Optimizing Rack Power Quality with Cutting-Edge PDU Innovations

As you know, power reliability has become increasingly crucial for data centers amid growing energy concerns. Power, and the lack of it, has been in the press more than ever. While recent press has focused on getting power to new AI data centers, less attention is paid to power quality within the data center, especially at the rack. 

At Legrand, we’re hyper-focused on power distribution and power quality within the data center. Our own Calvin Nicholson, Senior Director of Product Management – Rack Power Solutions, is clear that there’s an emerging problem. “Many of us take power quality for granted within the data center. But what’s really happening is that a lot of our customers have looked at the power they’re getting at the device or cabinet level, and they are seeing some issues.” 

What’s happening? As data centers move toward denser infrastructure, data center operators are packing more and more hardware in a rack, with more and more processors, and they’re seeing some problems emerging due to a somewhat outdated approach to power distribution that has an impact on power quality. 

“The devices themselves, typically with switch mode power supplies, are creating a lot of harmonic distortion issues as well. You can’t assume anymore that, based on power type, quality, and location, you have good-quality power being distributed through to your devices,” Nicholson says. 

What can data center operators do to address this and other power quality issues encountered at the rack? Simply put, their ability to fix the problem is hampered by legacy rack PDUs that lack intelligent power monitoring. In the past, PDUs used to be seen as essential but uninteresting components of a rack, the data center equivalent of the power strips that live under our desks or behind our TVs at home. Today’s demanding data center environments require feature-rich PDUs that look at power requirements and power quality on a device or cabinet level. Organizations need PDUs that can deliver in-depth analyses and automate some tasks. 

Server Technology Intelligent Rack PDUs from Legrand are the right tools for the job. These advanced PDUs can identify specific outlets causing power issues, capture waveform data for analysis, and remotely monitor power conditions. By collecting data on power usage patterns, intelligent PDUs facilitate capacity planning and prevent overloading. 

Nicholson emphasizes the importance of understanding both minimum and maximum power consumption to ensure safe server installation. Next-generation intelligent PDUs like Server Technology PRO4X offer comprehensive capacity planning, environmental monitoring, and access control features. Conforming to the IEC 61557-12 Standard (requirements for power metering and monitoring devices that measure and monitor the electrical quantities within electrical distribution systems), our PDUs offer*: 

• Advanced Power Quality Monitoring and measurements that allow you to proactively troubleshoot sources of power issues and optimize for PUE, CUE, and more. 
• Total Harmonic Distortion monitoring, which measures how much your electrical load distorts your facility’s power. 
• Circuit Breaker Trip Forensics that identify which outlet and corresponding device caused a circuit breaker to trip. 
• DCIM integration that helps monitor and manage your power ecosystem from a single console. 

*Some features are unavailable on selected models. 

The new Server Technology PRO4X intelligent Rack PDUs offer new insights into capacity planning, workload optimization, environmental monitoring, physical and digital access control, power quality, and uptime initiatives. They’re a foundational technology for any data center operator who wants to avoid power quality issues in the data center while positioning them to anticipate tomorrow’s rack power distribution challenges and problems. 

Ultimately, intelligent PDUs, by providing granular power data and advanced analytics, empower data center operators to optimize power usage, prevent downtime, and address future power distribution challenges. Intelligent PDUs are essential tools for maintaining data center reliability and efficiency in today’s demanding environment. 

To uncover the advantages of our PDUs, https://www.servertech.com/products/pro4x-pdu