The physical assets and connectivity are a vital element of any infrastructure and constitute the foundation of the network stack. The importance of their management can therefore not be undervalued. For the physical assets and connectivity data to become a reliable source of truth, it requires a specialized management solution that offers comprehensive capabilities in the domain.
Managing a physical layer infrastructure can be complex, especially without an appropriate tool in place to manage the assets and connectivity. This article discusses the importance of choosing the right tool, the obvious and less obvious things to look for when considering options, and why PATCH MANAGER should be your preferred choice.
Obvious things to look for when choosing the right cable and asset management software solution
Reliable source of truth
The physical assets and connectivity are a vital element of any infrastructure and constitute the foundation of the network stack. The importance of their management can therefore not be undervalued. For the physical assets and connectivity data to become a reliable source of truth, it requires a specialized management solution that offers comprehensive capabilities in the domain.
Open data exchange
Systems such as network monitoring and service management tools can only function properly if the physical assets and connectivity data is easily accessible. The solution should provide a flexible and open means of system integration, such as a bi-directional API (Application Programming Interface).
Read more: PATCH MANAGER Data Integration Bridge
Future proof
Network cabling and infrastructure technologies continuously evolve, and this requires that a management solution should be able to adapt to this evolution. A key aspect for a well-suited solution is flexibility through configuration, whereby the existing feature set can always be configured to support the new requirements. It is no good being stuck with hard-coded rigid capabilities that only partly meet the requirements and that will quickly become obsolete. The solution should be ‘future-proofed’, designed to be able to adapt, without requiring software changes every time a new network technology or architecture is introduced.
Less obvious things to look for when choosing the right cable and asset management software solution
Data migration
If your project involves data migration from legacy systems or spreadsheets, it is essential for the solution to provide a comprehensive data migration toolkit. This tool kit should not only ensure data integrity and guard against data loss but should also offer features that make the process as easy as it can be.
The devil is in the details
In the cable and asset management domain, the devil really is in the details, so when it comes to requirements analysis, ticking boxes is not enough. It makes sense to look further, and try to answer the following questions in a trial:
- Is the solution truly intuitive and user-friendly?
- Can the solution really be configured to work with your data?
- Can the solution easily adapt to your workflow, or do you have to adapt your workflow for the solution?
- Does the solution really perform well, even for significant bulk changes?
- Is it truly easy to integrate the solution with your other systems?
- How easy is it to actually implement the changes that you make on a daily basis?
Managing both inside and outside plant networks
If your network consists of significant inside and outside plant portions, there is no need to manage them separately if the solution can manage both.
Why PATCH MANAGER is the right choice
At PATCH MANAGER, we are passionate about providing our customers the best tools possible to help you manage your network and have created PATCH MANAGER to address the aspects outlined in this article.
PATCH MANAGER is the leading software solution for cable and network asset management and is designed at the core to support both outside and inside plant networks. PATCH MANAGER assists you to plan and troubleshoot by providing detailed modeling, visualization and reporting on all aspects of your end-to-end physical layer network infrastructure.
PATCH MANAGER helps you to manage your change processes and audits through work orders and customizable workflows and provides an extensive REST API for enterprise and engineering system integration.
If you would like to know more about PATCH MANAGER’s features and benefits, visit our website or request a personal online demo here!
Operating since 2002, Patchmanager B.V. is an established company specialized in Cable and Asset Management Software. From our head office in Amsterdam and offices of international value-added partners we offer solutions to a rapidly growing international customer base across a wide variety of market sectors. We operate with a flexible, customer-focused culture and take pride in exceeding customer expectations with our product, the support we provide and the services we offer.
At Patchmanager B.V., we have high standards. Product excellence and customer service are at the heart of what we do and how we do it. We are driven by providing our customers with a high-quality product that adds substantial value to their organizations. We value long-term relationships with our customers and partners. Because we are not driven by short-termism or external shareholders’ demand, we operate a solid business that can be relied on for the long term. Integrity, transparency, commitment, and trust are our core values and guide us in everything we do, in every interaction with customers, partners, or associates.
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