EnergyWise, the ability for users to define custom output groups, a scheduling function to generate planned shutdowns, and bulk configuration and updates for ePDUs. These new features enhance the Intelligent Power® distribution capabilities on Eaton ePDUs and are available for the Managed, Advanced Monitored, and Switched ePDU ranges via a firmware update.
Cisco EnergyWise technology allows companies to manage, change, and control the energy consumption of their infrastructure in an EnergyWise-enabled data center.
With the integration of Eaton's ePDUs, customers have greater management of energy usage and in-depth monitoring of the consumption of each individual server to control the total cost of ownership.
“Today’s data centers are constantly looking for new ways to reduce energy consumption and lower operating costs without compromising reliability. This cannot be achieved without a clear understanding of energy consumption levels,” says Stefan Coote, director of solutions for small and medium-sized data centers at Eaton Power Quality EMEA.
Eaton’s advanced ePDUs offer intelligent power distribution and are capable of measuring voltage, amperage, wattage, and kilowatt-hour consumption at individual servers with 1% accuracy (beyond 2 amps). Through the addition of Cisco EnergyWise, the ePDUs function as an endpoint in the
Cisco EnergyWise network and can be accessed directly from any EnergyWise-enabled management application.
This will allow Cisco management broadcasters to query and collect accurate energy consumption data from each individual outlet and aggregate this information across multiple ePDUs in the network for easy viewing. Furthermore, the ePDUs provide control over energy usage by enabling the EnergyWise network to securely switch individual outlets ON to OFF.
“Eaton’s advanced ePDUs’ industry-leading control features, combined with Cisco EnergyWise’s power management capabilities, provide a comprehensive view of energy demand and usage across a data center—whether small, medium, or large,” Coote continued. “Providing accurate data on the energy consumption of hundreds of ePDUs across a network in a simple and easy-to-understand way is critical for any data center.”
A new feature is the ability for ePDUs to allow users to define custom input groups. This makes it possible to assign input groups so that an individual user, customer, or specific department within a company can more easily monitor and manage their energy consumption. Additionally, power scheduling allows users to plan shutdowns of non-critical equipment, such as during a weekend or on specific nights, providing more options for optimizing energy consumption.
Bulk configuration and updates of Eaton ePDUs are available through Intelligent Power Manager.
All Eaton ePDUs are fully integrated with the Intelligent Power Manager (IPM), enabling users to manage power through a single interface and IP address. New communication, update, and bulk configuration capabilities through Intelligent Power Manager provide enhanced ease of use.
Through bulk configuration, we can simultaneously configure multiple ePDUs with user-defined values, including, for example, alarm levels. This reduces commissioning times for data centers and simplifies the installation and maintenance of ePDUs. Bulk upgrades allow data center administrators to perform future firmware updates on the network interface cards of multiple ePDUs at the same time, enabling easier access to future feature enhancements and versions.
Intelligent Power Manager version 1.25, released in February 2012, is required for both configuration and bulk updates. It is available for free download (up to 10 devices) at www.eaton.eu/intelligentpower.
All new features are available through a firmware update for Manager, Advanced Monitored, and Switched technologies. To check compatibility with your products, please visit www.eaton.com/ePDU.
