Comprehensive Overview of Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)
Vietnam’s digital economy is experiencing remarkable growth in the 2022-2023 period, providing an opportune moment to advance the digital transformation plan set by Vietnam. However, it is essential to establish an adequate number of data centers to meet the demands of users, organizations, businesses, and the government in the coming time. To efficiently operate data centers, systematic infrastructure management methods are increasingly encouraged and widely applied.
Digital economy market and data center management
Flourishing digital economy market
Vietnam’s digital economy in the 2022-2023 period is expected to have a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of up to 19%, with a forecasted total commodity value reaching 45 billion by 2025. Vietnam is currently the fastest-growing digital economy in Southeast Asia. This rapid growth is attributed to the development of e-commerce, digital payments, and online communication, with respective CAGR of 11%, 16%, and 13%. Vietnam is also the fastest-growing country in terms of digital payments.
Vietnam’s digital economy growth is highly promising
The potential for Vietnam’s development in the coming years is expected to increase even further due to its abundant skilled labor force, the prevalence of digital applications, and the shift of investment from investment funds and companies, particularly digital projects. Moreover, the government’s digital transformation policies contribute significantly.
To prepare for the upcoming digital boom in Vietnam, investing in data centers and managing the infrastructure of these data centers is essential. Data centers serve as the backbone of the digital economy, where all information, transactions, and data are stored and processed. Effective infrastructure management of data center data centers is crucial to ensure their stable operation.
What is the management of data center infrastructure, and why is it important in the digital age?
Managing the infrastructure of a data center is a crucial part of maintaining and developing the data system for businesses, organizations, and agencies. Managing the infrastructure of a data center involves various activities such as managing physical equipment, heat, equipment performance, energy systems, etc. In summary, it is the monitoring and management of all infrastructure and physical equipment in a data center.
Data center infrastructure management is the management of physical equipment within the data center
Activities in Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)
In a data center market increasingly focused on green certifications and sustainable development, monitoring and managing data center infrastructure play a more significant role. Managing a data center can effectively track and control the energy usage within the data center, providing efficient operational or repair methods when necessary.
Monitoring energy performance
Monitoring the energy performance of a data center is usually overseen by specialized DCIM software. The software will monitor and report temperature, the status of air conditioning units in the data center (CRAC), and rack temperatures (equipment storage cabinets) using power meters installed throughout the data center. This allows real-time monitoring of power consumption and temperature of servers placed in rack cabinets, detecting issues promptly.
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Dedicated DCIM system software makes managing data center infrastructure more accessible
Controlling cooling systems
The cooling system is often the most energy-consuming part of a data center. Controlling the cooling system to create ideal temperature conditions for server operation is crucial since servers typically operate 24/7, and cooling is indispensable. The DCIM system will synchronize the operation of cooling devices to ensure servers operate as efficiently and stably as possible.
The DCIM system helps effectively manage temperature within rack cabinets containing data processing servers
Distribution of data when repairing high-temperature areas
When servers are operating abnormally, the first thing to do is to identify the cause to address the issue. One of the most common problems is server overload due to processing a large volume of data and insufficient rack space for heat dissipation. In this case, the DCIM system will distribute data from overheated servers to other servers for processing while the data center management team addresses the issue, thereby helping the system continue to operate normally.
DCIM helps monitor and report incidents with servers quickly and accurately
Promoting the Application of DCIM in Data Centers in Vietnam
The government has planned to implement the National Cybersecurity Strategy, aiming for 100% utilization of information storage systems and cloud data systems by various sectors by 2025. Alongside this, ensuring data safety and monitoring cybersecurity are essential aspects.
As per the Cybersecurity Law, companies seeking to provide online services in Vietnam are required to store data and establish branches or offices within the country. Considering these factors, the demand for constructing, using, and leasing data center services within the country is expected to surge in the coming period, as a substantial amount of data from the government, organizations, and businesses will be stored and processed in domestic data centers.
Given this situation, optimizing data center management through DCIM systems has become more crucial than ever. Compared to traditional management and monitoring methods, DCIM systems can save a significant amount of time and effort while ensuring and mitigating various risks that may disrupt server operations in data centers.
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For data centers with thousands of rack cabinets, manual checking would consume considerable time
Vietnam is considered to have ample potential for the development of the data center market. New data centers are advised to implement DCIM systems right from the start to achieve efficient operational performance and minimize risks, especially in large-scale data centers.
The upcoming period holds the promise of a more dynamic data center market as projects of increasing scale, such as the 1Hub Data Center project in Saigon High-Tech Park, become operational. This data center, with an investment of up to $70 million and Tier 3 standards (the highest in Vietnam to date), is expected to commence operations in 2025.
It is predicted that Vietnam will require 3-5 data centers of the scale of 1Hub Data Center to meet the growing demand for data storage and processing. For data centers of such magnitude, investing in infrastructure management systems, such as DCIM, is practically mandatory to control and operate server systems efficiently.
Conclusion
In the current era of digital transformation, Vietnam needs to accelerate the construction of larger data centers. For such projects, data center initiatives should apply data center infrastructure management technologies to operate server systems safely, efficiently, and reliably.
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