New features in Data Center Operation 8.0

• No need to open the DCO desktop client to perform simple rack inventory edits

• Easy web access from a computer, tablet, or mobile device with an internet browser

• Access to corporate network is not required

• New features, such as quick search and simultaneous rack front/rear view

• Some features previously only available in the DCO desktop client, such as user and license management
  Not full feature set of the desktop client: No network cable management, no work orders, etc. 

Web client interface

You'll be able to access your data center inventory through the web client. Depending on your user rights, you'll be able to drill down to specific locations and rooms to view or edit rack inventory.

Navigation has been optimized for touch screens and easy clicking/tabbing through location, room, rack, and equipment.  

More...

License management

 License management is no longer handled in the desktop client but has moved into the web client interface. It has a new look and feel and integrates to the latest version of DCE but the basic functionality hasn't changed. More...

User management

DCO user rights on individual or user group level, as well as authentication server configuration are no longer handled in the desktop client but moved into the web client interface. Use a web browser to log in to the web client as a user with administration rights and select Administration>Users. More... and More...

Customizing web branding

You may want to change some default settings of the DCO web client, e.g. if you want to brand your site with your own logo, or color. More...

User account and language settings

 Users can manage their own user account settings, such as preferred unit of measurement, language settings, and changing password. More... and More...

Key colo features

• Inventory management and customer administration
  Set up a Tenant Portal for your customers to access their contracted cage or rack inventory
• Customize branding towards customers
• Configurable KPI sharing with customers (power and environmental values)
• Easy access control (portal access activation/deactivation for individual users)

Key tenant features

• Access and edit your rack or cage inventory (access controlled by your colocation provider)
• Audit trail of changes to your inventory
• Manage users in your company
• Get insight into your capacity, such as power, temperature, available U-spac

In the new simplified capacity implementation, no capacity configuration is needed provided you have modeled your equipment and set up valid power paths.

• Available rack capacity is automatically calculated based on the modeled equipment (breakers and upstream power limitations of UPS)

• Grouping racks in capacity groups is no longer needed for the calculations to work (and racks no longer reserve capacity on the connected UPS) 
  However, if you were using capacity groups, you can now set up design limits for a selection of racks or rack PDUs (setting in Power properties, and you can multi-edit in Equipment Browser) to create a similar configuration
• The system simply uses the new calculation methods, e.g. when advising you of the best rack in which to add a new server
• New concepts have been introduced, such as design limit, predicted power, and the power tooltips have been redesigned and improved, including the new concept.

Support for Direct Current equipment

• A new type of equipment, rectifier, has been added to the genome library. It can be added as the top level item in a power path with DC voltages.
• Other equipment with DC power properties has been added to the genome library, such as ATS, UPS, PDU, Power Panel, distribution panel, fuse, rackPDU, and server. Some servers now support both AC and DC input voltages.
• Tooltips show measurements in A or kW
• A new option has been introduced in the Preferences>General tab, to set Default breaker derating for DC.

Support for single phase equipment

• Equipment with single phase properties have been added to the genome library, such as UPS, PDU, and rack PDU
• Single phase equipment is supported by other features, such as the new capacity implementation, and in the Excel import (including warnings if importing power connections that are not allowed between 1P/3P equipment). The Excel import now also includes new functionality: support for import of Scott transformation, and design limits.

Note: When you have created a genome with phase information (1P or 3P), you cannot change it but must create a new genome with different phase support if needed.

Support for power path without UPS as top level item

The modelled power path can now start at PDU level. If a PDU is the top level item, remember to set an input breaker value on the PDU as the system needs a value to calculate a valid power path.

Improved tooltips

• The power tooltips have been redesigned and now include more details
• Thresholds in power tooltips for warnings (red, yellow) are configurable

Colo overlay

The Colo overlay has been improved and the power bars now include details about both contracted power and estimated load.

Changes have been made to the search functionality on the Desktop Client.

In previous versions search results would include data on the desktop client as well as on the DCO server. Now search results only include data on the desktop client.

Installing and configuring the DCO server works in the same way as in previous versions.

However, behind the scenes, important platform changes have been made to upgrade Linux and other components to improve security and performance (e.g. DCO starts quicker), and there's support for newer server hardware.

When the server has been installed and configured, the download of the Desktop client and some initial setup tasks is now available through the web client interface.

New well documented web services for version 8.0 have been developed in RESTful API and existing SOAP web services are gradually being transitioned to the RESTful API. The new web services do not replace ETL for making changes to the model in bulk operations.

Keep up with the development progress, and when the transition is planned for the web services relevant to you:
Data Center Operation Web Service API

Less crashes and easier debugging in case of communication issues:

The messaging delivery method between the server and client has been rewritten. This makes it easier to troubleshoot any potential client/server communication issues when sending alarms and updates. This new implementation applies to both standalone and cluster setups.

Java message service is no longer used. Messages are no longer put a queue, minimizing the amount of communication errors.

Protocol changes make configuration easier since less ports need to be configured. Now communication only takes place through HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443).

• Large cluster setups are no longer supported (only support for 2 node clusters plus a DR node)
• A DCO node should not be directly accessible from the Internet (proxy setup is needed between the Internet and DCO)
• Search has been simplified (client no longer searches on server)
• Caching (Hibernate 2nd level cache has been removed) 
• Replication has been removed. Indexing happens on each server
• Components no longer needed have been removed (because WildFly servers don't communicate with each other), such as IP multicast and JGroups

 The Genome Library has been updated and now includes more than 12900 genomes.

Support for more 3rd party system integrations

 Support for 3rd party system integrations through new DCO connectors.

• Supported handheld hardware now includes MC55 (still works with MC70 and MC75)
• Mobile communication with DCO requires disabling https
  

  
  The mobile framework doesn't support https. Therefore, a setting was introduced in the server management interface (Webmin) to disable redirecting http to https.

  Warning

  Use this option with caution and be aware of the reduction in security since your data will no longer be encrypted!

  Unless you have enabled a secure connection in the DCO desktop and web clients, disabling the redirect will also mean your communication between the server and clients may be at risk.

• Portal and Data Center Operation: PRO Pack communication with DCO requires disabling https

Portaland Data Center Operation: PRO Pack communication with DCO doesn't support https. Therefore, a setting was introduced in the server management interface (Webmin) to disable redirecting http to https.

Portal users must enable http communication on DCO 8.0 in order to use the portal.

 Data Center Operation: VIZOR is currently not supported in DCO 8.x but most of the functionality is available in the web client.