Data Center Geeks Hub

In our previous article we covered all major points related to IPMI protocol risks, and viable solutions to combat these threats, including the configuration of intermediary IPMI proxy servers. Today we intend to push the subject of data security a bit further, and provide you with a detailed preview of yet another backbone feature of the latest EasyDCIM v1.5.2 - ACL (Access Control List). No matter if working in a production environment or a web app - each user assigned to a specific task must be able to engage with the necessary tools to carry out their job in an optimal way. Does it mean it would be best if everyone had unlimited access to absolutely all resources as well as network and system functions? Of course not. It is not hard to imagine that doing so could seriously endanger the security of the entire company and compromise its stability. What needs to be done instead when using advanced web applications, is developing a proper mechanism for permissions management. Need for optimization Generally speaking, each user is being assigned to a specific role which defines the set of their available permissions. For example, users belonging to the "Full Administrator" group will have access to every part of the system while the "Sales" group will be permitted to access the pages regarding the management of company orders only. When using ACLs, you may also configure the so-called resources, that is individual rights set per a specific user group. These permissions will define the type of access to selected sections of the system or its functions. What needs to be stressed at this point is that those permissions may be assigned not only to single users, but the whole user groups. Wondering why? Just imagine a situation when you have to give access to the "Orders" section to, let’s say 50 employees. Of course you could click through every single person, changing their permissions. But why would you if you can do this so much faster by creating a new group called "Orders Access" for instance, quickly adding those 50 users and then granting access to the whole group? Principle of operation As was already mentioned before, the ACL model is based on distributing permissions to individual user groups. To access the section with group management, navigate to "Settings" → " Groups". By clicking on the desired group and opening the edition window, you can assign to this group appropriate permissions to specific sections of the application. Please note that by default none of the user groups has access to the application's back-end section. All available permissions are presented in the format of a drop-down tree and are divided into several main sections such as: 1. API Access - defines access to API for a given user through their API key 2. Backend Application Management - specifies if the user should be allowed to log in to the Backend section that covers: Clients Management Devices Management Infrastructure Management Modules Management Reports Management Settings Tools Management (system addons) After the user has correctly logged in to the application, a sidebar menu is being automatically generated, depending on the permissions admitted earlier on to the user group they belong to. Here, in our example, the user is assigned to the "Sales" group, which has the rights to: Log in to the Backend section Manage users, orders, and services Manage reports ACL benefits The first and most obvious advantage derived from the ACL model was already touched upon earlier and revolves around the convenience with which users can be divided into groups and assigned permissions. But another profit that may be even more valuable since it is closely related to privacy, is that the implementation of the ACL model makes the application considerably more safe and less susceptible to attacks. When securing any type of program, it is always the most optimal solution to give users access only to the sections they need. For example, a person who will just manage orders in the company will never need full root privileges, and certainly should not be allowed that much administrative freedom. The ACL security model allows you to do exactly that – authorize specific groups of users to navigate freely through only those sections that are really required for their tasks, without the worry that they might even inadvertently cause some major complications. And after all, is there anything more important than making sure your clients' confidential information is perfectly safe and sound with you, at all times? Be sure to skim our latest post on IPMI proxy integration, and notes on the EasyDCIM 1.5.2 release as well!

Modern servers are equipped with management processors enabling the remote administration and monitoring of all crucial system parameters. Most of them are based on the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI). But what does this term actually mean? Let’s have a look. IPMI is a powerful protocol that is supported by multiple server devices from major manufacturers such as Dell, HP, Oracle and Lenovo. The IPMI specification itself has been developed by Intel, to allow administrators to manage their computer systems when you have no possibility to do that on the spot, through physical access. Working on the basis of the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), the IPMI protocol is very practical. Not only does it provide access to the BIOS, disks and other hardware, but also supports multiple communication protocols, and operates independently of the operating system currently installed on the computer as well. Risks