Top 10 Steps to a Successful DCIM Deployment

By now, most data center operators are well aware of the benefits and value Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software offers in ensuring operating at peak capacity, while increasing uptime and reducing risk. However, installing a DCIM solution is not a 10 minute process.

To save time and successfully deploy a DCIM solution, facility managers and data center operators must be patient and methodical regarding the installation process. It’s worth the time investment.  Here are 10 steps that will help to ensure a smooth DCIM onboarding experience.

1. Outline your desired achievements first and determine exactly what you want to measure and improve. Then start by answering these questions:
   1. What do you want to measure and improve?
   2. Do you have specific goals you need or want to reach?
   3. Who needs to see and understand the data you collect and analyze?
2. Align business goals and priorities.
   Ensure that your business goals are in sync with the plans of the larger organization.
3. Decide your data capture intervals, for example, every 3 sec., 10 sec., 30 sec., or 120 seconds. Then determine:
   1. When the data becomes more cumbersome than the information is worth.
   2. How much of this data has to be stored long-term?
4. Classify and configure alarms correctly.
   Set your thresholds and then assign the right personnel to be informed in the event a limit is approached or reached.
5. Review various BMS integrations.
   Ideally, your selected DCIM solution should integrate easily with your current systems, to create a “single pane of glass” view of your facility.
6. Protect your data systems.
   This not only concerns physical security but also cyber security, including the development process of the DCIM solution.
7. Don’t attempt it all at once; take a phased approach.
   Start with the simplest improvements to gain quick wins. Then slowly roll the program out.
8. Provide role-focused training to ensure DCIM adoption across your entire organization.
   If individuals on your team are confident in their roles and see the value of the information the DCIM software provides, it will become a trusted part of their daily routines.
9. Maintain scalability to avoid overloading the DCIM.
   Some information demands constant monitoring; some information doesn’t change too often. And most likely, polling could be less frequent.
10. Constantly improve and optimize.
    DCIM is a process, not a destination. Analysis of the data gathered by your DCIM solution will expose opportunities for changes across your organization for even greater efficiencies.

As with any software implementation, constant tweaking and care are vital.  DCIM is not a “set it and forget it” solution. The more the DCIM solution reveals about the state of the data center, the more improvements can be made. The data center is constantly evolving and so must the DCIM solution to obtain the best optimization.

Resources

Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Software | Nlyte

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