Choose a Battery Backup Solution

A Backup Article Contributed by Melissa Larose

Choose a Battery Backup Solution

The topic of battery backup became hot after September 11th as did recovery and disaster planning. Although the companies actually destroyed in the process could not do much to survive unless they had been storing backup data off-site, those in the area around the destruction probably could have benefited from a battery backup already in place.

It would have at least given them the opportunity to save and close the files they were working with at the time of the inevitable power outages and surges that must have accompanied the destruction, and they could have had the time to make a proper shutdown of their computer systems and networks.

Battery Backup Types

There are several different types of battery backup that exist. They are standby, line-interactive, and on-line backup power sources.

Standby battery backup is sometimes called an off-line battery. These are the low cost solution to the battery backup dilemma. These devices are actually plugged into the wall outlet and get their power this way until an outage occurs at which time the battery powered inverter inside the standby unit comes on and continues the power source. This type of solution also protects from surges and spikes in the voltage so it serves several functions in one unit.

The second type of battery backup is the line-interactive source. This type of backup is similar to the standby in that it protects form surges and spikes as well. But this source of backup provides automatic power without accessing the battery. It preserves the life of the battery instead of accessing it for surges and spikes but still provides backup at key times. This is a middle of the road solution as far as cost is concerned.

On-Line Battery Backup

The Third battery backup source is the on-line backup and it provides the highest level of power protection. This type of power source provides continuous power through the inverter so that there is no switching over to battery mode. This backup battery achieves this by taking incoming power and recreating it to DC by conversion. It then conditions the power to reduce noise and surges and then uses conversion again to return it to AC at the time it is ready to leave the backup battery.

The power leaving the on-line backup is clean and shows no anomalies. The system is protected from the damage caused by such surges and noise. The on-line battery backup protects your equipment and extends it useful life.

How long Does a Battery Backup Stay On?

There is no standard answer to the question of how long a battery backup will stay on. Typically it is safe to say that a battery backup can last from 5 minutes to several days, it just depends on what your needs are and what product you have purchased. A standby battery backup will last about 5 minutes. This is long enough to save and close any files and safely shutdown a computer but not a whole network.

In order to choose the best battery backup for your enterprise you will need to know what requirements your system has for a proper shutdown. You may need a battery backup that can stay with you for several days.