stemming from the use of IPMI protocol Judging by this short introduction alone you might think that IPMI is something of a technological revelation. But not entirely. Unfortunately, motherboards with IPMI functionality used with older versions of the IPMI firmware are affected by many security gaps, making them easy to identify and hack if only connected to the Internet. Here are some of the major drawbacks of the IPMI protocol: Passwords for IPMI authentication are saved in plain text By knowing just one IPMI password it is possible to access all computers belonging to the IPMI managed group Main access to the IPMI system provides full control over both hardware and software The Baseboard Management Controller often uses excessive and legacy network services that may be particularly vulnerable to attacks IPMI can also provide remote console access to the system, and therefore, the BIOS Some types of BMC connections are not encrypted Providing extra security The above outline of biggest risks resulting from the use of IPMI protocol leaves no doubts why it is so crucial to establish additional safety measures for your data center. Let’s move then to the practical approach to this problem. Here are some of the most commonly implemented solutions: Limiting IPMI IP addresses to internal networks. IPMI traffic (usually UDP port 623) should be restricted to trusted internal networks, preferably to VLAN management segment only. If using IPMI outside the trusted network, scan and monitor it closely for any invalid activity. Using strong passwords. Devices operating within the IPMI system should have strong, unique passwords defined for the IPMI service. Encrypting traffic. If possible, enable the encryption option on IPMI interfaces. Detailed information on how to configure an encryption can be usually found in the manufacturer's instruction manual. Authentication requirements. The "Cipher 0" function is an option enabled by default on many devices with active IPMI interface, allowing to ignore the authentication requirement. Disable this as well as the “Anonymous login” function to prevent hackers from bypassing authentication and sending any IPMI commands. IPMI Proxy Server After configuring and securing your servers with IPMI support, you will definitely want to provide end users with access to the KVM console or default management panel. The latter contains plenty of details particularly useful from the customer’s point of view - system logs, information about the installed software and the properties of individual hardware components. Access to the KVM console, in turn, enables the remote access to the BIOS or SSH session. IPMI Proxy Server requirements The 1.5.2 version of EasyDCIM introduces the possibility to configure IPMI proxy server, and by doing so greatly improve the security layer of your infrastructure. To use the proxy server you need an additional server with the Debian 9 "Stretch" or Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver) system. Also, the server should have access to the internal network in which the IPMI IP is located. We recommend installing the proxy software on a separate server (either virtual or dedicated). The proxy server can have both a public and private IP address, but it must be available from EasyDCIM. It is possible to configure proxy on the EasyDCIM server, but we advise against it since every time you are using a proxy server with third-party software installed, the risk of unauthorized access to the target server significantly rises. Finally, please keep in mind that proxy increases the load on the proxy server, consequently slowing down the application. Principle of operation The remote JAVA console is downloaded directly from the server manufacturer's panel, using the specific CURL commands. Additionally, to download the JAVA console, you need a public address of the IPMI interface which may lead to unauthorized access. If such a situation occurs, you can create a proxy server for IPMI connections in the application that will serve as a gateway between the application and the end user. The proxy server also channels all IPMI commands such as device power-on, restart or power-off. Owing to such a solution, none of the IPMI interfaces requires a public IP address and all important operations can be carried out in a secure private data center network. Using a proxy server in EasyDCIM EasyDCIM automatically creates a VNC session on the proxy server and launches the JAVA applet or the default management panel of the device. As a result, all devices are accessible only from the proxy server and all the traffic is transferred using a special image transfer system from the virtual graphic environment. Even though the VNC session runs in a secure manner, it is important to ensure that the proxy server is properly protected against any unauthorized access. Conclusions The vulnerabilities of IPMI-enabled systems are many and range from the ability to steal system password to the bypass of authentication mechanisms. Luckily, EasyDCIM v1.5.2 empowers data center administrators to mitigate the risk of authorized access attempts by configuring their own IPMI proxy servers that will redirect IPMI and KVM console commands. Hope you enjoyed the article and learned a few new things about the double-edged sword nature of the IPMI protocol. If you are eager to soar the safety standards of your company even higher, stay tuned for our next Blog dedicated to ACL (Access Control List). And if you have not explored the 1.5.2 release in full yet, our latest post will brief you in on all new features now available!

