Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1386104
July/August/September 2021 I 29 thereby helping data center managers to forecast power consumption more accurately (Figure 2). FIGURE 2: DCIM software provides power capacity trends and analysis over time, typically in a simple and user-friendly interface. Additionally, it is possible to obtain reports of active power by month and device, helping operators to quickly identify spikes, prevent potential power issues, and maximize uptime. Provided by the PDU, this capability can be leveraged with power monitoring at the outlet level to identify power consumption by server, which helps in the identification of under and over utilized servers for potential replacement with more efficient devices or virtual servers. CHALLENGE 5: REDUCING DEPLOYMENT TIME As data centers grow to support a more digitally connected way of life, data center managers need to closely monitor and optimize capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operating expenses (OPEX) to expand infrastructure or buy more equipment. Utilizing a vendor that has the capability to integrate the components of the cabinet into a single solution, perform quality checks, and deliver a cabinet ready to be deployed can simplify the supply chain and speed up operations. NEW DATA CENTER CABINET DESIGNS When considering the main challenges faced by data center managers and operators, the proposition then is to address them not as individual concerns, but rather holistically as equally critical components of a complete, unified cabinet ecosystem. FIGURE 3: For faster deployment, cabinets are populated with easy cable management solutions, compute, and power. The Data Center Cabinet, Designed to Speed Deployment Supporting the hyper-hybrid landscape, functioning with N+2 and sometimes 2N+2 redundancy sites, distributed real-time processing and diverse networking architectures are nothing short of demanding. The path to success: agility and flexibility. In its 2019 report, Infrastructure Is Everywhere: The Evolution of Data Centers, Gartner states that "infra- structures of the future must be able to change quickly, as markets and providers change." This means data center operators must provide an environment that inherently enables rapid deployment of services, whenever and wherever needed and at the right price. To expedite deployment, many companies across the globe are utilizing third-party integrators to populate cabinets with compute, power, and cabling. Then, they transport fully-loaded cabinets to the data center space where they are rolled into position and quickly brought online. This "need for speed" requires an innovative, robust cabinet design with the end user in mind. This means rails and accessories that are quicker and easier to adjust, cable management solutions that accommodate a variety of applications and a strong cabinet frame architecture that can withstand high weight loads, often exceeding 4000 pounds (≈1814 kg). See Figure 3. Additionally, it is important to provide enterprise customers with the capability of configuring a cabinet that is tailored to their exact specifications with cable management, power, and thermal accessories that are factory installed.