Data centers: From silos to a single pane of glass

Data centers are like dynamic, living, breathing beasts - and it takes a village to tame them. Now, hypothetically, the modern data center ecosystem has the manpower to do so. After all, managing a data center encompasses a collaborative network of entities:

•          The owner who holds the facility's reins.

•          The operator entrusted with its upkeep.

•          The diverse tenants ranging from colocation clients to global enterprises with extensive data infrastructure.

However, this village-like harmony is seldom the reality in today's landscape, which is characterized by disjointed practices and siloed efforts. But, far beyond being wholly inefficient, this way of working also put data centers at odds with the newest legislative changes and potential downtime. In a whitepaper from Kenneth G.Brill, it is reported that facility malfunctions and consequential losses are a direct result of inadequate co-ordination between IT and Facilities personnel.

Indeed, maximizing efficiency and accurately reporting on sustainability metrics is near impossible in a fragmented environment. In order to meet the challenges, harmonization is vital. The data center must transform from a patchwork of individual silos into a connected, unified ecosystem. 

The dangers of disconnect 

The longstanding disconnection between data center departments and their individual goals has led to a fragmented approach to resource utilization, where each unit is focused on serving its own agenda without a common language to communicate its plans.

For example, should IT need to make a change, this could have ramifications across various aspects of the facility, from power distribution to cooling systems, with knock-on effects for operators and tenants. 

Despite these risks, in most data centers, there isn’t the information available to visualize the potential ripple effects of such adjustments without manually-intensive data sanitization. Moreover, with poor communication between departments, there is a sense of every man out for themselves. 

The result? A cacophony of voices, each speaking its own language and pursuing its separate agenda to the detriment of efficient energy utilization. 

A critical physical layer

In Kenneth G.Brill’s whitepaper, he states the often overlooked element of IT efficiency is the critical physical layer. The physical location of the hardware, power and other supporting elements have been historically provided by facilities management, independently of the IT services. This boundary line causes potential risk. If IT and Facilities could collaborate in seamless harmony, existing systems could be optimized for future growth potential.

Creating a common language for change 

Clearly, there is a pressing requirement for a shared platform that bridges these siloes, creating a single pane of glass that extends to include grey space, white space, IT, networking, storage, cloud, and connectivity - the idea to being to create a unified view, irrespective of the departmental lens.

Going back to the example of IT needing to make a change. Imagine if there was a straightforward and fast way to visualize its ripple effects, communicate the change effectively, and automate the subsequent workflows and ticketing systems. In essence, what if we could create a common language between departments?

This tool would empower every stakeholder to understand the cause and effect of changes in real-time across cooling, power, space, and capacity – a platform that gives you a bird's-eye view of your data center’s intricacies, drawing insights from digital twins and a comprehensive data lake that aggregates information from diverse toolsets and departments. 

Introducing XpedITe and the concept of Universal Intelligent Infrastructure Management (UIIM)

Far beyond being an aspiration, this platform already exists today. It’s precisely what XpedITe brings to the table.

XpedITe can act as a single federated platform allowing multiple integrations to cover the entire data center estate.It is a transformative Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) solution offering a centralized platform that amalgamates infrastructure, network and people space management.

Our solution eliminates the longstanding barriers between departments, establishing a common ground for effective data center management by streamlining collaboration, operations, and decision-making through a single pane of glass. 

With XpedITe on side, data center units can move away from disputes and embrace harmony, leaning on our tool to finally speak the same language - all while saving costs and boosting all important energy efficiency.