As from the 1.5.0 version, EasyDCIM allows admins to install any of the supported operating systems on existing EasyDCIM servers in a totally automated manner – from the moment of selecting an installation template to running post-installation scripts. Yeah, saying that will never fail to give us a thrill. But that is not enough reason for us to slow down the tempo and just slob around while there is still so much to be done! Talking about progress – we are putting final touches to the 1.5.1 version which will extend the range of supported OS systems to include the long asked-for Windows Servers. Care for a little teaser? A brief outlook on automatic OS installation But let's go back to basics for a moment and focus on what 'unattended installation' actually means. Simply put, it is an automated technology used to install or upgrade an operating system with minimal user intervention. Unattended installation is usually employed while introducing a new system on a large scale, when the manual installation of an operating system on individual servers by administrators would be too money- and time-consuming. Just like with all other automatic installation technologies, unattended installation goes with a series of multiple advantages that standard interactive configuration does not provide. Here are some of those which we would like to highlight the most: Fewer installation errors. Since unattended installation makes use of a response file to install and configure operating systems, the interaction between administrators and technicians during the configuration process is reduced to minimum. Therefore, the likelihood that any erroneous data is entered during the configuration stage is proportionally smaller. Greater consistency during deployment. By using the same response file to install and configure every operating system, you gain the assurance that all servers in your data center are configured in the same exact way. Shorter installation time. During interactive configuration, the installation program demands from administrators or technicians to enter valid information at almost every step of the process. The unattended installation, in comparison, simply reads the configuration settings from the response file, saving you the whole hassle. And, of course, time. Lower maintenance costs. By minimizing errors during the configuration process, increasing server consistency and reducing the time required to configure the server, you can significantly diminish the overall cost related to technical support in the data center. Windows OS installation in practice The built-in operating system installer in EasyDCIM relies on installation templates. Each system has its own template which serves to automatically install the operating system on a dedicated server. All necessary installation files for the systems from the Windows family are usually compressed in ISO files on the basis of which EasyDCIM will automatically set up a system template for the selected Windows edition. Getting the Windows system template ready will be virtually unattended since the administrator's role will come down to merely placing the ISO file in the appropriate directory and then adding a new system task that will automatically perform the required operations including: Unpacking the installation files from the ISO image Injection of special parameters to the boot files Preparation of a response file responsible for the unattended installation of Windows Injection of the system key (if required) Placing the installation files on the SAMBA server All of the above steps will be taken by EasyDCIM automatically, thanks to which the administrator will be able to install Windows on multiple dedicated servers at the same time. During tests we used the following versions of Windows systems: Windows 10 April 2018 Windows Server 2016 Windows Server 2012 R2 Windows Server 2008 R2 For each of the Windows versions listed above, the installer performs the following actions: Creating an account named Administrator Setting a password for the Administrator account Setting the language Disk partitioning Setting a main IP address Setting additional IP addresses Setting a computer name Interested to see how this process looks like in practice? Here we go: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3azlCUIPrI[/embed] Unattended OS installation of systems from the Windows family is exactly the kind of convenience that most frequently comes up on a wish list of every data center admin. And soon it will be also an integral part of the EasyDCIM system! Stay tuned for this momentous 1.5.1 release and be sure to swing by the changelog as soon as it arrives! And in the meantime, feel doubly welcome to get the best out of our Anniversary Promotion crowning 3 wonderful years of our nonstop advance. A 30% discount on every pricing plan for 3 months or a personalized deal suited to your wants are still within your grasp! See also: Automatic OS installation in EasyDCIM v1.5.0

Comprehensive diagnostics and analysis of device parameters allows you to optimize the functioning of the entire data center. Because of this precious insight, you are able to avoid the dire consequences of potential failures, rationalize planning of device maintenance intervals, and significantly prolong the service life of devices. But not only that - proactive monitoring also helps to raise energy efficiency of the individual pieces of equipment, and consequently - the whole data center altogether. Whether you succeed in turning your data center into a role model of economic maintenance depends to a large extent on the technical condition of your devices. Surprised? Wondering how exactly these two aspects are connected? Let us explain this sequence of dependencies to you in the most explicit manner which will not give you a headache along the way! Keeping equipment shipshape is number one condition if you want your devices to be safe in exploitation, available for use at all times, durable and foolproof on top of that. Not to mention energy efficient which will translate into increased savings. And that is something you are striving for more than anything else, isn't it? As you can see for yourself, detailed diagnostics and round-the-clock monitoring are indispensable for preventing any sort of faults (and thus monstrous costs related to repairs). This, in practice, means observing the parameters and device properties during not only normal, everyday functioning but diagnostic processes as well. EasyDCIM v1.4.4 provides you with all the necessary tools to review the state of each individual