iTRACS named a Gartner Cool Vendor in DCIM tools

iTRACS Named a Major Player in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Data Center Infrastructure Management

Print This Page
Home > Solutions > iCDC™ > FAQs

FAQs

  1. How does iTRACS Converged Data Center™ (iCDC™) assist in the commissioning of data center assets?
    iCDC contains a robust commissioning engine that allows administrators to define the types of assets permitted within their data centers and their configuration, including power, cooling, networking, and space requirements for the asset, as well as the components required with the asset. By defining the requirements of the asset up front, commissioning times can be shortened, and equipment standardized. Work from the commissioning engine can be assigned to different departments and business units, or integrated with an existing ticketing system. As work is completed the iTRACS database is updated automatically.

  2. Can I commission floor mounted assets (including PDU’s, storage, mainframes) as well as rack mounted equipment within iCDC?
    iCDC allows users to plan for and track the installation, movement, and removal of any data center asset including floor mounted equipment.

  3. How can iCDC help determine the impact of a loss of power at the strip, PDU, UPS, ATS, transformer, or utility?
    Thanks to iCDC’s robust connectivity modeling, users can quickly report, and visualize, power and data loss from any asset within the data center. For example, a user can report from a transformer all of the power equipment and network equipment that could potentially be impacted by its failure.

    Preconfigured and user-defined reports provide insight into events, assets, trends, and other metrics important to the enterprise.

  4. How does iCDC help improve my Move Adds and Changes (MAC)?
    iCDC provides detailed change orders and for physical infrastructure changes. For many organizations actions of this type are typically informal (e.g. technician will “find” an available circuit and note what they did in the field). By formalizing the tracking of physical changes organizations can being to gain a greater understanding the status of their infrastructure. This improved understanding can help organizations make future changes, even radical ones, with a greater level of comfort.

    The improved documentation can also assist some organizations as they look to measure compliance with change control regulations (e.g. financial, utility, pharmaceutical).

  5. How does iCDC allow me to visualize my data center?
    iCDC allows users to view their facilities data in multiple ways, including full 3D visualization, full end-to-end connectivity traces, dashboards and reports.

  6. How does iCDC help me visualize connectivity?
    iCDC includes a robust feature known as the Circuit Trace. This circuit trace provides three important pieces of information:

    • It provides each hop, or connection, within the full circuit, whether the circuit is a copper, fiber, power, SAN, or LAN circuit.
    • It provides the full hierarchical or parent tree for each hop. This allows users to quickly see where each hop is located within the physical network.
    • It provides the type and name of the cable used to create the connection.

  7. Is connectivity management really necessary for my data center?
    More traditional data center management tools focus on the location of an asset and the amount of power the device is consuming. Focusing data center infrastructure management only on these two points leaves an organization vulnerable to costly downtime and unplanned outages. By documenting connectivity (power and network), customers can have a more complete understanding of their facility.

    By understanding power connectivity, customers can more easily review power redundancy strategies and calculate power usage at all levels within the power grid.

    By understanding network connectivity customers can more quickly deploy and move assets within the data center. Customers can also more efficiently utilize existing investments and track down errors when they occur.

  8. Does iCDC support intelligent infrastructure management systems?
    Yes, iCDC is fully compatible with iTRACS certified hardware. Hardware is currently available from AMPNetconnect, Nexans, and Siemon.

  9. How can iCDC help forecast future capacity requirements for space, power, cooling, network, etc.?
    iCDC contains a unique feature named Future View. Future view allows users to visualize the future state of the facility. In addition users can run numerous reports, or build their own reports to display and calculate utilization.

  10. How does iCDC track power usage?
    iTRACS Converged Data Center tracks power usage at 4 different levels:

    • iTRACS will utilize manufacturing nameplate information. This value represents “worse case” power usage, and is typically provided by hardware manufactures.
    • The second level of power iTRACS will track is benchmark, or D-Rating. This is a power value defined by the user.
    • The third level is a manually entered value for the asset’s actual power draw.
    • The final level of power is tracked by querying the device (or the attached power provider) to return the actual amount of power being consumed. This fourth value is the most accurate, but may be difficult for existing data centers to capture reliability.

    iCDC will utilize the most accurate value available when returning a power rating. Power ratings are also summarized “upstream” to help users collect information about the total amount of power being provided by an asset (e.g. PDU or transformer).

  11. What data points can I track against my assets? Can I track warranty info, lease, line of business, owner, etc.?
    iCDC comes predefined with a number of different data points per asset types. In addition, users can add their own data point for any asset type. These data points can be searched and reported on. Users can track warranty, lease, and line of business information.

  12. We have multiple sites and/or a very large data center. How large of a facility can iCDC support?
    iCDC is in use today in large sites across multiple industries. Of course our solutions are also used by smaller companies and sites as well.

  13. Can iCDC help me manage my colocation or managed service provider data center?
    Yes, iCDC has a variety of tools that can assist organizations with these environments better manage their IT processes and information (both providers and consumers). Please contact an authorized sales representative to learn more.

  14. What reporting capability exists? Can we use Crystal reports?
    iCDC contains three different types of reports:

    • Crystal Reports® and Xcelsius® dashboards are utilized to provide executive dashboards and summary reports within the same database, or across multiple iCDC databases. In addition to the reports provided by iTRACS, users can create their own reports or dashboards. Crystal Reports and Xcelsius dashboards are run from an external reporting tool which can be installed independently from iTRACS. Reports and dashboards can also be run via the customers’ existing reporting applications. While iTRACS utilizes Crystal Reports and Xcelsius, data is compatible with other enterprise reporting tools.
    • An internal excel style report viewer which allows users to return information from the iTRACS database. Reports can be generated from within iTRACS or via the web.
    • iTRACS dashboards can return graphical, visual, and textual data about the status of the facility. iTRACS dashboards are available both within iTRACS and via the web.

  15. Can we set thresholds for space, power, network utilization and generate emails or alerts when they are exceeded?
    Yes, users can define thresholds and be notified when they are exceeded.

  16. Does iCDC support integration with intelligent power strips? How about environmental monitors?
    Yes, iCDC is compatible with networked and SNMP enabled power strips and environmental monitors. iCDC can also integrate with centralized monitoring solutions such as Liebert® SiteScan®.

  17. My facilities utilize consolidation points. Can these be documented?
    Yes, iCDC allow users to document any type of connection from copper to fiber, LAN, SAN, WAN, and power too.

  18. What ROI can I expect to receive?
    Returns on investment are typically unique for each organization. Even two businesses within the same vertical market may experience different returns based on their specific needs. Please contact an iTRACS sales representative or iTRACS authorized reseller to learn what iTRACS solutions can provide to your business and the potential return you could see.

  19. What level of security access does iCDC have?
    iCDC contains detailed security access at the function level. Administrators can define who can perform specific functions. Dashboards can also be configured to limit access of specific users to certain locations.

  20. What types of user interfaces does iCDC include?
    iCDC includes a web interface, full client application, an external reporting interface which allows users to report across multiple databases, and finally a small client application that allows users to quickly search and report on information.