Case Studies
Overheated ups causes business system outages
Background
A lot of businesses rely heavily on their phone system and Wi-Fi network to maintain seamless communication and operations. As the team responsible for ensuring uninterrupted service, our on-call technician received an alert during his shift regarding an outage with the phone system at a client’s office.
Upon remotely examining the system, our team discovered that the phone system was online but continuously rebooting – which is clearly abnormal behavior. Recognizing the severity of the issue and the immediate impact it had on that business, our on-call tech decided to immediately go visit the office in person to conduct a more thorough investigation and get to the bottom of the rebooting issue.
ON – SITE DISCOVERY
Once the technician arrived, our team was informed that the Wi-Fi network was also experiencing intermittent disruptions, so he proceeded to the server room to physically inspect the infrastructure. To his surprise, he noticed that the server room was hot… unusually hot. Concerned about potential overheating issues, he began examining the equipment.
Our team traced the source of the heat to a rack-mounted Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) located directly beneath the phone system. Despite the UPS functioning without any clear and apparent errors, it was emitting excessive heat, jeopardizing the functionality of the surrounding connected equipment. The UPS was providing power to both the phone system and the Wi- Fi switch, causing them to malfunction intermittently and causing the rebooting issue we identified earlier.
UNDERSTANDING UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLIES (UPS)
A UPS, short for Uninterruptible Power Supply, is a vital component of business technology infrastructure; they are designed to provide backup power in the event of a power failure or voltage fluctuations. The UPS acts as a safeguard against power disruptions that could potentially damage sensitive electronic equipment or disrupt critical operations – but in this case it was causing the disruptions due to overheating.
Importance of UPS for Businesses: Businesses invest in UPS systems to mitigate the risks associated with power outages, which can result from various factors such as electrical grid failures, acts of nature such as lightning strikes, or general equipment malfunctions. UPS systems offer several key benefits:
- Continuous Power Supply: UPS systems ensure uninterrupted power to essential equipment, allowing businesses to maintain operations during power outages and prevent data loss or downtime.
- Protection from Voltage Fluctuations: UPS systems regulate voltage levels, protecting connected devices from damage caused by power surges or fluctuations. This feature is especially crucial in preventing damage to sensitive electronic equipment like servers, networking devices, and telecommunications systems. Replacing this sort of technology is pricey and unnecessary if you take the right precautions.
- Data Integrity: In environments where data integrity is paramount, such as data centers or financial institutions, UPS systems provide a buffer to safely shut down equipment in the event of a power outage, preventing data corruption or loss.
- Business Continuity: By ensuring continuity of operations, UPS systems help businesses uphold service level agreements, continuity in meeting customer expectations, and avoidance of major financial losses associated with downtime.
ROLE OF UPS IN THE OVERHEATING INCIDENT
In the case of this business’s UPS failure, the UPS served as a primary power source for the phone system and Wi-Fi switch. However, the malfunctioning UPS, despite providing power, inadvertently caused overheating issues, leading to system disruptions. While UPS systems are essential for maintaining operational continuity, proper maintenance and monitoring are crucial to ensure their effective performance and prevent potential failures.
In this situation, the UPS was out of date and both our team, and the business team, were aware of this issue. This out-of-date UPS needed replacement, and because it was not done, the UPS failed. Failure to keep critical business technology, such as this back up power source, can often create more critical business issues. In this case, the failed UPS caused an outage of the business phones and wi-fi network, but it could have been worse. Overheating technology can also pose a physical threat to the building and be a possible fire hazard.
Thankfully, in this situation, our technician was able to get on-site, evaluate the issue at hand, and get the UPS remediated before any other damage was caused.
RESOLUTION
Understanding the urgency of the situation, our team promptly disconnected the UPS and temporarily powered the phone system and Wi-Fi switch using a power strip. This immediate action restored full functionality to both systems, ensuring the business could resume its operations without further delay. With the affected equipment now powered by a stable power source, our team conducted a thorough walkthrough of the premises to ensure that all systems were operational. The on-call tech also confirmed that the phone system and Wi-Fi network were functioning as expected before leaving, providing reassurance to the client that the issue had been successfully resolved.
CONCLUSION
The case of the overheated UPS serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proactive monitoring and swift intervention in maintaining the reliability of essential systems. Through quick thinking and decisive action, our team was able to identify and address the root cause of the outage, minimizing disruption to operations and ensuring customer satisfaction. This incident underscores the significance of regular maintenance, management of nearend-oflife technology, and vigilant oversight in safeguarding against unforeseen technical challenges.
