APC Power Management and Linux--Which Unit to Get?

[Nighthawk69]

Hi all...

I am looking into getting APC power management units for both my server and my computer here in order to protect them from power surges and the frequent outages we have here. I am wondering though, will any of the UPC flavor units work with Linux (I run RedHat 7.3 on both boxes)? Also, I really don't know which units to get for both computers, so I would really appreciate recommendations on that as well. I would prefer to spend as little as possible, but please make recommendations and places to get them from if possible. I noticed CompUSA carries a few of them too. They have a Back-UPS CS 350 for 90 bucks, which I assume would probably be alright for my server, but maybe not for my PC? Here are my specs--you tell me what to get 😉

My PC:
Red Hat 7.3
Intel Pentium 4 1.6A @ 2480Mhz
1 x Antec 300 watt PSU
1 x Generic 250 watt PSU
Total Power Sucking: 550 watts
Plus a KDS 21" monitor

Server:
Red Hat 7.3
AMD Athlon "Classic" 600Mhz
1 x Generic 300 watt PSU
1 x SMC Barricade Wireless Router
1 x DSL Modem

Whatcha recommend?

Thanks guys! 😀

 

[manly]

I'm not a UPS expert, but 350VA is pretty low by today's standards.

I believe through September 1, Microcenter has a pretty beefy BackUPS Pro 1100VA on sale for $150 + tax. On a couple rare occasions (not currently), CompUSA had the identical UPS with a $50 rebate. So a few savvy shoppers got CompUSA to pricematch to $150 at MicroCenter, and then sent in for the $50 rebate.

I believe you're somewhere in Cali (there's a MicroCenter north in Sunnyvale, and one south in Tustin) so $150 for that UPS is a pretty good deal. What's the catch? Generally speaking, besides the battery capacity, the quality of a UPS is derived from the cable. "Smart" cables send information to and from the UPS for full functionality.

Dumb cables just report from the UPS to the PC if there's a power outage, when the battery is getting low, a few fixed functions like that. I'm not positive, but I believe the UPS I just referenced does not come with a smart cable.

I personally own an older BackUPS 500 that connects to the PC w/ a serial cable, and it's compatible with Linux. It doesn't power a PC for long, but it's good enough for an emergency. From what I've seen, a lot of UPSs are compatible with Linux (supported by the UPS monitoring tools) but I'm not so sure where the status has progressed for the most recent models with USB cables.

 

[Nighthawk69]

Thanks... I won't be able to get to to that store... I guess I'll check CompUSA.

Thanks!! Anyone else? 😉

 

[Nighthawk69]

I appears as though a UPS for my pc with the 550 watts of power is going to be something like 450 bucks, plus another UPS if I wanted the monitor, but there isn't any reason to have the monitor powered I guess since the UPS will just be powering down the computer and saving work.

Question: would this be what I need for my server, dsl modem and smc router?

Thanks! 😀

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: Nighthawk69
I appears as though a UPS for my pc with the 550 watts of power is going to be something like 450 bucks, plus another UPS if I wanted the monitor, but there isn't any reason to have the monitor powered I guess since the UPS will just be powering down the computer and saving work.

Question: would this be what I need for my server, dsl modem and smc router?

Thanks! 😀

You would need a more powerful UPS than that for your server, modem, and router together. Remember, the number on the UPS stands for VA, NOT wattage. A 500VA UPS can only handle a MAXIMUM of 330 Watts, and would give you less than 5 minutes of runtime at full load. You would want at least a 650VA UPS or better.

I'd probably get a BackUPS LS 700, because it has a replacable battery and PowerChute software.

 

[Nighthawk69]

OK, that looks like a reasonable solution for the server. 140 bucks retail; can prolly find it for less somewhere on the 'net.

After looking at what I need for my PC here with the 550 watt PSU, I think it will break the bank 🙁

 

[manly]

I didn't bother to check shipping (which can't be cheap), but the BackUPS Pro 1100VA is available online.

Any particular reason it won't be enough for your workstation?

Edit:
Btw I tend to ignore the UPSs modeled after power strips (such as the one you linked to). Typically, they are low-end models for home users with very limited needs. Not for geeks like us. 😉 If the UPS isn't built like a tank, then the battery can't be all that great. 😛

 

[Nighthawk69]

Wow... nice! That one looks like it will do the trick... I must have been looking at some crazy unit with stuff I didn't need for the 450 bucks... I'll take the $150 one... in fact, I might as well get two: one for me and one for my server 🙂

 

[manly]

The context isn't totally clear (you need to know a few background details), but here's some food for thought

I'm too lazy to explain right now, but you can pester me for details another time. 😛