Power distribution units (PDUs) manage power distribution to multiple devices, ensuring essential equipment receives sufficient power. There are two types: rack-based and heavy floor-mounted. Remote management is increasingly common for ease of access and safety in emergency situations.
A power distribution unit (PDU) is a form of equipment used to manage the allocation and distribution of power to multiple recipients. Using this type of device helps ensure that all essential equipment receives sufficient power even if the main power source is temporarily unavailable. One of the most common examples of a power distribution unit is the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) used to keep workstations and internal computer networks running during a power outage.
There are essentially two classes of PDU equipment in common use today. One is known as rack based PDU devices. Units of this type help to work out the voltage level and current flow from a power source so that there is enough power to specific devices but not enough to overload the circuits. This process may involve converting the electrical flow in some way, such as adapting a single-phase power source to multi-phase power flow. The use of this type of power distribution unit is common in a number of applications including managing the flow of power to computer systems or equipment used to create light shows at concerts or even to manage the lighting system for a theatrical production.
A second class of PDU is the heavy floor mounted PDU. This type of unit essentially processes the power received from a major source and distributes it to smaller devices based on a specific allocation process. As the name suggests, this type of unit is usually larger and permanently placed. This is different from rack units, which can be easily moved around to meet any type of need that may arise.
While some PDU designs require manual on-site operation, there are models equipped to handle remote access and management. Remote management of PDUs is increasingly common in many business settings, allowing not only to activate units to deal with some sort of emergency, but also to manage the operation of those units without relying solely on power allocation protocols programmed. This approach can make it easier to deal with any situation that might require the ability to access drives remotely and shut down some of them, without requiring that shutdown be done locally and possibly putting humans at risk in a disaster situation.
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