Power Backup For Home Server?

Server power consumption + length of longest power outage will determine the capacity you need.

What you buy and how much you spend is up to you.

How do I figure size requirements for new UPS unit?

"Server power consumption + length of longest power outage will determine the capacity you need."

Times 2!

Exactly.

2P=E Twice Plenty equals Enough.

All demolition-related fields will tell you that is true, and they consider it the only algebra needed. Then again, I understand their point about never wanting to walk into a building that SHOULD have collapsed, except that the explosive charges only cut the support beams MOST of the way through. They'd rather 'waste' the extra Boominite^TM to obliterate the support columns then make a building that 'could fall tomorrow, could fall in the next second.'

Getting back to the topic at hand, if blackouts are frequent, I would also suggest a back-up generator on site to power the server in case of an extended blackout. That way the UPS only needs to keep things powered for twice as long as it takes for the generator to come online. (2P=E, remember?)

Jeez.

We aren't blowing the server to bits, we're providing intermittent power.

Okay, you took the analogy too literally.

Look at it logically:

• How long is the longest blackout experienced.
• Are you sure that is the longest that will EVER be experienced?
• Are you sure the UPS battery will be fresh and strong when needed, not old and at reduced capacity?
• Are you comfortable with losing ALL the data on the server because the UPS didn't last as long as it needed to? (Either from a longer than expected blackout, or a shorter than expected UPS 'run time.')

If you answered 'Yes' to at least one question, You Need A Bigger UPS.

Not really.

A fudge factor is always a good idea.

Since it is doubtful that OP could find a battery exactly matched to his needs, he'd very likely go with a larger one anyway.

Besides, the nameplate rating vs actual power used already provides a pretty healthy reserve.

Yeah, but UPS shouldn't be sized for 'worse case' but rather 'most likely'... from there a back-up generator takes over.

Which, if you'll follow the chain back up to #9, is exactly what I suggested: a backup generator, with a UPS sized to run twice as long as it takes for the generator to start up and supply stable power.

I know batteries are expensive power storage devices, and should not be considered a primary energy source except in limited situations, such as all-electric vehicles, or low-drain, hand-held equipment.

Here's an idea!

Just put everything in the "cloud".

Then the data will be preserved forever and never be hacked.

That is, until the cloud goes poof or it does get hacked. Both of which are inevitable!!!

Yeah, if only there was a way to preserve information without requiring a constant power source.

Trees seem to last a long time, we could cut down trees, beat them into a pulp, then stomp them flat. All we would need is some way of recording the information onto it, something that would make marks on this pulverized, flattened tree-corpse. Water? No, hard to read, monkey poo? No, too smelly, Squid pee? That might work.

Now we just need some way to make it portable, since even a single tree flattened out would by huge. If we folded this tree-corpse up, and had some way to... I don't know, bind? bind it together, then we could carry it around, and pass it on to our kids, who would hopefully pass it on to their kids when the time is right.

Yeah, yeah, this would work, we just need a name for this thing, something to indicate the wealth of knowledge within, the portability, the permanence.... Yes, I have it now, we shall call this new thing...

..a STEVE!

I could just see it now, hardbound steves, paperback steves, even comicsteves for the kids. All full of knowledge, art, and entertainment. And if you grow bored, you could go to your local steveshop and buy a new steve, or if you have information to pass on, you could take your information to the local stevebinder and he could make the steve you wrote. It would be wonderful, steves as far as the eye could see...

(Self-marking as OT because I think I carried this a few miles past that sign that said "if you can read this, you've gone too far.")

Wait, we'd need audio steves and brail steves too. Let's not discriminate.

Yeah... sorry for the repetitive redundancy ;-) I missed that part of your reply.

"The Cyberpower 1350 (specifically, the CP1350AVRLCD) is a mini-tower, 810 Watts/1350 VA UPS that features a helpful LCD display on the front to give you visual cues to the device's health, battery charge, load capacity, and if there are any current issues or faults on the line. It packs 8 outlets (4 battery+surge, 4 surge), and is well designed for home theater setups, computer workstations, and it's slim enough to fit behind or under a desk. It also features USB and Serial connectivity, protection for Ethernet, coax, and telephone lines. The included software will shut your devices down gracefully in case of an outage. Speaking of connected equipment, the 1350 also comes with a three year warranty, and a $500,000 connected equipment guarantee in case a power surge or other fault damages your gear on its watch.

