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1 A FieldView White Paper How Next Generation Monitoring Improves Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Introduction According to a global survey by DatacenterDynamics (DCD), data centers in the U.S. increased their use of energy by 36% between 2005 and 2010, while worldwide energy use by data centers increased by 56%. The same survey predicted an additional 19% of energy consumption between September 2011 and September Therefore, it comes as no surprise that increased energy costs are at the top of the list of challenges for the survey respondents, 44% of whom indicated that this trend will significantly impact their data center operations. It is also no surprise that energy concerns, lack of real-time visibility across data center portfolios, and green business initiatives, are behind the broad business drivers characterizing Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) today: Improving efficiencies managing and containing data center power costs is one of the biggest areas of change in Data Center Management over the past decade. In the past, skyrocketing electricity bills were rarely questioned and simply accepted as part of the cost of operating and protecting critical equipment and systems. Today, however, data center management teams are taking a hard look at electricity usage and asking strategic questions about where and how power is being used. Why is electric usage between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. exactly the same as it is between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. and why does it spike during those times? Where can we cut back? Are we over-provisioning in certain parts of the facility? These cost concerns apply not only to electricity, but also to gas, cooling, and additional power sources. Therefore, the ability to easily and reliably monitor power controls, power distribution equipment, and mechanical systems that dissipate the heat is critical to identifying ways to manage power more efficiently for significant cost savings. It is no surprise that energy concerns, lack of real-time visibility across data center portfolios, and green business initiatives, are behind the broad business drivers characterizing Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) today.

2 2 Visibility As organizations expand the number of data centers both nationally and globally, the ability to have a holistic view across the entire data center portfolio is essential. However, the use of antiquated methods of collecting data from individual silos of disparate Monitoring Systems and piecing together reports still persists despite that it s next to impossible to get a clear picture of power levels, server requirements, and other performance metrics across all data centers. Using multiple monitoring tools for data centers is like a 747 pilot using a sexton instead of the sophisticated navigation tools in the cockpit you see only a part of the picture. Instead, data center management needs a next generation tool that integrates multiple platforms for real-time monitoring and visibility across all facilities to support more timely and accurate decisions. Going green Going green is more than a buzz word for DCIM. Federal, state, and local governments are rewarding proactive organizations with attractive rebates and other monetary incentives for adopting environmental friendly operating practices not to mention pressure from environmental action groups for organizations to become good corporate citizens. Therefore, whether building new data centers or retrofitting existing ones, data center management teams are looking to integrated and interoperable technologies energy management, HVAC control, lighting control, temperature and humidity control, air quality, fire safety, and water consumption management to achieve green initiatives. All of these technologies, however, must be constantly and consistently monitored to ensure that they are in compliance with environmental regulations. To meet the complex monitoring challenges of both of these business drivers, the most effective DCIM strategy requires a next generation infrastructure monitoring system with advanced capabilities that go beyond the old fashioned functionality of traditional systems that are limited technically, especially in terms of connectivity options. However, while the challenges may be complex, this new breed of monitoring tools is designed to make device and system monitoring easier, more flexible, and more customizable across a wide range of user requirements.

3 3 This white paper will contrast the limitations of yesterday s traditional monitoring systems and the robust functionality of today s next generation systems. It will also discuss how these next generation systems can provide more visibility and flexibility that translates into better ways for management to manage and reduce power costs and pursue green initiatives. This paper will also give a real-world example of how a global corporation expanded its monitoring capability across facilities in 18 countries using the FieldView Solutions monitoring solution. Limitations of traditional monitoring systems The fact is that any monitoring system can do what it s designed to do monitor specific devices and infrastructure systems. But is it easy for all stakeholders to use? Can they work remotely? Most importantly, can the tool provide visibility and link to all devices whose malfunction potentially could damage expensive equipment and systems? Traditional monitoring systems severely limit the data center team s ability to efficiently monitor systems and respond to alerts in the following ways: Thick client -Requirements Most traditional monitoring systems have thick client protocols that do not support the modern concept of 24/7, anywhere connectivity in a mobile business environment. Also, installation and upgrades of thick client applications are costly and time consuming, especially for global companies with multiple data center facilities spread out over several continents. Even if the monitoring tool is installed on a laptop, the user must have a connection to the corporate network to access it. Therefore, a thick client protocol defeats the purpose of what the monitoring tool was designed to do easily and quickly communicate infrastructure alarms so that immediate action can be taken to correct it and protect expensive and sensitive equipment. Lack of real-time monitoring and portfolio visibility Gathering, blending and analyzing performance metrics from disparate monitoring systems across geographically dispersed data centers is time consuming and more prone to human error. As a result, the data center portfolio decisions based on these stitchedtogether silos of information are more likely to be based on old data, and therefore are likely to be skewed. In addition, without visibility into the entire data center portfolio, some facilities may be inadvertently passed over for building upgrades and infrastructure improvements. This paper will also give a real-world example of how a global corporation expanded its monitoring capability across facilities in 18 countries using the FieldView Solutions monitoring solution.

