How many servers on an APC 1000 UPS?

[PrimaryTech]

Hi All,

 

Can anyone give me a rough guide as to how many servers I can have running on a single APC 1000 smart UPS? Currently I have two servers sat on it running fine but would also like to add our new Dell server to it (and it has 2 psu's for redundancy).

[plexer]

Depends on the servers and their power requirements and also how long you want them to run for.

 

Ben

[ICT_GUY]

It all depends on the type of server. I have one big beast and two small ones running off a 750.

[Hightower]

I like a 1 to 1 ratio. One UPS per main server. Also plug the KVM into one of them and the monitor into the other.

[Michael]

The APC 1000 Smart provides 670W of power. I would advise against adding a third server. On the front there should be some LEDs. Is it near capacity? I think it's out of 5 LEDs.

 

Ideally the APC software should be installed as it gives more accurate readings just how much power you're using. Even if you do decide to add a third server, this will (most likely) reduce your power redundancy considerably.

[Butuz]

To be frank - one good server or two cheap/old servers.

 

It may physically run 3 servers without exploding - but you'll only get 5 mins max of actual run time in an emergency. I plan on having 20-30 minutes run time available if possible to cater for large brownouts or the like.

 

Andrew

[ICT_GUY]

To be frank - one good server or two cheap/old servers.

 

It may physically run 3 servers without exploding - but you'll only get 5 mins max of actual run time in an emergency. I plan on having 20-30 minutes run time available if possible to cater for large brownouts or the like.

 

Andrew

 

Now thats good advice right there.

[K.C.Leblanc]

Three is pushing it, bare mind you'll get a lower run time out of the unit as it gets older. Even it'll just run long enough now for your servers to shut down, it might not in 2 years time.

[PrimaryTech]

Cheers for the advice guys, I think I'll get a new UPS for the new server, the APC currently only shows 1 light out of 5 for the two servers but the new server is a fair way more powerful than the 2 old Viglens.

[torledo]

I like a 1 to 1 ratio. One UPS per main server. Also plug the KVM into one of them and the monitor into the other.

 

i prefer to have one big ups do everything, [including core switches], three-phase in single phase out to the racks, and if need be for it to scale up with the option of additional power packs - the electrical cabling needs to be of sufficient thickness depending on the KVa's you want to be able to go up to.....it's pricier ofcourse but it also gives you option to scale up runtime with additional battery packs. I can't stand having several of these rackmount pdu's.

[Butuz]

I hope your UPS does not fail then!

 

I have two APC 3000's at the mo and will have 3 this year - all our servers will remain up if any 1 UPS fails.

 

Butuz

Edited April 5, 2009 by Butuz

[localzuk]

i prefer to have one big ups do everything, [including core switches], three-phase in single phase out to the racks, and if need be for it to scale up with the option of additional power packs - the electrical cabling needs to be of sufficient thickness depending on the KVa's you want to be able to go up to.....it's pricier ofcourse but it also gives you option to scale up runtime with additional battery packs. I can't stand having several of these rackmount pdu's.

 

Not an option for many schools. Extending three phase supply to our server room, for example, would cost an absolute fortune. It is cheaper to buy another 5000VA UPS than to get that sort of power connectivity to the server room...

[torledo]

Not an option for many schools. Extending three phase supply to our server room, for example, would cost an absolute fortune. It is cheaper to buy another 5000VA UPS than to get that sort of power connectivity to the server room...

 

i guess absolute fortune is relative, adding a three-phase circuit + switched isolator to your server room to wire in the ups from the nearest 400/415V distribution board with spare capacity shouldn't break the bank - it should certainly be cheaper than adding a 5000va ups. it's just a bit of additional electrical wiring, albeit with thicker, more expensive cable [ofcourse longer the run the more expensive]. if you want to locate the ups somewhere else, you wouldn't be extending any three phase circuits to the room, it's be single phase out from the ups.

 

ofcourse i'm not familiar with the electrical setup in your school, so i can't comment on how much work that would involve.

Edited April 5, 2009 by torledo

[torledo]

I hope your UPS does not fail then!

 

I have two APC 3000's at the mo and will have 3 this year - all our servers will remain up if any 1 UPS fails.

 

Butuz

 

N+1, aswell as internal bypass....no need to take the servers down for any battery removal or maintenance procedures on the ups. N+1 is more than adequate level of redundancy at the ups level.

[maniac]

I have two APC 2200 UPS devices in my server rack. All my servers have duel power supplies, so I have one PSU powered from each UPS. That way if one of my UPS devices goes down, everything carries on working. (apart from possibly the KVM as that's powered from just one of them) They are at about 50% capacity, giving a run time of about 10 minutes. My servers are set to shut down after just 2 minutes of power outage anyway, as if the power is out in the server room then it's more than likely out elsewhere in the building, meaning it's pretty pointless left running. It's all been tested as well, as we had a power issue over christmas, the system e-mailed me as it should do notifying me it was running on battery power, and all the servers shut down flawlessly. It all came back on again correctly when the power was restored as well - I was pretty pleased!

 

Mike.

[TheScarfedOne]

Ive got 4 reillo 3000va looking after our 16 servers. Lasted well last time we had a power out. The only thing that did upset them was a dodgy cable which caused it to error! grrr