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Is this UPS sufficient for my WHS 2011 server?

post #1 of 20
2/11/13 at 12:49pm
Thread Starter 
http://www.amazon.com/APC-BE550G-Back-UPS-Outlet-550VA/dp/B0019804U8/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1HGBA217LEF7I&coliid=I3REEFYJC5MCJI

I've been meaning to get a UPS machine for my WHS 2011 server. I really just want the server to survive a power flicker. It sounds like this model comes with PC software that will shut down the computer properly in extended outages, which I guess would be a nice bonus.

Any gotchas? Seems like it would do the job, just wanted to know if I should look at something else. Thanks!
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post #2 of 20
2/11/13 at 12:50pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry, should have listed a little bit of the server hardware. Nothing too unusual. Just an Intel Q8400 and about 10 'green' hard drives.
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post #3 of 20
2/11/13 at 12:53pm
Q8400 sucks power...


How long do you need it to run ???

Just long enough to shut down ???

Or do you want to use it when the power is out ?
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post #4 of 20
2/11/13 at 12:56pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mfusick View Post

Q8400 sucks power...


How long do you need it to run ???

Just long enough to shut down ???

Or do you want to use it when the power is out ?

No, I'm not worried about using it when the power is out. I really just want it to survive a power flicker. I suppose if the server had enough time to shut itself down properly in the event of an outage, that would be nice. It would probably need ~10 minutes for that.
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post #5 of 20
2/11/13 at 10:28pm
Don't think it can run your server for 10 minutes with this, but I am no expert in this aspect.

Bumping this thread to spark more discussion.
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post #6 of 20
2/12/13 at 3:13am
That size power supply would probably only run for less than five minutes. Enough to survive any power "flickers" but not enough time to shutdown (if shutdown does take ten minutes). My original HTPC config was a Q6600, 4GB of RAM, and 4 7200RPM hard drives and the batteries lasted less than five minutes. I basically had to have the HTPC begin shutdown after a 1 minute outage to make it. You probably should look at something in the 1000-1500VA range to get ten minutes. These 550VA UPSes are designed really for standard desktop computers with mid-range CPUs and 1 hard drive or they work well to protect a standard residential wiring center (cable/dsl modem, wireless router, etc.). A "server" or even a high-end PC is a bit too much.
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post #7 of 20
2/12/13 at 5:57am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the advice everyone. It sounds like investing in a beefier UPS might be a good idea.
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post #8 of 20
2/12/13 at 9:29am
Look for something with 1000VA and higher.
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post #9 of 20
2/12/13 at 10:03am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by blueiedgod View Post

Look for something with 1000VA and higher.

Thanks! Will do.
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post #10 of 20
2/12/13 at 8:00pm
I removed those small lead acid batteries after they fail; cut a hole in the UPS, build a set of jumpers and use a beefy 12Ah external battery.
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post #11 of 20
2/13/13 at 8:57am

While bigger is better on UPS sizing, something is better than nothing and this OP has a 95W CPU and 10 GREEN HDDs which draw 5 1/2 - 6 W and only a fraction while sleeping.  All together they'd draw 60W plus the CPU and mobo, I'd guess he's drawing 250W with all drives spinning... maybe a Kill-A-Watt meter would help him assess this.  I looked at the curve on this 550 and he'd have 6 minutes to shutdown at 250W... this sounds reasonable to me -- I mean, how long does it take to shutdown, anyway?  And would all 10 HDDs be spinning constantly?  I'd ask the OP to evaluate his actual shutdown time, whether he's using any GREEN features to spindown HDDs when not needed, and whether they have to be spun UP to actually perform a "shutdown" if that's the worst case event. I'd assess these conditions before I throw in the towel -- or at least consider the cost V runtime if budget is of concern...

 

BTW, I have two Smart-UPSs (one 1,000 and one 1,500) for my "systems" and I have plenty of runtime... like 45 minutes or more and my worst case is my HTPC w/a 95W Quad-core, 1 SSD, 1 IDE HDD and 4 Green WD HDDs + several tuner cards... but I wanted to try to "stay alive" during brief (3-10 minute) power interruptions as well as providing CLEAN power to my Epson 8350 PJ.  