4 4 Per-user licensing To proactively monitor a facility, all stakeholders should be able to access the monitoring system. Per-user licensing that is typical with most traditional monitoring tools, makes giving that level of accessibility cost prohibitive for many organizations. Consequently, the people with the expertise and knowledge to best respond to certain types of alerts may not have access to the tool, causing further delays to resolving the problem. All of these restrictions are sizable roadblocks to proactively monitoring and managing power costs and maintaining green environmental conditions in order to avoid lost rebates for non-compliance. Organizations also risk damage to critical systems if an older monitoring system cannot deliver alerts to the right people in the fastest way possible. Fortunately, next generation infrastructure monitoring systems are available now that overcome all of these restrictions. Advantages of next generation monitoring systems Today s next generation infrastructure monitoring systems have advanced features that make monitoring in the data center environment easier and more flexible. Most importantly, these features provide real-time monitoring, and visibility of all data center systems and devices from power to environmental systems and fire protection and even asset management. When evaluating infrastructure monitoring solutions, identify the next generation monitoring solutions by the following advantages: Web-based front end for use with many different browsers Next generation monitoring tools have the flexibility associated with being browser based and deliver alarms via multiple devices. Users should be able to receive alarms via , via Web browser, as well as through traditional methods of phone and pager, and today s mobile devices. Whether working in the office, at home, or on the road, the right people can more quickly take proactive steps to fix the problem before it becomes critical. Today s next generation infrastructure monitoring systems have advanced features that make monitoring in the data center environment easier and more flexible.

5 5 Ease of use and integration Today s advanced monitoring tools are easy and intuitive for practically anyone in the organization to use. They are also easy to configure in-house, and consequently eliminate the time and cost of assistance from the vendor or a consultant. Inputting and manipulation of data is easier, as well, since next generation monitoring systems are vendor agnostic. This open source approach also eliminates the difficulty of integrating the monitoring system with other proprietary and third-party systems in the enterprise. Real-time monitoring of all devices and systems Real-time monitoring supports proactive infrastructure monitoring and event response by consolidating all infrastructure events into a single interface. A next generation solution will also be vendor neutral, so it can speak to all data center systems and devices with disparate protocols, including SNMP, Modbus, xml, OPC and BACnet. As such, users can see the real-time status of any device in the data center with just a few mouse clicks, giving them a single, high-level view of an entire global operation. This level of monitoring should also offer continuous logging of all alarms and alerts for chronological forensic reviews of each event. Internationalization Monitoring multiple facilities in different countries demands a monitoring system that can be easily configured with different measurement protocols voltage variations, temperature (Fahrenheit or Celsius), yards or meters, and time zones. This type of internationalization feature gives DCIM personnel the flexibility to streamline communication with offshore facilities, resulting in faster responses to alerts and alarms. Per-point licensing Advanced monitoring systems base cost on the number of points monitored, usually in increments of 1,000 points. Examples of a point are voltage, a current, a temperature, a liquid level, or other single piece of data that is monitored by the system. One advantage of per-point over per-user licensing is that it gives the organization more flexibility in assigning resources to monitoring in the DCIM environment. Another is that per-point licensing can be easily scaled up as the organization adds new data centers or retrofits existing facilities.

6 6 Holistic visibility Overall, next generation monitoring systems give the data center management team far more visibility, scalability and control over the entire global information environment. As such, they will be better able to perform tasks such as obtain real-time views of temperature and humidity changes without expending the resources and time to take manual settings. Management can also simplify the calculation of PUE for specific systems by tracking energy usage by the rack, row, or cabinet. These examples are just a few ways that advanced infrastructure monitoring systems can help data center management save time as they control energy usage more accurately and ensure that each data center across the organization is staying compliant with environmental regulations. Next generation data center monitoring: A real-world success story Mentor Graphics (NASDAQ:MENT) develops software for use in the design of complex electronic systems for the consumer electronics, automotive, and defense industries. It offers more than 700 sophisticated Electronic Design Automation (EDA) products to customers in this $4 billion marketplace. Mentor Graphics (NASDAQ:MENT) develops software for use in the design of complex electronic systems for the consumer electronics, automotive, and defense industries. It offers more than 700 sophisticated Electronic Design Automation (EDA) products to customers in this $4 billion marketplace. In 2010, the company s challenge was to find an easier, more technology savvy solution for monitoring 24/7 data center facilities and other types of offices in 18 countries across four continents. Because the current monitoring system was supported by only one particular operating system platform, it was very cumbersome to work with and slow and difficult to integrate with other DCIM tools. In a word, it was old fashioned, says Stuart Walker, Worldwide Facilities Critical Infrastructure Manager, at Mentor Graphics. As Mentor Graphics moves forward with constructing purpose-built data centers, we needed a tool with more flexibility and control to monitor power and environmental conditions at all of our global facilities on a real-time basis with live alerting.

