Unleashing the Power of Data Center Infrastructure Management: A Middle Eastern Telco’s Path to Operational Excellence

Business challenge

A leading telecommunications provider in the Middle East who was driven by a vision to be the ultimate digital solutions provider in the region embarked on a journey to transform their data center operations. Seeking to revolutionize their infrastructure management and enhance service delivery, they turned to Intellias. The client already had several local data centers running software from Schneider Electric and Huawei that provided co-location services with manual hardware provisioning based on contracted volume. The idea was to orchestrate existing hardware capacity and combine it with external cloud resources. Such an approach would allow the client to move from a co-location model to an infrastructure as a service (IaaS) as model of service provision, offering more flexible billing, operations, and sales options for the operator and end clients.

Due to local privacy requirements, all user data needed to be stored in the client’s country. Moreover, our client aimed to widen their services at the crossroads of banking and government relations, so they needed to develop AWS-like storage. They required their own data center infrastructure management (DCIM) system as well as a straightforward website that would be readily accessible for engineering and B2B sales personnel. Also, our client required a detailed reporting system so that every stakeholder could have an overall visibility of their data center and have real-time situational awareness Learn the remarkable outcomes of the tailored DCIM software and DevOps services we provided for this telecom customer.

Technology solution

The Intellias team leveraged our expertise in DCIM solutions to address the customer’s specific requirements. Through in-depth analysis of the client’s infrastructure and operational workflows, we designed and implemented a tailored DCIM software solution. As a result, we empowered the customer with comprehensive real-time monitoring, proactive capacity planning, streamlined asset management, and seamless integration with existing network management systems.

High-level architecture

Seasoned Intellias experts developed a DCIM architecture for the client. The solution has three levels: user interface, logic execution, and connectors. We created a software architecture based on requirements that we gathered from our customer encompassing the necessary modules, features, and interfaces. The architecture ensures scalability, reliability, and flexibility to accommodate evolving data center needs. The user interface level consists of the following layers:

• Reports
• Dashboards
• Configuration tools
• Enterprise API integrations
• Sales automation tools
• Jira/external tracker integrations

DCIM software streamlines change management processes by automating tasking, tracks changes, and ensuring compliance with policies and procedures, reducing the risk of errors and enhancing operational efficiency. Logic execution (configuration and storage) consists of the following layers:

• Reporting
• Monitoring
• Inventory
• Automation
• Provisioning
• Cloud broker (provisioning of multiple data centers)

Effective asset management is a critical aspect of DCIM software. It involves tracking and managing physical assets such as servers, networking equipment, storage devices, and their attributes, including location, ownership, configuration, and lifecycle status. We call this the connectors level, which consists of the following layers:

• Core execution logic
• Bottom-up connectors for monitoring functions such as alarms, traps, and events
• Top-down connectors for provisioning and configuration

Energy efficiency

Since energy efficiency is a significant concern in data centers, the DCIM software we developed provides insights into energy consumption patterns. More precisely, it identifies energy-saving opportunities and helps in implementing measures to improve efficiency. Additionally, environmental monitoring features enable tracking temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors to ensure optimal operating conditions.

Integration and interoperability

DCIM software integrates with other systems and tools, such as network management systems (NMS), service desk software, asset databases, and configuration management databases (CMDB). These integrations allow for seamless data exchange and coordination among various systems.

Reporting and analytics

The DCIM software provided by Intellias generates comprehensive reports, dashboards, and analytics to provide valuable insights into data center performance, resource use, energy consumption, and other vital metrics. These insights aid in decision-making, capacity planning, and continuous improvement.

Continuous maintenance and support

The DCIM system requires ongoing maintenance, updates, and support to ensure optimal performance and address any issues that may arise. Continuous maintenance and support includes providing bug fixes, software upgrades, and technical assistance to customers.

Security and compliance

Data center security and compliance are crucial considerations. The DCIM software developed by Intellias incorporates robust security measures to protect sensitive data, including user authentication, access controls, audit logs, and encryption. It also assists in complying with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.

Business impact

By embracing the DCIM software provided by Intellias experts, our client experienced a remarkable transformation in their data center operations by moving from manual co-location sales to the IaaS model. Our cooperation with the client demonstrated how tailored infrastructure management solutions can drive operational excellence, boost competitiveness, and enable telecom providers to thrive in a dynamic and demanding market. As a result, our client experienced the following transformations:

• Enhanced infrastructure visibility, enabling our client to proactively identify and resolve potential issues, minimize downtime, and optimize resource use
• Powerful analytics and reporting capabilities that enabled our client to make data-driven capacity planning decisions, resulting in cost savings and improved operational efficiency
• The ability to meet demands of the evolving telecommunications landscape, providing superior services while staying ahead of the competition