic debate evolving over time?



A: We provide end-to-end structured cabling solutions for many different high availability and high bandwidth markets. Copper cabling range includes Cat 5e through to Cat 8 solutions. In addition, our data centre offering includes Ultra High Density (UHD) connectivity which can provide bandwidths of 40/100/400G and our fibre optic connectivity solutions are available in single as well as multimode.

We are among the few early entrants for OM5 which provides a high-performance connectivity solution for the data centre environment. We are participating member in industry standards including TIA and BICSI. Our products are verified and certified by third party labs across the globe, including UL, ETL, and Delta.

Q: Moving on to the company's data centre management technology, you have an edge data centre solution?

A: Yes, XpedITe. The remote management capabilities and third-party management features already built into XpedITe make it a perfect Edge management tool. This includes the ability to create simplified but detailed work orders for use by third party installers in remote locations as well as remote ‘Dark’ site management features.

Q: And you also have the Patchview+ AIM solution?

A: As an innovator of intelligent cabling solutions for over 30 years, we have recognised that our customers’ requirements have evolved. They expect real time management of every port in the network. Having real time information of physical layer is what AIM provides. AIM brings real-time visibility, monitoring and control of all network physical-layer components; it identifies points of failure in real-time before they become a problem. AIM automates the work processes and eliminates the manual errors associated with Installations, Moves, Adds and Changes (IMACS). It helps with provisioning new equipment and ultimately enables full utilisation of all IT and network assets - down to the last port.

Q: Saving the best until last(!), the company has developed the XpedITe DCIM solution?

A: There are a number of DCIM products that are all claiming to provide some level of DCIM functionality, but we feel what’s missing is a real focus on tomorrow’s possibilities. XpedITe is not overpromising and underdelivering and we do not take a vapourware approach – we are clear in our product development direction. Our XpedITe software addresses the needs of data centre operators, IT managers, systems managers a solution today, with real possibilities for tomorrow – for example proactive and predictive analytics.

Q: The early DCIM offerings seemed to over- promise and under-deliver, what’s different this time?

A: The provision of seamless integration and customisation with a recognition that no single solution can offer all the features claimed by previous solutions. This will enable a significantly lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and demonstrable ROI, based on the improved management of resources far beyond the capabilities of legacy DCIM solutions.

Q: Indeed, do you think it is helpful to keep alive the DCIM name?!

A: Probably not but unfortunately there is nothing better that people recognise, and people do love to ‘pigeon hole’ solutions. We feel we are stuck with it for now, but we do need to differentiate between the disappointing legacy solutions and the new offerings which are capable of delivering on the promises made.

Q: You describe XpedITe as taking a data-centric approach to infrastructure challenges, and as being a DNIO platform - Data Centre, Network, Infrastructure and Operations. Can you tell us about this approach?

A: This approach stresses the importance of accurate and robust information across the entire data centre estate. It is the single source of accurate and verifiable truth that enables confident decision making and therefore informed orchestration of data centre environments hosting complex and disseminated digital architecture.

Q: And the XpedIte solution is broken down into six modules?

A: Whilst our XpedITe software provides a comprehensive solution to DCIM challenges and needs, we understand that each environment might require different challenges to be addressed. That is why we support modular approach, helping our clients to set up a solution adopted for their needs. Furthermore, we even support custom integration and process customisation to address our clients’ need in the best way. Our main modules are: Asset Management, Asset Discovery, Connectivity Management, Dashboards and Analytics, Power and Thermal Telemetries, Provisioning and Automation.

Q: And how does XpedITe help with the management of hybrid data centre architectures – centralised, regional, edge, as well as on-premises, colocation and cloud and managed services environments?

A: XpedITe supports sophisticated, geo-distributed environments, including on-prem, colocation, and dark sites. The platform naturally integrates into complex environments and processes. In such scenarios a single version of truth is an essential basis for informed decision making, which must include federated data sets from the critical building infrastructure, IT hardware and network connectivity to be fully functional. Our solution naturally integrates with tools and systems across the entire data centre estate, including BMS and CRM to offer a customer portal in colocation environments. These capabilities help data centre teams take their hybrid, distributed and complex environments to the next level of management and optimisation.

Q: And how do you see XpedITe fitting into the wider IT and data centre management landscape – there are a whole host of other management tools out there?!

A: Yes, there are and there will always be a need for specialist tools and niche solutions according  to a business’ individual requirements. Our mission for XpedITe is to seamlessly integrate with all these individual and specialist solutions through APIs and rapid customisation so that data is shared, interpreted and represented in a useful and seamless manner to all stakeholders in the data centre universe. XpedITe is the glue that binds these disparate systems and data sets together to make the information they offer available and useful as a cohesive whole rather than as individual systems or islands of detail.

