diff --git a/ansible/group_vars/pdu/pdu.yml b/ansible/group_vars/pdu/pdu.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9fd068a2b2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/group_vars/pdu/pdu.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# snmp community strings
+snmp_rocommunity: public
+snmp_rwcommunity: private
diff --git a/tests/common/plugins/psu_controller/__init__.py b/tests/common/plugins/psu_controller/__init__.py
index 6eb1bfbcefb..3b625341d3b 100644
--- a/tests/common/plugins/psu_controller/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/common/plugins/psu_controller/__init__.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 
-def psu_controller_factory(controller_ip, controller_protocol, dut_hostname):
+def psu_controller_factory(controller_ip, controller_protocol, dut_hostname, pdu):
     """
     @summary: Factory function for creating PSU controller according to different management protocol.
     @param controller_ip: IP address of the PSU controller host.
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ def psu_controller_factory(controller_ip, controller_protocol, dut_hostname):
     logging.info("Creating psu controller object")
     if controller_protocol == "snmp":
         import snmp_psu_controllers
-        return snmp_psu_controllers.get_psu_controller(controller_ip, dut_hostname)
+        return snmp_psu_controllers.get_psu_controller(controller_ip, dut_hostname, pdu)
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="module")
-def psu_controller(duthost):
+def psu_controller(duthost, pdu):
     """
     @summary: Fixture for controlling power supply to PSUs of DUT
     @param duthost: Fixture duthost defined in sonic-mgmt/tests/conftest.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def psu_controller(duthost):
         logging.info("No protocol is defined in inventory file for '%s'. Try to use default 'snmp'" % pdu_host)
         controller_protocol = "snmp"
 
-    controller = psu_controller_factory(controller_ip, controller_protocol, duthost.hostname)
+    controller = psu_controller_factory(controller_ip, controller_protocol, duthost.hostname, pdu)
 
     yield controller
 
diff --git a/tests/common/plugins/psu_controller/snmp_psu_controllers.py b/tests/common/plugins/psu_controller/snmp_psu_controllers.py
index fc926d380d8..4f1e9868886 100644
--- a/tests/common/plugins/psu_controller/snmp_psu_controllers.py
+++ b/tests/common/plugins/psu_controller/snmp_psu_controllers.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def get_psu_controller_type(self):
         SYSDESCR = "1.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0"
         psu = None
         cmdGen = cmdgen.CommandGenerator()
-        snmp_auth = cmdgen.CommunityData('public')
+        snmp_auth = cmdgen.CommunityData(self.snmp_rocommunity)
         errorIndication, errorStatus, errorIndex, varBinds = cmdGen.getCmd(
             snmp_auth,
             cmdgen.UdpTransportTarget((self.controller, 161), timeout=5.0),
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def _get_pdu_ports(self):
         This method depends on this configuration to find out the PDU ports connected to PSUs of specific DUT.
         """
         cmdGen = cmdgen.CommandGenerator()
-        snmp_auth = cmdgen.CommunityData('public')
+        snmp_auth = cmdgen.CommunityData(self.snmp_rocommunity)
         errorIndication, errorStatus, errorIndex, varTable = cmdGen.nextCmd(
             snmp_auth,
             cmdgen.UdpTransportTarget((self.controller, 161)),
@@ -108,11 +108,13 @@ def _get_pdu_ports(self):
                     # Remove the preceding PORT_NAME_BASE_OID, remaining string is the PDU port ID
                     self.pdu_ports.append(current_oid.replace(self.PORT_NAME_BASE_OID, ''))
 
-    def __init__(self, hostname, controller):
+    def __init__(self, hostname, controller, pdu):
         logging.info("Initializing " + self.__class__.__name__)
         PsuControllerBase.__init__(self)
         self.hostname = hostname
         self.controller = controller
+        self.snmp_rocommunity = pdu['snmp_rocommunity']
+        self.snmp_rwcommunity = pdu['snmp_rwcommunity']
         self.pdu_ports = []
         self.psuType = None
         self.get_psu_controller_type()
@@ -140,7 +142,7 @@ def turn_on_psu(self, psu_id):
         port_oid = self.pPORT_CONTROL_BASE_OID + self.pdu_ports[rfc1902.Integer(psu_id)]
         errorIndication, errorStatus, _, _ = \
         cmdgen.CommandGenerator().setCmd(
-            cmdgen.CommunityData('private'),
+            cmdgen.CommunityData(self.snmp_rwcommunity),
             cmdgen.UdpTransportTarget((self.controller, 161)),
             (port_oid, rfc1902.Integer(self.CONTROL_ON)),
         )
@@ -169,7 +171,7 @@ def turn_off_psu(self, psu_id):
         port_oid = self.pPORT_CONTROL_BASE_OID + self.pdu_ports[rfc1902.Integer(psu_id)]
         errorIndication, errorStatus, _, _ = \
         cmdgen.CommandGenerator().setCmd(
-            cmdgen.CommunityData('private'),
+            cmdgen.CommunityData(self.snmp_rwcommunity),
             cmdgen.UdpTransportTarget((self.controller, 161)),
             (port_oid, rfc1902.Integer(self.CONTROL_OFF)),
         )
@@ -200,7 +202,7 @@ def get_psu_status(self, psu_id=None):
         """
         results = []
         cmdGen = cmdgen.CommandGenerator()
-        snmp_auth = cmdgen.CommunityData('public')
+        snmp_auth = cmdgen.CommunityData(self.snmp_rocommunity)
         errorIndication, errorStatus, errorIndex, varTable = cmdGen.nextCmd(
             snmp_auth,
             cmdgen.UdpTransportTarget((self.controller, 161)),
@@ -227,9 +229,9 @@ def close(self):
         pass
 
 
-def get_psu_controller(controller_ip, dut_hostname):
+def get_psu_controller(controller_ip, dut_hostname, pdu):
     """
     @summary: Factory function to create the actual PSU controller object.
     @return: The actual PSU controller object. Returns None if something went wrong.
     """
-    return snmpPsuController(dut_hostname, controller_ip)
+    return snmpPsuController(dut_hostname, controller_ip, pdu)
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index fbd40ad612c..7ccc911e04c 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -324,6 +324,14 @@ def eos():
         return eos
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
+def pdu():
+    """ read and yield pdu configuration """
+    with open('../ansible/group_vars/pdu/pdu.yml') as stream:
+        pdu = yaml.safe_load(stream)
+        return pdu
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(scope="module")
 def creds(duthost):
     """ read credential information according to the dut inventory """