UNCOVERING THE LAYERS
About
Marc Cram is Director of New Market Development for Legrand ' s Data , Power and Control division , which includes the Raritan and Server Technology brands . A technology evangelist , he is driven by a passion to deliver a positive power experience for the data centre owner / operator .
load of a cabinet at one point is helpful , but so is the ability to measure minimum and maximum load readings over a week , month or year . Making informed decisions is so much easier when a PDU ’ s peak performance and harmonic problems under worst-case conditions can be studied in depth . The ability to identify the processes that are causing a critical situation over time will enable data centres to prevent similar cases in the future by implementing a long-term monitoring strategy , complete with automated alerts for troubling wave forms as they emerge .
Lastly , let ’ s look at what happens when a circuit breaker trips . If an outlet on a PDU ’ s branch circuit attempts to process more amps than it can , all outlets on that circuit will shut off to protect the servers and other IT equipment . At best , this situation results in the temporary loss of a PDU .
At worst , it results in power failure for an entire cabinet . With a traditional PDU setup , a technician would need to then begin the slow and frustrating problem-solving process of locating the failed PDU and its related outlets , detach all devices on the circuit , reset the breaker and then plug the devices in one-byone until the breaker trips again .
Compare this procedure to what would happen with advanced PDU visibility , where the individual outlet would be immediately recognised , its location identified and information on the rest of the PDU provided , without even needing to step in the room . The problem , no longer needing to be investigated , can be resolved without delay .
Foreseeable in the future
Those who want to enhance the efficiency of their systems must be aware of power quality issues and how to address them . With a smarter , more insightful PDU , tracking and analysing power performance can provide the path to optimised efficiency .
So , instead of rack density threatening to derail a data centre , aspects like enhanced PDUs can make it an advantage . When it comes to power , the key to seeing into the future is to see it more clearly now .
Server Technology , a brand of Legrand , has launched the advanced PRO4X Intelligent PDU , which provides data centres with groundbreaking visibility , reporting , security and alerting . Discover more about the PRO4X PDU . �
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