device in your possession. But even that is not the most utilitarian and exciting part of this ultramodern control panel. A couple of entirely new reports which allow you to readily inspect every single parameter of your devices is! Have a closer look at these two powerful reports unlocked in your 'Reports' section! Devices Load From The Last 5 Minutes Pretty easy to figure out what this report type is responsible for, isn't it? That is right - it displays the total load of your devices from the last 5 minutes, automatically sorting the values from the highest to the lowest. In other words, it shows how many processes on average are running per CPU during a particular time. If, for example, your load equals 1.50, then it means that roughly one process is in the 'Active' state and 0.5 processes are in the 'Standby' state. A higher value always denotes the more overloaded state. The collection of values is carried out through the polling process which polls the devices once every 5 minutes. The device polling is based on the SNMP protocol from which every 5 minutes the UCD-SNMP-MIB::laLoad value is downloaded. The 'Report Configuration' section contains two fields: Types - choose the device types which are to be taken into account when generating a report. Number Of Devices - specify the number of devices which will be displayed in a report. Power Consumption This report type is just as straightforward and helpful as the previous one. What it does is show the power consumption of your devices from one of four selected time intervals: last hour, last day, last week, last month. Can you see the potential lying in such precious data? Here is a hint! Identify the devices that generate the most electricity consumption → work out the ways to reduce this high usage most effectively → grab an extra cup of coffee with your saved dollars! The special process responsible for the collection of values is run once an hour and retrieves data on power consumption for PDUs and colocation from the following time intervals: last hour, last day, last week, last month. The device polling is based on the SNMP protocol from which the power consumption value is downloaded. Although the SNMP protocol is a primary source of data, specific device brands allow you to collect the values in other ways as well. In APC brand devices, for instance, data is retrieved using branches in the MIB tree with the value: 1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.12.2.3.1.1.2.1 (PowerNet-MIB). The 'Report Configuration' section contains five fields: Types - pick the device types which should be included when generating a report. Units - select counting units other than the default Amps. In addition, you can convert values into predefined kW for direct current at 230V or 120V. Custom Conversion - convert the values to the ones of your own choosing. The base value is Amps which can be freely recalculated using appropriate arithmetic operations. Traffic Interval - choose the time interval from which data will be collected. There are for at your disposal: last hour, last day, last week, last month. Number Of Devices - specify the number of devices which will be displayed in a report. Key Benefits Of Device Monitoring With Dynamic Reports By way of introduction, we outlined why device monitoring is such an important issue when looked at from the fundamental level as well as wider perspective. Devices which keep generating a large load over a long period of time can outlive their usefulness really quickly and simply fail. If that were not enough, increased device load generates greater demand for power thus leading to higher electricity bills. But having the two newly added reports at your disposal, you can react instantly to any arising threats stemming from either device overload or power consumption and prevent serious failures from ever taking place. There is no better time than now to see how tremendous impact data center analysis has on the condition of your entire data center and... your wallet as well! Learn More About EasyDCIM v1.4.4!

A quick word of introduction for those who have only recently joined our crash course on the addictive subject of colocation: the term refers to the end-to-end process of providing a technical environment in which the client's web server will run smoothly and at a reasonable cost. The most sizable percentage of all clients opting for colocation services in data centers is occupied by eCommerce companies seeking guaranteed server resources and a secure background for online transactions processed on their websites. The potential of colocation services is also highly appreciated by telecommunications companies which use the devices for traffic exchange with their partners and prospective firms via a high-speed connection. And finally, colocation proves useful to enterprises simply determined to protect their data from disasters as well as back up their data outside the company's headquarters. You might be wondering now what the common denominator in all of these organizations is. The answer is far from surprising: each of them wants to track their resource consumption - most important being outgoing and incoming transfer and power usage - in the current billing cycle. Colocation Management in the WHMCS system What exactly is WHMCS? The Web Host Manager Complete Solution is a powerful business automation platform, a single pane of glass for client management, recurring billing, and customer support. It is the software suite of choice for web hosters and service providers, but not only. The present-day software market abounds in extensions and add-ons aimed to provide advanced functionality to the WHMCS platform, and the perfect example of such a solution is EasyDCIM Colocation For WHMCS. EasyDCIM Colocation For WHMCS is a free module developed by ModulesGarden in order to allow EasyDCIM colocation providers offer and manage their services without the need to leave the confines of the WHMCS environment. As regards your customers, they are empowered to not only place new orders directly from the WHMCS client area, but gain a clear insight into statistics of their already active services as well. Integration between WHMCS and EasyDCIM To make sure you acquire full understanding of this practical fusion, let's starts from the very basics. Connection between WHMCS and EasyDCIM takes place via API, and a few simple steps have to be taken in order to establish it. Ready? Go to 'Setup' → 'Products/Services' → 'Servers' and pick the 'Add New Server' function. Then, select 'EasyDCIMColocation' from the 'Type' dropdown menu. Enter