Re: Waking up displaced

In article <1201671131.818520@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, Michael Ash
<mike@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes
>Robert Martinu <invalid@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> Around here such generators aren't restricted to hospitals either,
about 
>> all buildings housing important (as in "the company considers its data 
>> important") IT/telecom systems have diesel/battery hybrid powered UPS.
>> Means the data processing stuff keeps always on with everything non 
>> vital but handy like lights and elevators are back as soon as the
diesel 
>> kicks in.
>> All the inconsistencies involved with an uncontrolled shutdown (or even

>> the normal business of the others continuing while your'e paralyzed)
are 
>> simply to expensive to not have an emergency power plant.
>
>I would expect some small but significant proportion of those setups to 
>fail to activate, however. They tend not to get tested very thoroughly, 
>since a truly thorough test may involve cutting power to the building and

>making sure things don't fall over, and if you fail you end up in the
case 
>you were trying to prevent all along. There are horror stories around 
>where an expensive data center lost power because the generator's
starting 
>motor was accidentaly wired directly to mains power instead of the
battery 
>backup system, and that sort of thing. I would expect hospitals to be 
>better about it, but when only money is at stake it wouldn't surprise me 
>if the backup systems didn't always come online, especially if there are 
>no humans around to prod them.
>
The one I liked concerned a sophisticated and professional organisation
who regularly gave their backup generator system a thorough testing.
When the power cut came, it started up on cue and worked perfectly...
before failing shortly afterwards, because the regular testing had
almost completely exhausted its fuel supply.
-- 
A.G.McDowell