In a data center environment, power is one of the most important factors to monitor. Power management is crucial in order to ensure its proper usage throughout the data center; too much power use can mean higher energy bills, and too little can indicate issues with the equipment. Data center managers need an efficient power monitoring strategy in order to avoid server downtime and optimize usage for the best financial and computing results.
Voltage spikes can present a danger to servers, sometimes resulting in expensive downtime. An extreme example would be the power surges and meltdowns experienced by the National Security Agency's Utah data center in 2013. The $1.2 billion complex, which has 100,000 square feet of server room space, experienced technical issues causing unplanned downtime, according to NPR. This caused numerous financial and logistical headaches for the NSA, including the destruction of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and the need to push back the data center's opening for a whole year.
The bottom line is intelligent power distribution contributes to increased uptime and therefore better peace of mind in the data center. Organizations and their IT managers should review the benefits and make a well-informed decision based on what will best fit their needs.
Increase efficiency and minimize downtime
Power distribution units are integral to the inner workings of the data center. Rack PDUs deliver energy from the power supply to servers and other electronic equipment, and data centers that incorporate intelligent solutions like high-efficiency transformers into the server room enjoy increased efficiency by up to 2 or 3 percent, according to Energy Star. When power is distributed properly and efficiency is maintained, uptime can be ensured. This is in part because potential problems can be detected before they have negative consequences for the data center. Erratic energy consumption can also be minimized or avoided when managers can monitor power effectively.
According to Data Center Knowledge contributor Jon Trout, it is important to make sure power equipment maintains flexibility throughout the facility. This means all the power equipment must interact effectively with rPDUs and other monitoring systems. Functionality and adaptability are also crucial in an effective monitoring solution and can make a difference in how much money a company spends on energy.
Reduce stress
Beyond the financial and business benefits of a successful power distribution system, making sure the proper amount of power is flowing to all parts of the data center creates an astounding level of peace of mind. Data center managers can rest easy knowing the rack PDU is working to detect abnormalities and protect against voltage spikes.
Vertiv Geist Rack PDUs, which come with and without surge protection, can ensure the maximum data center uptime and efficiency by monitoring power usage at the rack level and allowing data center managers to get instant feedback. Surge protected rPDUs allow companies to protect their data and computing power from damaging spikes in voltage and can bring additional protection to the server room environment. Effective power distribution and monitoring help detect issues so they can be solved before they become irreversible.
