Standing guard

In this age of critical computing systems and the Internet, business continuity requires that companies protect their IT infrastructure from all the hidden threats of the typical facility environment. Every business, no matter how small or large, is at risk.

Take power, for instance. Power disturbances may only be noticed when the lights flicker or go out, but PCs, servers and network equipment can be damaged by many other power anomalies that are invisible to the human eye, and that degrade equipment over time. Other issues such as heat, security, and human error all compound the dangers to IT systems.

It's a hostile world for IT equipment. The most destructive influences on data centres actually come from mundane causes: software error (14%), human error (32%) and hardware failure (44%), frequently triggered by power problems, including power failure, power sags, power surges, brownouts, line noise, high voltage, frequency variation, switching transients and harmonic distortion. That means the greatest risks of data loss or system damage are preventable - or at least can be greatly mitigated.

Public utilities are not required to provide computer-grade power - and they don't. Power problems are equal-opportunity threats. They hit small businesses as often as big ones, and regardless of the size of the infrastructure, these systems are a significant company asset that deserves adequate protection. A sound power protection strategy is cost-effective insurance.

Not only will a power protection strategy mitigate risks, the implementation of a strategy to secure an IT infrastructure can save businesses money in the long-term too. Look beyond generators and surge suppressors. These are band-aid solutions for systemic problems. Uninterruptible power supplies (UPSes) go beyond these power-protection strategies while presenting a compelling business case in any commercial environment.

It's a hostile world for IT equipment.

Evershree Mathadeen is channel manager at Eaton Power Quality.

UPSes protect IT systems by conditioning incoming power to smooth out the sags and spikes that are all too common, providing ride-through power to cover for sags or short-term outages by selectively drawing power from batteries, backup generators and other available sources. Whatever the application, there's a UPS configuration available to provide the required performance and features, at a price point to suit all budgets.

How does a business decide on the type of UPS and power protection strategy appropriate for its needs? Businesses of all sizes can take 10 proactive steps to create a secure environment for IT equipment:

1. Don't assume the business is too small for protective measures.
2. Treat any IT equipment location as a data centre.
3. Beware of hidden threats in apparently 'healthy' power.
4. Determine the level of power protection that is needed.
5. Provide for backup power during utility outages.
6. Protect IT equipment from overheating.
7. Protect IT equipment from unauthorised access.
8. Manage cables for efficiency and airflow.
9. Protect IT equipment from environmental hazards.
10. Proactively monitor the operating environment.

Consider how much investment is at risk. Even a small server configuration and company LAN represents an investment of tens of thousands of rand. Add operational applications, management systems, critical databases and networking equipment. Clearly, IT infrastructure is a significant company asset that deserves adequate protection.

Every company needs to analyse what type of protection is appropriate to their needs. If the company needs to protect personal and small office computers, a standby UPS will probably serve the need. If it needs to protect critical enterprise devices or those protected by redundancy and alternate routing, it might choose a line-interactive UPS. If the company needs to protect mission-critical equipment - such as essential application servers or communication networks - the only real choice is a double-conversion UPS.

Companies also need to look at what UPS strategy is best for their business. One UPS can protect a single device, a rack of devices, or several racks of equipment. A UPS can be deployed at an employee's desktop, in the IT rack or enclosure, or at main power distribution points. For server rooms where there are several racks, it is common to choose a centralised solution instead of separate power protection for each rack, because this approach is typically more cost-effective.

With judicious decisions about cooling systems, environmental control, power protection, cable management and monitoring systems - integrated into a well-configured rack or enclosure - costs and downtime can be reduced while resolving the most common threats to IT systems.