3200 dual power packs

[james]

Is the purpose of the 2nd optional power pack for redundancy?  If connected to a separate PDU, does the optional one automatically supply power upon failure of the primary?  Is one actually primary? What is preventing over-power from both supplying?  

#paloalto3200

[kiwi]

Hi @james ,

The PA-3200 series firewalls are designed with redundant power supplies to ensure continuous operation and high availability.

The PA-3200 series firewalls are equipped with two 650W AC or DC power supplies, and the second power supply is explicitly for redundancy. This design allows the firewall to continue operating even if one power supply fails.
If one power supply fails, the firewall continues to operate without service interruption. To enhance this redundancy, it is recommended to connect each power cord through a different circuit breaker or separate PDU. This provides power redundancy at the circuit level and allows for electrical circuit maintenance without downtime.
The PA-3200 series power supplies operate in a redundant configuration, not in a primary/secondary active/standby model where one is idle. Both power supplies are active and capable of contributing power. The system is designed such that if one power supply fails, the other can seamlessly take over the full load to maintain operation without interruption. The power supply LEDs indicate "Main output and standby output enabled" when functioning normally, meaning both are producing their respective outputs without faults.

The firewall's internal power management system draws the necessary power up to its maximum consumption. The maximum power consumption for a PA-3200 series firewall is 240W for AC power supplies or 228W for DC power supplies. Since each power supply has a capacity of 650W, a single power supply can handle the firewall's full power requirements. Having two 650W power supplies does not lead to "over-power" as the firewall only consumes what it needs, well within the capacity of the redundant supplies.

Additional info:
https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/hardware/pa-3200-hardware-reference/pa-3200-series-specifications/...

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/hardware/pa-3200-hardware-reference/service-pa-3200-series-firewal...

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/hardware/pa-3200-hardware-reference/connect-power-pa-3200-series/c...

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/hardware/pa-3200-hardware-reference/service-pa-3200-series-firewal...

Hope this helps,