Skip to content
CBT Nuggets
DemoBook a Demo

IT Power Solutions: PDU and UPS Technician Training

Learn to manage and maintain PDUs and UPSs with our online IT Power Solutions training. Perfect for network admins, this course covers power distribution, UPS setup, and troubleshooting to ensure reliable power for data centers and tech hubs. Gain the skills to select, configure, and maintain critical power systems for uninterrupted operations.

Bob SalmansCybersecurity & Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)

Updated August 2023

Book a DemoSee plans & pricingPreview a free skillTake the placement assessment
Checking your access…
2Skills
14Videos
2hTotal

Who This Course Is For

This PDU and UPS Technician training is considered foundational-level networking training, which means it was designed for network admins. This PDU and UPS skills course is valuable for new IT professionals with at least a year of experience with network power supplies and experienced network admins looking to validate their networking skills.

Skills Your Team Will Gain

  • Setting up and operating electrical systems
  • Ensuring consistent power to systems and equipment
  • Analyzing power requirements and selecting the right power distribution unit
  • Configuring power relays and power distribution remotely

Course Curriculum

One skill is free to watch — no signup needed. The other 1 premium skill unlock for your whole team with a CBT Nuggets plan.

Free skill preview

Understanding Power and IT Power Solutions

Bob SalmansDuration: 54m16 videos

Watch this complete skill free — the same trainer, videos, and labs your team gets with a plan.

Watch free skill
Want to browse the locked skills?
with no purchase required. Already have an account?

An account gets you the full catalog to browse, pre-assessments, quiz questions on free skills, and IT Trainerbot, with every answer citing its source video.

Put this course to work for your team

Every plan includes this course plus the full library, virtual labs, and practice exams — or talk it through with sales.

See plans & pricingBook a Demo

For IT leaders

What IT leaders need to know before assigning this course

Power reliability is a frontline uptime issue: weak PDU and UPS practices can turn routine changes or power events into service interruptions. IT Directors can assign this foundational networking course to network admins, data center support staff, and newer IT Practitioners who have about a year of exposure to network power supplies, as well as experienced admins who need a quick skills refresh.

The curriculum is a realistic time investment: two skills totaling about 1 hour and 51 minutes, covering IT power solution fundamentals and UPS sizing and maintenance. For change management, this course works best before team members take on rack power, UPS setup, or troubleshooting responsibilities, and should be paired with the organization’s maintenance windows, escalation paths, and site-specific safety procedures. CBT Nuggets Playlists can help Training Managers sequence this with related networking fundamentals, while Team Reporting helps Team Leads confirm completion across the team.

Team Impact

How this training helps your team succeed

IT teams complete this training to reduce avoidable downtime caused by poorly understood power distribution and backup power systems. The course focuses on practical PDU and UPS responsibilities that support reliable operations in data centers and tech hubs.

  • Improve readiness for power-related incidents by building a shared understanding of PDUs, UPSs, and IT power solution basics.
  • Support better equipment decisions by training staff on UPS sizing concepts before systems are deployed or expanded.
  • Reduce troubleshooting delays when network devices lose power or backup systems behave unexpectedly.
  • Standardize maintenance expectations for teams responsible for keeping critical power systems available and operational.

After completion

Capabilities your team walks away with

Knowledge

  • How PDUs and UPSs support reliable IT and network operations.
  • Core power distribution concepts relevant to data centers and technical environments.
  • The role of UPS units in maintaining availability during power disruptions.
  • Foundational concepts for sizing UPS capacity to support connected equipment.
  • Maintenance considerations for keeping UPS units operational.

Ability

  • Identify where PDUs and UPSs fit in an IT power design.
  • Support selection and configuration decisions for power distribution and UPS equipment.
  • Apply UPS sizing concepts to network and infrastructure needs.
  • Perform basic maintenance planning for UPS units.
  • Troubleshoot common PDU and UPS issues that can affect network availability.

Readiness check

Confirm prerequisite knowledge before training begins

A short placement assessment on the CBT Nuggets assessments platform measures whether a learner already has the foundation this course assumes. IT Directors use it to put the right people in the right training — and any learner can take it right now to make sure they'll get full value from day one.

  • Questions generated from this course's own video transcripts — what gets measured is exactly what gets taught
  • Instant, per-learner results that show whether the prerequisite foundation is in place
  • Results roll up into team readiness reporting, so training hours go where they change outcomes
Take the placement assessmentHow assessments work
Runs on assessments.cbtnuggets.com — sign in with an Adept account so results roll up into team readiness reporting. Need one?
.

If gaps show up, start here

CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201)

Build a foundation in IT with this expert-led CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) training. This course includes an A+ Core 1 practice test, study guide, and virtual labs to make sure you're confident on exam day. You’ll learn how to troubleshoot PCs, confi...

~37h

This course is included with every subscription

Unlock this one course, or get one learner — or your whole team — access to all 287 courses, virtual labs, and practice exams.

CBT Nuggets Individual

IT Trainerbot Pro

$49per month

Billed annually

Every course, for one learner

See Individual pricing
For IT teams

CBT Nuggets Teams

IT Trainerbot for Teams

$59per seat / mo

Billed annually

From 1 learner seat · unlimited admin seats

Checking your access…

Need tenant hosting, reseller terms, or payment plans on a larger agreement? Book a Demo to discuss an Enterprise contract.

See plans and pricing for your team

Trusted by 23,000+ organizations

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it worth it to learn about PDU and UPS maintenance?

If an uninterrupted and reliable supply of electrical power to critical equipment and data centers is relevant to your organization, then it's definitely worth it to take this PDU and UPS technician training. Installing and maintaining power distribution units and uninterruptible power supplies is more complicated than most people expect, and when you're trained in troubleshooting their operation, you're not just guaranteeing power, you're also guaranteeing your own job security as a reliable IT technician.

Who should take this course on PDUs and UPSs?

This course is ideal for electrical technicians, facility managers, and IT professionals who focus on physical infrastructure and maintenance. Large businesses with complex networks need specialized IT professionals who can deliver power grid stability. And small businesses need reliable professionals who can maintain more than one element of their network.

Is this PDU and UPS technician training associated with any certifications?

No, this course on installing, managing and maintaining power distribution units and uninterruptible power supplies isn't specifically meant to prepare learners for a particular certification exam. However, many entry-level certifications validate a technician's familiarity with the basics of network hardware – for example, the A+ from CompTIA. Keeping network hardware supplied with uninterrupted power is crucial for an A+-certified technician, and this course can help you prepare for that.

Is this course suitable for beginners with no prior knowledge, or non-IT professionals?

Absolutely, this course isn't just suitable for beginners – it's ideal. Even professionals who don't work in IT can take this course, and depending on your job, you may want to. When companies and employers don't realize that installing and maintaining power distribution units and uninterruptible power supplies is essential IT work, it can fall on people who aren't used to working with network hardware. You can avoid disaster by knowing in advance how to keep power flowing.

How are PDU and UPS Different?

PDUs (Power Distribution Units) and UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supplies) are both critical for making sure equipment like servers have uninterrupted and reliable power, but they do so differently. A PDU takes power from a source and distributes it to power consumers but has no battery backup. A UPS is used in the event of a main power failure to keep critical equipment running. A UPS tends to use battery systems to ensure seamless transitions and prevent data loss.

Ready to upskill your team?

Talk to our sales team to find the right plan for your organization.

Book a Demo