the essential data, including the server name, IP address, user name and the password (API Key) which can be readily found in the EasyDCIM administrator profile - just take a look on the following screen. Not really sure whether the connection is established correctly? No worries! You can always press the 'Test Connection' button to clear up any doubts in this regard. Product Configuration Once the compatibility between EasyDCIM and WHMCS is secured, you are free to add your first product. Move to 'Setup' → 'Products/Services' → 'Products/Services' and choose the 'Create New Product' option. Just see how quickly it can be done! As soon as your product is up and running, head to the 'Module Settings' section and select the desired module and the server group. All the ins and outs of the configuration procedure can be thoroughly explored here. Default Options (required): Location - the location where the colocation server will be placed Model - the colocation model Product Configuration: Auto Accept - each newly added order in EasyDCIM receives by default a pending status. Then it is the administrator's task to accept it manually, creating the appropriate service. Only after the service has been activated in the EasyDCIM panel will WHMCS cron immediately update its status. To accelerate this process, you can choose the 'Auto Accept′ option to make WHMCS automatically accept each new EasyDCIM order and match the most suiting colocation on the basis of the provided criteria (model, location, etc.). Service Access Level - allows to handle sets of prearranged permissions for end customers. In the configuration section of a given level in EasyDCIM you can choose elements to which your clients should have access from the client area in your EasyDCIM panel, and which ones will remain off limits to them. Service Actions: This is the exact place where you can determine if such actions as ′Suspend′, ′Unsuspend′, and ′Terminate′ are to be performed automatically both in the WHMCS system and the EasyDCIM panel. If you decide to disable these actions, they will be executed in WHMCS only and all authorized administrators will be sent an email with an appropriate notification. Options Visible in Client Area: Traffic Statistics - access to the section presenting transfer consumption Power Usage Statistics - access to the section presenting power consumption Power Outlets - access to the section presenting the list of available power outlets with the possibility to control them Order Synchronization Between WHMCS and EasyDCIM The synchronization process should start with creating a WHMCS service for the previously created product. The module empowers you to use a diverse array of actions including: Create - sets up a new order in the EasyDCIM panel and updates the ′Order ID′ field to which the ID of the EasyDCIM order will be added. If you have ticked the 'Auto Accept' option in the product configuration section, EasyDCIM will attempt to accept such an order automatically. Suspend - suspends an EasyDCIM service Unsuspend - unsuspends an EasyDCIM service Terminate - sets the service status in the EasyDCIM panel as 'Terminated'. During this action a colocation service is being unassigned from the client who previously owned it. The colocation status then changes to ′Available′, making the service ready to be ordered by another client. Update Order Information - this particular action works in the same way as CRON working in the background. Once it is launched, it initiates the process of searching for an order with the same exact ID as the one set in the ′Order ID′ field. If such an order is located and displays active status, a corresponding colocation identifier will be entered in the Server ID field. As you can see, the synchronization between WHMCS and EasyDCIM takes place via two fields: Order ID and Server ID. The former contains the order identifier from EasyDCIM and is used to carry out such actions as ′Suspend′, ′Unsuspend′, ′Terminate′ and ′Update Order Information′. The Server ID field, in turn, holds the colocation identifier which is managed by the end customer – the same colocation that had been assigned to the order in the EasyDCIM panel beforehand. Resource Billing Charging for transfer and power consumption is carried out by means of the Advanced Billing For WHMCS module. This powerful billing tool developed by ModulesGarden provides a whole variety of advanced functionalities including billing for the actual server resource usage and generation of fully customizable invoices. EasyDCIM Colocation For WHMCS is equipped with three billing submodules: bandwidth, 95th Percentile and power usage. Bandwidth - billing based on total inbound and outbound traffic accumulated from all devices assigned to the colocation. 95th Percentile - billing according to the 95th percentile method. The algorithm called the 95th percentile involves a cyclic registration of the link load for the interval of 5 minutes where 5% of samples with the highest value are being rejected. All of this to avoid charging end customers for temporary data flow spikes resulting from sudden, short events or registration errors. Power Usage - billing based on the power consumption measured in amps. Colocation Management You have made it! Your new colocation service has been successfully created, activated, and assigned to the customer who can now manage its key components freely from the WHMCS client area. To gain access to all basic information on colocation – from model and location to its label assigned in EasyDCIM - your clients will have to take just a few quick steps and head to the summary view of their colocation service. Here, they will also be able to monitor their present-day charges for the used resources. In the 'Traffic Statistics' section clients can control both current and past transfer usage for the entire colocation. Since traffic is accumulated from all devices within a colocation, customers have all the necessary information on aggregation gathered and presented in one place. The ′Power Usage Statistics′ section presents the accumulated power consumption from all PDU devices assigned to the colocation with values measured in amps. Additionally, by assigning specific power outlets to a given colocation, you automatically provide them for end customers who will be able to manage them remotely using the ′on′, ′off′ and ′restart′ options. The very same actions can be performed by the colocation owner from the ′Outlets′ section. EasyDCIM Colocation For WHMCS is one these software solutions that you use once and refuse to trade for anything else afterwards. Bill your clients using not one, but two ultramodern systems fit with all the right tools to deliver colocation services at a sky-high level, and you will see why! Redefine Your Colocation Billing! Did our insatiable curiosity about colocation already rub off on you? Then be sure to study our previous articles exploring the realms of: Colocation basics Traffic aggregation Power usage Colocation ordering

