Abstract: A system and method according to the principles of the invention provides the data center operator enhanced tools for managing power capacity. The system tracks and stores actual power usage to the item level and automatically adjusts the budgeted power for items, groups of items and item models. The disclosed system and method finds stranded power capacity by adjusting power budgets according to actual usage trends. Operators can implement auto power budget adjustments based on configured policies. The policies can include specifying the power budget headroom for items, groups of items and models.

Abstract: A system and method for configuring data-center equipment that is reliant on a power distribution system. A data-processing system receives an indication of a device whose electrical power is being configured. The data-processing system identifies a plurality of candidate electrical outlets that are available for use and then evaluates those candidate outlets. The data-processing system can evaluate the candidate outlets based on one or more of i) the metadata of each electrical outlet in the plurality of candidate outlets, ii) the power redundancy associated with each electrical outlet, and iii) the power capacity associated with a power chain of each electrical outlet. This results in a set of identifiers of qualifying candidate electrical outlets. The data-processing system can rank the outlets in terms of their distances from the device and/or effects on electrical phase balance. The data-processing system then displays identifiers of the ranked, qualifying outlets.