Server UPS Recommendations
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Just get a 1500va Tripplite and you should be good. The SmartPro 1050 should be around $400.
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UPS have a lot of traps that really suck if you get wrong.
Volt Amps / VA = run time.
Watts = how much it can run. Fun fact: this is a number not to exceed and I highly suggest getting one rated generously (25% or better) above your requirements.
Why is this a trap you ask?
Most UPS are rated in VA because the number is bigger. The actual wattage the unit can supply is generally half this, but it varies A LOT so check!
Other things to think about:
What voltage does the UPS output? What voltage do your servers need? Don't expect 110v unless you've checked it.
What kind of plug connects the UPS to the city's power? This is more of a concern with the larger units.
How much wattage and run time do you really need? Power supply rated for 500w in a server is probably not pulling half that. Couple ways you can verify this, but make sure you do.
Dual power supplies? They don't add together! Dual 1000w power supplies will draw a maximum of 1000w. But you already knew that because you read the question above and checked..... right?
How much run time does the business require? Usually it's also answerable in "how long does it take to shut down all the servers?"
Any VOIP/PoE phones require keeping the network running for 911?
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@MattSpeller said:
I'd suggest the below but there are lots of them out there.
http://powerquality.eaton.com/Products-services/Backup-Power-UPS/5S.aspx?cx=3That's kind of what I was thinking.
I spoke to Eaton, and they recommended the 5P1500.
But trying to go the "cheap" route has been getting me in trouble here.
I just want to know VA/WATTAGE wise if they are the same, why go for the servver-grade model?The "S" model you recommnded is less than half the price.
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@MattSpeller said:
UPS have a lot of traps that really suck if you get wrong.
Is topology one of those traps?
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I mean sine wave topology, which probably isn't topology.
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@BRRABill Yup, sure is. To be honest, if you're just powering computers it makes very little difference. You could actually feed the computers pure DC (no AC sine wave) and they'd work just fine. Where you get into trouble is stuff like electric motors, air conditioners, anything that plugs straight into the wall without a power supply (wall wart).
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You can buy DC powered servers. They create less heat and suck less overall power.
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@scottalanmiller said:
You can buy DC powered servers. They create less heat and suck less overall power.
whoa, TIL
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What do you think about the "S" line versus the "P" line.
Big cost savings.
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@BRRABill said:
What do you think about the "S" line versus the "P" line.
Big cost savings.
The P line has 2 distinct output groups. The S does not. Basically a feature you may or may not desire or need. Personally, I would skip it and go with the S as long as it works with their software. The software monitoring account for a lot IMO.
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I'm probably going to do that, go with the S.
What is the advantage of "2 distinct output groups"?
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@BRRABill said:
What is the advantage of "2 distinct output groups"?
Is it bad manners to quote oneself? LOL.
Or not advantage, but reasoning why it would be used?
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- For monitoring distinctly. Very useful if you have different devices plugged in to know their power levels explicitly.
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@JaredBusch said:
- For monitoring distinctly. Very useful if you have different devices plugged in to know their power levels explicitly.
I researched this a bit on their site. Pretty cool.
Monitors on one side, shutting down sooner.
Interesting concept.
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@scottalanmiller said:
The recommended design is two UPS, one for each rail. Each PSU goes into one rail, each rail into one UPS each UPS into as separate circuits as you can get.
What do you mean by "rail" here?
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@BRRABill said:
@scottalanmiller said:
The recommended design is two UPS, one for each rail. Each PSU goes into one rail, each rail into one UPS each UPS into as separate circuits as you can get.
What do you mean by "rail" here?
In this sense, rail means the left or right rear post of the server rack. A lot of server racks have a power bar going up and down the rails.
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@JaredBusch said:
In this sense, rail means the left or right rear post of the server rack. A lot of server racks have a power bar going up and down the rails.
Thanks.
We are all tower servers here.
The only rack we have here is an equipment rack.
Man, I need a road trip to some of the places you guys work.
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@JaredBusch said:
In this sense, rail means the left or right rear post of the server rack. A lot of server racks have a power bar going up and down the rails.
So, multiple servers could be plugged into each rail?
So @scottalanmiller is saying the recommended solution is to plug all server into one side of the rack (rail), and then that rail itself into a UPS?
That would seem hard to calculate the proper wattage unless the rack was full.
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@BRRABill said:
@JaredBusch said:
In this sense, rail means the left or right rear post of the server rack. A lot of server racks have a power bar going up and down the rails.
Thanks.
We are all tower servers here.
The only rack we have here is an equipment rack.
Man, I need a road trip to some of the places you guys work.
Most SMB do not have them. It is a term from Enterprise and colocation datacenters.
Since you have 2 power supplies in your servers, you plug PS1 into the left rial and PS2 into the right rail on all your hardware.
You plug the left rail into one UPS and the right rail into a different UPS. Then each UPS is also plugged into a different circuit. -
@BRRABill said:
@JaredBusch said:
In this sense, rail means the left or right rear post of the server rack. A lot of server racks have a power bar going up and down the rails.
So, multiple servers could be plugged into each rail?
So @scottalanmiller is saying the recommended solution is to plug all server into one side of the rack (rail), and then that rail itself into a UPS?
That would seem hard to calculate the proper wattage unless the rack was full.
Why would it be hard? You know that you plugged in 4 servers into each rail. Each PS is 500W. So each rail has 2kW.
