Re: Generator for Network

["Robert F. Rapp" <rfrapp at mf dot lib dot wi dot us>]

Indeed, checking generators should be done regularly.  Ours is checked 
every other week to be sure it carries the load, cuts in and cuts out as 
appropriate.  If you have one installed, be sure you indicate all 
emergency power outlets.  A contractor's view of what is important and 
yours might be quite different.  When we got in our new building, the 
circ desk was indeed emergency power capable, but neither reference desk 
was, and with the OPACs not on emergency power circuits, that seemed 
rather necessary ;-)

In addition, and even though obvious I have met many who did not think 
of it (including the contractor that did our cabling), you must also 
have UPS backup for any emergency power outlet that you do not want 
interrupted for the 2-15 seconds the switchover can take.  Don't forget 
things like your switches/hubs either; networks can be bolluxed up by 
brief outages of such things.  Last, consider UPS at least for your 
self-check units, but if you do not have emergency power to them, do NOT 
put the desensitizing units on the UPS.  The current draw is way too 
high for most UPS available.

Rob

Lin Light wrote:

> It has been 5 years since we moved into our newly renovated library and
> during that time we have relied on our backup generator about half a dozen
> times.  It's a large generator, natural gas powered v8. It keeps our Circ
> desk, some PACs, some lighting and the elevator running.  But now we have
> found, according the generator company, that lighting shorted out one of the
> circuits.  Odd isn't.  You install a piece of equipment that you hope will
> keep the lights on during a storm and that storm can actually knock out the
> equipment.  We are currently going around the with electrical contractor and
> the generator folks to determine what actually went wrong and who is
> responsible.  So no matter what you put in, make sure you can get to the
> cause of any problem and identify who is responsible. AND TEST IT ON A
> REGULAR BASIS.
>
>
> Lin
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: innopac-bounces at innopacusers dot org
> [mailto:innopac-bounces at innopacusers dot org]On Behalf Of Ericsson, Paul
> Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 1:53 PM
> To: IUG INNOPAC List
> Subject: RE: Generator for Network
>
>
> Janet & other III users --
>
> Please post replies to the list. We have similar circumstances and are
> planning a budget request for next fiscal year.  
>
> One of the good news items for our configuration, is that our computer room,
> and many of our staff computers, are actually run through a separate breaker
> panel from the rest of the library building. So at least one part of the
> upgrade - that is - separating the circuits that will be put on the
> generator, has already been done. 
>
> One thing I found out by experience - is that even though our III server is
> on a UPS (and it appears that our ups will run an hour or more) but because
> the network switches and hubs were not on the UPS - when we lost power, I
> lost all connectivity to the III server. Our server was configured by III
> without a console terminal, so we go through our staff workstations to run
> backups, and other admin tasks on the character based or Millenium system.
> We clearly need to add more than the III server and RAID tower to the UPS's.
>
> Paul
> 	___________________________________________
>
> 	Paul Ericsson
> 	Adult Services Supervisor / Automation Coordinator
> 	Concord Public Library    http://www.onconcord.com
> 	45 Green St.     Concord, NH 03301     603 230-3697
> 	pericsson at onconcord dot com
> 	___________________________________________
> 		
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: innopac-bounces at innopacusers dot org
> [mailto:innopac-bounces at innopacusers dot org]On Behalf Of Janet Fine
> Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 12:59 PM
> To: innopac at innopacusers dot org
> Subject: Generator for Network
>
>
> 11/15/04
>
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Our library often experiences electrical 
> power/outages/fluctuations/spikes/dips and brownouts that are caused by our 
> local energy supplier--LIPA.  Sometimes these power problems cause complete 
> blackouts and sometimes the spikes and dips are more subtle and cause only 
> the network to crash.  Our ups's can keep our network up for only about 20 
> minutes during a brownout.  Does anyone use a generator to keep their system
>
> up in similiar circumstances? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Janet Fine
> Department Head, Circulation Services
> Great Neck Library
> 159 Bayview Avenue
> Great Neck, NY 11023
> (516) 466-8055 ext. 205
>
>
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--
Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, 
verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen.
-Heinrich Heine

Robert F. Rapp
Systems Operations Librarian
Menomonee Falls Public Library
rfrapp at mf dot lib dot wi dot us