Achieving this goal requires power and cooling systems that are as flexible as clouds.

As future users shift and expand workloads in a , they will need an ability to move power and cooling resources to match server demand.

The tools for accomplishing such tasks are part of an emerging category called (DCIM).

The integrated DCIM tools are designed let users know the state of every piece of equipment in a data center -- and how every watt of power in a data center is being used.

Emerson Network Power, a major supplier of data center power and cooling systems, this week released its DCIM software platform, called Trellis.