What are the benefits of a rack PDU?

Rack power protection and control can help you optimize your rack, the room it resides in and the business that depends upon it. Rack power distribution units (also known as rack PDUs) are a key part of an integrated system that protects the equipment within the rack. The right unit allows you to monitor and control the power at the individual outlet, switch power on and off, remotely shut down the power during an emergency power outage, or simply distribute power efficiently and safely. A rack PDU can deliver the customization and protection capabilities you need within a rack.

Nine benefits you may not have known about rack PDUs:

1. A rack PDU enhances the reliability of your IT installation.

Even sophisticated power infrastructures designed to guard against unplanned downtime and data loss can be threatened with a simple accidental plug disconnect. To guard against this, some rack PDU suppliers have developed a plug retention feature that takes up no extra space and delivers maximum reliability.

2. Rack PDUs tell you where energy is going.

Rack PDUs can provide energy monitoring right down to socket level, if required, and they can measure energy usage with ±1 percent billing grade accuracy. This means users can quickly determine exactly where energy is being used and ensures rogue hardware that’s consuming more energy than it should can be quickly identified. Accurate metering simplifies load balancing and reveals locations where there is spare power capacity.

3. Rack PDUs help cut cooling costs.

Using less cooling can mean higher temperatures in the rack enclosure. Older rack PDU systems may not be able to cope with higher temperatures and require additional cooling, but new generation PDUs can work continuously up to 140ºF.

4. A rack PDU simplifies maintenance and upgrades.

Older PDUs often get in the way of other rackmount hardware, making it difficult  to hot-swap server components in order to maintain operational continuity or install hardware upgrades. The latest rack PDUs have a low-profile design, which allows full access to all rackmount equipment. In addition, they incorporate hot-swappable components such as meter boards, which can be fitted or exchanged without interrupting the supply to the loads. As an additional benefit, the best rack PDUs are color-coded so maintenance technicians can easily see which circuit breaker controls which socket.

5. Rack PDUs put you in control of your power.

With switched rack PDUs, users can remotely turn the power on and off to individual socket outlets. The switching can be carried out manually or under the control of power management software. This makes it possible to disconnect non-essential loads in the event of mains supply failure, so UPS runtime is maximized. It also means individual servers can be remotely restarted to help restore normal operation after a problem, and servers can be completely shut down when the demand is light, outside normal working hours.

6. A rack PDU simplifies administration of your power system.

Today’s rack PDUs support mass configuration and updating, which keeps the time needed for power system administration to a minimum. Changes, which are frequent in today’s dynamic IT environments, can be implemented quickly, efficiently and with minimal risk of error.

7.  Rack PDUs save money on network components.

Network connections are essential for all advanced rack PDUs to provide access to their control and monitoring functions. With older types, a separate network port is needed for each PDU. This arrangement is expensive and unwieldy, as administrators must deal with multiple IP addresses. The latest rack PDUs reduce physical infrastructure costs with daisy-chain network connectivity, where a single port and just one IP address can be used for multiple PDUs.

8. Rack PDUs provide on-the-spot status information.

Rack PDUs have integrated displays that can be rotated to suit the installation orientation and show key information, such as alarms, right on the device. This makes it possible to check the operation of the power system at a glance and is an important aid to rapid detection and correction of faults.

9. Rack PDUs are convenient and flexible.

The best rack PDUs are easy to install and offer a choice of mounting positions. They’re lightweight yet robust and their aluminum chassis dissipates heat efficiently and provides excellent ground conductivity.

For more on Eaton rack PDUs, check out our rack PDU guide which provides helpful information on selecting the right PDU solution for your  IT environment.