How to Accurately Plan Data Center Power with Dell’s Enterprise Infrastructure Planning Tool

Power Planning in Data Centers

Accurate assessment of power consumption for servers, storage, and networking equipment is essential for safe operation and optimal utilization of electrical capacity in data‑center environments, from whole‑room design down to individual rack planning.

Dell Enterprise Infrastructure Planning Tool (EIPT)

Dell provides the free Enterprise Infrastructure Planning Tool (EIPT), a web‑based application that estimates device power draw at maximum load, idle, and typical application workloads. The tool can be accessed at http://dell-eipt-landingpage.azurewebsites.net/ and a Windows installer is available at

http://dell-eipt-landingpage.azurewebsites.net/Docs/Dell.Essa.Windows.Setup.msi

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Configuration Workflow

Set basic parameters Open EIPT and select the input voltage that matches the local supply (e.g., 220 V for China) and set the ambient temperature (default 25 °C). Rename the default configuration (e.g., “Configuration 1”) to a meaningful name for the project.

Add devices

In the left‑hand panel choose Server and select the required server family (rack, tower, FX2, blade, custom, VRTX). Click Add Product to insert the server; repeat to add additional servers.

To add storage, expand Storage → SC Series and select the Dell Compellent SC2020 model. Drag the storage icon into the same cabinet as the servers if it initially appears elsewhere.

For networking, expand the Network category and add the appropriate switches or other network gear.

Adjust workload and device details After a device is added, the right‑hand pane displays detailed specifications such as input power, weight, and thermal design power. Use the workload slider to set the expected utilization in 10 % increments (e.g., 30 % for a lightly loaded server). The tool automatically recalculates power consumption based on the selected workload.

Select power supplies Within each device entry, click Power Supply → Guide to open a list of compatible PSU models. Choose the PSU that meets the calculated power requirement and click Select to attach it to the device.

Review cabinet summary Click an empty area of the rack view to display aggregated information for all devices in the cabinet, including total power draw, rack space usage, and weight.

Export results At the top of the interface change the view mode to Bill of Materials . Use the export buttons to generate a PDF or Excel file that contains the full device list, power calculations, and selected PSU models.

Visual Reference