Find guides, documentation, and answers to common data center planning questions.
StackCAD is a comprehensive data center planning and rack visualization platform. Create professional rack layouts, multi-rack diagrams, calculate power usage and BTU heat output, document infrastructure through network discovery, get AI recommendations, and export professional engineering drawings. To begin, sign in, create a diagram, add racks and devices, configure connections and power requirements, then export the design.
Open the dashboard and select New Diagram. Add a standard 42U, 45U, or 48U rack, or choose custom dimensions. Drag equipment from the device library into the appropriate U slots, configure power consumption, ports, and labels, then save. Diagrams auto-save and can also be saved with the save control or Ctrl+S.
Use the dashboard for diagrams and recent activity, Multi-Rack for the designer, Network Discovery for automated discovery, and Profile for account settings. The toolbar includes zoom, grid snapping, device library, export, and sharing controls. Device Library, Properties, Layers, and AI Assistant panels support detailed editing. Keyboard shortcuts include Ctrl+S, Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y, Delete, and Ctrl+D.
One rack unit, or 1U, equals 1.75 inches (44.45 mm). Common rack heights are 42U, 45U, and 48U. Switches and patch panels are often 1U, many servers are 2U, larger storage and blade systems use 3U or more, and UPS systems can exceed 10U. Place heavy equipment low, reserve cable-management space, account for airflow, and group related equipment.
Browse servers, switches, routers, storage arrays, PDUs, UPS systems, patch panels, and cable managers from common vendors. Search or browse a category, drag a device onto a rack, and place it in the desired U slot. When equipment is unavailable, create a custom device with its height, power, ports, and identifying specifications.
Create network, power, management, and storage connections between source and destination ports. The patching matrix records source and destination devices and ports, cable type and length, and notes. Include this matrix in exported documentation.
StackCAD calculates total watts, current per phase, apparent power in kVA, and power factor. Define circuits, assign devices, monitor utilization, and identify overloaded circuits. Model N+1 or 2N redundancy, failover capacity, and single points of failure. Keep circuits within appropriate continuous-load limits, reserve growth headroom, use monitored PDUs, and document breaker assignments.
Every watt becomes heat; estimate BTU per hour as watts multiplied by 3.412. Compare total rack output with cooling capacity and margin. Use hot- and cold-aisle containment to limit recirculation. Typical rack density ranges from 5–8 kW at low density through 15–30+ kW at high density. Monitor inlet and outlet temperatures and plan for cooling failures.
Network Discovery documents infrastructure by polling devices through SNMP. Define IP or subnet targets, configure credentials, deploy an on-premises agent, and review the returned devices before import. The agent is needed because the cloud service cannot directly access an internal network; it polls locally over UDP 161 and reports through HTTPS. JSON import and manual entry are also available.
StackCAD supports SNMPv1 and v2c community strings as well as SNMPv3 username authentication. SNMPv3 security levels include noAuthNoPriv, authNoPriv, and authPriv, with common SHA authentication and AES privacy protocols. Credentials are encrypted at rest with unique initialization vectors.
Deploy the discovery agent on a management server, monitoring server, virtual machine, Raspberry Pi, or another system with access to target devices. It requires outbound HTTPS to StackCAD and SNMP access to devices over UDP 161. Agent states show whether it is pending, active, inactive, or revoked.
The AI Assistant recommends power optimizations, airflow and cooling improvements, device placement, capacity plans, and industry best practices. Open it from the toolbar, ask for an analysis, review its suggestions, and choose which recommendations to apply.
Export a single rack, multi-rack layout, patching matrix, or power matrix as a professional PDF. Choose A3 landscape, A4 portrait, or custom page dimensions. Exports can include rack elevations, equipment schedules, connections, power calculations, revision history, and company branding.
Generate view-only or editable links, set expiration, and track access. Invite team members as viewers, editors, or administrators for real-time collaboration, comments, and annotations. Version history supports comparisons, restoration, and snapshot exports.
Manage display name, email address, profile picture, and company details. Security settings cover password changes, two-factor authentication, active sessions, and API keys. Preferences include units, theme, notifications, and keyboard shortcuts.
Account settings show the current plan, upgrade and downgrade choices, payment method, invoices, diagram usage, storage, and export history. Available capabilities vary across free, professional, team, and enterprise access.
Select Add Custom Device in the device library, then enter its name, height in U, power consumption, and port configuration. The device is saved to your personal library.
Yes. Import diagrams in JSON format or use Network Discovery to detect and import devices from your network.
Calculations use the values entered for each device. Manufacturer power specifications and a known power factor produce the best estimates.
Yes. Share a diagram with team members to collaborate in real time and see changes as they happen.
Choose Export and PDF, select a page format and the sections to include, then download the PDF.
StackCAD supports SNMPv1, SNMPv2c, and SNMPv3 security levels and common authentication and privacy protocols.
Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. SNMP credentials receive additional encryption with unique initialization vectors.
StackCAD is cloud-based and requires an internet connection. Exported PDFs can be viewed and printed offline.