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Network closets and intermediate distribution frames (IDF) are critical parts of IT networks, but they're often scattered about. They seldom have dedicated IT personnel close by and are often neglected. A network closet can be a lonely place! And yet if there’s a power outage, an IDF or network closet being knocked out of commission can cause significant problems. They’re also vulnerable to both non-IT humans (e.g. the cleaning staff unplugging the UPS battery backup) and cybersecurity breaches.
Selecting the right UPS battery backup for your network closet or IDF can be a confusing process. This uninterruptible power supply (UPS) buying guide is designed to help you properly plan so you can make your IT network more resilient and reliable.
Let's get started with these 10 buying tips to help you select the right UPS battery backup.
Understanding the form factor of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is important when choosing the right UPS for your needs. The form factor simply refers to the shape and orientation of the UPS, and some models offer more than one form factor option. For example, most rack-mount UPS systems can be positioned in a tower orientation with the help of optional tower stands for extra stability.
When selecting a UPS, it's important to consider its dimension and length of the input power cord. The UPS should fit comfortably in the final installation location without blocking cooling fans, and the cord should reach the nearest wall outlet with ease. Additionally, the weight and depth of the UPS and any external batteries should be considered, especially for large or heavy-duty models that could overload racks or standard floors. Make sure to assess the form factor of your UPS to ensure it meets your specific needs.
See Eaton's rackmount UPS solutions
Wallmount UPSs are often deployed when there's no existing UPS or limited available space to add to the IT rack. Placing a UPS battery backup on the wall limits access to it (which is a good thing!). You’ll need to make sure that you mount the UPS to the wall so that it’s stable or install it inside of a wallmount rack enclosure. Due to their lighter weight, UPS models with lithium-ion batteries are a good choice for this application.
See Eaton's wallmount UPS solutions
Tower UPSs are shaped like toasters—they’re just a lot heavier! Tower models are ideal for desktop applications, and placing a UPS battery backup on the floor is often less than ideal as you never know when there will be a water leak or a spill of some sort. There’s also the possibility of someone kicking it or accidentally unplugging it. If there’s room, you can place a tower UPS on a shelf in a 2- or 4-post rack to avoid these issues. The good news with tower UPS models is that they often cost less than their rackmount counterparts.
See Eaton's tower UPS solutions
Some UPS models offer a two-in-one rackmount/tower form factor which means that they can be mounted in a rack or turned vertically as a tower. These models give you some flexibility.
When selecting a rackmount UPS, be sure to check the depth specification. If you have limited depth in your rack, look for a compact UPS.
The runtime of a UPS system is an important consideration when choosing a battery backup, as it estimates how long the system's battery can support connected equipment during a power outage. The runtime varies based on the wattage of the equipment connected to the UPS system's outlets, with higher wattage resulting in shorter runtime.
As a rule of thumb, cutting the load in half triples the runtime. For example, if your 1500 VA UPS lasts for 5 minutes at full load, it will run for approximately 15 minutes if you cut the load down to 750 VA. Most power interruptions are short, so users typically look for a runtime of approximately 7 to 10 minutes, providing extra time to shut down equipment during longer outages. For additional runtime, choose a UPS system with a higher load capacity and/or expandable runtime. For comprehensive Eaton UPS runtimes, check out our battery times page.
In addition to adding battery packs to a UPS, another common practice is to combine the immediate power backup of a UPS with the long-term power of a generator. Eaton has several UPSs that are designed to pair with a generator.
A UPS with load segments (output receptacles than can be managed separately) allows you to shut down non-critical loads during a power outage and extend battery runtimes for critical equipment without adding additional battery modules.
Adding more batteries doesn’t increase the power rating of the UPS. For example, adding 4 battery packs to a 1500 VA UPS doesn’t mean you can plug in more equipment. In other words, you can’t exceed the power rating of the UPS battery backup.
First, total up the wattage of all the equipment you plan to connect to the UPS and then multiply that total by 1.2 to account for future expansion. With this grand total in watts, you can find a UPS that has enough power capacity.
A UPS battery backup is rated in volt-amperes (VA) and watts. Watts is a measurement of real power and is the key rating. However, it’s easy to be fooled by VA ratings. For example, a UPS rated at 1000 VA / 900 watts provides one third more power than one rated at 1000 VA / 600 watts even though at first glance it appears that they have the same power rating. Learn more about the difference between watts and VA.
If you’re replacing an existing UPS battery backup, check the LCD for the wattage total. It’s much faster and more accurate than tallying up the wattage of all your equipment.
If you have a 20-amp wall socket (5-20R), you can plug in UPS systems 2200 VA and below. If you’re lucky enough to be building a room from scratch, install a 20- or 30-amp wall socket. Here’s a handy reference that matches wall sockets, voltages and UPS ratings.
