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Looking for a Better Back-Up Power Solution?
ThisIsFred asks: "I maintain a small network (about 1500 users, 9 servers in four locations), and happen to be in an area where the power company's quality of service could be better. Reliability has been slowly improving over the past few years, but we still experience dozens of outages during the course of the year. Unfortunately, all of our un-interruptible power supplies give in after about two years of service, regardless of the brand I buy. I have stacks of lead-acid batteries waiting to get hauled away by a subcontractor licensed to dispose of hazardous materials. This is an expensive service, my employer doesn't want to allocate funds for it every two years. I don't like having to give up space for the storage of dead batteries, and I don't like wasting my time replacing them. Should my employer be responsible for the disposal fees? Shouldn't vendors selling new UPS units be legally required to take back old batteries, like with auto batteries? And what sort of solution should I be looking at that is lower maintenance? Currently I am using smaller, standalone units (1400 VA), because it is really hard for me to secure the funds for something more expensive. I'd like to see what other folks do. I trust examples based on Slashdot's real experience more than some vendor's sales pitch. I need to put together a good argument for the next budget review."
once the company realizes that keeping the servers powered 24x7 regardless of cost is important push them to auto on generators. We have one here, power went out and the only light on in our section of the grid was our sign. We instantly turned around and spun it as uptime is important to our customers etc...
The phone company uses 48 volt DC batteries for all their comptuters. For this reason most equipment intended for the server room has the option of either AC (120/220V,50/60hz), or DC (48 volts) power supplies. Good batteries will last for years in this application. This system when done properly will run for days without any Mains power, and you are connected directly to the batteries at all time so there is no switching issues.
Note that you won't save money in the short run. However if your power is as bad as you say it might in the long run. In any case it is far more dangerious than normal mains power, despite less voltage. Still when 99.999% reliability isn't good enough it is your only choice.
As my dad always said, good ideas cost money.
That is a really good point, and I would also suggest layering your power backup infrastructure. Many of the costs associated with providing acceptable power to the building we purchased was figured into the cost of building maintainance. We layered the power with an external generator (gets tested once a month - enough diesel stored on site for 72 hours of operation), a building-wide UPS (room dedicated to lead acid batteries), and a rackmounted UPS in every rack in our server room.
The building-wide UPS powers a special outlet in every cubicle that everyone's computer is plugged into. If the power goes out, the lights may go out while the external generator gets up to speed, but the computers stay on (although we do have some employees who like to move things around - we find out who they are at the next power outage).
The advantages of this are that the UPS doesn't get used very often, and when it does, it is only for a short period. However, if there are major power problems, we can stay up for a relatively long period of time.
I haven't lost my mind!
It is backed up on disk...somewhere...
For cheaper, smaller units, you are absolutely right. UPS manufacturers want to sell multiple units over a period of time, not just one reliabile system. However, at the high end (not companies, but products), there is more of a focus on reliability and proper charging. We have a nice UPS for the original poster's purposes in our server room. It uses 12 car-sized batteries, and is packaged as a two-cabinet system, with the batteries in the lower cabinet, and a big-ass switch on the upper cabinet (as well as the charging/protection/filtering/backup systems, just that the switch is the most noticeable feature). We have had that UPS for about 4 years now, purchased used at auction from a bankrupt local .COM, and have frequent power outages, and that UPS has never failed. We also have several APC 2200s, which periodically need new batteries, just as described by the original poster.
Check your local auctions, and switch to the big hardware, you won't regret it, it probably won't cost much, and it will probably save you money within two years. I'm not advocating running copper bus bars for 9 servers, but something in a mid-size UPS should work perfectly (mid-size being from about the size of an office copier to a full 19" rack cabinet, yes, there are MUCH bigger systems available, you should have seen the ones at that auction [ours was the smallest one, they did have bus bars in their server room]).
--That's the point of being root, you can do anything you want, even if it's stupid.
Why not pay for hosting and let someone else worry about the power problem? The reason co-location companies exist is so if you are in the range of businesses that can't afford heavy infrastructure costs, but have a definite uptime need then you can pool resources.
You could also think about VPN, if you have 4 locations, is the power situation better elsewhere or are the 4 locations in the same general area? if they are spread out, maybe think about moving your servers to the area with the better power, and having the users vpn from the area with the "bad" power.
- G
"Immolation is the sincerest form of flattery."
I've been there, lived in an apartment with a friend of mine. There were terrible power troubles there, and we had a stack of UPS'es...unfortunately even the stack wasn't enough for the load we were running. The power flickered one night, and we heard a terrible sound behind us, and then a crack-pop...one of the UPS'es literally exploded in flames and sparks shooting through the side vents. Luckly the plug was easily accessable. TO this day I shudder to think what might have happened had we not been home at the time...
Power Corrupts,Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely, leaving one person(group)in charge is absolutely corrupt.
I had a similar situation with a microwave. I was reheating some macaroni and cheese, when it was ready I opened the microwave... the first hint this was not going to be a good day was, a plume of steam rose from the microwave as I opened the door. I got a towel and took the food out, grabbed a fork, and started to stir the macaroni and cheese. It needed stiring -- the water in it was BOILING, "Odd" I thought. It was about that time I became aware of a grumbling, humming sound. Like a vacum, I looked around, and yep the microwave was humming, odd because it wasn't turned on. Then it began smoking. Ok, time to unplug it, the humming is getting louder, more smoke ... oh shit, the cord to the microwave goes behind the refridgerator. *tries to move it, CANT!* Screams to father on the couch, "DAD! TURN OFF THE HOUSE POWER NOW!!" "what? why?" "JUST DO IT NOW!" The rumbling has crescendoed into a roar now, the kitchen lights are dimming and flickering and I've moved the fridge about 6 inches but will my arm fit? almost, almost! no ... just then the lights go out -- my father got to the breaker box
Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley