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Which functions and applications are "mission critical" and which aren't?
There are no hard and fast rules. Every organization must identify what
is worth protecting. If you want to take a dollars and cents approach, use our Downtime Calculator. Another approach is
to identify which operations you want up and running 100% of the time, which need
to be operational 99% of the time, and which can go down and cause little more than
frustration and inconvenience.
How important is "clean" power versus battery back-up? Aren't most problems
triggered by outages?
Outages and blackouts account for only about 5% of all power disturbances.
More than 90% are caused by over and under-voltage conditions, called spikes and
sags. You don't notice them, but your system does. Most of your service calls that
couldn't be traced to anything else were probably caused by power disturbances that
you never knew happened.
Do I need to protect my network peripherals?
It depends on how important they are to your network. If communications
are a high priority, you should protect modems, routers, and hubs. Voicemail and
email systems are considered peripherals, but they're pretty vital to most businesses.
However, a printer shutdown usually doesn't cause much impact. It's a good idea
to use a quality surge suppressor, but a UPS properly sized for the heavy energy
demands of a printer can be expensive.
How much should adequate protection cost? What portion of my budget should be
allocated to power protection?
Less than the cost of fixing it over and over again. Every organization
must decide what level of protection is necessary and cost-effective. A good rule
of thumb is to allocate 4-7% of your total network budget to power protection, with
the higher percentages going to networks that have substantial functions that are
classed as "mission critical".
I have a surge suppressor at the outlet, why should I be concerned with UPS?
If it's a good quality surge suppressor and not just a cheap power strip,
it can help prevent surges and spikes. Surge suppressors can be a good first step
toward protection, and are fine for telephones, modems and other relatively inexpensive
pieces of electronic equipment. Surge suppressors will not protect your critical
equipment in the event of a power outage. Surge suppressors do not have batteries
to provide power to your electronic equipment during a utility outage.
Our building has electric service with transient voltage surge suppression(TVSS).
Doesn't that provide enough protection?
TVSS helps protect from external problems, but offers no protection against
internal problems that start inside your own building. For example, an elevator
within the building can cause line noise or air conditioners within the building
which can create a power spike which may damage sensitive electronic equipment.
Can a UPS notify me any time there is a power related problem on my network?
Yes, 24 hours a day, on your screen or via a digital beeper or pager message.
What pieces of equipment in my own office can cause power problems?
Copiers and printers are the most common causes of power problems within
the network. In the kitchen, coffee makers and hot plates could trigger power problems.
Even in modern offices, cold winters can cause big problems because when those small
heaters under the desk cycle on and off, they can create significant power fluctuations.
If your offices are part of a manufacturing complex, process equipment such as curing
ovens, arc welders or assembly robots can cause staggering jumps and drops in power
usage. And if your network is large, hundreds of PCs turning on and off all the
time can create unbalanced power demands that affect the quality of power.
My network is changing all the time. How can I plan for power protection?
Start by calling your DPAIR local rep who can take you through the
entire planning process and help you get started. The most important challenge is
making sure your protection fits your needs and budget, and that it grows as your
network does.
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