Tripp Lite by Eaton Blog

Data Center 101: Avoid Accidental Power Cord Disconnections

Written by Tripp Lite | Jul 12, 2017 5:00:00 AM

The Uptime Institute estimates that human error causes roughly 70 percent of outages in data centers today.  Here's a simple solution to keep power cords from being unplugged: color-coded power cord plugs and plug inserts take the guesswork out of your data center and ensure that staff always know the priority of power connections.

  • A device connected to a RED power cord plug is mission-critical and should never be unplugged
  • Equipment connected to a YELLOW power cord plug should not be unplugged without management confirmation. The device may be mission-critical with a redundant power supply, allowing one input cord to be disconnected as long as the other is still connected.
  • A device connected to a GREEN power cord plug is not mission-critical and can be unplugged temporarily if necessary.