How Google's experience can teach us about the importance of UPS systems
(PRWEB UK) 9 September 2015 -- A Belgian data centre owned by Google recently suffered from a power outage caused by a series of consecutive lightning strikes to the local grid as noted by their incident log here dated August 13th-18th, 2015. The power outage resulted in permanent loss of data for some of its users. The tech giant issued this in a statement “Google takes availability very seriously, and the durability of storage is our highest priority. We apologise to all our customers who were affected by this exceptional incident”.
They added “Although automatic auxiliary systems restored power quickly, and the storage systems are designed with battery backup, some recently written data was located on storage systems which were more susceptible to power failure from extended or repeated battery drain.”
DCResponse has noted that Google’s experience is testament to the fact that maintaining UPS batteries and choosing a good quality UPS system are crucial steps to protecting data. Stating "Power outages can affect all businesses, from the largest like Google, to the smallest independent IT firm. Despite this, many businesses have no contingency plan to prepare themselves for power loss, or are not aware of the consequences from using a poorly maintained UPS battery."
A UPS system will differ from an auxiliary power supply or standby generator as it will provide instantaneous protection from input power interruptions. This will allow critical systems to run for enough time for the backup power generators to start up and take over, or for key systems to be shut down without loss of data. However UPS systems will need to be monitored to prevent malfunctions.
DCResponse stated "The majority of modern UPS systems contain in built monitoring and notification features to inform users of potential malfunction, but it can also be reassuring to have a professional perform planned preventative maintenance tasks to prevent these malfunctions from happening in the first place, but also to ensure a system is able to handle the power demands of the business or data centre."
Flexibility is key for busy modern businesses and technology has vastly contributed to a more flexible working environment. UPS expert, Jack Ogden of DCResponse highlights the importance of flexibility stating “DCResponse have recently installed the brand new ultra efficient and scalable modular MPW UPS System from Riello. It gives our customers operational flexibility whilst maintaining their critical uptime with industry leading power conditioning and efficiency.”
DCResponse are UK based and offer 24/7 maintenance for the mechanical and electrical infrastructure of computer room/data centres as well as a range of power protection products and services tailored to a broad spectrum of industries and sectors.
Alex Cox, Urban Element, +44 1993776999, [email protected]
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