A Functional Power Distribution Unit (PDU) is a critical component in data center power management. It refers to an electrical component that is used to distribute power from an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or a backup generator to various servers, networking equipment, and other IT infrastructure within a data center. The primary function of a PDU is to allocate power to different devices and to prevent overloading of the electrical circuits.
In a data center, power distribution units come in different types, including basic, metered, monitored, switched, and intelligent PDUs.