Many data centers and other critical facilities require 24/7 operation in order to meet business
and client needs.
However, sometimes, in the event of natural disaster or another unforeseen happening,
energy infrastructure is compromised effectively cutting power to the organization.
Mission critical facilities have a system in place for such power emergencies so that
everything can continue to run in these organizations.
So, what happens when the power goes out?
Different facilities can employ different practices to combat power outages.
The following is one particular example of a potential recovery process utilized by a
data center in the event of an outage.
When the electrical utility goes out at a data center, several things need to happen
to make sure critical services and data remain accessible.
All of these processes need to occur in a fraction of a second for operations to continue.
When the electrical utility is lost, an automated transfer switch, or ATS immediately switches
from the primary source of power to a secondary source of power.
In this case, the ATS transfers power, temporarily, to a battery backup.
Depending on the size of the facility, the battery backup could consist of anything ranging
from an industrial UPS to an entire room filled with lead-acid or lithium ion batteries.
The battery backup is only designed to run the facility for a short time.
Typically, somewhere between 15 minutes and 24 hours.
During this time, the ATS starts the generator and makes sure it is prepared to take over
the load.
The generator is able to handle powering necessary equipment for a longer term while the organization
waits for power to be restored to the grid.
The size and amount of generators on hand at a facility can vary based on need.
One the ATS senses power has returned to the primary source, it allows the generator to
continue to run, briefly, in case the primary power source is still unstable.
Once the primary power source has been restored for a predetermined amount of time, the power
is switched back to the primary source without any interruption in service.