Environmental Monitoring Channel Feature

Rackwise to Release New Version of Data Center Monitoring Solution

By Anshu Shrivastava
TMCnet Contributor

Rackwise, a software and services provider of data center monitoring solutions, plans to release version 3.6 of its core DCiM software product, the Rackwise Data Center Manager (DCM (News - Alert)), in April.

As per the terms of its recently executed multi-year software integration and license agreement with Intel, which was announced during the fourth quarter of 2011, Rackwise and Intel (News - Alert) will jointly market the Rackwise DCM version 3.6 worldwide. Initially, the companies plan to emphasis on the Asia-Pacific and European markets.

Jeff Klaus, director for Data Center Solutions at Intel, said that the Intel Data Center Manager combined with the Rackwise DCM helps provide data center managers and executives with extensive visibility into device level energy usage and thermal data which will enhance capacity planning, forecasting, performance monitoring and energy management for significant operational savings.

“The Rackwise DCM’s extensive visualization, reporting and analytics platform combined with information from Intel DCM will give data center personnel an unprecedented level of intelligent access and control over the physical and virtual assets within the data center,” Klaus said.

The Rackwise DCM 3.6, which is the newest version of DCiM product suite, is expected to include an extensive suite of new features such as enhanced device level real-time monitoring, enhanced power modeling, rich asset search, visualization, blade server management, fault impact analysis and business reporting analytics.

DCiM product suite has been designed and built on open standards, supporting integrations with data center monitoring solutions.

Company officials said that the new of version of the Rackwise DCM will “dramatically” extend device level monitoring capabilities through integration of the Intel DCM software solution.

Moreover, the new release is expected to offer the first implementation of real-time data gathering and reporting capabilities built around enhanced temperature/power monitoring, and failure analysis.

In addition to extended visibility and analytics at the device, advantages of this feature also include rack, floor and all other levels of the data center infrastructure.

With the new production, data center personnel and executives can monitor and manage advanced analytics related to capacity, energy management and potential failure modes. Company officials said that the increased visibility into blade server enclosures will allow asset tracking and reporting at all levels of modules contained within the enclosure.

Plus, global search features will allow access to all levels of data modeled within the solution, including visualization of devices, modules, racks and floor-mounted equipment; and the power management enhancements include additional detailed modeling throughout the data center power chain.

“This announcement marks the initial product launch pursuant to the agreements with Intel to develop and introduce ground-breaking capabilities for the data center infrastructure management market,” said Guy A. Archbold, CEO at Rackwise.

In addition to monitoring energy usage and thermal data, it is important to monitor other environmentals in the data center to ensure that critical infrastructure is protected. One company that was established to safeguard your infrastructure is ITWatchDogs, a leading provider of environmental monitoring solutions.

Recently, Mo Sheikh, marketing programs manager at ITWatchDogs, sat down with TMCnet to discuss the importance of in-row monitoring – or monitoring the top, middle, bottom, side, front, back, etc., of the server rack because temperatures can vary in different parts of the rack based on how much a server may be processing.

ITWatchDogs has just the unit as it offers its MiniGoose II monitor, an environmental monitor that provides Web-based remote surveillance, logging and graphing of temperature and connected sensors.  MiniGoose II supports 16 additional sensors using splitters available at low cost and is especially useful for monitoring environmental conditions in critical applications such as data center aisle rack monitoring, computer server rooms, network closets, laboratories and other critical facilities. 

“The MiniGoose II allows for a very economical package for monitoring top/middle/bottom temperature of up to five racks for as little as $689,” Mo Sheikh, marketing programs manager for ITWatchDogs, told TMCnet.