Now, more than ever, there is an increased demand to set up data centers that are effective and efficient. An important factor which determines the efficiency of a data center is its power distribution units, and how they power the servers and devices in a data center.
Power distribution units are power strips that distribute and control power in a data center. While this may sound simple, the functions of PDUs have evolved over the years. Not only do they distribute power, but they also provide data about the power consumption and usage in a data center. You can use this information to understand how efficiently power is being used in your data center.
Traditional Power Distribution Methods
PDUs are not a recent development – they have been in use for years. Traditionally, power distribution units delivered power to remote power panels, which then transmitted power to the server racks. This process needed cables to be routed under specially elevated floors. However, these were ineffective in terms of cost and space. This called for more innovation in the way that power distribution units were manufactured and used.
Advanced Power Distribution Units
Power distribution today has become adaptable, efficient, and highly flexible, thanks to the evolution of PDUs. Some of the types of modern server rack PDUs are Basic, Metered, Monitored, Switched, and Dual Circuit.
Basic PDUs offer the easiest way to distribute and deliver power to UPS, generators, and multiple rack loads. They are the most commonly used type of powering a data center.
Metered PDUs prevent power overloads in the data center. They are designed with built-in digital meters that monitor the load levels and limits.
Monitored PDUs are very similar to metered PDUs. They display output power consumption using a visual meter to warn owners of the possibilities of a potential overload.
Switch PDUs can locally keep track of and connect or disconnect to the data center’s load as per requirement.
Dual Circuit PDUs are specially designed to accept more than one input to prevent redundancies. One dual circuit PDU has the benefits of two separate PDUs, which makes it cost- effective and space efficient.
The most important feature of modern PDUs is their ability to monitor and track energy usage in a data center. Armed with information like power usage through every outlet of every power strip, you can make informed decisions which can help you optimize the power consumption in your data center. By pinpointing areas in your data center which require a simple rearrangement of devices for more efficient power consumption, you can become equipped for better capacity planning.
By monitoring power consumption at the device level, you can identify where most of your power is being drained and analyze if the device is important enough to be used despite its high level of power consumption.
With companies around the world focusing on being more eco-friendly, and with governments bringing in laws to reduce environmental impact, it is important for your organization’s data center to consume as little power as possible to remain competitive. PDUs help you with exactly that.
At Hardy Racks, we manufacture several types of PDUs including switch PDUs, basic PDUs, and metered PDUs in Chennai, India. Our PDUs, when installed properly, can maximize your savings on power usage and help you focus on more important aspects of your data center. To know more about our PDUs and how we can help you with our data center solutions, get in touch with us now.