Among the new features in both Asset Manager and Sensor Manager are advanced event notification and configurable visual dashboards to display key asset and environmental data. In addition, Asset Manager now provides GPS reader support, making it possible to track, in real time, assets in mobile locations such as trucks and ships.
Moreover, Sensor Manager now incorporates Ancis, Inc.’s Rack Cooling Index (RCI) and Rack Return Index (RTI) performance metrics. (Register for a webinar featuring Magnus Herrlin, developer of these metrics.) These are complementary metrics for understanding data center air management: IT cooling (reliability) and CRAC efficiency.
“The need for absolute accuracy around a company’s IT asset inventory is emerging as a top priority for leading companies,” said Chris Gaskins, vice president, Product Development at RF Code. “while the need for critical environmental and power monitoring data is already top-of-mind for today’s data center managers. We’re meeting these twin challenges with an open approach that lets customers take advantage of our solutions in a way that meets their needs: as standalone solutions or integrated into their existing DCIM, EAM, ERP, BMS, Help Desk or other systems.”
About the New Features
Event notification. Notifications are sent when an event, such as the movement of an asset, needs to trigger a consequent action by a third party application such as a work order system. For example, a work order application may rely on IT asset movement data from Asset Manager as part of its “decision-making” in concert with a change management order. By simplifying how data is exchanged between these applications, RF Code makes it easy for consuming applications to get timely data on which to base an action. Some examples are:
When temperature values change and a DCIM is notified
When doors open or close and surveillance application is notified
Easy user-configurable dashboards. With these latest software versions, dashboards are now much more powerful, displaying summary data in a variety of user-chosen graphical formats. Using multiple types of widgets, users can easily create standard dials, LED dials, LCD displays, graphs, bar charts, graphs, asset grids and more to display aggregated data that all internal users can view. Moreover, users have full control over these widgets, allowing them to determine colors, sizing, fonts, numerical range and more.
This is especially useful in a data center or network operations center, where a lot of information is constantly being communicated in real time. Having the ability to create a visual dashboard that displays summary data in an easily viewed format, such as a key performance indicator (KPI), is an efficient way to telegraph this information without creating information overload.
GPS Reader Support. RF Code’s M250 reader now supports a Garmin GPS device, which provides real-time GPS data to the reader. When coupled with a GSM, G3 or G4 communication device, the GPS-enabled reader can be installed on mobile locations such as trucks, fork-lifts or ships that house tagged assets. Once installed, the reader then reports precise geospatial location information about the mobile location and its asset contents back to the RF Code software. Information is dynamically updated as the mobile assets moves.
RCI & RTI metric support. RCI is a measure of compliance with ASHRAE or NEBS intake temperature guidelines expressed as a percentage. RTI is a measure of net by-pass or net recirculation air expressed as a percentage. By leveraging these metrics, Sensor Manager helps provide data that will sustain optimal IT equipment reliability and avoid overcooling.