DCIM Comparison for Colocation Operators (2026)
Last updated: March 2026
Who this is for
This guide compares five DCIM platforms: Aravolta, Nlyte, Sunbird dcTrack, Schneider EcoStruxure IT, and Hyperview. We built Aravolta to solve the problems legacy DCIM tools leave unaddressed, and this comparison explains why.
Why colocation operators care about DCIM differently
Enterprise data center teams and colo operators have different problems. If you run your own data center for your own applications, DCIM is mostly about asset tracking and capacity planning. If you run a colocation facility, you also need to worry about tenant billing, customer-facing reporting, SLA compliance, and managing infrastructure you do not fully control (because your tenants bring their own gear).
Most DCIM platforms were built for the enterprise use case first. Colo-specific features like tenant portals, metered power billing, and per-customer environmental reporting were bolted on later, if at all. That is worth keeping in mind as you read this comparison.
Feature Comparison
A side-by-side look at the capabilities that matter most to data center operators.
| Capability | Aravolta | Sunbird dcTrack | Nlyte | Schneider EcoStruxure IT | Hyperview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asset management | Auto-discovered | Manual entry | Manual entry | Schneider devices only | Manual + some discovery |
| Capacity planning | Live data, automatic | Manual data pull | Manual data pull | Limited | Manual data pull |
| Power monitoring (multi-vendor) | Automatic, any vendor | Manual SNMP config | Manual integration | Schneider PDUs only | Manual SNMP config |
| Environmental monitoring | Automatic (BMS/SCADA) | Manual integration | Manual integration | Schneider sensors only | Manual integration |
| Tenant portal (white-label) | Yes, included | No | No | No | Yes, included |
| Automated tenant billing | Yes, metered power | No | No | No | Limited |
| BMS / HVAC integration | Native (Modbus, BACnet) | Third-party needed | Third-party needed | Schneider BMS only | Third-party needed |
| Network topology discovery | Auto (LLDP/CDP) | Manual entry | Manual entry | Limited | Auto (LLDP) |
| Typical deployment time | Days | 3-6 months | 3-6 months | 1-4 months | Weeks |
| Protocol breadth | SNMP, Redfish, IPMI, Modbus, BACnet, gNMI | SNMP, Modbus, Redfish | SNMP, Redfish | SNMP, Modbus | SNMP, IPMI, Redfish |
| API | REST, webhooks | REST (limited) | SOAP-based | REST (limited) | REST, webhooks |
Based on publicly available documentation and our own testing where possible. As of March 2026. Vendors update their products regularly, so verify current capabilities before purchasing.
Vendor by vendor
Aravolta
Aravolta is not just a DCIM tool. It is a unified platform that combines BMS, EPMS, SCADA, NOC, and DCIM into one product. You do not need to buy a separate BMS for HVAC monitoring, a separate power metering system, and a separate DCIM for asset tracking. It is all one system.
Auto-discovers devices over SNMP, Redfish, Modbus, and BACnet, so you do not spend months manually entering assets. Built-in tenant portal and metered power billing. Native BMS and SCADA integration without third-party middleware. 3D facility visualization, floor plans, and heatmaps. Broad protocol support for mixed-vendor environments. Deploys in days, not months.
Sunbird dcTrack
A traditional DCIM focused on asset tracking and cable management. Deployment takes months and requires professional services. No built-in tenant portal or billing. No BMS or HVAC integration, so you need separate tools for cooling and environmental monitoring. No SCADA or NOC capabilities. The UI has not been significantly updated in years. Pricing is quote-based with professional services on top.
Nlyte
Now owned by Carrier Global. A traditional DCIM focused on asset lifecycle management. Deployment is slow and expensive, with professional services essentially required. Not built for colocation, so tenant management is an afterthought. Protocol support is narrow. No built-in tenant billing, customer portal, BMS, SCADA, or NOC. Product roadmap has been unclear since the Carrier acquisition.
Schneider Electric EcoStruxure IT
Works if your entire facility runs Schneider hardware. Once you introduce PDUs from Raritan, cooling from Vertiv, or any non-Schneider equipment, you hit gaps. No built-in tenant portal or billing. Designed for monitoring Schneider gear, not for running a multi-tenant facility. Cross-vendor support is limited. Pricing is opaque.
Hyperview
A newer cloud-native DCIM with a modern UI and published pricing. But it is pure DCIM, so you still need separate BMS and SCADA systems. No native BACnet or Modbus support for BMS equipment. No NOC capabilities. Smaller customer base.
What actually makes Aravolta different
Aravolta is a unified BMS + EPMS + SCADA + NOC + DCIM platform. That matters because in a typical colocation facility, you are running at least three or four separate systems to cover all of those functions.
