Rack PDU Blog

We thought we would take a moment to talk about high density data centers, case studies, and best practices. Whether you are building a new data center, upgrading an existing one or just keeping abreast of the PDU power industry trends, it’s good policy to start with what works. What are the biggest and best companies doing to optimize their high-density computing needs and manage their power and usage data? Look no further than the experts at Server Technology for answers. With an extensive list of customers well-served by our support and product expertise, not to mention client case studies for reference and validation, Server Technology has lots to offer a customer looking to get comfortable with the notion of powering a high-density, hyperscale computing environment.

At Server Technology, we are focused on making the process of identifying, selecting, and purchasing a rack PDU as simple as possible. (I mean, have you seen our Rack PDU Selection Wizard?) Our dedication to support does not stop when the rack PDU ships. In fact, that is when it begins. Our technical support and resources even exceed the level of support we provided when you were just thinking about buying the rack PDU.

Server Technology is focused on making the process of identifying, selecting, and purchasing a rack PDU as simple as possible. Our dedication to support does not stop when the rack PDU ships, and it begins when your new rack PDU is but a twinkle in your eye. We strive to provide the highest level of service throughout the entire lifecycle of the product starting with making sure you find the product that best suits the application you have. Sometimes the best way to figure out what you need is to take a look around and see what your peers are up to. Taking this basic concept, we created solutions pages to provide our prospective customers a glimpse into what we are seeing in the industry, and context that will help bring their decision making process into focus. We organized these solutions pages in a manner that makes sense to our customers. They are broken into three broad categories: what is going on from a technology standpoint, what is going on from an industry standpoint, and what is going on within a specific vertical.

At Server Technology, we focus on what we can do to make the process of identifying, selecting, and purchasing a rack PDU as simple as possible. That dedication to support does not stop when the rack PDU ships. Our philosophy is to provide a high level of service throughout the entire lifecycle of the product. In our first blog on service and support, we discussed the Rack PDU Selection Wizard as a way to identify the right type of PDU for your application. In the next blog, we discussed using the Rack PDU Selector to dial in the features you need to specify your tailored PDU.

Server Technology can simplify the load balancing process with its Alternating Phase PDUs, which distribute power on a per receptacle basis —as opposed to a per branch. Server Technology’s Alternating Phase PDUs come with color-coded outlets, for easy setup, and automated power distribution throughout each receptacle. This means you won’t have to manually configure each path.

For the second in a series about Server Tech’s lifecycle approach to award-winning customer service and support, we would like to talk about the next steps in the process of selecting just the right PDU for you. In our previous post on this topic, we discussed our Rack PDU Selection Wizard and its uncanny, often magical ability to help you select the right PDU type for your application.

In the past, a standard rack only held about nine servers and consumed around 6 kW of power when running at full capacity. With this load capability, you could safely power a full rack using a single phase PDU (power distribution unit).

Recently, a customer wondered about the real difference between high-quality power distribution units (PDUs) for the data center, and standard 120V power outlets (like the kind you would find in Home Depot). Why spend the extra money? They both supply power directly to the cabinet, right? In short, yes—they do. Both the PDU and the power strip, however, are in separate classes in terms of what they are capable of providing. Think of it this way: A power outlet is to a power distribution unit like a flip phone is to a smartphone; the former is very basic, while the latter is much more powerful and complex.

Server Technology has you covered when it comes to threats from the latest cybersecurity attack. Like last week’s YouTube star, the latest security threat has come and gone. It is unfortunate that these attacks have become so commonplace that they barely raise an eyebrow these days. I imagine that this is much to the chagrin of the nefarious code writers who are cooped up in an abandoned warehouse in a very, very cold part of the planet hacking away right now.

As mentioned in our previous post on Alternating Phase rack PDUs, many of us at Server Technology (including myself) like to talk about the benefits of our approach to handling three-phase power distribution within the rack. While the subject of three phase is de rigueur in the fashionable world of high density, there is a lot to talk about above and beyond the distribution of large amounts of power in a very small footprint.