Rack PDU Blog

Sometimes it is a good thing to take a step back and take a look at the big picture. For most of us, it offers opportunities: for reflection, to be reminded of what is important, and to refocus on the things that will make the biggest impact in our lives. For companies like Server Technology, the same holds true. We find that it is essential to take a step back and make sure that what we do day in and day out is focused on our core mission. For many of you, our mission statement is simple and familiar: Stay Powered. Be Supported. Get Ahead. But what do those words mean in light of our desire for continuous improvement in server power distribution? Here’s what we think.

We wanted to take a moment to reflect on the Labor Day holiday in the US. Today’s holiday celebration looks more like an end-of-summer poolside blowout, complete with charcoal grills belching smoke, water splashing, and American flags waving. Kids are back in school and summertime is officially over. The origin of the holiday was a little less about chillin' by the water with a beer and a hotdog and had a more noble goal: to celebrate the American worker, and the product that resulted from his labor. In the late 1800’s, the head of a then-new labor union proposed a day of rest for those "…who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

Recently, many customers have inquired about whether they should implement a Smart or Switched Rack PDU in their data centers. When looking at the two Servertech products side by side, they appear to be almost identical, since both products offer the following features: Branch circuit protection Input current monitoring Environmental monitoring Access, security and communications An expansion module There is one major difference, however, between Smart and Switched PDU(s): a Switched PDU adds the ability to turn power on and off on a per-outlet basis. Because of this, a switched PDU offers more control at the outlet where it’s being used. Conversely, a Smart PDU will provide the same level of critical power and environmental monitoring data but will not allow you to make changes to the outlet from a central location. Smart PDUs are mainly about monitoring and reporting, Switched PDUs add a level of command and control.

In our previous post on 3-phase 208 power, we set the stage by describing some of the differences between it and single-phase power, including the fact that 120 + 120 does not equal 240 in the three-phase world. One thing that most of us know is that the rules for calculating capacity are different between the two. In this blog we will discuss the reason behind the difference and help build the case for the importance of a metered three-phase power strip.

Let’s be honest: Your data center is one of the most expensive components of your organization. For this reason, your key stakeholders may very well be considering outsourcing operations to a cost-effective colocation center at some point in the future if you don’t gain control over your spending. Why is your data center so expensive to operate? There are countless contributing factors. First and foremost, infrastructure is not cheap. Every year, a large portion of your budget is allocated toward hefty CAPEX and OPEX on equipment and cutting-edge technologies. Plus, there are workers’ salaries to consider, as well as costs related to heating, cooling and real estate.

Ask most people involved in data center operations to explain three-phase power to a data center PDU to you, and you’ll notice that they get a little squeamish. Except for your Principals of Electricity professor in college, most people have a difficult time explaining three-phase power and three phase PDU(s). Heck, most people have a tough time explaining how power works, period.  When it comes to rack mount power distribution, what is the difference between single phase and three phase power, you ask?

What happens once you get all of that power efficiently delivered to the rack? You guessed it. Server Technology is there to help distribute it by supporting your 240/415V power distribution needs through innovative rack PDUs.

On February 2, 2018, Server Technology will join, at least in spirit, the crowd gathered at Gobbler’s Knob outside Punxsutawney, PA. There, Groundhog Day celebrants will await the appearance of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who will supposedly determine the length of winter by his ability to see his own shadow. We will also be joining countless others in their annual viewing of the Bill Murray classic, Groundhog Day. As movie fans know, Bill Murray plays a wretched reporter named Phil Connors, who finds himself stuck reliving the same day over and over again. Over the course of the film, which takes place over a ten-year period of real-time, Connors eventually redeems himself. Not only does he win the heart of Andie McDowell’s character Rita, but he also becomes a better person in the process. While much has been written about the spiritual and philosophical virtues of the classic comedy, the thing that strikes us is the idea that making improvements is a daily commitment.

Students may have left for the summer, but for data center professionals working for school systems and universities, the work is just getting started. Summer is a time to reflect on how the data center performed during the previous year, for identifying areas that need improvement and for making critical adjustments before September rolls back around. One issue that must be addressed during summer planning is data center power management. After all, power is a critical foundational element in the data center. But it’s also very expensive, and risky.

When considering implementing a power-dense data center, you face a number of challenges: cost, heat, load balancing, data center environmental monitoring and power monitoring, increased network traffic and system configuration management. With each of these challenges come serious, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but with the proper planning and understanding, it can be done. As the Power Strategy Experts, Server Technology is here to help you successfully manage density and data center power.