Racksmith vs Avocent Data Center Planner

Struggling to choose between Racksmith and Avocent Data Center Planner? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Racksmith is a System & Hardware solution with tags like opensource, rackmount, chassis, management, monitoring, control, sensors, temperature, humidity, door-locks, cameras.

It boasts features such as Remote monitoring and control of rackmount devices, Management of sensors like temperature, humidity, door locks, cameras, Open source and self-hosted, Web-based interface, REST API, Notifications and alerts, User management and access controls and pros including Free and open source, Self-hosted - full control over data and security, Works with many different devices and sensors, Good for data center and server room monitoring, Active development community.

On the other hand, Avocent Data Center Planner is a System & Hardware product tagged with data-center-design, space-planning, power-planning, cooling-planning, 3d-visualization.

Its standout features include 3D visualization and modeling of data center layouts, Design, model and visualize data centers in 2D and 3D, Drag-and-drop placement of racks, servers, network and power equipment, Model power, cooling and space capacity, Generate detailed data center floor plans, Optimize data center layouts for power, cooling and space, Compare layout scenarios, Integrate with DCIM and monitoring tools, and it shines with pros like Intuitive graphical interface, Easy to create detailed data center models, Optimizes space, power and cooling, Improves data center planning, Reduces costs by minimizing unused space.

Feature	Racksmith	Avocent Data Center Planner
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	System & Hardware	System & Hardware

Product Overview

Racksmith

Description: Racksmith is an open-source rackmount server chassis management software. It allows remote monitoring and control of devices and sensors connected to server racks, including temperature, humidity, door locks, cameras, and more.

Avocent Data Center Planner

Description: Avocent Data Center Planner is a software tool that helps data center managers design, model, and visualize data center layouts in 2D and 3D. It can be used to optimize space, power, and cooling requirements.

Key Features Comparison

Racksmith Features

• Remote monitoring and control of rackmount devices
• Management of sensors like temperature, humidity, door locks, cameras
• Open source and self-hosted
• Web-based interface
• REST API
• Notifications and alerts
• User management and access controls

Avocent Data Center Planner Features

• 3D visualization and modeling of data center layouts
• Design, model and visualize data centers in 2D and 3D
• Drag-and-drop placement of racks, servers, network and power equipment
• Model power, cooling and space capacity
• Generate detailed data center floor plans
• Optimize data center layouts for power, cooling and space
• Compare layout scenarios
• Integrate with DCIM and monitoring tools

Pros & Cons Analysis

Racksmith

Pros

• Free and open source
• Self-hosted - full control over data and security
• Works with many different devices and sensors
• Good for data center and server room monitoring
• Active development community

Cons

• Requires technical expertise to set up and manage
• Limited documentation
• No official support services
• Some features still in development
• Can be complex for basic users

Avocent Data Center Planner

Pros

• Intuitive graphical interface
• Easy to create detailed data center models
• Optimizes space, power and cooling
• Improves data center planning
• Reduces costs by minimizing unused space

Cons

• Steep learning curve
• Limited integration with non-Avocent hardware
• Requires valid license
• May require IT staff training

Pricing Comparison

Racksmith

• Open Source

Avocent Data Center Planner

• Subscription-Based