I’m setting up a couple home servers: a NAS and a tinkering server (that way my files are still accessible when I tinker with something temperamental ). I want to buy a UPS battery backup to prevent damage/data loss if the power goes out.
I know that NAS HDDs are designed for constant 24/7 use, unlike standard desktop HDDs. Are UPSs similar? Namely is there something that makes one UPS good for 24/7 standby and another not? The power won’t be off very much, so this isn’t about the battery itself, just the support circuitry.
Many UPSs are marketed as “save your open files and properly shut down when the power fails”. To me this implies that the computer it’s protecting is shut down at night or when no in use. Since I plan to run the server(s) 24/7, does this make a difference?
(I have found guides/info on choosing the right amount of output Watts. The question in the topic title assumes sufficient power output for all connected devices.)
I apologize if this is a stupid noob question. I just don’t want to kill the UPS because it was expecting time off and I pushed it too far. Thank you for any help!
UPS are designed to be plugged in 24/7 if that is what you are asking. If the power is on and good, then they just pass the power though and don’t do much else. They are fine doing that.
Home UPS are advertised as giving you time to save the files and shut down the PC, as the batteries (and build quality) are not designed to run the PC for very long off the battery.
I don’t know enough about UPSs to answer your question but I do just want to mention one potential issue. Or at least point you in the right direction for an area you should put some research into… specifically the issue of Pure vs. Simulated or Stepped sine wave UPSs. The key thing to know is that when power is lost, some PSUs don’t like non-Pure sine wave UPSs and they will shut off. I can’t remember the exact details as to why but basically, if memory serves, it’s not an issue with Pure sine wave UPSs. It may not be an issue with your particular PSU and a non-Pure sine wave UPS either but just make sure you test whether your PSU can handle the loss of power by shutting off or disconnecting the UPS at the wall.
On Linux, you normally use the Network UPS Tools (NUT) to hook events from the UPS.
NUT will tell you when the state of the UPS changes, and you typically use it to automatically shut down your servers after a set amount of time.
If my UPS has been on battery for 5 minutes, it will trigger a shutdown of my Proxmox server, which shuts down all my virtual servers and Synology NAS.
The only equipment that remains powered by the UPS is for networking, and when power is restored, the firewall will e-mail me notifying me that the servers needs to be powered on.
The stepped/square wave UPS is not really a problem with computer PSU. The home/small office UPS is designed to run the computer.
Also, computer PSU are all switch mode power supplies. By the nature of the AC→DC→AC(ish)→DC multiple step conversion, it filters out much of the power quality issues. They just don’t care.
Linear power supplies (big transformers) and the like do care as they only do AC→DC conversion.
*Assuming good quality power supplies here. Anyone can make junk that fails when the power is slightly different.
Make sure to use a good-quality UPS. APC is great, and if you have the money, go for that. (A secondhand unit and probably a new battery can save you some money here.
But there are some other good ones out there as well.
Plan ahead and get more capacity than your hardware is using/needing right now.
This will increase the runtime for now and make sure the runtime is still good if you get some more hardware.
Run a “runtime-calibration” test once a month or something. This will let you know if the batteries are still good and if the UPS can do its job and for how long.
As @SlothUnleashed sad, use NUT to shut down systems when needed.
Depending on the load, don’t expect your UPS to run everything for many hours.
My UPS can run my network and servers for about an hour.
I have set up the NUT to shut down the servers pretty fast so the rest of the network can stay up way longer, and I can keep monitoring.
But I also live in a place where the power rarely goes out.
This means their battery lasts only a few minutes after the power goes out. Also in most cases these are “line interactive” ups, so they are not actually on unless the power is out.
This has nothing to do with running the server 24/7.
That was what I was asking. I was concerned some models may not be able to pass the power through 24/7.
To expand on my plan: I would want the UPS to provide roughly 2 minutes of battery (more is really great, but depending on what’s available in budget 2 minutes should be fine). On power failure, the UPS will provide battery power for about 0.5-1 minute (longer if capacity/load allows), then shut down the servers.