Q: Importantly, what has been the customer reaction to XpedITe? And is it helping to break down some of those IT v facilities silos that still seem to be an obstacle to digital transformation projects?

A: Hugely positive. This covers the cost and overhead of implementation and integration, customisation to individual corporate requirements and standards, the benefits obtained and the ongoing cost of ownership. What is of particular satisfaction is the interest that colocation operators have started to take in XpedITe, which is a new path for DCIM, which has historically been brushed aside by colocation operators, so this is something of an industry game changer.

Q: We’ve covered a fair amount of ground, if you are able to share any future plans for XpedITe and RiT in the data centre industry more generally, that would be great?

A: Clearly data centre needs and environments are evolving. With the exponential growth of data being processed and new trends such as big-data, machine learning, dynamic hyper scalable systems and new technologies emerging at a prodigious rate. With this overwhelming lake of data and plethora of specialist systems, data centre management must be a few steps ahead to address the needs of increasingly complex digital infrastructures. At XpedITe we are committed to continuous innovation and to lead the evolution of DCIM.

We are also making XpedITe future proof by adding predictive capabilities to identify potential future risks. XpedITe is going to include prescriptive recommendations to improve resources utilisation and optimise cost. Furthermore, with XpedITe we are about to transform DCIM into a truly proactive tool that can autonomously identify opportunities for risk mitigation and resource utilisation optimisation. Of course, one important question will be ‘What about the Cloud?’. That is the next area we will be addressing, something to get tongues wagging.

Q: I guess that energy efficiency and sustainability are key topics right now. How does RiT help with these challenges?

A: The RiT XpedITe platform offers a unique capability of referencing multiple layers within the data centre ecosystem as a function of automated optimization. For example, it is able to consider thermal and power telemetries as part of provisioning planning. It also considers asset lifecycle and resource utilisation to accurately plan IMACS in order to reduce unnecessary replacements and optimize efficiency. These capabilities, together with increasingly granular visibility of the installed assets, the resources they consume (power, space and cooling), and their performance over time are essential to maximising efficiency in all areas. Without this accuracy and granularity of data and performance trending it is impossible to properly address efficiency, sustainability and cost overhead objectives.

Q: And AI and automation within the data centre is another growing trend. That would seem to be an obvious sweet spot for the company?

A: Yes, but there is a long way to go before true AI exists – although the term continues to be overused as a marketing gimmick by many! Having said that, we do see how Machine Learning based technologies can dramatically leverage DCIM capabilities. For example, we are adding Machine Learning based algorithms for future-proof predictive capabilities and automations, for retroactive impact analysis, for prescriptive resources optimisation, and much more.

Q: And are there any other data centre industry hot topics right now?

A: There are probably too many hot topics to provide an exhaustive list but key themes that are interesting the sector at the moment are the following:

• Energy efficiency and energy consumption (especially moving the focus to the IT stack). This is being driven by an increased focus on environmental legislation and carbon reduction commitments globally.
• The ongoing requirement for resource and capacity management.
• The emerging need for improved remote management of Edge and small ‘Dark’ sites.
• Data sovereignty and ownership with the resulting impact on ‘Edge’ demand.
• The slowing down of Moore’s Law and the impact on IT refresh cycles.
• The development of digital infrastructure in emerging regions (e.g. Africa).
• The emergence of true global data centre standards and standardised KPIs.
• Truly innovative data centre design and the interest in alternatives to diesel engines for standby power generation.
• The ongoing data centre skills shortage in a rapidly expanding market.
• The emergence of data centres as an investment asset class becoming increasingly popular with both corporate and individual investors as other property asset classes demonstrate reduced returns.
  

Q: Any final thoughts or comments?

A: We need to manage ALL data centre resources far more efficiently for both cost and environmental reasons. We cannot do this without effective management tools. The previous generation of tools failed to deliver the functionality needed to do this properly. They were expensive to buy, implement and operate and many are simply now ‘sitting on shelves’ totally unused. These legacy solutions are trying to catch up with solutions from recent innovators but frankly will never catch up. 

The newer solutions available do offer the features promised for more than a decade that should now be considered essential to any properly run data centre estate. We need to continue to bring the IT and facilities worlds together to a far greater extent to achieve true resource and energy efficiency. Newer solutions support this effort, but the legacy solutions perpetuate these historic divisions.

Time to move on…..