Creating Custom Asset Types in Quicklime
To unlock the true power of a Digital Twin, your software environment must perfectly mirror your physical reality. If your data center infrastructure management (DCIM) relies on generic, oversized blocks to represent complex IT equipment, your capacity planning and thermal mapping will inherently be flawed.
At AKCP, we built Quicklime DCIM to eliminate guesswork. To ensure your AI-driven sensorCFD™ and environmental analytics operate on razor-sharp physical facts, Quicklime allows you to build, animate, and deploy highly specific custom assets directly into your 3D floor plan.
Watch the full engineering tutorial below, and read on for a step-by-step breakdown of how to customize your racks.
Step-by-Step: Building Custom Assets in Quicklime
Whether you are deploying specialized high-density AI servers, unique telecom switches, or custom-built PDUs, adding them to your Quicklime database ensures your 3D model reflects the exact footprint and power draw of your physical facility.
Step 1: Define the Custom Asset Type
The first step is establishing the baseline framework for your new hardware. Navigate to the asset library within your Quicklime dashboard. Here, you will create a new category for your specific equipment. By defining the exact U-space dimensions and physical form factor, you ensure the software reserves the correct physical capacity within the rack, preventing allocation errors down the line.
Step 2: Uploading 3D Animations
A visual Digital Twin should look exactly like your actual data center. Quicklime allows you to upload custom 3D animations and visual representations for your new asset.
Upload front and rear visual layouts.
Configure the exact port locations and LED indicators.
This visual accuracy is critical for remote technicians who need to identify equipment before stepping foot on the data center floor.
Step 3: Inputting Critical Specifications
An asset in Quicklime is more than just a 3D graphic; it is a repository for critical engineering data. During setup, you must define the operational parameters of the equipment:
Power Draw & Voltage: Input the expected power consumption to ensure your rack-level power distribution units (PDUs) are never overloaded.
Weight Constraints: Ensure the physical weight of the custom asset does not violate the load-bearing limits of your specific cabinet or raised floor.
Thermal Output: Accurately inputting the heat generation parameters feeds directly into your AI-driven thermal mapping.
Step 4: Deploying to the Data Center Rack
Once your asset is built, animated, and defined, it is permanently saved in your custom library. Using the drag-and-drop interface, you can select the new asset and slot it directly into any 19″ rack within your 3D facility model. Quicklime will immediately recalculate the available U-space, available power, and thermal load for that specific cabinet.
Why Customization Drives Efficiency
In the modern data center, precision is profitability.
When you define the exact physical and thermal characteristics of your unique hardware, you bridge the gap between physical sensor data and AI analytics. Accurate asset modeling allows you to safely release stranded capacity, confidently deploy high-density hardware, and lower your PUE without relying on wasteful cooling “safety margins.”
Stop guessing. Start optimizing.
- About the Author
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For over two decades at AKCP, I have been focused on a single mission: bringing complete visibility, security, and efficiency to the world’s critical infrastructure.
I believe that in the modern data center, AI is only as good as the data it receives. My goal is to ensure facilities have the precise sensor facts needed to control AI opinions, ultimately reducing PUE, releasing stranded capacity, and ensuring maximum uptime.
