There are many factors and considerations that go into data center construction and improvement. One of the most important is determining how you will organize your data center power distribution. You need to have the right power distribution units for the job or else your data center won’t function optimally.

Take a look at what factors you need to consider as you determine which data center power distribution units you need.

Goals for Your Environments

If you’re constructing a new data center or modernizing your current one, you’re probably doing so in order to achieve certain goals. Choosing the right power distribution unit will help you fulfill your data center needs and requirements. If you have a large data center with local IT staff, you may be aiming to save space and reduce costs. Using metered or basic units will help you accomplish this. If you don’t employ local IT staff and simply want long term savings, switched power distribution units may be your best option.

Your Power Requirements

Knowing your data center’s power requirements is one of the most important steps to choosing the right data center power distribution unit. The largest data centers in the world will have vastly different power requirements than a local branch. For a large data center with hundreds of server racks, units with 3-phase inputs would likely be best. For small data centers, branch offices, or network wiring closets, you’ll likely only need units with single-phase inputs.

The Features You Need to Minimize Downtime

Power outages happen, causing downtime for your servers. Different data centers will need different features that help them minimize downtime during power outages, depending on the devices and systems they have. A metered power distribution unit, for instance, can give you real-time information on your power consumption so that you know when an overload is about to happen. If you can’t afford downtime, you can use this knowledge to prevent outages. A switched power distribution unit performs differently and will allow you to get your system back up without going to the site. It can also enable the unit to power off nonessential equipment automatically when necessary.

These are just a few of the many factors you need to take into consideration when you’re determining what power distribution system your data center needs. Contact LDP, the premier provider of mission critical support solutions, today to have our experts help you choose which power distribution units are right for your data center.