Adverse Effects Of Power Failure On Data Centers

A data center is the driving force behind many different corporations and businesses. Every data center across the globe uses power to function efficiently. Computers and databases are used to make daily activities function properly and computers cannot function without power. Data centers need to function so that employees can work properly as well as give customers the opportunity for service. However, because a data center relies on power, a power outage can be detrimental. A power failure at a data center can have adverse effects in many different areas depending on the type of data center. Below are just a few examples of how a power failure can harm not just the data center but everyone else.

Hurricane Effect on Data Centers

When Hurricane Sandy hit just a few months ago, the data centers in New York City were hit hard. Websites and other services were shut down and residents in the city were literally and figuratively in the dark. As Sandy battered the east coast, several data centers were in the path of destruction and several hosted apps, services and websites were forced offline. The Consolidated Edison shut down several portions of the power grid and over 1 million were without power. Several websites such as Gizmodo.com and Gawker.com were shut down as result of a data center battery failure. It took many days for power to be restored to data centers in the city.

Power Failure Leads to Flight Delays

Almost two months ago a power failure of a data center in Sydney, Australia caused long delays for three major airlines. An Equinix data center located in Sydney saw a short interruption of power which caused three hour delays for thousands who planned on flying out on November 13th. Three major airlines from Australia were shut down during the weekend due to the power outage. The power outage led to the entire HVAC system of the facility to shut down.  The airlines were only able to check customers in and this lead to many customers being stranded and upset.

Amazon Data Center Loses Power in Storm

During the summer of 2012, the data center of Amazon Web Services located in the state of Virginian suffered a power loss which caused several websites to shut down. Netflix, Pinterest, Instagram and Heroku, as well as others were shut down for an extended period of time due to the power outage. A powerful electrical storm hit the D.C. area and this left over 1 million without power as well as the interruption of online services.

Amazon had to work for a very long time to be able to restore the virtual services. Several areas took a few hours to regain power or access to their favorite websites.

How to prevent power failures in data center

As you can see, a power failure can affect anyone, especially since everyone is consumed by powered objects. It is very important to understand how to avoid a power failure in a data center. A data center is tied to a building infrastructure and it is very important that you learn about the basic power options that can affect the data center.

An unexpected power outage can affect your center as well as your customers and others in your area. One way to stay on top of a power failure is to have a good generator on property. Keep the generator tested on a regular basis as well as fueled so it is ready to perform when needed.

It is also important to make sure the electrical system is tested on a regular basis. An older system can be subject to failure at any time. It is important to be sure that you take care of your existing power system to avoid a power failure.

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