[There's a reason that Yoda is the unofficial mascot of SBS. Size indeed matters not.] UPS's are not created equal - THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS DIVA
Sat, Dec 26 2009 21:18 bradley

UPS's are not created equal

I found that out personally when buying APC 1500 UPS's that look like this -- and found out the hard way that it would not keep the server up.  So then we purchased the SMART-UPS, also rated 1500 and that model would keep the server up.  

Mind you the normal 1500's were good enough to keep the old server up, but I had to get the SMART-UPS to support the new server.

So keep in mind all UPS's are not alike and spec accordingly.

 

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# re: UPS's are not created equal

Sunday, December 27, 2009 12:38 AM by Rick

Kind of begs further information, doesn't it?  Because that in itself doesn't really make sense unless the Back-UPS was defective.

# re: UPS's are not created equal

Sunday, December 27, 2009 12:42 AM by bradley

Wasn't defective as we had two identical units that worked just fine with another computer/server.  But would not keep the new server up.

# re: UPS's are not created equal

Sunday, December 27, 2009 7:26 AM by curious

So why was the smart-ups better?

# re: UPS's are not created equal

Sunday, December 27, 2009 8:44 AM by jmackercher

This is becoming an issue as more computers are using high-efficiency power supplies which are not always compatible with battery backups which do not generate a pure sine wave output. The APC Back-UPS RS uses a pseudo-sine wave (or stepped sine wave) output which is ok for many power supplies in electronics, but as "green" technology becomes more common, they need a true sine wave output (such as the Smart-UPS produces) or they may become unstable.

I now always make sure a UPS for a server (or high-end PC) has a UPS with a pure sine wave output.

# re: UPS's are not created equal

Sunday, December 27, 2009 8:46 AM by Peter Perry

Also, APC no longer includes the PowerChute Business Edition Deluxe management software, just a node agent license for Smart-UPS'.  You have to purchase PowerChute separately to manage the UPS.  

# re: UPS's are not created equal

Sunday, December 27, 2009 9:56 AM by Alan

Possibly because the Smart-UPS 1500VA is rated for 980W output, while the Back-UPS 1500VA is rated for 865W. Also the Smart-UPS has a cleaner output (less distortion), so maybe the power supply in the new server is more sensitive. On the other hand, if it's the wattage limit and I was that close, I think I'd try to spring for an even bigger unit. Smart-UPS software does report how much power the box is really consuming so you can determine if you're close to the edge.

But the bigger reason I go with Smart-UPS is that they can be centrally managed with APC's Business software. As far as I know, Back-UPS software only runs stand-alone.

# re: UPS's are not created equal

Monday, December 28, 2009 3:00 PM by Tony

So no one comments on the fact that Sears is where it seems Susie bought the UPS?  When I think of Sears, I think of stoves and dishwashers...not computer equipment.

# re: UPS's are not created equal

Monday, December 28, 2009 3:22 PM by bradley

It was the first image hit, not where I bought it :-)

# I usually buy the Smart UPS models starting with SC for servers

Tuesday, December 29, 2009 8:51 AM by Joe Raby

I find them to be very competitive with features and price.  They're also rack-mountable if you have that need.

I currently have a dual-CPU Xeon X5550 quad-core server with 3x SAS 10K RPM drive with hardware RAID 5 hooked up to one of the SC1000's along with my cable modem, router, and 16-port network switch, and it gives me an estimated 45 minutes on battery, which I think is pretty good.

www.apcc.com/.../techspec_index.cfm

Remember to switch your batteries on UPS's.  Average shelf-life/run-life for a battery is only about 1x-2x the length of the warranty on the UPS unit itself.  Whenever you upgrade systems to something better, consider using APC's Trade-UPS program to trade in your old UPS (can be any brand) to get something new, with a brand new battery.  They'll do the costly recycling for you, and give you credit towards something new.

# re: UPS's are not created equal

Tuesday, December 29, 2009 11:25 AM by Andy Parkes

Just on the sine wave bit someone mentioned above

We had a problem with a HP ML350 G5.  See this post

andyparkes.co.uk/.../hp-ml350-g5-resetting-on-power-failure

Just noticed the image is missing on the page though - will see if i can dig it out!