Thanks to the cloud, we have seen a sharp increase in data centers and radical shifts in how they operate. There are more software-as-a-service products in circulation than ever and they are driving the necessity of data centers, where precious user information is stored and accessed by users and personnel around the globe. Access to reliable and uninterrupted power is absolutely essential for these data centers to carry out day-to-day operations. However, despite the need, many data centers have back-up power systems that are less than desirable.
For data centers, a power outage not only hinders everyday operation, it is extremely detrimental for their bottom lines. According to a survey from the Disaster Recovery Preparedness Council, 20 percent of respondents “experienced data center outages that caused more than $50,000 in losses, all the way up to $5,000,000.” For a data center, it doesn’t really matter what the cause was, a power outage is the number one source of preventable income loss.
This post is going to discuss the importance of uninterrupted power for data centers and offering several solutions to help approve your approach to backup power.
Anticipate the Future
When creating the optimal system for a data center, you must try to anticipate the future of the facility’s growth and needs. As stated earlier, it doesn’t matter what the cause of the problem is, any power outage is a huge deal. However, if you live in an area with frequent inclement weather, you can probably assume that the power is at a greater risk than somewhere of a more moderate climate.
Get the Hardware
In order to ensure your electricity is flowing smoothly you are going to need two important pieces of equipment: a standby generator strong enough to power the whole facility and an automatic transfer switch to help regulate the flow of power. It’s important that an experienced technician performs the installation of this hardware as well as regular audits of your new backup system. A fully redundant source of power will have adequate amounts of energy coming from your utility company and then also from your standby generator.
Prevention is the Key to Success
In order to best safeguard your data center from a shortage or blackout, you need to develop a backup recovery plan and do what you can to prevent outages before it is too late. Having a standby generator in place ensures that you are covered in the event of a power failure. However, power monitoring PDUs (Power Distribution Units) can assist in tracking your overall power usage and external environmental factors (for example, temperature and humidity). When you implement a power monitoring PDU in your data center, you are maximizing the defensive effort in ensuring the redundancy of power to your organization.
Uninterrupted power is only effective when it is installed and maintained properly and with care. Your standby generator is going to be the difference between catastrophic failure and a smooth operation when disaster strikes. Don’t get caught without one when the harsh weather comes in to your area.
