Also referred to as single pane view, single pane of glass is an information technology (IT) phrase used to describe a management tool such as a unified console or dashboard that integrates information from varied sources across multiple applications and environments into a single display.
Single Pane in the Data Center
In the data center, a single pane view provides management with visibility into key IT performance indicators and metrics to align business goals and to link operational metrics with business priorities. To obtain a single pane view, key metrics must be captured across the different sources.
Some metrics are often provided by the application vendors offering APIs to access the key metrics. Industry best practice guides typically recommends compliance with the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) metrics and key performance indicators to ensure that the process is effective and efficient.
Also see related term business intelligence.
Single Pane Network Infrastructure
In network management a single pane infrastructure provides visibility across the entire business network for total management of network resources, services and users. The single pane view provides unified management of all resources including wired, wireless, physical and virtual sources.
Network administrators benefit from single pane infrastructure with improved visibility into devices and users. Additionally, it provides quick access to the information needed to quickly create and modify access control, application usage and security policies.
