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Article • • 4 minute read

Top 5 Reasons To Connect to Cisco Intersight Today

Learn why organizations should be connecting to Cisco Intersight, even though the full-featured version is not yet available.

In this article

  1. 1. It's cloud-based
  2. 2. Connected-TAC
  3. 3. Customizable dashboard
  4. 4. Tag and search inventory
  5. 5. It's free!  
  6. WWT can help

The full-featured release of Cisco's latest infrastructure management platform, Cisco Intersight, is expected sometime before the end of 2020. For those unfamiliar, Cisco Intersight is a cloud-delivered, subscription service that provides a way to streamline the management of Cisco compute infrastructure.  

By offering a single interface, Cisco Intersight eliminates the burden of managing IT infrastructure with multiple tools. Despite the fact that Cisco Intersight's full version is not yet available, there are still plenty of features accessible now that customers can and should be utilizing. Here are the top five reasons customers should be connecting to Cisco Intersight today. 

 1. It's cloud-based

Since Cisco Intersight is cloud-delivered, infrastructure can be managed from anywhere, at any time. Additionally, there is nothing to download. With Cisco Intersight in the cloud, updates and enhancements from Cisco are continually made available to users. This eliminates time-consuming maintenance and downtime.

Cisco Intersight log-on page
Cisco Intersight log-on page

 2. Connected-TAC

Remember the days when a TAC case had to be opened followed by the painstaking process of pulling logs, interpreting them and then uploading applicable logs for Cisco's review? Well those days are gone with Connected-TAC. Instead of the tedious manual work that previously had to be done, Connected-TAC pulls the needed and relevant technical support files and other information from the customer's environment once a TAC case is opened.

 3. Customizable dashboard

Cisco Intersight's dashboard can be tailored to an organization's specific needs. Via the Widget Library, widgets can be added, removed or rearranged easily on the dashboard. Up to 30 widgets can be displayed on the dashboard offering a quick glimpse into active errors, alerts, broken systems, etc.  

Additionally, widgets can be renamed based on the preference of the user(s), which allows conformity to an organization's standard naming convention, if applicable. The following are some widgets that are particularly noteworthy:

  • Contract Status Widgets – Using this specific widget, users can quickly view whether contracts are active, expiring soon or not covered. Additionally, contract information, including starting and ending dates, contract numbers, etc., can be easily accessible, tracked and reconciled to the customer's environment.
  • Server Details Widget – This widget allows accessibility to server information such as server model, server profile, firmware version, etc. This makes determining what servers to upgrade a breeze.
  • Storage Device Details Widget – This widget shows information for the top five utilized storage arrays. Storage version data is also viewable with this widget.
Cisco Intersight dashboard and widget display
Cisco Intersight dashboard and widget display

 4. Tag and search inventory

Based on the customer's determination, infrastructure can be tagged by specific workload or by team owning. In turn, users are able to search for certain types of equipment swiftly. For example, if a user wants to look at all of his/her exchange servers, and all of the infrastructure has been tagged, a simple click of a button will showcase the relevant equipment. This results in effective and efficient management of infrastructure.

If the goal is to look at a server or servers in more detail, all components can be viewed in a graphical representation. Users have the ability to toggle between the front, rear and top views to expose ports, peripherals, memory and CPU.

Cisco Intersight server inventory
Cisco Intersight server inventory

 5. It's free!  

Who doesn't love something free? All of the above features are free to those who currently have Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS), Cisco HyperFlex and/or Cisco USC Director. Included with these products is the Intersight Base licensing, therefore just claim a device or devices and connect to Cisco Intersight. For those customers requiring more comprehensive management capabilities, there are three other tiers of licensing that can be purchased for one-, three- or five-year time frames.

 WWT can help

Don't wait for the full-featured release of Cisco Intersight to start enjoying its many benefits. There are various elements available today at no additional cost that will make management of your organization's infrastructure easier and more efficient.

Have questions about Cisco Intersight? Our subject matter experts are here to help. Contact your WWT account team to schedule an in-depth demonstration on all of the advantages of Cisco Intersight.

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