Network Business Setup: Understanding Server Power Supply

Assembling a server for your business network involves several elements like your storage device, software, server power supply, and more. You'd find a lot of guides on how to set up a Network Storage Attached type of storage server, but how about small but important components like the server power supply?

There are different kinds of server power supplies and it can be complicated if you can't tell them apart from one another.

Key Things You Need to Know About a Server Power Supply

Here are some things you need to understand so you can choose the right power supply for your server system.

The efficiency of the Server Power Supply

Efficiency is something you want to look for in pretty much everything, including server power supplies. An effective power supply helps you use up less energy-- which means you can save more money. And every single penny counts when you are running multiple servers in your network.

Choosing the right kind of power supply will help you save a significant amount of money on electricity bills.

Here are the types of server power supplies:

• Titanium Power Supply - this type of power supply offers 96% power efficiency which makes it the most efficient option.
• Platinum Power Supply - this type of power supply offers 94% power efficiency
• Gold Power Supply - this type of power supply offers 92% power efficiency

You can derive the power efficiency of a power supply by determining how much input power you need to produce a given amount of output power. The difference between the input and output turns into heat instead of energy-- which is wasted energy. That said, you want a server power supply that produces the least wasted energy to ensure that you do not have unnecessary added expenses in your electricity bills.

Backup Power Supply

Working with networks and servers means being familiar with the concept of redundancy. You need to consider a backup power supply when assembling your network servers. Redundant power supplies will serve as your backup in case your primary supply fails.

The thing with NAS or servers, in general, is that they need to be powered down properly to ensure that all the files are properly stored in the system. Sudden power outages can cause data loss or corruption of files. Redundant power supplies will ensure that your business can operate in case of any issue on your primary server power supply.

You can also use multiple power supplies so that you can balance your energy needs among various power supplies. This type of setup will lessen the effects of wear-and-tear on what you consider as your primary power supply.

The Compatibility of the Power Supply to the Server Setup

Generally, the efficiency of the server power supply means better performance for this particular server component, but its performance will still depend on the server you have assembled. It means that even if you use the same highly energy-efficient server power supply on two different servers, it can perform at different efficiency rates on each server.

So some power supplies will work better with certain server setups.

Does the Server Power Supply Really Make a Difference?

The short answer is: Yes, it does. To further explain this, you need to understand that servers do a lot of work. It provides computations and logic to respond to requests for information. It process and stores data and files. And all these processes are powered by electricity.

Some of the electricity IT devices and servers use are converted into heat, which needs to be managed or risk damages to your network. Depending on how much heat your server produces, you are going to need a cooling system to prevent overheating-- or worse, fire accidents.

As mentioned previously, heat is wasted energy which is reduced by a high-efficiency server power supply.

To Sum It Up

Your storage devices are not the only things you need to be concerned about when setting up your server. You will also have to do some research to ensure that you are getting the right server power supply for the server you are assembling.

The right power supply can make a difference in your electricity bills, type of cooling system, and overall server performance. It affects a lot of factors in your operations-- so choose wisely.