10 Ways Augmented Reality is Transforming Data Center Management
As businesses and organizations are transforming their mode of operations to a more digitally inclined ecosystem, there is a corresponding increase in the demand for core digital infrastructures and as such, data center operators are restlessly seeking for solutions that will simultaneously transform their in-house operations to maintain or elevate their market position and enhance management experience irrespective of internal or external operational challenges.
Innovations across augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have fueled industry experts to consider ways in which these technologies can be leveraged to develop solutions for their specific or peculiar needs. In line with this effort, data center experts have realized that augmented reality can play a great role in transforming data center management operations, addressing needs across private or commercial data center infrastructure management.
With holographic devices and other integrated wares, data center technology experts are now able to deliver solutions that uses augmented reality to enhance data center infrastructure management, offering the following transformative abilities to data center operators;
- Access To Global Technical Expertise
As demand for data center infrastructure increases, there is a need for fast expansion and by implication, the need for more experienced technical experts is on the rise as onboarding incompetent hands puts the entire company and its efforts at high risk.
With the introduction of AR-powered management solutions, data center operators now have the ability to remotely access technical experts from anywhere in the world, who will effectively conduct operations at data centers, having a more detailed view of all gadgets in the facility and remotely interact with these gadgets such as servers in ways similar to physical operations.
- Cost Effectiveness
Companies that offer data center infrastructure management services (DCIM) can use AR-powered management solutions to reduce their cost of operations as they can now carry out more critical operations across multiple data centers remotely with a full view of the process and outcome.
Also, the cost of traveling to data center locations can be greatly reduced, while DCIM companies can further offer less expensive services to data centers with augmented reality wares installed.
Data center companies that are rapidly expanding their footprint can also leverage AR-powered management solutions to engage their existing experts, hence, these companies can now focus more on developing more facilities without the fear of poor management.
- Overcoming Pandemic Restrictions
Augmented reality technology brings a firm solution to the recurring restrictions on movement that are experienced due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
With advanced management solutions such as those powered by augmented reality, data center managers, operators or technicians can carry out critical operations remotely and efficiently, thus meeting the needs of customers faster and accurately.
- Guidance Precision
With an AR-powered data center management system, technical experts can accurately guide staffs on site with basic technical knowledge on implementing critical management operations as the system will enhance gadget views with the provision of overlays that display information about gadgets or devices in data centers. Hence a staff on site can easily identify constituents of the facilities without stressing the expert on the other end of the system or making costly mistakes.
- Operational Speed
Augmented reality is a technology that is known for smart assistance solutions and as such, you don’t need to look too far to find devices, equipment or gadgets within data centers. More so, there may be no need to travel down to the facility when AR-powered data center management system is in place – that time can be used to get the job done.
- Bridging Knowledge Gap
With the right use of augmented reality, data center experts across the globe can train less-experienced data center technicians and help align their management practices with global or company standards.
- Disaster Control
An AR-powered data center management system can make every minute count when it comes to handling disasters. The time required for traveling to the facility can be used to save more data or assets on the facility.
In some cases, situations such as fire outbreak can make access to the facility too dangerous for technical experts, but with AR-powered solutions, they can work from a distance.
In a case where access is possible, AR-powered management solution will also make it easy and faster to identify and save critical devices as well as associated data.
- Ease of Navigation
Navigation is always easy when there are clear and detailed descriptions. This is what augmented reality can bring to data centers, making movement within the facility more precise, less stressful, less time consuming and faster (imagine getting the shortest path to anywhere within the data center).
- Data Security Enhancement
Just at a glance of a server rack, information about the identity, health and other status of each server can be visualized with augmented reality devices.
Hence, there no need for an unauthorized or authorized personnel to frequently open the rack or tamper with its configuration/connection since the information that is mostly required can be fetched at a glance using these advanced devices.
- Technical Collaboration
There is always a need for collaboration in the professional world, and as such, data center experts always have the need to collaborate on research or management operations especially in critical situations.
To avoid confusion and time wastage, there is a need to simultaneously allow remote participation. Augmented reality can come handy in this case as it can make all participating experts to view and interact with the operation process at real-time, ensuring the timely success of the operation and giving participants a near-physical experience.
Conclusion
As lots of data center management solutions company are on the race to lead the market with AR-powered data center management solutions, it is important that private and public data center operators as well as DCIM service providers get a quick grasp of the technology to ensure that they are not left behind, gaining all the benefits that this innovation offers.