Having An Uninterruptible Power Supply Is Important To A Data Center
It is when a power source fails that can result in loss of data, loss of applications, and other impacts including angry end users. Having an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is essential as a buffer between the usual power source and the equipment in a data center. If the usual power source fails is when the UPS will kick in to protect against loss of information. The most common reason for the UPS to be needed is due to a power outage.
Whether you are in charge of an existing data center or in charge of setting up a new data center you need to understand the types of equipment that are going to be used in the data center as well as the equipment being used by end users. It is this information that will determine what type of uninterruptible power supply your data center will need. Understanding what the system requirements are will have an impact on how the electrical systems are planned. Systems designers will need a detailed plan including all requirements outside of the data center. All of this accumulated information will have a bearing on picking the best uninterruptible power supply for your business’s situation.
There are many things that can go wrong in a data center; losing power has to be one of the most frightening because of the repercussions of what would happen if everything went down. Having an adequate uninterruptible power supply is essential in protecting electric equipment from a sudden and unexpected loss of power. There are cases when having a UPS in combination with a generator makes the most sense to ensure that if there is an extended power outage your data center would be covered. In some cases it is not just data that could be lost if there were a power outage. There is some equipment that could be damaged if there was a loss of power.
Most computer servers are left up and running twenty-four hours a day so that end users can access the information they need. As more employees are becoming mobile and taking their work with them it is essential they have access to the server(s) at all times. This may be especially true if there is any international travel involved.
In addition to interruption protection an uninterruptible power supply may include features that protect against power surges or sustained spikes in voltage or brown-outs. If you are in a smaller data center your UPS would switch to battery power. If you are working in a larger data center your UPS may include transformers that are able to step up or step down the voltage as necessary. If you have a high-end unit it may be able to function as a power conditioner that protects against variation in power that could be harmful if your business is using any kind of sensitive equipment.
Which type of UPS is going to be best for your data center is going to depend greatly on the type of business your data center is serving. You may find you will need different UPSs for different departments within your company. Having the right UPSs is something that needs to be well thought out.
