Question 166 of 144
SK0-005 server-hardware-installation-management Practice Question
A company is expanding its data center to support a new four-node database cluster for a critical application requiring 99.999% uptime, meaning only minutes of downtime per year. Each server node has dual 1000W power supplies. The facility provides two independent power feeds from separate utility substations, each backed by its own online double-conversion UPS. There are four 20A/208V PDUs available, two per power feed. The design must ensure that the loss of any single power feed, any single UPS, or any single PDU does not cause any server to lose power or impact the cluster's availability. The servers are located in a single rack, and cabling must follow best practices for manageability and airflow. The IT architect is evaluating different power distribution strategies to meet these fault-tolerance requirements. Which of the following configurations achieves full redundancy with no single point of failure in the power path?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Connect the first power supply of each server to a PDU on power feed A and the second power supply to a PDU on power feed B.
Option D is correct because connecting each server's power supplies to two different PDUs that are on separate power feeds guarantees that if one feed, UPS, or PDU fails, the server continues to receive power from the remaining source. Option A does not protect against PDU failure. Option B exposes servers to a power feed failure. Option C introduces a single PDU as a single point of failure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Connect each server's power supplies to two PDUs that are both on the same power feed, and use the second feed only as a cold standby in case of a primary feed failure.
Why it's wrong here
This configuration protects against PDU failure but not against a failure of the active power feed. The cold standby requires manual intervention and cannot ensure continuous uptime during a primary feed outage.
- ✓
Connect the first power supply of each server to a PDU on power feed A and the second power supply to a PDU on power feed B.
Why this is correct
This is the standard best practice for server power redundancy. Each server draws power from two independent power paths. Failure of any single component (feed, UPS, or PDU) leaves the other path intact, ensuring continuous server operation.
- ✗
Connect each server's power supplies to the same PDU, but distribute servers across the four PDUs for load balancing.
Why it's wrong here
If a PDU fails, all servers connected to it will lose power. This design does not provide power redundancy at the server level, as each server relies on a single PDU.
- ✗
Use a single large PDU with dual inputs from both feeds and an automatic transfer switch, connecting all servers to that PDU.
Why it's wrong here
A single PDU represents a single point of failure; if the PDU itself fails, all servers lose power regardless of the redundant input feeds. This violates the requirement of no single point of failure.
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Last reviewed: Jul 26, 2026
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