DATA CENTERS are seeking ways to reduce overall energy consumption so they can lower costs and be more green. Enterprises often start simple by turning off lights when they’re not needed or adjusting their thermostats.
But there are more effective methods to trim energy consumption, and it begins with managing power distribution. Cyber Switching offers one such option with its ePower PDU—the next generation of power distribution unit. ePower enables remote management options and provides fundamental power information for each of its outlets individually.
Chris Verges, ePower product manager, says each outlet features billing-grade power metering and relay control. “Power usage for each server in a data center can be tracked, helping facilities managers to accurately allocate costs to the proper business units based on actual runtime data and incentivizing IT managers to reduce their equipment’s power usage,” Verges says. ePower’s remote control capabilities let you reboot equipment when a lockup occurs or turn it off when not in use. Each outlet is also protected by Cyber Switching’s patented Cyber Breaker technology, which uses a software-controlled circuit breaker to limit overcurrent conditions to a single outlet. The Virtual Circuit Breaker is customizable and utilizes a trip-curve to help you save money and reduce downtime.
Ease Of Use
For any data center solution, ease of use is a must. ePower PDUs address this by integrating a full-color LCD touchscreen where you can view power information about the devices connected to each outlet, including the amount of current being pulled by each individual outlet or a combination of outlets and the voltage or power factor of each outlet. “Locally, the color LCD touchscreen can be used to configure the unit through its on-screen setup wizard and to manage the unit’s power as an aggregate on each input cord or bank or as each outlet,” Verges says. ePower PDUs support several remote management options, too, such as HTTP/S, Web Services, SSH, Telnet, Syslog, SMTP, and most recently, Cisco EnergyWise.
The Cisco EnergyWise platform simplifies the management of equipment such as routers, switches, and servers. It can be used to implement power management policies for businesses and to assemble power metrics into intuitive, user-friendly dashboards. Cisco EnergyWise is deployed on network switches and routers known as EnergyWise peers, with end devices known as EnergyWise endpoints. The open frame- work allows for a variety of applications for display and management. As a new feature, Cyber Switching’s ePower PDUs act as an endpoint for EnergyWise domains. “When the feature is enabled on ePower,” Verges says, “the PDU itself appears as a unique endpoint entity in the domain, with each outlet being enumerated as its own entity.
Now, corporate energy policy can be implemented using the power of the Cisco network and the power management functionality of Cyber Switching’s ePower PDU.” ePower PDUs also incorporate features that facilitate future growth. For example, ePower PDUs have two USB ports that let data center managers connect a myriad of peripherals, including temperature/humidity probes, Web cams, and UPSes. “The flexibility with USB allows ePower to be a platform that can grow with your needs, even years after the initial deployment,” Verges says. In all, ePower PDUs can simultaneously support up to 127 peripherals. Go Green According to Verges, there are three challenges that impede a company’s ability to overcome their environmental objectives. These include identifying the areas that need improvement, setting realistic goals and creating policies, and successfully implementing those policies.
