Top 10 Data Center Management Trends of 2021

What a difference a year makes.

Each year, data center, lab, and edge sites become more complex, more distributed, and more difficult to manage. Managers must stay up to date on the latest trends and advancements in data center management best practices and technologies to maintain uptime, increase the efficiency of capacity utilization, and improve the productivity of people.

As the year ends, let’s look at the top 10 trends in data center management that the best professionals in the industry are leveraging to manage their data centers better and more easily than ever before.

Follow these examples to simplify how you manage your data centers in 2022 and beyond.

1. Automation via integration. Data center managers are increasingly leveraging APIs to integrate systems and automate data center operations, saving them time and increasing data accuracy. For example, Workday’s automation use cases include provisioning and orchestration, VM data management, and device state tracking, MacStadium automates back-office processing to streamline operations, and The University of Chicago is making DCIM software “the center of the universe” for the data center, integrating it with VMware, ServiceNow, monitoring tools, Slack, Teams, and much more.
2. Automatic device power budgeting. Leading data center professionals are increasing efficiency and simplifying power capacity planning by using DCIM software to automatically calculate power budget profiles for each device instance (e.g., make/model of a server) based on trended actual power utilization. With this feature, eBay reduced new cabinet buildouts by 33% and saved $120,000 on one project alone.
3. Increased use of other automation capabilities. Cutting-edge data center managers have realized the enormous potential of automation. In addition to the examples above, managers are increasingly following data center automation best practices and leveraging scheduled charts and reports, a business rules engine, automatic backup of rack PDU configurations, request and work order email notifications, and thresholds and alerts on rack, inlet, and circuit breaker loads, three-phase balance, circuit breaker state change, and environmental conditions.
4. Data center management remains remote. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an explosion in demand for digital services, increased work from home with minimal onsite staff, and a focus on increasing efficiency and reducing costs. These changes only accelerated trends already underway such as more complex and distributed data centers, increased need for remote planning and collaboration tools, and a need for more accurate instructions for smart hands. With remote data center management now the new normal, managers have found ways to transform that challenge into an opportunity to improve. For example, Delta Dental uses remote data center management software to visualize their data center assets and connections in 3D, accurately measure cable lengths before purchase and installation, improve change management, and more.
5. Cybersecurity is a top priority. From JBS paying an $11 million ransom to an attempted poisoning of Florida’s water supply, 2021 was a year full of high-profile cyberattacks. Data center managers need to secure their critical infrastructure and follow best practices to protect their organizations’ data. One key way that data center professionals achieve this is by centralizing firmware updates of critical power infrastructure such as intelligent rack PDUs. Firmware updates can be rolled out in bulk to fix security vulnerabilities and protect the organization from cyberthreats.
6. Centralized tracking and management of parts. For years, it was common practice for data center managers to use difficult, manual, and error-prone spreadsheets to track their parts inventory. Now, leading organizations like Merck and Workday are leveraging parts management functionality in data center management software that allows them to easily and automatically manage their hard drives, cards, memory modules, patch cables, SFPs, and any other component.
7. Enhancing existing busway deployments. It’s no secret that data center busways reduce installation costs and improve flexibility, scalability, and reliability. However, data center managers are now monitoring and managing busways better than ever before. They are remotely visualizing busways in 3D, accurately tracking and managing busway assets, tracking the full details of each tap box, simplifying three-phase load balancing, and more to maintain uptime, increase efficiency, and improve productivity.
8. Increased focus on data center sustainability. From 2010 to 2018, global computing output increased 600% while energy consumption only rose 6%. Now with an eye on sustainability, many organizations have set goals to reduce or eliminate their data center carbon footprint with new cooling technologies, more energy efficient infrastructure, and following best practices such as measuring energy usage, reporting on PUE in real-time, and safely raising temperatures while remaining within ASHRAE guidelines.
9. Better infrastructure project management. Data center managers struggle to efficiently manage installation, decommission, and refresh projects from creation to completion. Even the most experienced experts cannot avoid the pain of swivel chair interfaces. They waste time copying and pasting information between a multitude of spreadsheets, online forms, ticketing systems, and project management tools to keep infrastructure projects moving and track project status. However, with new infrastructure project management functionality in DCIM software, companies like Accenture, Comcast, Emerson, and Merck can consolidate project management tools and processes to be more efficient with streamlined processes and improved collaboration to ensure every project is completed on time and on budget.
10. Second-generation DCIM continues to provide quantifiable ROI. Leading DCIM customers are sharing their success stories to help other data center professionals resolve their pain points and simplify data center management. Many data center experts have come forward this year to get the word out that second-generation DCIM software provides fast and quantifiable ROI. Read the new case studies to learn how Comcast is getting 40% more usage out of facilities and power sources, Paddy Power Betfair has 900% more users on their system compared to their first-generation DCIM vendor, Metro is saving 90% of their time spent checking equipment, and Emerson is spending 25% less time managing assets, locations, and connectivity.

How to Dramatically Simplify Data Center Management in 2022

Data center managers’ priorities going into 2022 include increasing automation, increasing sustainability, bolstering security, and enhancing their ability to remotely manage their infrastructure.

To succeed next year and beyond, you only have to look at the data center managers on the cutting edge who share what works and what doesn’t. As their stories in the above examples show, this year they have spoken clearly that second-generation DCIM software works.

Since these trends will only become more prevalent in 2022, it’s critical that you begin preparing to adapt to them now. With yearly data center project budgets ready to be closed out, it’s the ideal time to consider how DCIM software can help you prepare for next year and beyond.

Want to see why customers agree that Sunbird’s world-leading DCIM software is changing the way data centers are managed? Get your free test drive today!