Predictive Failure Analysis in Smart PDUs
SynLink PDUs Predict Failures
A great smart PDU must have two fundamental characteristics.
- Reliable power distribution.
- Reliable network connection.
Power loss and unplanned service calls should never be the PDU's fault. Luckily for you, we have taken the time to consider the most common PDU failure modes.
Predictive Failure Analysis is the process of measuring and analyzing system characteristics to predict failures before they occur.
We have applied this concept to our new SynLink series PDUs from the start of the design process. SynLink PDUs have built-in self-monitoring features to alert you before issues arise. We believe this makes SynLink the best smart PDU on the market.
Let us explain…
Relay Health Monitor
Smart switched PDUs use mechanical power relays to control power at the outlets. There's no argument that relays are an additional point of failure in the power distribution path and some system admins opt out of the benefits for this reason alone. We believe we have a solution.
Our engineers at Synaccess have developed an industry-first Relay Health Monitor through collaboration with the Panasonic Relay Engineering team. The Panasonic Industrial team brings their power relay expertise and a deep understanding of relay failure modes to the table. They helped to inform our proprietary hardware and firmware designs for all SynLink Switched PDUs.
The Relay Health Monitor autonomously collects sensor data on all built-in relays. Threshold limits are set on this data to accurately assess the health of the relay and predict issues before they occur. This data can be obtained directly on the PDU's web interface in the 'Diagnostics' tab.
Additionally, built-in voltage sensors are included behind each relay in the PDU. If a relay does fail, the voltage sensors will detect and immediately raise a flag.
The Relay Health Monitor is a standard feature for all SynLink Switched PDUs.
Network Watchdog
The Network Watchdog works in the background to periodically monitor all network interfaces for activity. Activity signals a properly working PDU. If a long period of inactivity is detected, the network interface is forced to restart in an attempt to recover.
Two network interfaces are monitored out of the box. The ethernet network interface and the fault-tolerant Controller Area Network (CAN) interface used for internal sensor communications.
The Network Watchdog is a standard feature for all SynLink PDUs.
Circuit Breaker Trip Detection
SynLink's built-in Event-Action tool can be configured to send alerts or switch outlets when power consumption is near the threshold of a branch circuit breaker.
Immediate alerts can be sent via email, SNMP trap, or custom webhooks when a circuit breaker trips. When set up properly, these automated notifications can significantly reduce your MTTR (Mean Time to Repair).
Power Supply Fail-Over Detection
One of the most common issues that cause a circuit breaker to trip is when a server power supply fails. On a server with dual redundant power supplies, the drop in load of the failing power supply will be taken over by the other power supply. SynLink PDUs utilize current metering at each outlet to detect this scenario. The Event-Action tool can be configured to quickly detect power supply failures and quickly alert you of the issue via email, SNMP trap notifications, or custom webhooks.
Request a demo or ask for a quote at [email protected].