Power Supply Modules
While the MFSYS25 comes with two pre-installed power supply modules, it has a capacity for up to four. The 1,000 W power supplies can run from 110 to 240 V, which is a great range as most small offices may not have the high-grade electrical infrastructure that big data centers have. As is the case with most of the major parts for the MFSYS25, the power supply modules are hot-swappable. The number of power supply modules you need depends on the number of compute modules you have running. One power supply can handle one compute module and all the other non-compute modules in the chassis. The second power supply would be your redundant backup. If you’re adding more modules, then you need to increase the number of power supplies as follows:
- one compute module=one power supply plus backup
- two to three compute modules=two power supplies plus backup
- four to six compute modules=three power supplies plus backup
While I think Intel put a lot of thought into designing the modular server, I’m not too crazy about having to physically unplug the power from the chassis in order to completely shutdown the MFSYS25. It would have been nice to add a power button somewhere on the chassis so administrators could avoid unplugging “hot” cables.
However, the power supply modules use standard computer power cords just like the ones that come with most PCs and there are no proprietary cables.
A last note regarding the power supply modules actually has to do with ventilation. I didn’t notice until later during my tests that the filler panel occupying the fourth power supply module bay wasn’t just taking up space, but it had several small fans and a circuit board inside that offered additional cooling to the chassis. I think that’s pretty smart as it enhances the functionality of an otherwise benign piece of hardware.
