Efficient cooling is a critical part of data center operations. As data centers grow and become complex, managing cooling systems has become more challenging. Cooling affects energy efficiency, hardware lifespan, and overall uptime. Without the right tools in place, operators may struggle to balance performance with cost. This is where
Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) comes in. DCIM software gives operators full visibility into cooling infrastructure and airflow efficiency. When done right, DCIM becomes a key strategy to reduce energy use, increase reliability, and make smarter operational decisions.
What Is Cooling Management in DCIM?
Cooling management is a feature of DCIM software that allows operators to monitor, control, and optimize cooling systems throughout the data center. Air side cooling systems may include Computer Room Air Conditioners (CRACs), Computer Room Air Handlers (CRAHs), Fan Cooled Walls (FCU), or In Row Coolers, along with associated chillers, pumps, containment systems, and sensors. For liquid cooling, strategies may be implemented with rear-door heat exchangers, direct-to-chip cooling, or immersion cooling. These systems often use controllers or smart Cooling Distribution Units (CDU) which provide information such as inlet temperature, outlet temperature, approach temperature difference, valve position, pressure, and run state. Using DCIM software for cooling management helps operators:
- View real-time temperatures across different zones.
- Track airflow and thermal patterns.
- Identify hot spots or underutilized cooling zones.
- Match cooling supply with IT demand.
- Reduce waste caused by overcooling.
These insights make it easier to reduce operational costs while maintaining a safe environment for IT equipment.
Why Data Center Operators Need Cooling Management
Cooling accounts for a significant portion of a data center’s energy use, often as much as 30 to 40 percent. Without data-driven control, it’s easy to overcool some areas and undercool others, leading to higher costs or risks of failure. DCIM software provides the tools operators need to:
- Eliminate guesswork with real-time data from sensors and HVAC systems.
- Run “what-if” scenarios to simulate airflow changes before adjusting.
- Visualize cooling performance by zone, room, or facility.
- Plan capacity and future expansion with confidence.
With growing pressure to cut energy use and improve operational resilience, effective cooling management is no longer optional. It’s essential.
Modius® OpenData®: Built for Cooling Control
Modius OpenData provides a purpose-built Cooling Module as part of its intelligent DCIM platform. This module helps data center operators manage airflow, temperature, liquid circulation, and cooling infrastructure more effectively. OpenData delivers full visibility into the white space and gray space, unifying the IT side and facility side of your data center. This makes it easier to coordinate cooling systems with real IT load, not just estimates.
Key Features of the OpenData Cooling Module
- Visual Representation of Cooling Performance Operators can view thermal maps, cooling efficiency zones, and airflow patterns in real time. This makes it easy to spot uneven cooling and address hot spots quickly.
- Granular Monitoring of Liquid Cooling
Operators can track cooling efficiency and CDU state to ensure adequate thermal exchange is happening and CPUs and GPUs remain healthy.
- Customizable Dashboards and Reports
Users can create targeted views and detailed reports for cooling systems across rooms, rows, and zones. These reports help facility and IT teams collaborate more effectively.
- Real-Time Alerts and Thresholds Set alert thresholds for temperature, humidity, or airflow conditions. Get notified immediately when any metric moves outside its safe range.
- Modeling and Simulation Tools Operators can define “cooling groups” to organize and analyze systems by provider or consumer roles. These groups can also map directly to physical areas such as rooms or containment zones. This advanced modeling allows smarter decisions about cooling strategy and capacity.
Vendor-Neutral Device Support
OpenData can collect data from any HVAC equipment or sensor, regardless of the manufacturer. It supports standard protocols like Modbus, BACnet, SNMP, and more. Whether the data comes directly from the device or through a Building Management System (BMS), OpenData ensures seamless integration. This vendor-agnostic approach means:
- No need to rip and replace existing infrastructure.
- Faster deployment across mixed environments.
- Long-term flexibility to scale or upgrade hardware.
The result is a unified view of your entire cooling infrastructure, no matter how complex or diverse it is.
| Cooling Feature | How OpenData Delivers |
| Visual cooling management | Real-time thermal maps and dashboards |
| Vendor-agnostic device integration | Support for all standard protocols |
| Group-level cooling control | Define zones and cooling groups with roles |
| Reporting and alerts | Custom thresholds and historical data views |
| Direct and indirect data collection | Connects to HVAC, sensors, or BMS systems |
Cooling Groups: Smarter Organization, Better Control
Managing data center cooling at scale requires more than just monitoring. It requires structure. OpenData supports the creation of cooling groups, which are logical or physical collections of cooling equipment. Cooling groups can be defined in two key ways:
- By Function: Classify equipment as cooling providers (like CRACs) or consumers (like server rows or enclosures).
- By Location: Organize assets by room, containment area, or row.
With this structure in place, operators can:
- Adjust cooling strategies based on actual heat load.
- Optimize airflow direction and volume per group.
- Optimize performance and anticipate failures of liquid cooling systems
- Analyze efficiency at group, room, or facility level.
- Plan upgrades or maintenance with minimal disruption.
Cooling groups make it easier to link infrastructure behavior to outcomes. Instead of managing individual devices, teams can focus on zones and strategies that drive overall performance.
From Data to Action: The Value of DCIM
Simply collecting data is not enough. To truly manage your cooling infrastructure, you need DCIM software that turns data into action. Modius OpenData does this by:
- Delivering real-time insight into thermal performance.
- Enabling predictive modeling for better planning.
- Supporting automation of alerts and workflows.
- Bridging the gap between IT and facilities teams.
This integration between the white space (where IT equipment lives) and gray space (where support infrastructure operates) helps data center teams make unified decisions. That’s the true power of DCIM: it connects all the moving parts of your environment, from power to cooling to network visibility.
Why It Matters
Data center reliability depends on consistent, efficient cooling. Overheating can lead to equipment failure, while overcooling wastes energy and raises costs. With the right DCIM software, data center operators can:
- Prevent downtime caused by thermal failures.
- Reduce energy costs by matching cooling supply to IT demand.
- Gain confidence in planning and capacity decisions.
- Simplify compliance with environmental standards.
Modius OpenData gives operators the cooling visibility they need, along with the control to act on it.
Smarter Cooling Starts with Smarter Tools
As data centers grow and evolve, cooling infrastructure must keep pace. Manual methods, spreadsheets, and siloed systems are no longer enough. Modern data centers require intelligent, integrated tools that bring clarity and control. OpenData delivers these capabilities through our powerful Cooling Module that supports real-time monitoring, advanced modeling, vendor-agnostic integration, and smarter decision-making. It unites the white space and gray space into a single view, so you can manage cooling not just reactively, but proactively. We are passionate about empowering our clients to run more profitable data centers while providing unmatched visibility into operational data. Modius has been delivering DCIM solutions since 2007. We are based in San Francisco, are proudly certified for ISO/IEC 27001 and are a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB). Contact us at sales@modius.com or (888) 323.0066 to learn more.
Schedule a demo or
sign up for a free trial today. Don’t just manage your infrastructure. Master it with Modius OpenData.