Ed Spears answers a question about UPS end-of-row configuration in the white space.
Follow these considerations to:
UPS battery backup models are shipped with the internal batteries disconnected so you'll need to be sure to connect them before turning on the UPS. Our technical support team finds that this is the most common mistake that people make when installing their new UPS.
Ensuring that your UPS battery backup has enough output receptacles to connect all your equipment is crucial. Remember that servers and network devices may have multiple internal power supplies and power cords, but if you find yourself short on output receptacles, don't worry! UPS systems are designed to work with one or more separate power distribution units (PDUs). Each PDU plugs into an outlet on the UPS, and IT equipment plugs into outlets on the PDUs. In this case, the UPS only requires enough outlets to connect the PDUs.
One solution to add additional outlets is the Eaton FlexPDU, a basic function power distribution unit that comes with a short power cord for easy and close mounting to a UPS system. FlexPDUs have various output receptacles available to connect a broad range of equipment. For example, the EFXL1500R-PDU1U has 12 5-15R outlets.
Don’t plug that surge protector you have under your desk into a UPS battery backup. It’s a fire hazard and is typically prohibited by local fire codes.
During a power outage, a UPS system operates on battery power, generating the waveform of its AC output. However, some UPS battery backup models provide a modified or square wave output, an approximation of the sine wave power from your electrical utility instead of a pure sine wave. While most equipment is compatible with this approximation, some devices such as iMacs and other computers with active PFC power supplies require pure sine wave power.
If you’re protecting servers, a true sine wave UPS is crucial. UPS systems with pure sine wave power can also offer better compatibility with sensitive equipment, such as network hardware and high-end audio/video components, and protects connected equipment from overheating, malfunctioning or failing prematurely.
Standby and offline UPS models are the most common UPSs that don't provide pure sine wave output. Line-interactive and online UPSs usually deliver pure sine wave, but always verify it by reading the technical specifications.
You pay for what you get in a UPS battery backup and both the power rating (VA/wattage) and sine wave output capability are the major contributors to the price of a unit. Make sure you’re doing an apples-to-apples comparison when looking at uninterruptible power supply options and don’t sell your IT equipment short—you’ll probably regret it.
You can usually monitor a single UPS battery backup through an optional network card. Eaton network cards are essentially their own servers, so they record event history, send email and text message alerts, and provide remote access to real-time status. Using a network card is usually the best way to manage a single UPS system.
Check out this StorageReview.com review for a glimpse of what you can do with a UPS network card.
The latest Eaton UPS network card is the first to meet UL and IEC cybersecurity standards, provides a Gigabit Ethernet connection and enables secure UPS monitoring over HTTPS web browser interface, SNMP v1/v3 protocol and email alarms.
If you have UPS systems spread across multiple locations, Eaton's distributed infrastructure management software will provide you with deep intelligence into your network connected UPSs, enabling you to remotely manage and control your equipment, and identify and fix issues before your equipment goes down.
Eaton's disaster avoidance software monitor and manages power equipment in physical or virtual environments to keep IT devices running during a power or environmental event — including servers in clusters running vCenter. Live migrations can also be triggered to transparently move virtual machines to an available server on the network for data integrity and zero downtime.
To stay ahead of evolving cybersecurity threats, it is essential to update firmware on all UPSs and PDUs. Read more about our stance on cybersecurity.
When comparing uninterruptible power supply models, be sure to check the warranty, like this 3-year warranty on the Eaton 5 series UPS models.
Most network closet UPS models are plug and play, and you can take advantage of extended warranties and advance exchange plans where a replacement UPS is shipped to you as soon as you notify the manufacturer that you need a replacement.
With lithium-ion batteries you have the option of simply installing a UPS and not worrying about the batteries for eight years. In addition, a UPS with lithium-ion batteries typically has a longer warranty—5 years with Eaton models.
Depending on your budget, you can both increase the reliability of your system and make your life easier down the road. Adding a maintenance bypass allows you to service or replace the UPS battery backup without shutting down the connected equipment.
An Eaton automatic transfer switch (ATS) PDU is an ideal fit with the Eaton 9PX UPS. The ATS automatically transfers power between sources with no interruption if the primary source fails or requires maintenance to eliminate equipment downtime.
Take a closer look at these UPS maintenance bypass best practice designs.
Finally, for a well-rounded solution, you can add a temperature and humidity probe.
If you’re managing a fleet of uninterruptible power supplies, a remote monitoring service, like PredictPulse, could be a great option for you. PredictPulse monitors your power devices and alerts Eaton personnel who can promptly deploy an Eaton field technician to the affected site.
Read about a leading retailer with over 300 stores who was routinely having battery and service issues until Eaton provided a comprehensive solution.
