You may not have expected to read a blog dedicated to the humble PDU. In an era of hybrid cloud deployments and ML-enabled automation, the PDU may seem like a very small detail. However, by safeguarding the power needed for stable performance under high workloads, the PDU plays a key role in our connected, cloud-centric, transformation-driven age.
PDUs solve a wide range of issue
As infrastructure becomes more complex, PDUs solve a wide range of issues that are critical to the safe and stable operation of today’s data centres. They enable access to multiple power plugs – a useful capability as many facilities will have a default of single plum availability per rack. PDUs allow remote turn on and off; even within highly technical environments, sometimes you just need to switch the power on and off again. Thanks to the humble PDU engineers have the freedom to do this. And they can also bring clarity to facility planning, showing usage levels of plugs within a potentially complex rack setup and making equipment management and deployment much easier.
The PDU is a building block for the cloud
In the same way that users of SaaS services expert continuous availability, the same is true of power for the cloud. PDUs are critical in ensuring that the electricity that makes cloud services possible is evenly distributed with no overcurrent. In other words, they ensure that wherever users of a cloud service are based, and whatever their demands may be, that service is powered reliably.
In this way, the PDU is part of the trust that cloud providers build with their customers; users know the servers managing their applications are miles away, but they trust that the infrastructure will be robust and stable. Increasingly there is also the expectation that power management will be carefully managed to maximise environmental sustainability.
PDUs have our backs covered
In a challenging technical environment, peace of mind is valuable – and that’s what PDU offer. The surge protection they provide supports operational performance, but also serves to protect against physical risks such as fire. At the same time, PDUs help ensure proper management of the high volumes of power being drawn into a facility. Through the use of a digital ammeter, PDUs improve visibility of power requirements, which is especially useful given the constant requirements of servers to run day and night in the cloud era. Finally, PDUs can support the optimisation of your environment – from helping understand your power usage through to sensors that help identify server issues, overcurrent or excessive temperature and humidity.
DATA4 knows that PDUs are important
We recognise how important the PDU is to our customers’ infrastructure. While most of our clients will install their own equipment, we have even delivered and deployed PDUs for customers when needed. Together we use these multifaceted little pieces of technology to ensure a well managed and resilient environment.
