AixBOMS and DCIM Features

DCIM-Systeme werden zur Verwaltung und Überwachung von Rechenzentren eingesetzt.

DCIM systems are used for the planning and management of data centres. The tasks include, in addition to classic configuration and change management of the contained hardware and software components, their optimal placement within available rack space and their physical connections. With DCIM 2.0, the holistic management approach was extended to power and climate control and real-time measurement of critical consumption data. Today, service-based functions such as customer-oriented allocation, monitoring and billing of services and components are also essential.

The weaknesses of DCIM systems with a holistic management approach

The holistic approach is less about obtaining a single tool that fulfills all DCIM functions and more about improving the interplay between different products. Only in this way can an expandable and future-proof solution be achieved in the heterogeneous system landscape of a data centre. However, both sides must contribute: on the one hand, the manufacturers of the data centre components, who allow them to be managed and monitored via standardised or at least open methods, and on the other hand, a DCIM system that can apply these methods and incorporate the results into its holistic analyses. While many network components and software systems can already be monitored today using well-known monitoring tools and SNMP, manufacturers of many power and climate components often still stick to their dedicated tools.

What DCIM properties does AixBOMS offer?

The AixBOMS Suite comprises several modules, each focusing on a key DCIM discipline. AixBOMS DCIM focuses on the management and planning of data centres. In addition to intelligent floor plans and distribution cabinet views, it offers phase-accurate power documentation. The graphics are easily editable and support planning modes for testing and preparing future changes. The 1:1 link between graphic elements and current database content is exceptional, meaning it makes no difference whether you make changes in the graphics or via the database GUI forms. AixBOMS knows all important data centre components such as servers, racks, PDUs, sensors, etc., as well as their typical properties and relationships. Data centre management particularly benefits from the pre-populated component masks and integrated control mechanisms that prevent a variety of input and configuration errors. Other AixBOMS modules offer customer-based billing and impact analyses (BSM), cable and connection management, IPv4/v6 address management (Networking), Nagios integration, etc., and can also be seamlessly combined with each other in the graphics.

The integration of DCIM systems into AixBOMS

AixBOMS does not possess a monitoring function for data centre components because we have pursued a manufacturer-independent and holistic approach from the outset. However, the lack of standardisation for this discipline currently does not allow for a universal solution. In the networking sector, the SNMP approach is widespread, which some manufacturers of power and climate components also follow nowadays.

 

Therefore, we have extended AixBOMS with the AixBOMS.DCM.Measurement module, which handles both the querying and configuration of SNMP agents. The configuration data, just like the measurement results, are stored in the AixBOMS database and can be accessed via the AixBOMS GUI. The user benefits from the template- and rule-based input options, as AixBOMS also offers them for all other modules. Pre-assignments and mass configurations make the management of a large number of similar sensors convenient and secure. For displaying measurement values, AixBOMS offers suitable dashboards, where the results of multiple sensors can also be compared with each other. Monitoring threshold values is a standard function of AixBOMS DCIM and is also applicable to sensor results.

 

The AixBOMS solution offers even more interesting functions for sensor connectivity:

  • AixBOMS remembers the normalisation factors for each sensor so that the results from different sensors can be compared.
  • The user can configure which SNMP values are queried and how often; SNMP access protection is supported.
  • AixBOMS calculates averages for older measurements.
  • AixBOMS handles sensor data independently of the protocol, meaning that sensors are not distinguished by protocol when displaying and managing their data.