Uninterruptible Backup Power
A Backup Article Contributed by Melissa Larose
Uninterruptible Backup Power
The weather is looking pretty nasty and you ask your IT manager if the backup power is in working order. The manager responds with an odd look on his face and a "we'll find out." Not a good scenario to find yourself in. Either the IT manager does not have a backup power supply or the backup power supply has not been tested in quite some time. Either way, you are getting ready to find out because the lights just flickered and your administrative assistant just dove under his desk. Boom! There went the lights and guess what? That soothing hum that usually comes from the computer room is gone.
Why Backup Power Supplies?
Critical systems and critical data must be up and running for a business to operate. When a power outage occurs all equipment goes out including cash registers, credit card machines, the lights, the security system, any mobile telephones you might have purchased and of course the computer system. In most situations this can cause unproductive down time and possible loss of business. If you are a retail outlet loss of critical business systems can mean, depending on how it is handled, a loss of customers to a competitor.
Installing a generator backup and an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) can keep your data safe and all the lights and devices necessary for continuity of business to stay up and running when the rest of the block is in darkness.
The Rarely Used Backup Power
Making sure your data and business processes can stay up and running during a power outage seems like a no-brainer and it is to a point. But the truth is the need for a backup power source may be critical but is a rarely used piece of hardware. A generator, or backup power source can sit idle for quite a while before it is needed.
The Uninterruptible Power Source, on the other hand, gets used as a gap stop to bridge the power needs until the power is restored or all the systems have been through a safe shutdown. An uninterrupted power source is your first line of defense when a power outage occurs.
Always remember to include testing of your generator and Uninterrupted Power Source backup as part of your disaster recovery plan. Idle equipment can become damaged without use. Servicing this equipment seasonally is a good idea.
Your Uninterrupted Power Supply, on the other hand, gets a lot more use, more than one would think. It to should be tested from time to time but the most important part of your system, the data, should be part of a backup process in case the uninterrupted power supply fails.
Power Backup is a Necessity
A power backup system or UPS is a necessity for all computer networks. Electrical disturbances happen all the time and outages can cause damage or corruption to your data. A backup power supply can assure you that your system will not be compromised when you need it most.