@HanSolo@Porch Thank you for the info about the various sine waves. What devices are likely to be switch mode power supplies (other than the computer PSUs mentioned) and linear power supplies?
(I split my post because new users can only mention 2 users per post. Not trying to be a trouble maker, just not sure how to rewrite the post while only mentioning 2 users.)
I plan to use NUT to monitor UPS changes. @SlothUnleashed Are you able to share any more info about your firewall setup? I’m still researching firewalls, and being notified when power is restored sounds useful.
@Mellowlynx Is “runtime-calibration” a standard feature in all UPSs? I realize I have been hoping this feature existed without knowing it did because I would like to know about the batteries health before it is needed.
I am thinking of the CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD. It is very overkill in terms of Watts (1,000W is about 3x what I need), but it is pure sine wave, plenty of room to expand, 12 outlets (6 with battery). It comes highly recommended by various sources (hopefully not because of sponsoring).
I have 3 - Cyberpower 1000VA UPSes. #1 for my PC and Monitor only - The battery will last about 30 min. #2 UPS for network, audio, printer & misc stuff. I got a heavy duty extension cord to make sure the 2nd UPS is on a separate circuit breaker. #3 for my 3D printer in another room. I Just had to replace a battery. They have been pretty solid for years and a little less cost than APC.
I like using the PowerPanel app. I can monitor how many watts the PC uses at idle or under load. And get an estimate of l how long the battery will last.
Fun Tip for all UPS owners:
Plug an LED lamp into your UPS battery. When the power goes out I have lighting for hours, while the whole neighborhood is dark.
The notification is just a cron job running a bash script every 5 min. The script checks on the Proxmox server and the internet connection, if the Proxmox server is offline for more than 5 minutes, it sends an email as soon as the internet connection is online.
There are 3 main UPS types, this explains it well enough.
The other big decision is battery chemistry, sealed lead acid is very popular, it also needs the most maintenance as the battery life is relatively short. Other contending chemistries include regular li-ion and LFP.
If someone was to hand me my dream UPS it would be a pure sine wave online LFP one…But I don’t expect that would be cheap.
No, I think it’s more of a premium feature to do it automated.
This sad… my knowledge is limited to what I use now or have used in the past, and that’s not that much.
I have an APC series in my homelab rack, and there everything is automated.
Both in my office and downstairs, I have cheaper ‘desktop’ UPSs that do not offer this as a function.
Once every 4 to 6 weeks, I will test them by hand. (just unplugging it from the mains) and let it drain to about 20%.
The cheaper UPS batteries last way shorter, and I need to replace them about once every 2 to max 3 years.
I might be a bit too protective as well. I lost some sentimental data a few years ago, trusting the UPS and testing once a year or something. But with a power loss, the UPS was dead and corrupted data that could not be recovered. So I learned my lesson the hard way.
20%? That’s pretty deep! I have a few enterprise UPSes that I bought second hand. They drain for ~20 seconds to test capacity.
My tips for UPS is this: Online UPSes are nice, but you take a hit on efficiency with the AC>DC>AC conversion they usually do. Line-interactive is the way to go in most scenarios because they are cheaper. Aim for 3x your attached wattage for the UPS VA-rating. VA is not the same as Watts, but close enough for eyeballing capacity. That should get you decent protection. If you can afford more VA capacity, that’s longer protection.
Oh, one last thing: Before you buy a new UPS, find out what type of battery it uses, and see if you can get that type easily. A friend of mine bought a 1U rack-UPS for his networking gear, and realized he can only get batteries from that manufacturer or expensive specialty-stores. Both my UPSes use bog-standard 12V 7.2Ah or 9Ah batteries, so I can just go to an auto- or boating-store and get mine for ~$20/ea.
I lose power often at my house as I live in the middle of the woods.
No cell signal etc.
I have found with UPS’s that most have a hard time working properly with a generator running. They still drain even though a generator is running.
The only UPS’s I have found that do not have this problem are Eaton pure sine wave UPS’s.
They are expensive, but I believe they are the best and most reliable. They have worked without issue for me even on a generator supplying power.
). I want to buy a UPS battery backup to prevent damage/data loss if the power goes out.