Success Story
DCIM at the Debeka insurance group
Flexible documentation across multiple data centers
Sabine Genau
Editor at Wordfinder Ltd. & Co KG in Hamburg
Success Story
DCIM at the Debeka insurance group
Flexible documentation across multiple data centers
DCIM at the Debeka insurance group
There is a lot to organize in a data center so that all processes can run smoothly. Even more planning effort is required when several data centers need to be networked with one another. The Debeka Group was also faced with this task.
If data centers are to interact with one another, on the one hand the organization has the IT infrastructure with servers, racks, storage systems and other components. On the other hand, the power supply, air conditioning and cabling must be provided. Another challenge is space planning in the data center.
When the Debeka Group had to plan a new data center on its agenda, it also had to overcome this complexity. In order to be able to bring all the pending points under one roof, it decided to use the DCIM software (DCIM = Data Center Infrastructure Management) VM.7 from the provider AT+C EDV GmbH.
The Connection Manager and Facility Manager modules proved to be suitable for the requirements of the Debeka Group, as they could be integrated into the existing infrastructure. Another tool for power monitoring was added.
Flexibility as a basis for finding solutions
Debeka's two existing redundant data centers at its headquarters in Koblenz were no longer able to cope with the company's growth. The new data center construction required by the company brought with it the task of finding a software solution for data center management.
Jan Groß, the group leader responsible for data center management at Debeka, said: We needed professional software that would make information management more transparent and flexible. In addition, the graphical visualization of all components and interfaces in the data centers should be simplified and data should be able to be maintained in a comprehensible manner.
The connections between all IT/telecommunications/distribution components and intermediate stations as well as the views and plans of buildings, rooms, cabinets and servers on the front and back should be clearly displayed. The cable management also wanted to be optimized. The solution should make it possible for all employees to enter data into the system in a comprehensible manner, said Groß.
Optimally configured interfaces were required so that the information they were looking for could be found and accessed by any employee anywhere and at any time across all data centers. In the selection process, a decision matrix helped the committee through the entire process in which the competing products were compared with each other. The product VM.7 from AT+C EDV GmbH proved to be particularly flexible, so that the existing structures could be integrated into the new system.
Optimized information flow with less effort
The implementation of the DCIM system began in 2013. The first step was to record the newly built data center with its floor plan, rooms, cabinets and cabling. With the support of AT+C, this task was completed within a few weeks.
The second step was to create an interface to the HP Service Manager. An SNMP interface for querying energy values was implemented in 2015 as the last component to date.
We are very satisfied with the collaboration during the construction of our new data center, says Jan Groß. During the user training for the colleagues who work with the new solution, the AT+C speaker took a lot of time and answered the questions of the various participants individually.
After the training, the users rate the usability as intuitive. Debeka is also satisfied with the support: After the one-off increase in the effort required for integration, the documentation effort in daily operations has been significantly reduced and the level of acceptance of the new system is very high. If you have any questions, AT+C is always available at short notice and quickly comes up with solutions, Groß continues.
Expansion not excluded
According to users, the uniform documentation of all Debeka data centers works smoothly, and the flexible access to information that was desired is also available. In addition, an SNMP interface for querying energy values was implemented, so that power monitoring could also be optimized with the help of AT+C.
It is therefore not surprising that Debeka is already thinking about further expanding the product. Although no specific measures are planned at the moment, VM.7 works so well for the company that they will turn to AT+C again when building the next data center: The expansion of the system to other areas of data center management is likely, summarizes Jan Groß.
Author: Sabine Genau
Image source: Debeka Group
DCIM at the Debeka insurance group
There is a lot to organize in a data center so that all processes can run smoothly. Even more planning effort is required when several data centers need to be networked with one another. The Debeka Group was also faced with this task.
If data centers are to interact with one another, on the one hand the organization has the IT infrastructure with servers, racks, storage systems and other components. On the other hand, the power supply, air conditioning and cabling must be provided. Another challenge is space planning in the data center.
When the Debeka Group had to plan a new data center on its agenda, it also had to overcome this complexity. In order to be able to bring all the pending points under one roof, it decided to use the DCIM software (DCIM = Data Center Infrastructure Management) VM.7 from the provider AT+C EDV GmbH.
The Connection Manager and Facility Manager modules proved to be suitable for the requirements of the Debeka Group, as they could be integrated into the existing infrastructure. Another tool for power monitoring was added.
Flexibility as a basis for finding solutions
Debeka's two existing redundant data centers at its headquarters in Koblenz were no longer able to cope with the company's growth. The new data center construction required by the company brought with it the task of finding a software solution for data center management.
Jan Groß, the group leader responsible for data center management at Debeka, said: We needed professional software that would make information management more transparent and flexible. In addition, the graphical visualization of all components and interfaces in the data centers should be simplified and data should be able to be maintained in a comprehensible manner.
The connections between all IT/telecommunications/distribution components and intermediate stations as well as the views and plans of buildings, rooms, cabinets and servers on the front and back should be clearly displayed. The cable management also wanted to be optimized. The solution should make it possible for all employees to enter data into the system in a comprehensible manner, said Groß.
Optimally configured interfaces were required so that the information they were looking for could be found and accessed by any employee anywhere and at any time across all data centers. In the selection process, a decision matrix helped the committee through the entire process in which the competing products were compared with each other. The product VM.7 from AT+C EDV GmbH proved to be particularly flexible, so that the existing structures could be integrated into the new system.
Optimized information flow with less effort
The implementation of the DCIM system began in 2013. The first step was to record the newly built data center with its floor plan, rooms, cabinets and cabling. With the support of AT+C, this task was completed within a few weeks.
The second step was to create an interface to the HP Service Manager. An SNMP interface for querying energy values was implemented in 2015 as the last component to date.
We are very satisfied with the collaboration during the construction of our new data center, says Jan Groß. During the user training for the colleagues who work with the new solution, the AT+C speaker took a lot of time and answered the questions of the various participants individually.
After the training, the users rate the usability as intuitive. Debeka is also satisfied with the support: After the one-off increase in the effort required for integration, the documentation effort in daily operations has been significantly reduced and the level of acceptance of the new system is very high. If you have any questions, AT+C is always available at short notice and quickly comes up with solutions, Groß continues.
Expansion not excluded
According to users, the uniform documentation of all Debeka data centers works smoothly, and the flexible access to information that was desired is also available. In addition, an SNMP interface for querying energy values was implemented, so that power monitoring could also be optimized with the help of AT+C.
It is therefore not surprising that Debeka is already thinking about further expanding the product. Although no specific measures are planned at the moment, VM.7 works so well for the company that they will turn to AT+C again when building the next data center: The expansion of the system to other areas of data center management is likely, summarizes Jan Groß.
Author: Sabine Genau
Image source: Debeka Group
