Second-generation Data Center Infrastructure Management (also known as DCIM G2) is the class of modern, elegant software emerging from traditional DCIM products to dramatically simplify data center management. Second-generation DCIM software addresses the pain points of legacy products, providing specific capabilities and features designed to help data center managers make smarter operational decisions. While first-generation counterparts did not deliver satisfactory results, users of DCIM G2 report high satisfaction rates and fast return-on-investment.
Legacy DCIM tools were not designed with the complexity of modern data center environments in mind. Second-generation DCIM software improves upon its forebears with enhanced versions of monitoring and operations features specifically designed to solve real-world customer problems.
The main drivers behind second-generation DCIM are:
- Massive volume and variety of data requiring significant compute and transactional data center resources
- Increased affordability of intelligent PDUs and other smart devices, with more sensors collecting more data
- Increased competitiveness in the colocation market
- Data center consolidation, virtualization, edge, and cloud computing
- Data center management software market consolidation
- Integration of new technologies into DCIM solutions to replace aging or outdated technology
- Increased consumer education based on previous experience with DCIM tools
Key Components of Second-Generation DCIM
- Super-fast deployment time. Deployment takes half the time of first-generation tools, with significantly fewer resources and effort, and users see benefits immediately.
- Complete suite of features of capabilities. All the aspects of data center management are covered, such as asset, capacity, change, energy, power, environment, security, connectivity, visualization, and business intelligence and analytics.
- Zero-configuration analytics. Without any tedious configuration effort, users automatically get pre-built dashboards, reports, and interactive visual analytics similar to what you’d find from commercial business intelligence tools.
- Automation via integration. Time and effort are reduced by eliminating multiple manual data entry. Out-of-the-box ITSM connectors share data across disparate databases through automatic integration.
- Compatibility with what you have. All third-party equipment can be managed with standards-based plug-ins and without being locked into specific vendors.
- Extreme scalability. Enterprise-class scalability that scales to handle millions of assets and sensors polling billions of data points daily without needing additional software licenses and server instances.
- Ease of use. Complex data center management tasks are dramatically simplified with minimal mouse movements and clicks.
- Data-driven collaboration. Silos created by traditional practices that separate power, network, facilities, and other teams are broken down by introducing shared dashboards and team views that encourage information sharing and collaboration.
- AI and machine learning innovation. Tasks are automated via machine learning algorithms to save time. For example, the Auto Power Budget algorithm reduces the time, effort, and risk of capacity planning, enabling users to eliminate stranded rack power and space capacity.
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