UPS Emergency power supply

Looking for a UPS system?

A power failure can be caused by different circumstances, for example a blackout or a power failure at your energy supplier. In both cases, servers and workstations immediately fail. As a result, all open files that are being worked on cannot be stored or even get damaged by the aprupt lack of power. A damaged file may no longer be able to be opened. With installing a UPS system in your serverrack or server cabinet you can limit the possible damage an loss of files.

What is a UPS system?

UPS is a short term for “Uninterruptible Power Supply”, also known as emergency power supply. In case of a power failure, an emergency power supply, using its internal battery, can ensure that access to the server is possible for a certain time. This extra time gives you the possibility to switch off equipment safely and to prevent damage to equipment and files. When the battery capacity drops to a certain level, the UPS system itself will instruct the server via an interface to safely shut down its processes and go "down".

How does a UPS power supply work?

A UPS system can be compares with the battery of a laptop. When unplugged, the laptop will not shut down until the battery is empty. A UPS system is in principle an external battery that keeps devices running until either the power is restored or the equipment can be shut down safely. A UPS system does provide power for a few minutes. A few minutes will usually be enough to switch everything off safely.

Which UPS do you need?

An important aspect when choosing your UPS is the output power. This indicates how heavily the UPS system may be loaded and is measured in two values: watts and volts amperes (VA). You must ensure that the total watts and VA values of all equipment you connect to the emergency power supply, do not exceed the maximum output power of the UPS. If this value is exceeded, the UPS will be overloaded and the connected devices will no longer be able to be supplied with sufficient power. For safety reasons, the UPS switches itself off in this situation.

The wattage of netword devices indicates the actual power of the device, and the volt-ampere value indicates the apparent power. The VA value is the product of the maximum AC voltage and AC current. That is why this value is also called apparent power.

We strongly advise to first determine the total wattage and volt amperage required for your equipment, and then choose a UPS whose actual and apparent power is bigger than the total values of the connected equipment.

How long does a UPS system deliver power?

How long, in case of a power failure, a UPS can deliver power to your devices can easily be calculated. There are several tools available which calculate the autonomy time based on the power consumption (of the connected equipment).

Most UPS systems also have a signal function that signals the connected devices that the battery is low, so that they can be switched off in time. This signalling function is established via a communication link, which can be a RS-232, a USB or a UTP network connection. With RS-232, the connection is made directly from your server or PC. With USB, it is connected via a USB port on your PC or server, and a UTP connection connects the UPS directly to your LAN.

Do you need further advise?

We offer different types of UPS systems in our webshop. If you require additional information or advise, our customer service team is at your service on 0044-(0)20-35142636.