Knowledgebase - Uninterruptible Power Supplies

You wake to the unfamiliar sound of silence – it seems that there has been a power outage during the night and your alarm has failed to activate. Running late, you arrive at the office and start up your machine, only to find that you cannot log into the network. An inspection of the server indicates that it shut down incorrectly and will not restart.

During the night a power surge ripped through the area - excessively high voltage has damaged all hardware utilising mains power. Your phone system is inoperable and the delicate components of your server are damaged. As a result of this damage, your irreplaceable business data appears to be gone.

The impact of a power outage or surge can have a devastating impact on your business - damaged hardware, lost data and downtime are often the result. Power surges and outages occur more frequently than we’d like – research by IBM shows that your PC is subject to 128 power problems per month. Power disturbances cannot be eliminated, but the damage they cause to networks can be prevented by using an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).

A UPS protects your valuable hardware and data from damaging blackouts, brownouts and power surges. These events are often due to uncontrollable factors, such as storms, wildlife / vehicle damage and vandalism.

Benefits

• Protect your hardware from power surges

• Avoid a complete reinstallation of software

• Protect valuable data

• Reduce business downtime

• Increase the reliability of your computer network


Blackouts
A blackout is a situation where your business has no mains power AT ALL. Without a UPS your server will switch off immediately resulting in downtime, and possibly lost data. A UPS protects against these incidents by supplying network- grade power back up, giving your system plenty of time to save data and shut down correctly.


How does a UPS work?
A UPS is a large external “battery” that supplies network grade power backup when a power failure occurs, or boosts the voltage when it drops, and absorbs excess voltage. With a UPS, a server can continue operating under any of the above circumstances. When used with appropriate software, a UPS will safely store your data and shut down your computer network operating system before the battery is fully discharged, whether you’re in the office or not.


What can be protected?
Axiom Networking Solutions recommend that a UPS should be installed on all hardware that stores valuable data and high-end peripherals. In most cases, this will be your network server; however, it may be wise to install a UPS on any business critical hardware.


Protect your hardware
If your business experiences a power surge, it is very likely that server and workstation hard drives will be irreparably damaged. Other components, such as the motherboard and power supplies, may also be rendered inoperable. Without a UPS, the business faces the costly and time-consuming exercise of replacing damaged hardware.


Avoid reinstalling software
With a damaged hard drive, all software installed on the machine will require reinstallation. This includes the operating system and specific applications, such as accounting packages. The effect of a complete reinstallation is extended downtime (staff cannot access business critical applications) and lost settings and software configurations.

Brownouts
Brownouts occur when the power voltage drops significantly due to the electrical infrastructure becoming overloaded. A UPS compensates for this power loss by providing a power boost, ensuring continued system operation.


Power Surges
Potentially the most damaging of all, power surges or spikes occur when dangerously high levels of voltage enter your system. A power surge will damage technology hardware, as these devices are not designed for such high voltage levels. A UPS absorbs this extra voltage and ensures that the power entering your system remains constant at all times.


Protect valuable data
Power disturbances are the single largest cause of data loss, accounting for 45.3% of data problems. Businesses often rely too heavily on back up, assuming that all data will be recoverable in the event of a power surge. Although in most cases this is correct, back up procedures need to be constantly monitored to ensure data is being backed up effectively.


In addition to back up, taking a proactive approach to data security by addressing the underlying causes of lost data, can enhance data protection. A power surge is one of these underlying causes of lost data - a cause that can be eliminated through the installation of a UPS. This simple measure will further protect your business from the enormous cost of business downtime due to data loss.


Replacing hardware, reinstalling software and recovering data all result in business downtime. The cost of this downtime should be compared to the relatively small investment in a UPS.


For help with determining the best UPS system for your business, please contact one of our consultants.