CommScope's (NASDAQ: COMM) iTRACS unit, a specialist in enterprise-class data center infrastructure management (DCIM) systems, has released its Converged Physical Infrastructure Management (CPIM) 3.2 platform.
According to the company, the latest platform release enables faster workflows, enhanced integration tools and a greater level of automated connectivity management, by featuring the company's new imVision automated infrastructure management capability. The integration of the imVision features with the CPIM platform extends iTRACS’ capabilities with intelligent connectivity management, says CommScope. This integration offers CPIM users real-time visibility into the physical cabling infrastructure that connects IT assets in the data center.
Using imVision’s real-time asset and connectivity information, CPIM users can now optimize the capacity of their infrastructure by identifying and eliminating unused network and patch panel ports and other patching inefficiencies. Users can thereby reduce the time to resolve issues and enhance network availability by pinpointing and resolving connectivity issues, such as unscheduled changes, that can cause downtime.
Further, imVision’s capabilities for guided work order administration and real time information updates can ensure faster time-to-value for new IT and network assets, says the company.
See also: CommScope's iTRACS launches DCIM developer community
According to iTRACS, via the platform upgrade, CPIM users will now have an additional source of connectivity intelligence offering real-time visibility into every port and panel. The flow of connectivity data from imVision is seamless; the connectivity database only has to be created once, allowing both platforms to leverage the data. In addition to integration of imVision, iTRACS says its CPIM 3.2 features a number of enhancements to the software suite including:
-- Better DCIM integrations. CPIM’s new point-and-click asset reconciliation tool lets users quickly resolve data conflicts that can arise when combining data from multiple enterprise systems. Customers are notified and guided to clean up discrepancies and eliminate system-to-system conflicts.
-- Ubiquitous data exchange. An improved flat file integration agent offers bi-directional data exchange, enabling plug-and-play integration between the CPIM and third-party systems dealing with asset or change management and operational data feeds.
-- Integration with Automated Logic WebCTRL. This building automation tool offers CPIM users an additional source of information for power and environmental data from power strips, sensors and other facilities equipment.
“Managing network connectivity is one of the toughest challenges in the data center,” comments George Brooks, senior vice president of enterprise product and market management, CommScope. “CPIM 3.2 combines information from two data center tools within the CommScope portfolio: CPIM and imVision. Together, they offer DCIM customers a new level of automation and holistic insight into how physical infrastructure is understood, managed and optimized as a strategic asset to the business.”