Equipped with sound knowledge of colocation, you already grasp the potential behind its capability of providing space, power supplies and cooling. Colocation also improves physical safety of servers, mass storage and network devices of third parties, and furthermore links them with different providers of telecommunication and network services – all this at a minimum cost and complexity. Most suppliers of colocation solutions market their products to a wide audience, the one that includes both large and small-scale enterprises. Nine times out of ten, a customer owns the IT equipment, but it is the external company that arranges the electricity, sufficient bandwidth and efficient room ventilation. By placing their servers in a data center, clients gain at least several instant advantages. Firstly, they make substantial savings on the expenses arising out of the servers management, cutting the often excruciating costs of the Internet connection, rack mounting, cables, the main and backup power supplies, etc. A greater level of network capacity secured by a data center is sure to find its reflection in more rapid access to the customers’ websites. Secondly, clients are offered the sought-after opportunity to save time – we all agree that every minute is worth its weight in gold in business – and focus closely on daily undertakings, while the staff of a data center keeps servers in peak condition 24/7. Customers can therefore maintain effective control over the complex designing process and use of their own infrastructure, whereas the daily operation of a data center is supervised by the colocation provider for multiple tenants. Colocation Services in EasyDCIM If you are up to speed with the latest series of colocation-exploring Blog articles, discussing the subject of fundamentals, traffic aggregation and power usage, you already know how to create a colocation in EasyDCIM, assign an unlimited number of servers to it, and also configure the PDU devices as a part of a colocation service. This product considered as a whole is appropriately arranged in the system so as to be easily ordered and later on handled by the end customer. EasyDCIM provides a simple means for managing orders and services in the administrator panel. To trace essential details on existing orders, enter the „Clients” section, and afterward proceed to the „Orders” subsection located in the left menu. The orders list view features all information you may find useful, including the number, type and status of an order, a client for whom the order has been placed, as well as the service that was created in the process of order acceptance. If you would like to create a new order, choose the „Add Order” option available in the upper menu named „Actions”. You will be then automatically redirected to further steps of order placing. The „Basic Details” stage requires you to choose the type of a service that you wish to obtain. Currently, EasyDCIM supports two service categories, i.e. Server and Colocation. Together with this, choose the customer who shall own the ordered colocation service. The next step, "Service Criteria" allows you to specify the model of the colocation you would like to order as well as its preferable location. Whenever you are ready, use the designated section in your EasyDCIM panel to create a new model and a new location. We are almost there! "Service Configuration" is the final step of your order. Here you can create a colocation label that will help you locate this colocation in the future quick and easy. This is the stage at which you also select the "Access Level", that is a set of prearranged permissions for end customers. Wait a moment, what levels? Where do I create them? Follow us! Go to the "Access Levels" section and simply pick the elements to which your clients should have access from the client area in your EasyDCIM panel, and which ones will remain off limits to them. So, it looks like your order is ready! Accept it, and then, from the "Service Actions" widget view select the "Activate" option. This will trigger the activation of your colocation service. Do not forget that the system automatically identifies the most suitable colocation, basing on the specifics provided during the ordering process. For instance: if you placed an order for the "COLO 2 Servers" model which is to be located in New York, the system will automatically try to find such a colocation according to the following criteria: model - COLO 2 Servers location - New York inventory status - available client - not assigned yet If the colocation matching all requirements is found in the system, you will see it in the order summary view (as shown on the "Order Preview" widget). Otherwise, you will receive an appropriate notification and the colocation will have to be selected and assigned to the order manually. Colocation Management in EasyDCIM Client Area And voilà – a new colocation has been created and assigned to the client successfully. Now they will be able to manage its essential components directly from the EasyDCIM client area. This includes controlling transfer consumption as well as power usage of the devices assigned to the colocation, and managing power outlets by end clients remotely via "on", "off" and "restart" options. The very same actions can be performed by the colocation owner from the "Outlets" section. Based on the collected data and using the appropriate billing system like WHMCS and EasyDCIM Colocation For WHMCS module, the administrator can then charge customers based on their total resource consumption. The integration with the WHMCS billing system will be described in greater detail in the next article devoted to colocation. It goes without saying that the major part of the whole colocation ordering process takes place automatically and your job boils down to, basically, making a few clicks. Effortless, time-effective, and fun – this is how colocation management in EasyDCIM v1.4.3 is bound to be! Master the Arcana of Colocation! Got to the end of the article, but still feeling slightly out of place? You must have somehow missed the introduction of colocation, basics of traffic aggregation and power usage tutorial!

