With a large number of devices and a wide variety of equipment, data center assets are constantly being moved and added, and these changes present a challenge. Exact records of where servers are located within racks and the associated power chain are not always available. In fact, in large data centers, up to 25% of IT assets may be lost due to the difficulty of tracking them. This translates into underutilized rack space and capacity, contributing to phantom servers, as well as wasted time locating equipment.
Raritan's new smart tag (AMT - Asset Management Tag), about the size of a postage stamp, attaches to a server and then connects to an Asset Management (AMS) sensor mounted on a rack rail. Raritan's solution tells operators the server's unique ID and its exact location within the data center, down to the 1U rack level. The solution also indicates any movement or changes. If the server is moved to a new location within the same rack or a different shelf, its new location is automatically recognized when the AMT is connected to the sensor at the new location.
This new solution from Raritan provides visual guidance to assist with equipment moves, changes, reconfigurations, or repairs. The sensor has an RGB LED in each 1U rack unit to indicate what actions need to be taken. For example, a green light might indicate the location for a server installation. This location could have been selected by asset management software, such as Raritan® dcTrack, which considers not only available rack space but also sufficient power, cooling, and network connections. An installer can quickly locate the correct space by looking for color-coded indicator lights between the rack rows. Different colors can be used for other change management processes. For example, a flashing red LED could signal a server maintenance request.
Raritan's Asset Management Tags (AMT) solution attaches to servers and other IT devices. Each tag contains a unique identification chip and a scannable barcode ID. Associated with the unique identifier is the IT device record—where a variety of information can be stored, including serial number, repair history, maintenance records, and lease terms. In the rack, the asset management tags are connected to Asset Management Sensors (AMS), which sense the tag's unique identifier, as well as the physical location of the connected asset within a rack, and send that information to Raritan's dcTrack software (DCIM) or other third-party asset management tools. An SNMP-based communication protocol is available for open standards-based communication. The AMS bars support a variety of rack sizes and can be installed on either the left or right side—without tools.