Those of you who nominated the 1350 (and some other Cyberpower models) praised their longevity and their price-to-performance ratio. Some of you noted that Cyberpower's software leaves a lot to be desired, but overall the equipment is solid and those of you who use them love them. If you want one, they'll set you back $140 at Amazon."

Depending on wattage draw and required run/shut down time you can go with different models...

http://lifehacker.com/five-best-battery-backups-ups-units-1465536280

https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/recommended-ups-for-home-server-s.4987/

@SolarEagle: The product looks very impressive. Let me compare it with few more products.

Thanks Lyn. The article is awesome. Now I got an idea about UPS system requirements. Do you know any UPS company that offer finance options?

Another thing to consider is whatever platform you choose to provide back-up power to your server should also provide for client instillations on your connected PC's.

Sizing the capacity is the easy part, as Lyn mentioned, but a solid solution has a software component that monitors battery levels and performs a controlled shutdown of the system once a minimum battery level is reached.

This software can have client versions installed on connected PC's that shut them down prior to shutting down the server just before battery drain.

Another solution: If the current UPS has the capacity but not the length of time needed, use a deep-cycle battery in parallel to the current UPS battery. This increases the available ampere-hours to UPS thereby increasing the functioning time. I also use a home made battery isolator to prevent the batteries from messing each other up. Started using my boat deep-cycle battery during the winter and never put it back on the boat at spring time (It had been in the boat long enough and was to be replaced anyhow). UPS slowly charges both batteries when power is on. Has gone through 3 very bad incidents and never disappointed me. One we lost power for 8 days. Used the computer and for the whole storm. Used internet until cable company lost power and they eventually went on standby generator. Also until they put their cables back up. If is a long one I can take the big battery off the system and charge it with the p/u or a car and then put it back in service. I keep it in a plastic battery box by the computer which is like those used on boats or RV's.

Not an expensive solution and was the envy of the neighborhood.

Good Luck, Old Salt

Why buy one? Why not make your own. It will be far cheaper, or have a greater capacity for the same money and if a part fails, you go and buy another one off the shelf. But if its really important, each part, other than the batteries, should be a spare ON your shelf!

I have never seen a UPS that did not cause problems at switchover, either going to battery or from the battery back to mains.

Have you actually FULLY tested the one you have on your desktop? Actually pulled the mains plug to the UPS while running real work? Then put it back in again?

Try it, it may shock (pun intended) you as to what actually happens!!!

I am told that there are good ones around, but personally never ever had one to study....

My personal method.

Find and buy a battery to mains converter that will supply your server with twice the power needed and has a true sine wave output, efficiency as high as possible, but a true sine wave is the most important feature.

Better a 24 volts DC input one than 12 volts, will allow slightly thinner low voltage cabling and half the current drawn.

You may need more than one, supplying say the monitor with a separate smaller one that mostly remains unplugged, as a server does not always need a monitor switched on!!

Test it/them in use and monitor the current drawn from a handy battery carefully. Calculate how long it must supply this current, then buy two (24 volts) leisure batteries of a GREATER total capacity, say x 2.

Either use 2 x 12 volt intelligent chargers, quality ones for leisure batteries, or one 24 charger....I prefer two myself. If one fails, it costs less to replace. Make sure that they can supply more POWER than will be used by the converter....

Place batteries in a well ventilated room, no naked lights or anything, as there could be Brown's gas developed and it likes to go BANG!!

Notice I have not mentioned any switch over system.....that is what you don't need and where you can save some money....just let it run continuously. The intelligent chargers will switch themselves off and on as needed, keeping the batteries at the correct level of charge all the time mains is available.

If the charging level on the charger is variable, go for 13.2 - 13.6 volts, then the batteries will almost never "gas", you will not get 100% capacity (add this into the calculation), probably only about 70%.

BUT, the batteries will last FAR longer with a lower "full" charge, than continuously trying to achieve 100%. The efficiency sweet spot of LA batteries is about 70% of capacity, the higher you go, the lower the efficiency after that!!

I hope that I have covered that well enough for you, but its actually a simple method when you get into it...

Pedantic hogwash...

Determine from User Manual or Vendor Customer Service: What the specified current draw per hour, for the server is?

Your new UPS must be able to supply that amount of current (Per hour) times the expected length of time the server will need this current (Hours) plus 20% reserve.

Obtain model recommendations from vendor or manufacturer.

Good luck!

Daniel0123,

Try this site APC is one of the largest power back-up companies in the world.

The link I provided is for their UPS selector page and you can configure it any way you want!