Moves, adds, and changes (MAC) is the routine upkeeping of computing equipment to keep systems up-to-date and in alignment with user requirements. MAC is typically conducted by the IT team and includes installations, decommissions, relocations, and upgrades. The implementation of an effective MAC program allows for the tracking of all changes to the data center environment and often includes:
- Hardware or software upgrades
- Equipment swaps or replacements
- Data center consolidations
- Data center migrations
- New account setup
- User account/access changes
Why are Moves, Adds, and Changes Important?
Modern data centers are constantly changing and they continue to become more dense, complex, and distributed. Today’s business initiatives require organizations to secure, leverage, and analyze massive amounts and varieties of data, and data center professionals must be able to provision as fast as possible in order to meet IT resource demand.
To address this demand with agility, successful IT organizations must quickly respond to demand for services and applications with corresponding moves, adds, and changes in the data center. The three elements of MAC include:
- Moves. Moving often involves the physical relocation of hardware, equipment, and devices. It is a typically a very complex process that is more than merely picking something up and moving it elsewhere. Moving requires connections to be removed, devices to be uninstalled, and the proper packaging of materials before they are shipped to a new location. Complications within the moving process may result in expensive damages to essential equipment, which can decrease an organization's efficiency and therefore decrease uptime.
- Adds. Since data centers are constantly changing, it is imperative that organizations keep pace with constant upgrades to their infrastructure. This may include upgrading and enhancing new hardware/software platforms, or it could include the introduction of new platforms altogether. These additions are intended to maximize the output of the organization with the most cost-effective, efficient solution.
- Changes. The change process usually involves the modification or replacement of existing hardware/software. Change is needed when a piece of equipment exceeds its useful life and decreases the efficiency of the system. The repair or replacement may be applied to the targeted piece of equipment, or the system as a whole may need to be altered depending on the complexity of the change. Change is primarily intended to build on existing systems, set new configurations, back up data, and set recovery.
How Does DCIM Facilitate Moves, Adds, and Changes?
Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software allows data center teams to better manage change within the data center by optimizing operations, assets, and infrastructure. With DCIM software, you can accurately track detailed information about all your assets and supporting infrastructure, understand all power and network connections without having to be onsite, and can monitor power and environmental sensor data in real-time to improve capacity planning.
This information, plus the built-in work order management system in modern DCIM solutions, dramatically simplifies data center change management. The built-in system covers every step from issue request, approve request, issue work order, and complete work order. This enables you to remove unnecessary steps and delays from manual efforts, verify that all information is within the request and all parties are informed, and coordinate and eliminate duplicate requests.
With DCIM software, you can oversee the status of all moves, adds, and changes including who made the request, work order details, start date, current status, actions taken, and complete date.
DCIM software can also easily integrate with your existing ticketing system to allow for moves, adds, and changes to be completed more efficiently with a reduced risk of failure and downtime.
Want to see how Sunbird’s world-leading DCIM software makes it easy for you to manage moves, adds, and changes in your data center? Get your free test drive now!
