When it comes to business, power outages are no small concern. They can result in lost data and lost income, sometimes to the extent of ruining a small business. Any number of factors can knock out power on the grid or create fluctuations in power that can shut down IT equipment unexpectedly. Power failures force devices to reboot. As a result, all unsaved data is lost in the blink of an eye. While few power outages last longer than two days, loss of critical data or damage to key components can threaten the viability of your business. In order to avoid such devastating circumstances, businesses should safeguard their data center equipment using an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that provides surge protection as well as battery backup.
There are a few types of UPS system. These types include offline, line-interactive, and online. Finding the right UPS for the equipment in your data center is imperative. An offline UPS, which is also referred to as a standby UPS, represents the most affordable option for the protection of your data center equipment. Unfortunately, it is also tends to be the least reliable as well as the least flexible system. It runs on AC as the main power source and switches to battery power if that power source is interrupted, thus protecting any devices it supports. Battery time is usually short, just long enough to save data and shut down systems manually. An offline UPS may be adequate for non-critical computers or a very small business, but it is generally insufficient, even for most small businesses.
A line-interactive UPS is much more suitable for small to mid-sized businesses than offline varieties. When a surge or lack of voltage occurs, a line-interactive UPS can correct voltage force without having to switch over to battery power. It can effectively reduce the number of fail-overs as well as associated reboots. A positive side-effect of this capability is longer battery life. A line-interactive system is definitely a step up from an offline UPS, but still may not provide you with the protection you really need.
Online uninterruptible power supplies are really the best option for avoiding data loss and data center equipment damage. An online UPS proves the most efficient protection and backup battery available. It is specifically designed for critical internet technology equipment. While the device does access its power from the local AC utility, this power is converted immediately to direct current, and then converted back to AC once again. This process effectively filters out both noise and spikes, providing cleanly modulated power to your data center products. In the event of an outage, the battery for the online UPS will take over far more seamlessly than offline or line-interactive types. This is the result of it being in connection with the power inverter and consistently remaining online in the space between the power source and the data center equipment.
Choosing the right UPS for your business isnít difficult. An online UPS is always the superior choice, although an offline or line-interactive UPS may be adequate in some circumstances. The larger your company or the more rapid its growth, the more imperative it will be for you to use an online system.