It should not come as a surprise to anyone that deployment and maintenance of data centers is not exactly a money-friendly process. Not by a long shot. The purchase of the requisite equipment and software license alone is a long-term investment, not to mention the costs related to power usage. Yes, power usage - probably the most pricey recurring expense of all. Colocation is usually made up of numerous devices running 24/7 so as to provide the users with round-the-clock access. You do not need to be a Maths genius to figure out that the more devices assigned to the colocation → the higher the power consumption rate → the bigger the costs. But that is not all. When we take into account the fact that some larger metropolitan areas and remote places have considerably higher cost of electricity than other locations, we might end up with really cosmic numbers. Looks like power usage is quite a big deal when it comes to company's profitability, isn't it? So, how to reduce the power consumption of data center devices to the absolute minimum? One of the most common solutions used by modern data centers is replacing the standard power strips that possess few or no energy-saving features with Power Distribution Units. PDUs are far more advanced, enabling the measurement of electrical parameters, load switching, and monitoring of environmental factors such as temperature or humidity. And why is all of this so important anyway? Because, most of all, insight into the exact conditions inside a rack cabinet along with immediate reports of any encountered errors empower administrators as well as data center operators to address them and implement various measures increasing energy efficiency promptly. Although very much alike the ordinary power strips, the role of PDU devices does not end with distributing electric power only. As we already mentioned, PDUs first and foremost measure electrical parameters, but they can also be used to switch on and off the installed outlets and monitor them remotely via network interfaces. After all the good stuff you have heard about Power Distribution Units, you might think that hardly anyone will be able to afford such a space-age solution for their data center. But the truth is that PDU devices are actually becoming increasingly more widespread as the pressure from data center operators and server rooms to reduce energy consumption intensifies. PDUs of different manufacturers can collect various measurement data, but there are several common elements: frequency, voltage, current and their product – power. Depending on the class, PDU devices can also measure active and apparent power – two other key factors when using power supplies with capacitive and inductive load characteristics. Devices in EasyDCIM EasyDCIM v1.4.3 supports PDU devices of APC and Raritan brands. Data on the status of power outlets, power consumption and current PDU load are downloaded cyclically in five minute intervals, using the SNMP protocol. This protocol also allows a remote control over power devices, which makes it possible for you to start, shut down, or restart any outlet in a fully remote manner, simply sending corresponding commands from the EasyDCIM panel. Each colocation can be assigned an unlimited number of PDU outlets. You can see the list of all active power devices assigned to the given colocation by moving from the colocation summary view to the 'Power' subsection. When assigning a new device to the colocation, you are additionally offered the choice of available power outlets. You can select all, or just the preferred ones. Either way, all power devices you have picked will be listed in the 'Power Ports' section of the given colocation. Assigning an outlet to colocation will also empower end clients to manage this device remotely, using the 'switch-on', 'switch-off' and 'restart' options. The colocation owner can configure the whole process from a special section in the EasyDCIM client area. EasyDCIM aggregates power consumption based on all PDU devices belonging to the colocation. By way of example: having two assigned PDU outlets which generate different usage, the total consumption for the colocation will be the sum of power from these two devices. Using the appropriate billing system like WHMCS and EasyDCIM Colocation For WHMCS module, the administrator can then charge customers based on their total energy consumption measured in amps. It is also possible to preview past and current power usage for the entire colocation or each PDU device separately in the 'Power Usage' section. As you can see, adding PDU devices to colocation and managing their fundamental properties in EasyDCIM is as straightforward as it is beneficial to any data center provider. Put it to practice yourself, and stay tuned for more gripping news on colocation in EasyDCIM v1.4.3! Start Your Colocation Adventure! Are you a newcomer to EasyDCIM v1.4.3 and wondering what is going on with this whole colocation thing? Get clued in right away and read more on colocation basics & traffic aggregation as well!

