Things to consider when buying PDUs
I am thinking about getting new PDUs for my racks. I would like ones that are:
- Metered (Maybe remote monitored)
- Vertical
- Meet my power requirements (Voltage and amperage)
- Right number of outlets (~20)
What else, if anything, should I think about when buying PDU's?
You hit the big ones.
I'd add to your list:
- Include temperature/humidity monitoring (Especially if you're managing the datacenter)
- Multi-Branch
- Multi-Infeed if you want to power every rack off more than 1 breaker/more than 1 UPS system
- Remote-Managed (switchable outlets)
For what it's worth we used ServerTech's "Sentry SMART CDU" line at my last company. They cover all of the above items at varying price points. I'm pretty sure APC and others have equivalent hardware though.
I like PDUs that allow you to remotely power on/off individual outlets as needed.
Units that allow you to use some form of restraint to prevent plugs being inadvertently unplugged. How practical that is will depend somewhat on the style of plugs used in your part of the world.
If the PDUs can be remotely managed and whether you have to manage each separately or if they can be managed under a single IP/interface.
What kind of remote management is offered (web interface, ssh, snmp).
Whether the metering is for the PDU as a whole or if it can do per outlet metering. From experience, APC's metered PDUs only show total load and not per-outlet load. APC's Metered-by-Outlet, offered in Switched and Metered versions, show total load per outlet.
Only think I can add is make sure that the cables are long enough (if your plugs aren't well placed).