What Language Does DCIM Software Speak?
15. September 2022
4 Min read
The question of interfaces
Reinhard Burkert, Product Manager Smart Networks at R&M
Surfing the Internet is so easy these days. We click on a link in the browser and land at the desired location. We start a function for which programs have to be run on different, independent servers.
This is so easy because the servers in the background can «talk» to each other. Open programming interfaces and the universal HTTP language of the Internet make this possible.
It is precisely this approach that can be transferred to the management of data centers.
To operate one or more data centers efficiently and successfully, you need several management functions, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM), Cable Management Systems (CMS), a Configuration Management Database (CMDB), an Incident Management System (Service Desk), access control and many more.
Powerful software such as inteliPhy net cannot (and should not) cover all these requirements. Rather, it makes sense to use specialized systems for each management area and to exchange common data (e.g. the position and assembly of network cabinets or the power consumption of the servers) via software interfaces.
These software interfaces, also called application programming interfaces or APIs for short, allow the easy exchange of data. For example, inteliPhy net can send the BIM information about the assembly of network cabinets or receive a work order from the Service Desk to create a cable coupling. After successful execution, inteliPhy net reports the completion of the order back to the Service Desk.
The DCIM software inteliPhy net from R&M now also enables automated data exchange with other applications
The inteliPhy net API
The API of inteliPhy net is structured according to the REST architecture (REST = Representational State Transfer). It uses HTTP as the transport protocol, and the data itself is displayed as JSON objects (JSON = Javascript Object Notation).
The structure of the API is based on the «Data Exchange Framework» as defined in the ISO/IEC 18598 standard for automated infrastructure management. The standard-based approach has the advantage that it is very easy to exchange data with other systems implemented in accordance with the same standard.
Of course, other systems can also be connected to the inteliPhy net API with the minimal development effort.
API documentation: Swagger makes it possible
When developing an integration between two systems via an API, current documentation and simple testing options are of crucial importance. The inteliPhy net API was implemented with Swagger’s Interface Definition Language (IDL). The latest API documentation is available anytime via a website integrated into the inteliPhy net server. In addition, Swagger allows API calls to be created and tested directly on the inteliPhy net server.