[AusNOG] Power audit

[Matt Perkins]

Well yes and no. If you are in a data center and have no authority over the power supply cabling and switch boards etc. that is renting colo. It's likely a no as in the colo providor will understandably not grant access to the switch boards cabling etc to get estimates of the current draw from your rack.  As others have said you can "tong" but also unlikely because the cable to your rack likely has active and neutral in one multi core cable so to tong you need to put the meter around just the active or just the neutral. you can't do that because both are in one cable these will cancel each other out if you put the meter around both. 

you can do the doggy pull apart live and try to snag a active with the tong but no insurance company, big electrically company or person without  gusto will do that.  and perhaps they should not any way

so if you have some sort of power board that already meters usage then I'm guessing you would not be asking so.

 I started with yes and no let me just change that to no.

look at the usage for the power supply's for the equipment in the rack and estimate. other then  that your stuffed without and outage. 



excuse the phone with incorrect punctuation / formatting but at least that elect. eng.has final been used for something :)

Matt


On 04/06/2013, at 6:42 PM, Alastair Waddell <awaddell at legion.com.au> wrote:

> Hi All,
> 
> Warning: much ignorance about all things power related.
> 
> I'm wondering if I can commission a power audit of a rack-load of gear.
> 
> Who might provide such a service?
> Can it be done without powering down?
> 
> ie Power person attaches something around each AC cord and reports amps drawn. The sum should approximate what my provider bills which would address concern #1 and the individual results should let me identify any miscreant device which would address concern #2
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> -- 
> Alastair Waddell          
> Legion Internet
> Australia
> 
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