Demands on data centers are increasing, while the space and budgets for these facilities stagnates. As data center staff are forced to be more efficient, they turn to metered power distribution units (PDUs). A metered PDU offers the ability to conserve resources – money, personnel hours and space – at a granular level, freeing up staff to concentrate on more strategic tasks.

1.  Reduce cooling costs.
The cost for regulating a data center’s temperature can eat up an operating budget. Modern hot-air containment solutions help to reduce costs, but the lower operating temperatures for legacy rackmount PDUs mean they can only help so much. Newer metered rack PDUs have a higher operating temperature – up to 140°F/60°C – meaning a big cut to the cooling cost of your facility.

2.  Maximize space
Instead of requiring a dedicated infrastructure rack, a metered rack PDU is designed to utilize space that would otherwise go unused: vertically mounted inside or on the side of a server rack or enclosure. Not all vertically mounted metered PDUs are created equal, though. To make the best use of space, a rackmount PDU should have low-profile circuit breakers and a width optimized for side mounting to avoid interfering with access to hot-swap fans and power supplies.

3.  Prevent accidental disconnects
Downtime caused by a plug getting bumped out of place is an occurrence that happens too often in data centers. Most rack PDUs rely on external clops or cable trays to secure plugs. While those methods of prevention are effective, they require additional time from staff and represent an added cost. Next-generation metered rack PDUs offer built-in IEC outlet grips, which provide the same prevention without the need for proprietary power cords or bulky additions. 

The right metered PDU can provide all these resource-saving benefits. With the money, personnel power and space now available, your data center will be better able to meet changing computing demands.

Today, data centers are the pulse of corporate intelligence and business operations. With high costs for construction and operation, being able to minimize outside disturbance are top priorities. This eBook discusses the cost and security implications of maintaining a data center and the importance of having a reliable PDU to help you achieve continuous uptime.

Topics include:
• The importance of data security.
• The risk of a data center outage.
• Security at the rack.

Check it out now!

Automation: Smarter Days Ahead

Imagine the ability to deploy hundreds or even thousands of power distribution units (PDUs) at the simple touch of a button — without countless hours spent determining configuration parameters and assessing application nuances. Or even, a day when firmware is no longer required on uninterruptible power systems (UPSs) because software alone will have the capability to modify, upgrade, add or remove devices.

The reality of these scenarios may be closer than you think, compliments of artificial intelligence (AI), the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. Fueled by an explosion of data, rapid growth in cloud computing and the emergence of advanced algorithms, business adoption of AI is on the rise, according to a recent survey of IT decision-makers by CCS Insight. With eight percent of respondents already using, testing or researching AI within their organizations, those surveyed estimated that within the next 24 months, as much as 30 percent of their business applications would be enhanced with machine learning.

“Artificial” is very real to big companies

Already becoming mainstream among major players like Microsoft, Salesforce, Google and IBM, AI is now prompting some power manufacturers to take note, as well. In fact, many predict that artificial intelligence will likely drive the power devices of the future — benefitting end users by reducing costs, enhancing productivity and alleviating risk.

Among the most anticipated advantages of AI in the power protection arena is the promise of dramatically faster and simpler UPS and PDU deployments. Currently, network administrators tasked with installing these devices must wade through a cumbersome array of settings and operational parameters. Yet if an AI-afforded algorithm was able to evaluate the surrounding network environment, the entire deployment process could be seamlessly automated — resulting in tremendous time savings and bolstered productivity for an organization.

Human error is a thing of the past

AI also has the potential to help companies diminish risk. Because most network administrators are not power experts, it can leave a large margin for error during the deployment process, with even the slightest improper assessment or incorrect assumption potentially resulting in costly mistakes. Yet tomorrow’s PDUs and UPSs will likely be smart enough to automatically determine their optimal environment and adjust all default parameters accordingly. Drawing on its intelligent capabilities, an AI-driven UPS might even execute critical operating decisions, such as switching power to a different source or alienating attached equipment if an issue arises in its environment.

Peeking a little further down the road, experts foresee AI-driven power protection devices being controlled by software-defined technology, which would eliminate the need for technicians to install firmware on either UPSs or PDUs. With all equipment operated from a management platform, administrators could make changes on the fly, saving organizations even more time and money while significantly enhancing reliability and uptime. Devices capable of supporting this arrangement will require built-in artificial intelligence — and the good news is, this is already in the developmental stages of power technology.   The future is (almost) now.

Your UPS is like your car: It requires scheduled and consistent maintenance in order to run at its optimal potential!  Learn more about the UPS LifeCycle and the steps you can take to prolong the life of your UPS in this infographic.  Contact Us today!

Power distribution is facilitated through different pieces of equipment that take the power
conditioned by your uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and send it to your IT equipment.
Power distribution solutions can manage and even control energy consumption in smaller
environments as well as large data center applications.  Distributing power efficiently results
in reduced operating costs and increased reliability.

Rack power distribution units, also known as rack PDUs, are a key component to any IT environment.  They do exactly as the name suggests and distribute power to network equipment within racks.  A common misconception is that they’re just power strips, and at first glance, they even look like it, but modern rack PDUs provide benefits a simple power strip cannot.  Some of the valuable features include network connectivity, environmental monitoring and remote access, but we’ll get more into that later. This guide should help you get familiar with power distribution ,gain interesting insights and learn some key considerations for future IT investments.

To determine the level of protection you require from a UPS consider the following criteria:

• How critical is the application you need to protect?
• Do you need complete or partial protection?
• What size UPS do you require? VA, watts, sizing calculations?
• Battery run time required in minutes? In hours?
• What software and network considerations do you have? Platforms, SNMP, remote monitoring etc.?

The Powerware series of Single-phase UPSs protect against the most common power problems. Series 3 and 5 keep your system from failing due to outages and surges, and the Powerware Series 9 offers comprehensive protection against all nine causes, minimalizing opportunities for component stress, burned circuit boards, data crashes and program failures. Series 9 UPSs are recommended for mission-critical applications like high-end servers, hospitals and voice over IP applications.