Rack PDU Blog

It’s not unusual to be a little fuzzy on the differences between the two, but here it is at a high level: average rack power density is power utilization density that’s averaged over a period of time and space, and peak power density is a maximum power reading at a specific point in time.

In May and August of last year, British Airways was forced to cancel flights following a critical data center power outage. According to Network World, the trouble started when an engineer disconnected a critical power supply at a London-based data center. When the engineer tried to reconnect the system, it generated a large power surge that in turn caused the outage. Sources indicate that the power-up was handled “in an unplanned and uncontrolled fashion.” Altogether, 75,000 people were stranded at the airport following the incident. And the power surge also created a considerable amount of damage for the airline — to the tune of at least $112 million.

It’s not easy trying to decide which type of rack PDU to purchase for your data center. As we explained in a recent article, the decision ultimately comes down to your data center’s unique needs. Your appetite for risk, facility budget, and operating preferences will all play a big part in determining what type of rack PDU you should be using. In this article, we will focus on the switched PDU, which is a smart PDU that will let you toggle power on and off, on a per outlet bases, from a remote location. A switched PDU also allows you to centralize the management functions of your PDU.

Server Technology’s new white paper 'Top 10 Concerns of Data Center Managers in 2018' is a comprehensive summary of the 10 things that keep the typical DCM up at night and make their jobs harder. But we’re not here to commiserate. We’re here to say this: toughen up and avoid chugging over to namby-pamby land. After all, it’s those things that put the ‘manage’ in ‘data center manager.’ Server Technology is here to share these concerns with you and offer our HDOT PDU solution to help you make these battles a little easier.

That’s how we’d like you to think about Server Technology’s solutions. In all the myriad ways your own mother looks after you, Server Technology is there for your business. Just like your mother knew what you needed and when, often before you did, we can anticipate and meet the needs of your data center racks and everything on them. In case you hadn’t guessed, we have Mother’s Day on the brain. And while we are busy trying to find the gift that says just how special and important she is, it occurred to us that our product lines aren’t so different from what moms do, day in and day out.

While in previous blogs we’ve talked about the advantages of customization and having so many PDU options to choose from, now might be a good time to keep it simple. Server Technology is in the business of meeting complex power needs for every customer’s equipment and data demands. But we would be remiss if we didn’t address those needs in the simplest and most straightforward way possible.

In the data center, our customers are always going through them. Equipment comes in, rack counts go up, and loads increase. Electrically speaking, many of our client’s centers are in a state of flux. Server Technology manufactures a variety of PDU types for whatever phase of development your data center happens to be in.

On the surface, it is an amazingly simple question. Everyone knows what a rack PDU is, don’t they? In one of the few industry blogs to reference the movie Gremlins, we attempted to answer the question in the context of the acronym-laden industry we work in. Power Distribution Unit. In this blog we are going to move beyond semantics and talk more about the doing side of a PDU. Our friends will point out that a power strip is just the same thing: a device that has outlets, a cord, and maybe a little surge protection thrown in. To channel my inner Elf, “Say power strip ONE MORE TIME!”

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.