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The explosion of computing-hungry technologies like generative AI has made the demand for data centres higher than ever before. 

As demand for data centres surges, organizations need more processing power and resources to support their IT operations, and it has become clear that simply building more data centers will soon no longer be enough to match modern technology demands.

Instead, every aspect of a data center infrastructure must be monitored and optimized to improve operational efficiency to ensure these power-hungry sites remain sustainable for future growth. 

One way this can be achieved is through Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software, which helps data center providers ensure their data centers are performing optimally. 

What is DCIM Software?

DCIM software is a tool that manages and monitors the physical and virtual aspects of a data center with the goal of improving operational efficiency. 

It gathers information from various sources in the data center, including sensors on servers and cooling units, power distribution units, and even building management systems to provide a real-time view of data center infrastructure.

DCIM helps data center providers track resource utilization, identify stranded power and cooling capacity, and optimize their overall data center operations.

best dcim software

It can also help plan for future growth and capacity needs by providing a central dashboard to view real-time data on factors like temperature, humidity, power consumption, and equipment performance. 

This enables providers to prepare for future demand while ensuring they remain operationally efficient for sustainable growth. 

How does DCIM Software work?

DCIM software gathers information from various sources in the data center, including sensors on servers and cooling units, power distribution units, and even building management systems.

It constantly monitors these data feeds for a centralized view of environmental conditions (temperature, humidity), equipment health, and power consumption.

DCIM software also keeps a detailed inventory of all data center assets, including their location, specifications, and maintenance history. It does this by tracking usage and identifying areas where you can save money on power costs, proactively monitoring your equipment to identify potential problems before they cause outages.

It can then be set to trigger alerts if readings exceed pre-defined thresholds, enabling technicians to address potential issues before they escalate and generate reports that track trends and identify areas for improvement.

Key Features of DCIM Software

1. Real-time Monitoring

DCIM software provides real-time monitoring of critical data center metrics, such as temperature, humidity, power consumption, and network performance, allowing data center operators to identify and troubleshoot potential problems before they can cause outages.

It also provides a variety of reports and analytics that can be used to track trends, identify areas for improvement, and measure the effectiveness of data center operations.

2. Asset Management

DCIM software helps organizations track and manage their data center assets, including servers, storage devices, network equipment, and power distribution units. This includes maintaining an inventory of all assets, as well as tracking their location, warranty information, and maintenance history.

3. Capacity Planning

DCIM software helps organizations plan for future growth by providing insights into how their data center space and power is being used. This information can be used to identify areas where additional capacity is needed, and to plan for future deployments.

4. Change Management

 DCIM software can help organizations automate and streamline the process of adding, moving, and changing equipment within the data center. This can help to reduce the risk of errors and downtime.

5. Integration with other tools

DCIM software can integrate with other data center management tools, such as building management systems (BMS) and computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) systems. This allows for a more holistic view of data centre operations and helps improve efficiency across the business. 

Best data center infrastructure management (DCIM) Software Solutions

best dcim software solutions

While there is no perfect, all-size-fits-all solution to managing and maintaining a data center, choosing the best data center infrastructure management tools and software for your business is a key step towards becoming operationally efficient. 

We're counting down ten of the top DCIM software solutions in 2024, each of which help data center providers manage data center infrastructure and reduce downtime.

FNT Command 

FNT Command is a DCIM software solution designed to provide a centralized platform for managing and optimizing all aspects of your data center. Like other leading DCIM solutions, the software provides real-time monitoring of critical data center metrics like temperature, humidity, power consumption, and network performance. It can also be configured to trigger alerts if readings exceed pre-defined thresholds, allowing proactive problem identification and resolution. It also goes a step further by creating a digital twin of your data center. This digital replica mirrors the physical layout of your facility, including the location and connectivity of all equipment, to enable easier capacity planning, change management, and troubleshooting.

Along with real-time monitoring and digital twin capabilities, FNT Command simplifies the process of adding, moving, or modifying equipment within the data centre. It offers built-in workflows and impact analysis features to minimize risks and downtime associated with changes in your data center layout. The software also leverages open-standard interfaces for seamless integration with existing data center management systems and tools, regardless of vendor. This creates a more unified data center management ecosystem and avoids vendor lock-in.

iTRACS DCIM

iTRACS DCIM is a powerful DCIM software solution that’s designed to give you a comprehensive digital view, or "digital twin", of your entire data center infrastructure. It comes with an insightful 3D visualization tool that allows you to see your entire data center layout in a graphical format, helping data center operators manage planning capacity, troubleshoot problems, and track operational performance. TRACS also helps you optimize your data center operations by identifying areas where you can save money on power and cooling costs. It provides a centralized view of your data center, helping you make better decisions about your data center infrastructure, improve capacity utilization and extend the life of your equipment.

