2N redundancy is a system design where a component is fully redundant and mirrored, resulting in two independent systems. This means that if a component fails, another source can supply that component at its fullest capacity and accommodate the facility’s full load. A 2N redundancy system helps a data center avoid any downtime in the event of system failure or maintenance.
Redundancy applies to a multitude of components including UPS, cooling systems, and generators. With 2N redundancy, if two UPS units are needed to satisfy power requirements, the redundant architecture will contain an additional two UPS units, for a total of four units. The two independent systems ensure that if one fails, another is available to support the data center. It also allows managers to conduct maintenance on one system without interrupting operations and causing downtime.
Is 2N Redundancy the Optimal System?
Although 2N redundancy seems to be the optimal redundancy system as it allows the data center to operate at full capacity in the case of a malfunction or power outage, it is not the optimal system for all data centers. For smaller data centers, it may be difficult for managers to keep up with the costs and maintenance associated with having an additional distribution system with a full capacity of components. Also, these smaller centers may not need a complete extra set of components as malfunctions/outages may be rare or not as impactful as they may be for a larger data center.
For most facilities, N+1 redundancy is a decent baseline that balances reliability with affordability. It is important to have at least some level of redundancy in place to avoid a complete shutdown of the facility, which can lead to costly downtime. However, complete redundancy may not be the best solution for all facilities. Ultimately, data center managers should have a complete understanding of each data center redundancy level, as well as the costs associated with them, to determine which level is most suitable for the facility.
Ensure Redundancy and Save Costs with DCIM Software
Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software allows data center managers to maximize space and capacity utilization by capturing historical and current power usage data. Managers can run a failover simulation report to identify which cabinets are at risk and what equipment can continue functioning safely if a PDU goes down. Additionally, with DCIM software, the possibility and severity of power outages decreases as the software polls intelligent PDUs and other equipment at user-configurable intervals to ensure they are accessible, sends notifications of warning and critical events that can remediated before there is an issue, and makes troubleshooting issues easy. Therefore, with a lower probability of a power outage, the lower redundancy level needed to support the facility, which ultimately decreases costs.
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