Security comes in many forms. Security of electrical supply is key when running an IT business, that doesn’t just mean relying on your cloud provider. You need to access the cloud and without power, you won’t be able to get to the data you need, when you need it.
The cloud needs backup power, too
While cloud providers do a great job of providing a reliable service – a huge part of that is about ensuring they have backup power available. Huge generator farms stand ready to power the data centers that house your data to make this possible in the event of a major power outage.
Businesses like Welland UK Power provide a range of solutions to keep the datacenters running. Its not just about new equipment either – maintenance and refurbishment are key to keeping these mammoth centers ready to work 24/7/365. Service providers like Regency Power are there upgrading and altering these centers to provide the optimum solutions.
Certainly you don’t require anything like the scale of these data centers to ensure you have reliability of supply – but its still worth selecting the key components to make sure you get a solution that is fit for your requirements.
Things to consider when choosing backup power generator
Some things to consider: How much UPS backup do you need? Do you need a petrol or a diesel generator in addition? What brand of engine should you choose? A premium engine like Baudouin, Perkins or Cummins? Or something cheap and disposable? Again, a high-quality alternator like a Stamford? Or something cheap and disposable. Typically, while the initial purchase price may be lower, the disposable units end up costing significantly more in the medium term – its better to make an investment once and get it right.
Charlie Farrow, MD of Welland Power said “Looking at the IT landscape businesses and individuals are becoming more reliant on power. You need to consider all the aspects of your business and personal life to ensure you have the required backup in place. Losing your life to save a few hundred dollars isn’t worthwhile – your whole life if based around the digital world.
If you do invest in some backup power, don’t forget to test the system regularly to ensure its functioning correctly – otherwise it may not be available when you need it most.” See how Often should I test my diesel generator?
Backup power for your IoT
In the modern age thinking about the IT security of your generator may also be worthwhile. Is it connected to a network for monitoring? Is this secure? What if someone else started, or stopped your equipment?
Connectivity for infrastructure is becoming ever more common and it can offer significant benefits such as remote monitoring and support, notifications of problems and access to a range of metering functions. While these can lead to higher uptime and lower costs, these benefits would be lost should an attacker gain access.
It’s wrong to assume that people aren’t interested in your connections. People don’t always attempt to access things for a specific purpose – they find them and do it because they can, so ensuring security is essential. If you have remote connectivity configure firewalls to restrict access to the essential locations that need to access your equipment, don’t let the whole world access your equipment.
Don’t forget about data backup
Finally, don’t forget – the ultimate in IT security – a backup! A backup that you have tested, and you know works. If all else fails, you can always do full restore – if you are cloud-based you can do this in seconds rather than hours.
Multiple backups are also a good idea – don’t reply on one just to save a small amount of cost. Backup, backup and backup!
