IT Advisor integrates with monitoring and virtualization systems.
Once integration has been set up in System Setup>External System Configuration and the systems start communicating, the data from the other systems will appear in IT Advisor.
Monitored devices from external systems, for example Data Center Expert, Data Center: IT Power Control or Data Center: IT Optimize, appear in Discovered Devices, available in Planning>Device Association.
Viewing monitoring system data
Integration with monitoring systems, such as Data Center Expert servers, allows for associating devices (UPS or rack PDUs) to physical locations in the layout and for retrieving actual measured data and alarm data.
The devices will appear in device groups according to the setup in the external system, including any sub devices, for example monitoring equipment with multiple pods and cameras. A monitored device appears as unassigned in the pane (gray icon) until it has been associated with the device representing it in the layout (blue icon), for example a UPS or rack PDU, (or if you selected to unassociate it again after that). When it has been associated, it appears in Navigation (with the name from the external system in parenthesis).
Viewing virtualization management system data
Integration with virtualization management systems, such as VMware vCenter Server or Microsoft System Center Operations Manager and Microsoft Virtual Machine Manager allows for associating virtual machine hosts to physical locations in the layout and managing and migrating virtual machines running on devices connected to failing physical equipment to healthy hosts in order to prevent impact.
The virtual machine hosts will appear according to the setup in the external system. A host will appear as unassigned in the pane (gray icon) until it has been associated with the server representing it in the layout (blue icon). When it has been associated, it appears in Navigation (with the name from the external system in parenthesis).
Any alarm on a device will show up to help you locate the problem in the physical infrastructure and determine the nature of the problem.
Alarm icons will appear in the Status Bar and equipment with an alarm will be marked in the layout and in the Unassociated Devices pane.
Performing dynamic search
- In the dynamic Search box above the Unassociated Devices pane, start typing some characters of the devices you want to see.
As you type, the pane shows all items that contain the typed characters.
Locating an associated device in the layout
- Right-click the device in the Unassociated Devices pane and select Show in Layout to locate and select the device in its physical location in the floor or rack layout.
- Right-click the device in the Unassociated Devices pane and select Show in Navigation to locate and select the device in the Navigation pane.
Launching to a device
- Right-click the device in the Unassociated Devices pane and select Launch to Device for direct access to launch the device in the external system.
Viewing properties
- Right-click the monitored device or virtual machine host in the Unassociated Devices pane and select Properties to access read-only information provided by the external system. The information may vary based on the type of equipment.