Unlike some DCIM software that offers separate modules, iTRACS provides a unified platform for managing all your data center needs. This includes asset management, power and cooling monitoring, capacity planning, and change management. It’s also tied to specific hardware vendors, iTRACS is vendor-neutral. This means it can be used to manage data centers that contain equipment from a variety of vendors.

Cormant-CS DCIM

Cormant-CS DCIM is a leading DCIM software solution that focuses on providing a user-friendly platform for managing data center infrastructure. The software goes beyond just IT equipment, offering a comprehensive solution that encompasses your entire data centre infrastructure, including facilities, equipment, network paths, power, and environmental data. This holistic approach provides a more unified view of your data center operations, leading to more informed decision-making across the entire data center environment.

With over 20 years of experience in the DCIM market, Cormant-CS DCIM has a proven track record of helping organizations improve their data center efficiency and reliability. The platform is known for its intuitive and easy-to-use interface, which easier for data centre staff of all technical backgrounds to adopt and use the software effectively and maximize its value.It can also can be scaled to fit the needs of data centers of all sizes, from small server rooms to massive enterprise facilities. It's also highly configurable, allowing you to tailor the software to your specific needs and workflows.

Device42

Device42 is a powerful data center infrastructure management software solution that specializes in automation, real-time data visualization, and a user-friendly interface. The software streamlines data center management by automating asset discovery and mapping, allowing operators automatically discover devices across their network, build detailed inventory lists, and generate real-time visualizations of their data center layout. It also provides real-time monitoring of critical data center metrics like temperature, humidity, power consumption, and network performance, and can be configured to trigger alerts if readings exceed pre-defined thresholds so teams can proactively address potential issues before they escalate into outages.

Beyond just DCIM features, Device42 incorporates strong ITAM functionalities. It can track software licenses, generate detailed asset reports, and even help automate software deployments, providing a more comprehensive IT infrastructure management solution. The software also boasts a user-friendly interface that incorporates drag-and-drop functionality for managing your data center layout. You can easily add, remove, and rearrange equipment within the virtual representations of your racks, streamlining capacity planning and change management processes. And its open architecture allows for easy integration with existing tools and customization to fit specific workflows, catering to organizations with unique data centre management requirements.

Siemens Datacenter Clarity LC

Siemens Datacenter Clarity LC is a software suite designed for comprehensive DCIM that positions itself as a central hub for monitoring, optimizing, and managing your data center's physical and IT infrastructure. The platform boasts a high-definition, 3D environment that allows you to visualize your entire data center layout, including real-time data on equipment location, power usage, and airflow. It also constantly monitors critical metrics like temperature, humidity, and power consumption. You can set up real-time alerts to proactively address potential issues before they snowball into outages.

DC Clarity LC helps you plan for future growth by providing insights into how your space and power are currently utilized. It allows you to simulate equipment placement and predict potential impacts on power, cooling, and airflow before physical changes are made. It also provides a platform for maintaining a detailed inventory of all your data centre assets, including servers, storage, and power distribution units. You can track location, warranty information, and maintenance history for efficient asset lifecycle management, empowering data-driven decision-making for optimizing your data center’s efficiency.

SunBird DCIM

Sunbird DCIM is a cloud-based data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software solution designed to streamline operations and optimize resource utilization. Known for its user-friendly interface and focus on monitoring and automation, the software makes it easy to maintain a detailed inventory of all data center assets, including servers, storage devices, network equipment, and PDUs. It also provides real-time monitoring of critical data center metrics like temperature, humidity, power consumption, and network performance,  offersing clear and customizable dashboards that visually represent this data so you can quickly identify potential issues and monitor overall data center health.

Sunbird DCIM provides open API access, allowing for integration with other data center management tools and building management systems (BMS), allowing you to build a holistic view of your data center operations and streamlines data exchange between different platforms. It also offers both cloud-based and on-premise deployment options, allowing you to choose the solution that best aligns with your security and infrastructure preferences. These cloud-based deployment options paired with Sunbird's scalability emphasis on customer support make it an attractive choice for organizations seeking to streamline data center operations, optimize resource utilization, and gain better control over their IT infrastructure.

