We had the opportunity to join 451 Research for a live webinar entitled “Transforming Data Center Performance Through Automated Infrastructure Control.” The presenters were Rhonda Ascierto who is the Research Director of Data Centers and Critical Infrastructure for 451 Research and our very own Aaron Peterson, Vice President of RunSmart™ Software. In case you missed this webinar, don’t worry – here are our thoughts on the key takeaways from the event.

 

1.Whether cloud, colocation or on premise data center, all businesses ultimately want to have control over their data management and performance.

Ascierto stated, “The challenge facing us is how to manage cloud, colocation, and data centers together; what is critical, is control”. To successfully take control of their data infrastructure management, firms need to have the ability, visibility, efficiency, orchestration/integration and last, but certainly not least, automation.
To build on the concept of automated control, Ascierto spoke of the need for flexibility and scalability for data centers dependent upon the needs of the firm. The Internet of Things (IoT) and data centers pair strongly, but not always consistently. Ascierto added, “the threat of cloud to enterprise and colocation is real and will only intensify,” meaning to even the playing field, the integration of multiple levels with accurate automation software is vital to successful infrastructure management efficiency.

2. The majority of firms overprovision their data center capacity.

Currently, the role of data center management software is measured by the maturity level directly affecting an organization’s efficiency and agility. Levels are scaling from one to five, with three representing real-time data and proactive tools, and with level four cutting edge time to include automation. Statistics show 61% of firms are overprovisioning and missing the opportunity to flatten power use within their data center. Automation software enables the organization to “Power Cap” or “Move Load” for effective stabilization, energy efficiency, and finical savings.
Peterson of RunSmart Software presented use cases to show how software is used to reach a higher level of efficiency. By providing visibility to users to understand how much capacity is being used, where the available capacity resides, decision making becomes faster and more efficient. “You need to see data over time to determine peak levels; and to mitigate future overprovisioning,” commented Peterson. Using a current customer as an example where the RunSmart Software features generated visual reports, Peterson showed how reports displayed by business unit the utilization of servers, real-time cost and targeted servers that were being underutilized by the firm. These results allowed for the customer to identify the specific culprits, take manual control and gain back capacity.

3. Advanced security needs are still paramount with high-functioning Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) systems.

While technology advancements have given us the freedom of control, today’s DCIM software should still provide users with the needed security for their activities. Action can be taken from one’s desktop in the office to their phone while watching little Teddy’s baseball game. RunSmart Software is no exception and security is a priority; “We leverage standard html5 interfaces and do not use third party multimedia platforms like flash, which significantly reduces security risks,” said Peterson.

 

Automated control, capacity provisioning, and efficient, proactive decision making are just a few key components of how data center performance can be transformed through automated infrastructure management software. To learn more about infrastructure management technology, check out the full webinar here. We appreciate everyone’s participation and thank 451 Research for their collaboration with RunSmart. If you have any additional questions about RunSmart or would like a demo, please visit us at runsmartsoftware.com or contact [email protected]. Cheers!