Subscribe

UPS ensures business continuity

Regina Pazvakavambwa
By Regina Pazvakavambwa, ITWeb portals journalist.
Johannesburg, 03 Sept 2015
Technicians should properly manage the UPS to avoid any downtime or data loss, says Drive Control Corporation.
Technicians should properly manage the UPS to avoid any downtime or data loss, says Drive Control Corporation.

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is critical to business today, ensuring sensitive and essential IT equipment is protected from power failures and instability.

This is according to Elrica Quick, APC product specialist at Drive Control Corporation, who notes it is vital to keep the UPS running during power failures to continue business operations and not risk loss of data.

UPS is a power supply that includes a battery to maintain power in the event of a power outage.

Quick says while many businesses recognise the importance of these solutions, they do not understand the need for preventative maintenance and proactive monitoring.

Through regular maintenance, unnecessary downtime can be avoided, which saves businesses both time and money, she adds.

Quick points out businesses should ensure that when it is needed, the UPS will be able to perform with maximum efficiency.

Although UPS systems are designed to be reliable and durable, as they age there is an increased chance that they may malfunction either mechanically or electronically, notes Quick.

She points out certain UPSs have monitoring software which can be accessed via a Web interface to monitor the status of the UPS.

This will alert the technician of any issues which might arise, ideally, a UPS should be checked by a technician twice annually, advises Quick.

Technicians should take care of the UPS to avoid any downtime or data loss - maintenance and monitoring should be seen as vital to keep it in the best condition, she says.

"The most common causes of UPS failure are the batteries, fans, electrolytic capacitors, metal oxide varistors and the relays. Certain factors, such as ambient temperature, humidity, setup and installation, can all have a negative effect on UPS components."

Fortunately, many of these factors can be controlled, says Quick, adding being proactive and aware of these factors can help organisations ensure they obtain maximum life from their UPS, and can predict and prepare for imminent failures.

Share