Executive Summary
To maintain high availability, data center operators must move beyond raw telemetry. Modius OpenData uses power state normalization to transform complex, multi-vendor measurements into a single, cohesive view of infrastructure health. This standardized approach allows for instant load analysis and more accurate failover planning across the entire power path.
TL;DR: Key Takeaways
- Eliminate Manual Interpretation: Traditional power monitoring requires operators to process different vendor measurement methodologies. Modius OpenData normalizes these diverse data streams into a unified “apples-to-apples” comparison.
- Identify Hidden Failover Risks: By presenting load as a standardized percentage of capacity, teams can instantly spot single points of failure—like a power strip that would exceed 80% capacity during a failover.
- Streamline Multi-Vendor Management: Normalization allows for uniform reporting and alerting across all power assets, regardless of their make, model, or phase configuration.
Beyond Raw Telemetry: The Need for Normalization
In the real world, your data center is a diverse ecosystem of hardware. An ATS may be 3-phase, feeding multiple downstream PDUs and panels that ultimately supply single-phase iPDUs at the rack level. Without a unified way to look at this data, operators are forced to waste critical time processing and interpreting different measurement methodologies.
To truly manage your power distribution, you need to shift from viewing raw structural differences to seeing a normalized, unified view of your assets.
Connecting the Dots Across the Power Path
Consider a power strip currently running at 42% capacity. In a vacuum, this might seem safe. However, in a failover event, that strip may be required to take on the load of its partner, pushing it past an 80% operational target and risking an outage.
Normalization lets you see the direct relationship between an ATS at 40%, a PDU at 35%, and the downstream strips. By focusing on the final analysis of load and capacity rather than how individual devices measure power, you can identify these risks before they lead to a failure.
How Modius OpenData Simplifies Power Management
Traditional monitoring treats every piece of gear differently based on how the vendor decided to measure power. Modius OpenData bridges this gap by normalizing measurement and monitoring methodologies into a new standard:
- Unified Load Presentation: Any device in your infrastructure, regardless of vendor or methodology, is presented through a normalized load value. This allows an operator with virtually no training to instantly understand the load and status of an asset without manual calculations.
- At-a-Glance Reporting: Normalization drives “like-for-like” load status reports across your entire infrastructure. You can view your entire power state in a single report without needing to navigate through multiple proprietary hardware interfaces.
- Standardized Threshold Alerting: Because measurements are normalized, you can define uniform alarms across diverse hardware. For instance, you can set universal failover (40%) and maximum (80%) thresholds that apply to every device regardless of the specific power model.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is power state normalization in a DCIM context?
Power state normalization is the process of converting diverse power measurement methodologies from different hardware vendors into a unified format. This removes the need for operators to manually interpret or process raw data differences between devices.
Modius OpenData achieves this by standardizing load and capacity data across your entire infrastructure. This ensures that whether you are looking at a 3-phase ATS or a single-phase iPDU, the status is presented in a consistent, easy-to-understand unit.
Why are raw structural differences between power assets a problem?
Diverse gear, such as ATSs, PDUs, and iPDUs, often use different measurement methods and units. This forces operators to manually “connect the dots” between equipment, which increases the chance for error and slows down response times during critical load changes.
The OpenData platform eliminates this distraction by focusing on the final analysis of load and capacity. By removing the need to focus on how a device measures power, it allows your team to focus on the actual job of managing power distribution.
How does normalization help in identifying failover risks?
Normalization presents power load as a percentage of total capability across all devices. This makes it immediately obvious when a device is nearing a threshold—like 40%—that would cause it to exceed safe limits (80%) during a partner failover.
Can I set uniform alarms for different types of power hardware?
Yes, with a normalized data set, you can define alarms based on consistent percentage thresholds (e.g., 80% maximum) that apply universally across your diverse hardware estate.
Modius OpenData leverages this to provide a superior monitoring experience where alerts are based on operational targets rather than varied hardware vendor limits. This ensures that your alerting strategy is consistent across the entire data center.
Glossary of Terms
What is a Power Management Module?
A Power Management module is a leadership component within a DCIM solution that can work independently or together with other modules to provide a comprehensive view of data center capabilities. In OpenData, this module specifically handles the normalization of measurement and monitoring methodologies (Hamner, 2026).
What is “Like-for-Like” Reporting?
This refers to the ability to compare performance and capacity data across different hardware brands or models as if they were identical systems. Normalization enables this by translating proprietary data points into a universal standard.
About Modius
What we do at Modius® is straightforward.
Modius delivers real-time, scalable infrastructure management software purpose-built for critical facilities—from data centers to telecom, smart buildings, and beyond. Our flagship platform, OpenData®, unifies operational and IT systems into a single pane of glass, empowering teams with actionable insights across power, cooling, environmental, and IT assets. By eliminating fragmented tools and enabling predictive analytics, capacity planning, and 3D visualization, Modius helps operators master both white and gray space with confidence.
Trusted by global leaders, our solutions drive uptime, efficiency, and ROI—don’t just monitor your infrastructure, master it with Modius OpenData.
Contact: sales@modius.com | (888) 323-0066 | www.modius.com
Resources
- Hamner, M. (2026). Power Normalization – Part 2. Modius Inc.
- Modius Inc. (2025). Predictive Analytics for Data Center Optimization. Retrieved from https://modius.com/modius-blog/how-predictive-analytics-is-changing-data-center-management-with-dcim/