Data center information retrieval system and method of operating the same
A data center information retrieval system includes a computer-executed device information retrieval application in communication with first and second devices configured in a data center. Each device includes one or more elements that provide a service for the data center. The application obtains and stores one or more first element records associated with one or more of the elements of the first device in a database, and communicates with a modular software component to obtain information associated with the corresponding one or more second elements of the second device, the modular software component translating information obtained about the second elements to a format similar to that of the first element records.
1. A data center information retrieval system comprising:
a processing device; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions, which when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to execute an application in communication with a first device and a second device configured in a data center, the first device including one or more first elements that provide a first service for the data center and the second device including one or more second elements with operational dependencies on the one or more first elements, the one or more second elements providing a second service for the data center, the application further executed to:
obtain and store, in a database, one or more first element records comprising operational information of the one or more first elements of the first device, the first element records comprising a first format for storing;
receive, from a provider of the second device, a modular software component configured to modify the application to translate communications to the application and the second device into a second format associated with the one or more second elements;
transmit, to the second device and via the modular software component, an element record request message to obtain operational information associated with the corresponding one or more second elements of the second device, the modular software component translating the element record request message to the second format associated with the one or more second elements; and
amend the first element records with the received operational information of the one or more second elements.
2. The data center information retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the application is further executed to perform at least one of displaying the amended first element records on a display device or transmitting the amended first element records to another computer executable process for further processing.
3. The data center information retrieval system of claim 2 , wherein the application is further executed to amend the first element records by identifying a portion of the received information of the one or more second elements that is associated with the first element records, and combining the portion of the received operational information of the one or more second elements with the associated first element records.
4. The data center information retrieval system of claim 2 , wherein the application is further executed to store the amended first element records in a non-SQL database.
5. The data center information retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the application is further executed to communicate with the modular software component through an application program interface.
6. The data center information retrieval system of claim 4 , wherein the modular software component comprises at least one of a plug-in, an add-in, or an extension coupled to the application.
7. The data center information retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the second device comprises at least one of a telecommunications device, a storage system device, or a power conversion system device.
8. The data center information retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the application is further executed to perform a discovery process to populate the database with the first element records associated with the one or more first elements of the first device.
9. The data center information retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the second device is provided by a manufacturer that is different than a manufacturer of the first device.
10. The data center information retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the first element records are stored in the database as Javascript object notation (JSON) documents.
11. A data center information retrieval method comprising:
obtaining, using instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executed on at least one hardware processor, and storing in a database one or more first element records comprising operational information of one or more first elements of a first device configured to provide a first service for a data center, the one or more first element records comprising a first format for storing;
receiving, from a provider of a second device including one or more second elements with operational dependencies on the one or more first elements, the one or more second elements providing a second service for the data center, a modular software component configured to modify the instructions to translate communications to the second device into a second format associated with the one or more second elements;
transmitting, using the instructions, an element record request message to the second device via the modular software component to obtain operational information associated with the one or more second elements of the second device, the modular software component translating the element record request message to the second format associated with the one or more second elements; and
amending the first element records with the obtained operational information of the one or more second elements.
12. The data center information retrieval method of claim 11 , further comprising at least one of displaying the amended one or more first element records on a display device or transmitting the amended one or more first element records to another computer executable process for further processing.
13. The data center information retrieval method of claim 12 , further comprising storing the amended one or more first element records in a non-SQL database.
14. The data center information retrieval method of claim 11 , further comprising communicating with the modular software component through an application program interface.
15. The data center information retrieval method of claim 14 , wherein the modular software component comprises at least one of a plug-in, an add-in, or an extension of the instructions.
16. The data center information retrieval method of claim 11 , wherein the second device comprises at least one of a telecommunications device, a storage system device, or a power conversion system device.
17. The data center information retrieval method of claim 11 , further comprising performing a discovery process to populate the database with the one or more first element records associated with the one or more first elements of the first device.
18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one hardware processor, causes the at least one hardware processor to:
obtain and store, in a database, one or more first element records comprising operational information of one or more of first elements of a first device configured to provide a first service for a data center, the one or more first element records comprising a first format for storing;
receive, from a provider of a second device including one or more second elements with operational dependencies on the one or more first elements, the one or more second elements providing a second service for the data center, a modular software component configured to translate communications to the second device into a second format associated with the one or more second elements;
transmit an element record request message to the second device via the modular software component to obtain operational information associated with the one or more second elements of the second device, the modular software component translating the element record request message to the second format associated with the one or more second elements; and
amend the first element records with the obtained operational information of the one or more second elements.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one hardware processor to display the amended one or more first element records on a display device.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one hardware processor to communicate with the modular software component through an application program interface, wherein the modular software component comprises at least one of a plug-in, and add-in, or an extension of the instructions.