I've always assumed that using Y cables from the PDU to redundant PSUs in the same server was totally acceptable practice, however I was recently speaking to someone that said that their colo wouldn't allow it.
I'm no electrician, but it would seem to me that since the PSUs are redundant, they aren't both drawing at the same time. If this is the case, it would seem that using a Y cable on two PSUs doesn't risk overdrawing the rated ampacity of the cable or individual outlet.
Have I missed something here? Why would a colo choose to ban Y-power cables in server racks?
Best Answer
I am no electrician either, but I think you will at least lose the possibility of keeping your server up and running when doing so. On the contrary if you connect each PSU to a different power source, your server will still have an availble power source (hopefully).