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post #12 of 20
2/13/13 at 9:44am
For WHSv1 there was a nice UPS Management Add-in called Grid Junction... Not sure if it works on WHS2011, but might be worth looking into.
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post #13 of 20
2/14/13 at 11:12am
I recommend the[] APC BackUPS XS10000
http://www.apc.com/products/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BX1000G

I got mine on sale for 109USD though
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post #14 of 20
2/14/13 at 7:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 72.9.159.100 View Post

I recommend the[] APC BackUPS XS10000
http://www.apc.com/products/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BX1000G

I got mine on sale for 109USD though

I saw some "Green" UPS'es at Microcenter the other day. What's the difference?
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post #15 of 20
2/15/13 at 6:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by amarshonarbangla View Post

I saw some "Green" UPS'es at Microcenter the other day. What's the difference?

One of the outlets, usually called master, controls the rest. So, if you plug a TV into "Master", and everything else into "controlled" when you turn off the Tv, UPS cuts the power to the "controlled" outlets. It is essentially a smart power strip. Luckily, you can usually disable it, if you don't need it. I wouldn't pay extra for it, but with energy subsidies from the local power company, you may find "green UPSes" to be less expensive than regular.
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post #16 of 20
3/21/13 at 4:54am
Thread Starter 
Well, that snowstorm that hit the east coast caused 20-something power flickers which eventually ruined my WHS 2011 installation. I kept getting BSODs, and I never quite figured it out. I think it might have been the installation HDD though. I completely reinstalled on an SSD and everything is working perfectly fine now. Flexraid array survived just fine.

Anyways, I picked up one of these. I plugged in the USB cable but didn't install the included software. WHS 2011 recognized it immediately and treats it just like a laptop battery. Pretty cool! That includes options to shut down the PC when the battery reaches a certain level. I tried unplugging the UPS, and WHS said 55 minutes remained. Who knows how accurate this is, but I'm sure it will be plenty. I also have an ethernet switch and my HDHomerun Prime connected to it. 120W when the server is idling. Overall very happy!
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post #17 of 20
3/21/13 at 6:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbo75 View Post

For WHSv1 there was a nice UPS Management Add-in called Grid Junction... Not sure if it works on WHS2011, but might be worth looking into.

Grid junction was never finished or released for WHS2011. Shame. I used it in WHSv1 as well. Very nice tool.

WHS2011 does have built in support for APC UPS's though, which is now how I run mine.
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post #18 of 20
3/21/13 at 6:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lockdown571 View Post

http://www.amazon.com/APC-BE550G-Back-UPS-Outlet-550VA/dp/B0019804U8/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1HGBA217LEF7I&coliid=I3REEFYJC5MCJI

I've been meaning to get a UPS machine for my WHS 2011 server. I really just want the server to survive a power flicker. It sounds like this model comes with PC software that will shut down the computer properly in extended outages, which I guess would be a nice bonus.

Any gotchas? Seems like it would do the job, just wanted to know if I should look at something else. Thanks!

I'm running my WHS2011 on an APC BackUPS 650, which seems totally fine for what I need. Estimated run time is about 20-30m in the event of power loss, but then I'm only running a Sempron 190 in my server, but I go have a whole bunch of disks.
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post #19 of 20
3/21/13 at 2:57pm
If you have a modern (Active PFC) PSU, you need to make sure you get a "pure sine wave" UPS. Simulated sine wave or switched UPS's can potentially cause issues with Active PFC PSUs and potentially shorten their life.

More to the point, if the PSU does fail and you by chance mention to tech support that you had it on a UPS, they may deny any warranty claim if it is not a pure-sine UPS. Had this happen to me with an old Antec supply. Of course, when I asked where in their documentation it states that use of a switched UPS voids the warranty or can potentially cause damage, he relented on warranty replacement.
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post #20 of 20
3/24/13 at 3:55pm
Right now I have the equipment listed in my signature connected via $20 power strip (except for the Dell in another room). I will soon be upgrading my TV, my laptop (to a high end Sager most likely) and adding my FIOS router to the mix. I am wondering if something like this would fit my present needs as well as my future plans. http://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP1500PFCLCD-Sinewave-Compatible-Mini-Tower/dp/B00429N19W/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1364165184&sr=1-1&keywords=cyberpower+pure+sine+wave I will be happy with 20 minute on battery runtime. Thanks for any personal experience or general advise.
Outages of more than 2 hours seem to occur 2 or 3 times each year in SE Pennsylvania.
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