Emerson Takes Its DCIM Mobile

Emerson Network Power has updated its Trellis system for managing data centre infrastructure, so it can be accessed from a tablet and probe more deeply into the electrical behaviour of IT kit.

Data centre information management (DCIM) systems like Trellis are being sold as a way to increase efficiency and cut power bills in data centres, by keeping detailed tabs on what each component is doing and how much energy it is using. Remote access is the latest extension to allow users to monitor more closely, picking up alerts and adjusting settings wherever they are, without having to sit at a laptop,

One-line schematic

“It is aimed at the mobile user, either in the data centre doing some operational work, or else sitting somewhere else, be it at home or in a meeting or on a train,” said John Curran, vice president of product management for Emerson’s Avocent software division.

Although other vendors, including arch-rivals Schneider Electric, have offered mobile access to their DCIM systems, Curren reckons Emerson has gone one better by allowing better interaction: “Competitors give access to alarms and some asset data, but we show the floor plan and allow interaction with the data.”

Emerson also hopes to delight electrical engineers, and help them trim energy bills, by offering one-line schematic diagrams (see illustration), a simplified notation designed to expose the action of three-phase power supplies across an electrical system.

“Using this, we can see which portions of the circuit are energised and monitor real time performance,” said Curran. “I know how much capacity I have and how much is remaining, as well as any  faults or problems.”

Balancing the phases of the power supply better means less energy will be wasted in the form of heat, cutting data centre power bills, and reducing its environmental impact.

The Trellis mobile suite is available today, and adds to a system that already includes the ability to “point and click” new devices into its control, using barcode recognition.

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