Data center
DCIM, racks and rack units, PDUs, environmental monitoring, PUE and tiers.
- Data center
PDU vs power strip: current, construction and safety
A rack PDU is the last stage of power distribution: it runs on a 16 A, 32 A or three-phase circuit, is fixed to the rack and can meter and switch outlets. A power strip is sized for one household outlet. A PDU can act as a power strip if the plugs fit; a strip does not belong in a server rack.
- Data center
What is a PDU? Rack power distribution units: role, types and specs
In a data center, PDU stands for power distribution unit: a strip in the rack that splits one upstream circuit across the equipment, adding protection, metering and remote control. In networking, PDU means protocol data unit, which has nothing to do with power.
- Data center
What is PUE? Data center power usage effectiveness explained
PUE (power usage effectiveness) = total data center energy ÷ IT equipment energy. A PUE of 1.5 means each kWh used by IT equipment costs another 0.5 kWh for cooling, power losses and lighting. Closer to 1.0 is better, but PUE only measures how efficiently power reaches IT, not how well IT uses it.
- Data center
19 inch rack standard: what the 482.6 mm width really measures
In the 19 inch rack standard, 19 inches (482.6 mm) is the equipment panel width, not the cabinet. Rail holes are 465.1 mm apart, the opening is 450.85 mm, cabinets are usually 600 or 800 mm wide, and 1U = 44.45 mm with three holes per U.
- Data center
What is CMDB? Configuration items, relationships and what it is for
A CMDB (configuration management database) records what each configuration item is, where it sits, what it connects to and what depends on it. An asset register answers "what do we have"; a CMDB also answers "what breaks if we touch this", the question behind change assessment and troubleshooting.
- Data center
What is DCIM software? How it differs from environmental monitoring
DCIM and environmental monitoring are both called data center management systems, but they solve different problems: one tracks what is in the data center and how it is used, the other checks that power and conditions are safe. Knowing the difference helps you choose the right system.
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