EcoStruxure IT by Schneider Electric

EcoStruxure IT Expert is a leading DCIM software solution designed to provide a centralized platform for monitoring, managing, and optimizing your entire data center environment. The platform goes beyond just physical infrastructure and environmental controls, offering features for asset management, power optimization, and remote management capabilities. It provides real-time monitoring of critical data center metrics, including temperature, humidity, power consumption, and network performance. It can also be configured to trigger alerts when readings exceed pre-defined thresholds, allowing you to proactively address potential issues before they escalate into outages. 

A major advantage of EcoStruxure IT Expert is its vendor neutrality. It can seamlessly integrate with equipment and monitoring systems from various manufacturers, offering flexibility for organizations with diverse data center environments. The software also integrates with Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure IT Data Lake, a centralized repository for all your data center data. This allows for advanced analytics and reporting, helping you identify trends, optimize operations, and make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement. This integration, paired with the software’s customization options, and mobile access features make it a strong choice for organizations seeking to optimize and streamline their data center management operations.

ManageEngine DCIM

ManageEngine DCIM is a software solution designed to provide centralized management and monitoring for your data center infrastructure. The software offers a unified platform for managing various aspects of your data center, from asset management and capacity planning to power monitoring, change management, and real-time health monitoring. This centralized interface eliminates the need to switch between multiple tools for different tasks,  simplifying data center operations and streamlining workflows. It also provides real-time monitoring of critical data center metrics like temperature, humidity, power consumption, and network performance, and can be configured to trigger alerts if readings exceed pre-defined thresholds, allowing you to proactively address potential issues before they escalate into outages.

 A unique feature of ManageEngine DCIM is passive device management, which allows you to monitor and control non-IT assets within your data center, including power distribution units (PDUs), cooling systems, and fire suppression systems. This holistic approach provides a more comprehensive view of your data center's health and performance so you can stop issues before they impact operations.  ManageEngine DCIM integrates seamlessly with other ManageEngine products, such as network monitoring and IT service management tools. This integration fosters a unified ecosystem for managing your entire IT infrastructure.

Vertiv Trellis

Developed by Vertiv, a company with a long-standing reputation in data center power and cooling solutions, Trellis builds upon their expertise to offer a powerful DCIM platform designed to provide comprehensive monitoring and management for a data center's power and environmental conditions. The solution provides real-time monitoring of critical data center metrics, including power consumption, temperature, humidity, and airflow. This allows teams to identify potential problems before they escalate into outages and ensure data center equipment operates within optimal environmental conditions. 

Along with its powerful real-time monitoring features, Trellis offers granular power management capabilities enables operators monitor power usage at the rack, PDU (Power Distribution Unit), or individual device level. It also allows for remote power control of outlets connected to Vertiv Geist PDUs, enabling actions like power cycling equipment for troubleshooting or scheduling power on/off cycles to optimize energy consumption. Trellis can be configured to trigger alerts when readings exceed pre-defined thresholds too, and generates reports that track trends in power usage, temperature, and other environmental factors. This data analysis helps you identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions for optimizing your data center's efficiency.

Nlyte 

Nlyte is a powerful DCIM software solution that provides data center operators with all the resources they need to optimize data center operations for both efficiency and sustainability. The software provides real-time monitoring of critical data center metrics like temperature, humidity, power consumption, and network performance, presenting data through customizable dashboards and visualizations so teams can quickly identify potential issues and gain insights into overall data center health. It also provides a robust asset management system, which tracks and maintains an inventory of all your data center assets, including servers, storage devices, network equipment, and power distribution units (PDUs). This detailed analysis simplifies asset tracking, streamlines maintenance processes, and aids in lifecycle management.

Nlyte is a well-established player in the DCIM market, with a strong reputation for reliability and performance. One of it stand-out features is its CAD-style graphical interface for managing data centers’ physical layout. This visual representation allows you to plan and track the placement of equipment within your racks and rooms, facilitating capacity planning and change management. Nlyte's Smart Blueprints feature also lets you store pre-configured layouts and configurations for different use cases, saving time and ensuring consistency in data center design. This paired with Nlyte’s open architecture, customization options, and commitment to efficiency and sustainability, make it one of the best DCIM software solutions for organizations seeking to optimize and manage their data center operations effectively.