[OT] Generator testing

[Bill McGonigle]

On 09/08/2009 08:03 PM, Dan Jenkins wrote:
> The network switches, wireless access points, printers, and 
> computers scattered throughout the buildings, however, are not so 
> protected.

Well, thar's y'er problem.

If you keep your network gear up your recovery scenario will improve
greatly.  Whether it's OSPF, STP, BDU-guard, or whatever, often time
switches will not be ready to send traffic when the computers want it if
everything is brought back up at once.  Then you get machines timing out
because DHCP never came back, and all sorts of boundary conditions
nobody ever bothered to test for.

It's very common to have a little 700VA APC sitting on the floor inside
a wiring closet to keep the switches running through blips.

And, yeah, like Ben said, it's quite odd to have to regularly cut power
to a building for generator testing.  Weekly testing isn't uncommon, but
even in place with BFG's out back, I haven't seen this kind of setup.
Maybe in the days before pervasive computing it wasn't a big deal.
Though, since you need to have UPS'es to let the generators start up
anyway, it probably doesn't matter for the data center.

If the computers are centrally managed, maybe find out how to get a
scheduled shutdown incorporated?  Automatic startup is also offered on
many machines.  I've always advised people to budget an extra $50 for a
desktop to cover the cost of a cheap UPS, though that seems to be more
like $100 now with 'green' power supplies (too high an inrush current
for the cheap-o UPS's - yes, you save 20% on electricity, but it takes
an extra pound of lead for operations ...).

-Bill

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