When choosing a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) unit for a medium-sized business with multiple PCs and a mission-critical server, there are a few key factors to consider:
- Power capacity: Make sure the UPS has enough power capacity to support all of the devices that will be connected to it. This will depend on the total power requirements of all of the devices, as well as any additional power capacity that you may want to have available for future expansion.
- Runtime: Consider how long the UPS needs to be able to run in the event of a power outage. For a mission-critical server, you may want to choose a UPS with a longer runtime to ensure that the server can remain running until power is restored.
- Connectivity: Make sure the UPS has enough outlets to support all of the devices that will be connected to it, and consider whether you need any special types of outlets (e.g. for servers or networking equipment).
- Management features: Look for a UPS with management features such as remote monitoring and shutdown capabilities, which can make it easier to manage the unit and ensure that your devices are protected.
One option that may be suitable for a medium-sized business with multiple PCs and a mission-critical server is the APC Smart-UPS SMT1500RM2U. This UPS has a power capacity of 1500 VA and a runtime of up to 75 minutes (at half load), and it has a total of 8 outlets (including 2 for servers). It also includes a range of management features, such as remote monitoring and shutdown capabilities, to help you ensure that your devices are protected. Mounting this in a rack mount allows it to be right next to the server and it would be very convenient. Having critical server infrastructure still running during a blackout is very important.
UPS HOWTO: https://tldp.org/HOWTO/html_single/UPS-HOWTO/
The apcupsd daemon on Linux is used to retrieve information about the current state of the UPS easily. Here is some information about this daemon.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/apcupsd.
It is difficult to provide a specific lifespan for a UPS running a single PC, as the power requirements of the PC and the quality of the UPS will both play a role in determining how long the UPS will last. However, it is possible to estimate the runtime of a UPS based on its power capacity and the load that it is being used to support. For example, a UPS with a power capacity of 1000 VA and a runtime of 10 minutes at half load could potentially support a single PC with a GPU and a powerful power supply for up to 10 minutes in the event of a power outage. However, the actual runtime of the UPS may be shorter or longer depending on the specific power requirements of the PC and the efficiency of the UPS. But this is plenty of time to stop and save critical work and stop database operations before the power to the PC goes out. This is quite reasonable for a typical UPS unit.