Rack PDUs - Rackmount PDUsRack PDUs by Category
Rack PDUs by Vendor
Rack PDU Types:
Basic Rack PDU: Also known as power strips, basic units supply power
to IT equipment without advanced features such as metering, monitoring or
reboot able outlets.
Switched Rack PDU: Switched PDUs allow remote reboot capabilities of
individual and grouped outlets and include other features such as web
monitoring, SNMP alerting and metering at the strip. Different models provide
metering at either the strip or even the outlet level.
There are many benefits of using switched PDUs:
- Protect
mission critical equipment and quickly respond to any problems by monitoring
amperage draw per circuit, power state, and other variables
- Monitor equipment 24x7x365 through automatic alerting via
SMTP/SMS/SNMP when conditions (like current draw) exceed established thresholds
- Decrease dependency and cost of third party service calls
for power related issues
- Control user access to specific outlets or groups of
outlets
- Manage a network of interconnected Switched PDUs through
integrated software packages
Monitored Rack PDU: Monitored power distribution units provide remote
monitoring of current and other critical measurements such as rack temperature
and humidity. Monitored products are the first entry into IP-addressable PDUs
supporting monitoring and alerting capabilities. Users can set automatic
alerting via SMTP/SMS/SNMP when conditions (like amps, temperature, or humidity)
exceed defined thresholds.
Metered Rack PDU: Metered PDUs are equipped with a local amperage
meter on the strip, allowing IT personnel properly load and balance each
circuit. The LED display lets administrators know actual current usage in order
to safely power equipment without exceeding the maximum draw of the strip and
circuit it is attached to. From there, professionals can make informed decisions
about equipment installation, and future growth potential by understanding where
capacity exists on existing circuits, also known as “stranded power”, so that
additional circuits are not pulled unnecessarily
Outlet-Level Rack PDU: An enhanced version of the monitored rack PDU.
All outlet level PDUs have remote capabilities that allow users to know power
consumption of individual outlets.
Benefits of Outlet-Level PDUs are:
- Granularity: Instead of measuring the IT load via a UPS or
a floormount PDU, both of which have electrical losses that inflate the IT load
value, users can achieve a quick, accurate snapshot of the power consumed by
just the IT equipment and loss at the UPS level.
- Efficiency Metrics: Software, sold in tandem with the PDUs,
can aggregate power information across all PDUs. The total IT load of a data
center can be only a few clicks away. Inefficiencies in the rack, at the UPS
and facility level can be identified for remediation and immediate savings and
ROI.
- Server Consolidation/Retirement: If a device's power draw
never changes, the server may be comatose—an ideal candidate for consolidation,
virtualization, or retirement.
- Chargeback Programs: Some companies charge individual
departments (HR or Finance for example), for their power use in the data center.
Through outlet level monitoring, data center managers can assign devices and the
associated power consumption to respective business owners, who are now
financially accountable for their energy consumption.
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