7 7 Walker had a list of more than 140 requirements of what he wanted the new monitoring tool to do. Ease of use, ease of configuration, and flexibility in importing data into the tool were at the top of the list. The next most important requirements were the ability to run on different computer operating platforms and approved web browsers from a user perspective, as well as flexibility to easily integrate with multiple methods of monitoring protocols. We wanted to be able to make new integrations quickly ourselves, without having to rely on the vendor every time we wanted to make changes, Walker says. After narrowing down a long list of vendors, Mentor Graphics chose the Alert Monitoring and Environmental Monitoring systems from FieldView Solutions. A proof of concept was launched in late 2010 that gave Mentor Graphics the ability to run the FieldView solution in parallel with the existing monitoring tool. FieldView allowed us to start manipulating live data on their system in real time, which gave us the advantage of testing the system in a real-world environment, Walker says. Having a pilot system we could actually use live was crucial to our decision to go with FieldView. Today, the FieldView monitoring system is used to monitor 26,000 points within critical power and environmental systems in Mentor Graphics large data centers, smaller data communications rooms, and field offices in 18 countries across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim. Power, temperature, humidity, smoke detection, water leaks and other key environmental factors are monitored through FieldView. For devices in which Mentor Graphics does not have direct control, FieldView both issues alerts of any problem and provides a link directly to the device so Mentor Graphics can control it. Any tool can monitor and issue alerts, Walker says. But what sets FieldView apart is the ability to give us complete visibility of everything else around their tool and give us control where we didn t have it before. Today, the FieldView monitoring system is used to monitor 26,000 points within critical power and environmental systems in Mentor Graphics large data centers, smaller data communications rooms, and field offices in 18 countries across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim.

8 8 Since rolling out the FieldView monitoring system, Mentor Graphics has been able to expand the number and types of devices and systems they can monitor because FieldView lets them add and connect devices easily something they could not do with the previous tool. Also, Walker points out that FieldView s flexibility and scalability has made it easier for him and other users to more quickly respond to alerts, change configurations, and monitor systems on PCs, Macs, and Linux machines from anywhere in the world. Our goal was to monitor critical infrastructure around the world, Walker says. If that critical infrastructure goes down, we can lose development time, risk severe damage to our equipment, and potentially lose millions of dollars. The value of FieldView s monitoring solution is knowing that when there is any kind of power or environmental issue at any of our global facilities, the right people will be alerted immediately. Conclusion Energy costs continue to rise with no relief in sight. Going green continues to be a hot topic and a strategic initiative for organizations who want to be good corporate citizens while also improving efficiencies. And data center managers across the board are seeking better visibility and real-time monitoring of rapidly growing data center portfolios. All of these challenges require an efficient and intuitive infrastructure monitoring system that is easy to use and flexible enough to run optimally and integrate easily with various platforms. This next generation of real-time monitoring has already become a competitive advantage in DCIM and in managing any type of facility that demands stringent control of environmental conditions. Looking ahead, with the emergence of the mega data center and the continuing emphasis on green construction and energy efficiency, infrastructure monitoring will become even more important to DCIM strategies. FieldView Solutions has seen this competitive advantage come to light in our own clients successes after adopting our advanced real-time monitoring system. Some clients have reported energy savings of 20% to 25%, which is significant when a data center consumes power 24/7. About FieldView Solutions FieldView Solutions is a best-in-class, purpose-built enterprise monitoring software solution. The company provides customers with accurate, reliable, real-time information on all the critical systems in their data centers, empowering them to make great decisions. Learn more at The value of FieldView s monitoring solution is knowing that when there is any kind of power or environmental issue at any of our global facilities, the right people will be alerted immediately, said Stuart Walker, Worldwide Facilities Critical Infrastructure Manager, Mentor Graphics.