Supply Chain Challenges with COVID-19

Navigating Data Center Supply Chain Challenges During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global supply chains in unprecedented ways. While empty grocery store shelves became a common sight, data centers faced their own critical shortages—especially in sourcing essential equipment.

The New Reality: Limited Equipment Availability

With manufacturers stockpiling components and production delays widespread, acquiring new hardware became a major challenge. So, what can data center managers do when new equipment isn’t available? The answer: optimize what you already have.

Step 1: Implement Intelligent Asset Management

Many organizations have historically over-provisioned or abandoned equipment. Now is the time to take stock and use existing assets more intelligently.

Start at the receiving dock:

• Are new assets scanned and logged into a centralized database?
• Do you use an automated system, or are you still relying on spreadsheets?
• Can you track assets from delivery to deployment—and eventually decommissioning?

Nlyte’s DCIM software helps automate this entire process:

• Automatically logs received assets
• Tracks their status (reserved, uncommitted, in use)
• Uses workflow automation to ensure assets are deployed efficiently—not forgotten in storage

Step 2: Maximize Capacity Planning

Understanding server utilization is key to getting the most from your infrastructure:

• Are workloads evenly distributed?
• Do you know which virtual machines are running on which physical servers?
• Is this data shared across your ITSM systems to avoid unnecessary purchases?

Nlyte’s tools provide:

• Detailed server utilization metrics
• Visibility into virtual workloads
• Identification of underused or “zombie” servers that can be repurposed

This allows you to optimize from a single server to the entire facility—boosting efficiency and reducing waste.

Step 3: Optimize Across the Hybrid Cloud

Optimization doesn’t stop at utilization—it extends to performance and cost-efficiency:

• Are older servers being used effectively?
• Could some applications be moved to less expensive environments or the public cloud?
• Are some applications underperforming due to poor resource allocation?

With Nlyte, you gain the visibility needed to:

• Evaluate server age and performance
• Reassign workloads to better-suited environments
• Improve energy efficiency and reduce operational costs

Conclusion: Do More with What You Have

In times of supply chain uncertainty, the smartest move is to make the most of your existing infrastructure. With intelligent asset management, capacity planning, and hybrid cloud optimization, Nlyte empowers you to maintain performance—even when new equipment is hard to come by.