APC by Schneider Electric – Strategies for managing distributed IT environments

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - Agenda 10 recommendations for optimizing the management of distributed IT spaces 10 recommendations for optimizing the management of distributed IT spaces Trends & Challenges in Distributed IT Spaces Importance of managing these critical spaces

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric Changes affecting the IT environments Virtualization NETWORK ConsolidationCo-LocationCloud Adoption Users Data to access Ways to access it Places to access it Connectivity +

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - Today’s technological reality

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - Trends in the workforce TRENDS CREATE CHALLENGES FOR YOU More connected devices User expectation of connectivity EVERYWHERE Remote workers (home, business travelers) Employees are located everywhere… …but the data and applications are centralized In light of all the challenges that constantly change the way we deploy equipment, we know that you must offer robust and available networks and VPN to allow users to connect.

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric Importance of Network Connectivity Many businesses have robust protection and management strategies in the data center while network closets and distributed server rooms are often neglected. Small room Shared space Hot spot Messy Cables Unmanaged With the increased demand on availability: The forgotten space is becoming critical space.

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - Importance of Physical Infrastructure Three of the top 15 reasons for unavailability in 2010 are related to the infrastructure and physical space where your equipment is installed: 1.No monitoring of relevant components 2.Poor physical environment 3.Lack of infrastructure redundancy There are some simple steps that can be taken to ensure that even a one- man show can effectively manage multiple sites, mitigate risks and maintain availability of the network.

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - A tough job… Besides lack of budget and space, the biggest challenge we see is lack of technical man-power on the site. Ask yourself: How many sites are you responsible for ? 5, 50, 500? How spread out are these sites? Same campus, state, continent? How many people are on your team to help maintain these sites? 0?

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - 10 RECOMMENDATIONS to optimize management of remote sites and make your job easier!

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - 1. Remote power management The strip should have the ability to cycle power, shed load and sequence outlet power via a remote network interface or programmed control. Deploy a PDU or Outlet strip that has outlets which can be controlled remotely Real Life Reasons for implementing: This can drastically reduce downtime from hung servers and network devices which simple need to be power cycled. This allows you to leave unused outlets OFF so that someone can’t use them and risk tripping the breaker.

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - 2. Protect against power failures UPSs come in all shapes, sizes and runtimes and it is important to size them according to the equipment you are looking to protect. Most UPSs will also protect against power problems like surges and spikes. Deploy UPS systems to protect critical equipment, maintain availability during scheduled and unscheduled power outages Real Life Reasons for implementing: An average US business experiences 214 minutes of power loss every year. Outages could mean lost data, configurations or more importantly revenue. Ask yourself how much will be lost in your business…

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - 3. Monitor environmental conditions Simple devices that capture these characteristics can be set up and integrated into your IT system so that even if you are not onsite, you can know what the situation is. Install probes to capture temperature, humidity and even sensors for door entry, motion, smoke, leaks Real Life Reasons for implementing: Knowing about environmental issues early can protect equipment and reduce damage from everyday risks like water leaks. This data can help make decisions about implementing cooling or ventilation by proving that it is necessary

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric Remote monitoring Home improvement retail with different locations Application: Distributed critical power “in store” Remotely Monitor Physical IT Infrastructure: Power status Power problem Temperature changes In this example: Example. Retail scenario. No IT personal required on-site! Network Management card UPS Temperature sensor

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - 4. Centrally manage multiple sites Find a vendor neutral system that allows for multi-site management, blanket upgrades and that can relay proactive notifications to the right people. Use a central management system to aggregate data and statistics from all of your sites on one easy to read user interface Real Life Reasons for implementing: Logging into each device/site is extremely time consuming. Allows for multi-user access and is a great way to manage changes to a physical infrastructure.

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - 5. Deploy scalable power & management A scalable solution will allow you to pay as you grow, rather than size a solution with the maximum load/growth in mind. This improves efficiency as well. Subscribe to scalable systems that allow you to rapidly increase capacity for power requirements and management Real Life Reasons for implementing: IT needs change rapidly and can grow quickly. Rightsizing, not supersizing, keeps both capex and opex down

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - 6. Take advantage of field upgrades Some vendors offer field enhancements such as the ability to add remote management to a device after it has already been installed. To minimize the cost of new functionality in brownfield environments (where some or all of the physical products exist) make use of field upgradable or buy-up enhancements Real Life Reasons for implementing: Minimize costs by enhancing what you already own rather than buying new just to gain a new feature. Example: Almost every APC UPS in the network and server room space is field upgradeable with the ability to add remote management after installation.

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - 7. Start to monitor energy usage Some vendors even offer the ability to integrate with energy management platforms such as Cisco Energywise to monitor and optimize energy usage throughout an enterprise Deploy equipment that allows you to monitor energy usage, even if you are not being asked to report it yet. Deploy equipment that allows you to monitor energy usage, even if you are not being asked to report it yet. Real Life Reasons for implementing: If you don’t care now, your boss will eventually. Being green is on everyone’s mind. Starting to monitor energy helps make decisions on how to consolidate equipment, where to install new items, etc.

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - 8. Deploy pre-installed equipment Some vendors sell pre-configured IT solutions to be shipped directly to the customer site, ready to simply plug-in and turn on. Buy racks and enclosures for branch offices that can be shipped with equipment inside, allowing you to pre-install equipment before shipping to the site Real Life Reasons for implementing: This can drastically reduce installation time and complication. When this work is done before hand, it can be tested and validated. Easier way of rolling out IT equipment to branch offices and remote sites.

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - 9. Don’t rely on dedicated IT spaces Vendors offer sound proofed enclosures for putting equipment into the office space outside of closets and rooms. These often have ventilation built in and can blend into office type environments. Don’t be afraid to move IT equipment out of a poor space, especially if it was never designed for equipment in the first place. Real Life Reasons for implementing: If there is no alternative to a server room or closet, consider a “server room in a box” enclosure solution. When compared to building out a space, this is often times a much easier and more cost effective approach

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric IT Room in the office space IT Reseller with offices in 3 different locations Application: Main IT Hub, housing servers, network switches & storage Savings: $17.8k upfront building costs $18k space saving (annual rent) $8k annual energy reduction In this example: Example. IT Hub scenario. Estimated $50K total year 1 savings. Soundproof server room in a box

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric Monitor everything Monitoring sites, equipment, power and environmental conditions can help make key decisions, as well as provide evidence needed to get project funding If a piece of equipment allows for remote monitoring, use it. You never know what you don’t know… Real Life Reasons for implementing: Many devices do this by default, or offer low cost remote management that let you get information at your desk, instead of spending your day walking around to inspect spaces. Knowledge is power and will help you be proactive, rather than reactive.

APC by Schneider Electric– Name – Date APC by Schneider Electric - In Summary Simplify your infrastructure and create an IT environment that is Manageable, Adaptable and Simple using easy and repeatable remote management techniques. If you need help… has the solution for you