What is a UPS and how may it assist your Business Continuity?
Having critical systems unexpectedly shut down can be a major blow to any business. Not only because data can be lost or services shut down, but it also inevitably means that money will be lost, and in house IT engineers will be diverted to resolve the issue. This, however, can be mitigated with a UPS.
Having those critical systems running also means that you have business continuity. Top companies make business continuity a top priority because being prepared for emergencies and disruptions can mean the difference between failure and success. A fast recovery time is also critical to bring crucial systems back up and running. Having a good business continuity plan can save a vast amount of time and money.
What is a UPS?
A UPS is an uninterruptable power supply, and it generates backup power from a battery in the instant the main source of power stops unexpectedly, or the voltage drops to unusable levels. It’s connected between the power outlet and the Power Supply Unit (PSU) in a PC or server.
Standby
There are three types of UPS. The most common and basic is the Standby UPS, otherwise known as Offline UPS or Battery Backup. They can detect any electrical failure and switch to battery power automatically, allowing for users to save work or keep systems running until the problem can be resolved.
The protected equipment usually has a direct connection into incoming power utility. It is the budget option, used for PCs or comms peripherals. The low feature set is accompanied by a low price however and is what most consumers would use in their homes.
Line-Interactive
The next type of UPS is a Line-interactive UPS. These UPS systems are typically used for less critical and smaller hardware, such as PCs or landlines – or even smaller networking equipment. Perfect for traditional office use. Imagine, you’ve been working on a project for the last few hours, and suddenly your PC shuts down unexpectedly due to a power out. All that work could potentially be lost. But not with a line-interactive UPS.
Double-Conversion
A double-conversion UPS is designed to protect the most important systems, such as: data centre installations; high-end servers; storage applications; large communications installations and advanced network equipment. This can be protection against power cuts, low voltage, voltage surge or spikes, irregular frequency or harmonic distortion. These issues could result in damage to the motherboard, storage drives, reducing the peak voltage level – starving your system’s power supply of energy, and reducing the lifecycle of your hardware.
Which should you use?
The type of UPS which is right for you and your business will depend on what you do. If you are using servers, work in large data centres or large comms installations, then you should use a Double-Conversion UPS. If your business mostly uses office PCs or landlines, then a Line-interactive is the best choice. And for businesses who are on a tighter budget, but still want some safeguarding, then a simple Standby-UPS would be the one to choose!
To find out more about how Novatech professional services can help save money and assist in your business continuity, get in touch today.