Redundant power supply is an ideal solution to solve network paralysis due to power failure. Switches designed with redundant power supply can greatly improve the stability of the network and ensure uninterrupted operation of equipment.
What is a redundant power supply?
Redundant power supply refers to the design of a single network device using two or more physical power supplies, and each power supply can independently power the device. At this time, even if a power supply fails, other power supplies will immediately bear the power supply load of the equipment to ensure the normal operation of the equipment. Servers or disk arrays usually adopt redundant power supply design, which can effectively avoid power outages or other failures (such as downtime) of equipment. Now, redundant power supply design is becoming more and more popular in network switches and other equipment due to its unique advantages.
The working principle of the redundant power supply of the switch
Power supply redundancy generally adopts power supply modes such as complete redundancy and partial redundancy. Full redundancy (also called 1+1 redundancy) means that the switch is equipped with two power modules. If one power module fails, the other power module can continue to supply power normally without affecting network operation. Partial redundancy (1+N redundancy) means that "1 additional power supply" supplies power to "N" switches. Please note that the disadvantage of local redundant power supply is that there is a time interval for power switching, that is, the backup power supply needs to supply power to the device after a certain period of time, which may cause network interruption. The following figure shows the different working modes of full redundancy and partial redundancy.
Generally, the dual power supply in the network switch adopts a fully redundant power supply design. Please note that under normal circumstances, both power supplies will be powered on and work at the same time. However, due to different equipment manufacturers, the backup power supply of some fully redundant switches provided by manufacturers may also be idle.
How does the redundant power supply work?
The advantages of a switch with a redundant power supply design include two aspects, that is, to ensure uninterrupted operation of the switch and support hot swapping.
Ensure uninterrupted operation of the switch and improve network availability
The switch is equipped with two power modules. During its operation, if one power module is accidentally powered off, the other power module will start immediately and assume the power supply function of the device to achieve seamless switching to ensure uninterrupted operation of the device and improve High availability of the system. However, it should be noted that the partial redundancy (N+1) power supply solution takes a certain amount of time to complete the power switch, which may cause network interruption.
Support hot swap, flexible deployment
Generally, the switch is equipped with two or more power supplies and supports hot swap. This means that if one of the power supplies stops working, the user can replace the power supply without shutting down the equipment. Users only need to unplug the faulty power supply and then plug in the new power supply.
How to buy a network switch with redundant power supply as needed?
As mentioned above, redundant power supplies can provide network users with a variety of conveniences, such as ensuring high availability of equipment, supporting hot swapping, etc., and can effectively avoid unnecessary downtime or data loss caused by accidental damage to the power supply. At the same time, there is not much price difference between a common switch with a single power supply and a switch with a redundant power supply design. At this time, it is a wise choice to buy a switch with a redundant power supply. However, it cannot be ignored that this redundant design occupies more space in the device itself. Therefore, it is recommended that you choose a suitable product according to actual needs.