Intermediate distribution frame or IDF Closet.
Noun
Sounds like: "i-d-f clos-et"
An intermediate distribution frame, or IDF closet, is a cable rack in a central office or customer premises that cross connects and manages the IT or telecommunications cabling between a main distribution frame (MDF) and remote workstation devices.
Cables that enter a facility must first connect to a centralized MDF closet, then to each individual IDF closet, and finally on to workstations. An example would be a business located across multiple floors of a building may have an MDF on the first floor that connects to public lines from outside the building. That MDF then connects those lines to the internal network via an IDF placed on each individual floor.
IDF closets are commonly used for telephone exchange central offices, customer-premises equipment, wide area networks (WAN), and local area networks (LAN).
IDF Closet Management with DCIM Software
The strategic importance of small IT spaces such as IDF closets is increasing but managing remote IDF closets can be a challenge without the right tool. Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software is used by IT closet managers to:
Visualize in 3D real-time views of all IDF closets, assets, and power/network connections across the entire deployment.
Direct technicians to complete changes accurately and quickly with clear work orders and instructions.
Remotely monitor power and environment across multiple locations in real-time to get advanced warning of potential issues like hot spot formation, power capacity limitations, and loss of redundancy.
Provide common views of dashboards and reports to improve collaboration and productivity, and to manage to consistent KPIs across functional teams.
Know the capacity of all infrastructure items with visual reports that overlay real-time data such as available space, budgeted and actual power, plus network and power port availability.
Want to see how Sunbird’s world-leading DCIM software makes it easy for you to manage IDF Closet. closets? Get your free test drive now!
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Intermediate distribution frame
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What is Data Center Management and How Can It Benefit Your Business?
Data Center Management refers to the role of individuals (data center managers) tasked within a data center to oversee technical and IT issues.
This includes management of computer and server operations, large amounts of data, services and applications, and the protection and security of the data. While some of these tasks must be directly managed, many can be automated, thereby reduce the number of on-site employees, eliminate unnecessary manual tasks, and reduce associated business costs.
Intelligent PDUS
Sunbirds Data Center DCIM provides Outlet-metered intelligent rack PDUs that enable monitoring and management of power consumption at each outlet, providing device-level data that offers a granular view of power usage and capacity in the data center.
Some even integrate with temperature and humidity sensors to provide environmental information at the rack.
Sunbird’s DCIM software complements outlet-metered intelligent rack PDUs by collecting, storing, alerting, and reporting on the data they generate, delivering actionable insights and enabling more informed decision-making.
In this eBook, we will explain the practical advantages of deploying intelligent rack PDUs and Sunbird DCIM. By leveraging these tools, you can maximize the value of both investments and dramatically simplify how you manage your data center.
Data Center Infrastructure Management
Why DCIM?
Power and cooling expenses alone were projected to increase from $25 billion in 2005 to $45 billion by 2010. Data center managers consistently cite rack density, cooling, and power usage as top concerns.
As responsibilities across facilities, networking, and systems have evolved, aligning these functions to reliably, securely, and cost-effectively support the business has become increasingly difficult—making DCIM tools a critical necessity.