- BMS vendor for HVAC and building systems
- Power metering vendor for EPMS
- SCADA system for cooling plant monitoring
- NOC tools for network and server alerts
- DCIM for asset tracking and capacity
- One platform covering all five functions
- Single pane of glass for operators
- No middleware or integration projects
- One vendor to deal with
- One bill
One platform. One vendor. No integration projects. No middleware. Auto-discovery with 25,000+ pre-built device templates means you are up and running in days, not months.
Deployment
Sunbird and Nlyte deployments typically take 3 to 6 months. That means months of site surveys, manual asset entry, professional services, and staff training before you see any value.
Aravolta deploys in days. We auto-discover devices over standard protocols (SNMP, Redfish, Modbus, BACnet) instead of requiring manual entry. No manual MIB/OID mapping, no scouring Modbus register spreadsheets, no weeks of professional services configuring templates. You get monitoring, power metering, and tenant billing running in the same week the node arrives at your facility.
What to look for during a DCIM evaluation
Regardless of which vendor you are talking to, here are questions worth asking during your evaluation.
1. Bring your own hardware list
Give the vendor a list of every PDU model, UPS, CRAC/CRAH unit, and switch in your facility. Ask them to confirm which ones they support natively and which require custom integration. This is where a lot of demos fall apart.
2. Ask about tenant billing
If you bill tenants for metered power, ask the vendor to show you exactly how that works in their platform. Can it pull readings from your existing meters? Can it generate invoices or export billing data? Or do you need to build that yourself?
3. Get a reference from a similar facility
Ask for a reference customer who runs a colocation facility of similar size and type to yours. Enterprise data center references are not the same thing. The problems are different.
4. Test the deployment claim
If a vendor says they deploy in days or weeks, ask them to do a proof-of-concept in your actual environment, not a demo environment. If they say it takes months, ask exactly what that time is spent on and whether any of it can be parallelized.
5. Understand the total cost
Software license is just the starting point. Get explicit numbers for professional services, training, annual maintenance, and any per-user or per-site fees. Ask what happens to pricing when you add a second or third site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I actually need DCIM, or can I keep using spreadsheets and BMS?
Even a small facility benefits from having power, cooling, and asset data in one place instead of scattered across spreadsheets and separate BMS logins. Once you are managing tenants, tracking power per cabinet, or dealing with SLA commitments, the manual approach breaks down fast. DCIM gives you a single system to track capacity, power chains, and environmental data instead of cross-referencing five different tools.
What is the real difference between Aravolta and a traditional DCIM like Nlyte or Sunbird?
The biggest difference is scope. Nlyte and Sunbird are pure DCIM tools: asset tracking, capacity planning, and power monitoring. Aravolta bundles BMS, EPMS, SCADA, and NOC functions into the same platform, so you are not buying and integrating four separate systems. You get asset management, power metering, cooling monitoring, tenant billing, and 24/7 operations in one login.
How long does a DCIM deployment actually take?
Aravolta can get a site live in days because it auto-discovers devices over standard protocols and does not require manual data entry. Sunbird and Nlyte deployments typically take 3 to 6 months because they require detailed site surveys, manual asset entry, and professional services teams. Schneider EcoStruxure IT locks you into Schneider hardware and still requires professional services for anything beyond basic monitoring.
Can DCIM software work with mixed-vendor hardware, or do I need to standardize?
Most DCIM platforms support SNMP, which covers the basics across vendors. Aravolta, Sunbird, and Nlyte all handle mixed environments. Where it gets tricky is Schneider EcoStruxure IT and Vertiv, which work best with their own hardware. If your facility has PDUs from three different manufacturers and cooling from a fourth, make sure whatever platform you pick actually supports all of them before signing.
Is a white-label tenant portal worth it for a colocation operator?
If you have tenants who regularly ask for power usage reports, capacity updates, or environmental data, a self-service portal saves your operations team from fielding those requests manually. Aravolta includes a white-label portal as a standard feature. With the other platforms, you would typically need to build a custom portal on top of their API, or use a third-party tool.
What protocols should I care about when evaluating DCIM?
At minimum: SNMP v2c/v3 for network gear and PDUs, Modbus TCP for power meters and BMS equipment, and BACnet IP if you want to pull in HVAC data. Redfish is increasingly important for server management (it is the modern replacement for IPMI). If you use Arista or Cisco switches and want streaming telemetry, gNMI support is a plus. Most legacy DCIM platforms rely primarily on SNMP. Aravolta supports all of the above natively.
Last updated: March 2026