Questions to consider

When it comes to backup power, here are some basic questions to ask yourself. Think through these questions when evaluating your power infrastructure, and the answers will guide you to making the right decisions.

Contact our knowledgeable staff if you have any questions. We also have many resources available to help you make the right discussions. Information on design considerations, decentralize or central UPS, how to Size a UPS, or download the UPS Cost Justification Worksheet. Once you’ve considered all these variables, check out our UPS Selector tool to find the right UPS for the job.

Applications

1. How often do you refresh and maintain your IT hardware (including servers)? What about your UPS equipment?

2. If you have a converged data-voice network, have you protected all critical switches?

3. If you have virtualized your servers, have you considered the impact on your UPS equipment?

4. What would happen if the power went out at your facility right now?

5. Have you thought about the impact of damaged or corrupted data?

6. How much energy do your UPS units consume? How efficient are they?

7. What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

UPS-specific

1. What size UPS do you need? (kVA or amperage)

2. What voltage is currently available at your site?

3. What voltage do you need?

4. What runtime do you want?

5. Are there any clearances or size constraints?

6. Do you have bypass requirements?

7. What types of input and output connections are required?

8. Is there a generator on site?

9. Does the UPS need to be scalable?

10. Do you need redundancy?

Accessories

1. How is power getting from the UPS to your equipment?

2. Do you have a need for enclosures, communications, seismic mounting, floor stands or rail kits?

3. Is a maintenance bypass switch needed?

Software

1. Is there a need to have orderly scheduled shutdowns?

2. Do you want to remotely monitor the UPS?

3. Would you like to remotely notify others of UPS events?

4. How will your UPS software manage virtual servers during an extended power outage?

Service

1. Do you need immediate factory response?

2. What kind of parts and labor coverage do you need?

3. Do you want any type of preventive maintenance?

4. When’s the last time you checked the batteries in your existing UPS units?