North American Network Operators Group
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UPS and generator interaction?

  • From: Brian (nanog-list)
  • Date: Mon Mar 29 13:29:35 2004 
Does anyone know of a way to get a UPS to trigger a generator to start, and
to switch over to the generator power automatically or does this type of
thing just not exist?  

Right now we've got a APC Symmetra UPS at 12kva, with no generator.  The UPS
keeps us running for about 45 minutes, which just isn't enough time.  I
called APC, but they didn't seem to have any type of automatic solution.
Their method is to hook it up to a switch, and manually change the feed to
the UPS from the building power to the generator power and back, but it sure
would be nice to have something more automated (to save me from running like
a madman when the UPS page wakes me up at 4am).

I'd be very grateful to hear of any solutions that you guys have come up
with in this arena.  Also, any recommendations for generators?  I'm not
looking for something huge, just something that can be mounted on a roof.
If I have to pour diesel into it every couple hours, that's fine too.

Thanks in advance,
Brian