Server colocation as well as dedicated servers are two primary services offered by a data center. Their main function is to ensure the top security of the stored data, which they indeed do in a bidirectional way: by eliminating the risk of data loss and providing continuous access to it. Colocating the infrastructure in an external, professionally managed data center goes with a wide spectrum of tangible benefits. Most importantly, the erased data is extremely difficult to retrieve and that no one can really afford so here it comes the already mentioned matter of security. On top of that, such a solution also spares you the huge cost of deploying and maintaining your personal server room – and we all love some extra savings, don′t we? Who will profit from colocation the most then? The answer we have for you is rather unsurprising – all companies actually which either do not posses their own data center infrastructure at all, or have one, but the decisive parameters do not meet the expected standards. Through colocation, these businesses automatically gain the uppermost level of security, accessibility, and infallibility for their precious data, without the need to invest in a pricey server room infrastructure. As you can see, if your enterprise requires a stable, high-speed connection, colocation is the least money-draining way to go. High bandwidth at a fraction of the cost, no necessity to make space for a server room, and no reason to worry about power outage – we could enumerate at least a few more pros.   Colocation in EasyDCIM Now that you are well familiarized with the multifaceted advantages standing behind this clever service, let us move to the know-how. The possibility to manage colocated devices has been introduced to newly rolled out EasyDCIM v1.4.3, which makes it all the more attractive. You can differentiate between colocation and other network devices real quick as the former type has a set of its own, characteristic attributes. Ready to embark on a journey through some of them? Navigate to the left sidebar → 'Services & Devices′ → ′Colocation′. Here you will find colocation-related details of various sorts, including its name, set-up location, and a total number of active devices. But that is certainly not all this section provides you with. If you are eager to learn more about your data transfer usage or electric energy consumption, you will have it delivered to you in an absolutely crystal clear, graph form. What needs to be stressed at this point is also the fact that each colocation can have an unlimited number of servers assigned to it and their complete record can be easily accessed from the summary view in the ′Devices′ subsection. Now, moving to the ′usage′ part. EasyDCIM aggregates network traffic from all devices assigned to colocation altogether. For example, if three servers operating within one colocation generate different incoming and outgoing traffic, then the overall traffic for the whole colocation will be simply a total of all sums. This solution is not only pretty straightforward, but also extremely accurate, as it allows administrators to charge their clients, via a billing system like WHMCS or Blesta, on the basis of either the total usage or through the 95th percentile billing method. Naturally, each of the devices must be appropriately configured in terms of traffic aggregation beforehand by assigning a server to a specific port on the switch. Would you like to now preview the past or current data usage for a specified time period? Be our guest - just skip to the ′Traffic Aggregation′ section with a neat graph illustrating the incoming and outgoing traffic as well as the 95th percentile calculation. You may also move straight to the summary view and have a look at the average data usage for: the current month the last day counting backwards from the current date the last week counting backwards from the current date the last month counting backwards from the current date Empowering you to manage the colocated servers now straight in your EasyDCIM is yet another quantum leap towards greater Admin Experience we are so adamant about. No leading-edge data center control panel would be fully complete without this widely popularized service which makes us positive that you will find it particularly serviceable too. If our brief reading struck you as informative or interesting, stick with us for more articles dedicated to ins and outs of colocation! See deeper into EasyDCIM v1.4.3

There is one essential problem arising from owning a single, extensive data center or multiple but rather weakly coordinated server rooms – keeping track of the constant exchange of information may prove to be a bit of a challenge. Even spreadsheet programs have a hard time with standing up to the task since the data stored are usually no longer up-to-date, their accessibility limited to a few staff members only, or the rules of updating not properly standardized. And this is exactly when EasyDCIM - futuristic software aimed at assisting teams in harmonious maintenance of data centers - comes to rescue. So how does the EasyDCIM magic work in practice? For the sake of quick demonstration, let us consider the following scenario. Several admins are simultaneously using EasyDCIM within one data center to perform various operations like for example creating new devices and editing their properties. One of these admins – why won’t we call him Greg Allen, has just been instructed by the orders department to get ready the Dell PowerEdge R320 server for the person named Chris Schwarz. The server was successfully set up, added to the system, and assigned to the client so that it would be later on easier to identify. After that, Greg Allen moved on to placing the device in the appropriate location and assigned it to a specific rack cabinet in the system. All of the changes Greg has made with relation to the device up to this point were meticulously chronicled in the Revision History section of the EasyDCIM control panel. Owing to the precise documentation, every other admin will now be able to preview: when the last modification took place, what exact field was altered, what the previous value of the field was, to what value the field was changed, who updated the field. Consider the Revision History an in-depth report which allows you to trace the entire life line of any device from the very moment of its addition as well as preview the list of such detailed information as the date, name of the admin and the exact changes connected with every single interaction made. Concluding, equipped with this invaluable knowledge, admins will be empowered in managing their data centers now more than ever before. One more novel option of grave significance was introduced to EasyDCIM v1.4.2 alongside the Revision History, and that is the possibility to synchronize installation addons between NOC-PS and EasyDCIM. You have probably been often compelled to install also other software like Plesk, cPanel or DirectAdmin in addition to your operating system - rather a bothersome necessity than a fun ride, was it not? It is for this very reason that EasyDCIM again extends a helpful hand to all data center users, letting them to fully automatize the entire process of adding various elements to the system. The addons are divided into the following 5 types: first boot - run during the first boot of the operating system, pre-installation - run before the installation of the operating system, post-installation - run after the installation of the operating system, disk layout - determining the specific disk partitioning, packages - determining the specific installation packages for a given system such as e.g. OpenSSH server, apache2, MySQL server. Since every addon is assigned to a particular operating system by means of a tag, those addons which are incompatible with users’ operating system will simply become unavailable for choosing. From storing priceless data on your network devices to harmonizing installation addons, all in one fell swoop – not until you have put these two slick options to good use will you notice how game-changing they can be for your business. Let EasyDCIM v1.4.2 spark off the Admin Experience you had long hoped for! See also: Automatic Network Devices Discovery in Action Explore the full changelog!