Integrating RFID technology to improve IT asset management controls, playing an integral part in datacenter relocation

Enterprise Information Technology (IT) assets are typically high value fixed assets, often containing confidential or sensitive data and intellectual property. IT asset management is a critical component of datacenter operation with potential legal and financial implications. Traditional asset tracking tools such as bar code scanning and spreadsheets are labor-intensive, error prone and only as accurate as the last inventory. Modern “Smarter” data centers require innovative asset management solutions that go beyond basic financial controls. IBM Research is in the beginning phases of the deployment of a fully integrated RFID infrastructure in the creation of a “Smarter Datacenter”. This paper describes the design and deployment of a pilot infrastructure that was leveraged in a recent datacenter consolidation project. We show how the solution tracked the high value IT Assets, and more importantly, provided automation of business controls based on events generated by an assets' move.