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John Breeden II is an award-winning reviewer and public speaker with 20 years of experience covering technology.
John Breeden II is an award-winning reviewer and public speaker with 20 years of experience covering technology.
Battery backup systems have come a long way from the clunky devices once used to protect individual computers. Today, they are networkable, rack-mountable, easy to manage and can even convert dirty power into a clean sine wave that can extend the life of valuable equipment. And yes, they still provide power in the event of an outage.
The Eaton 9PX uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a perfect example of this new generation of battery backup devices designed to easily integrate into almost any network. And because it’s as easy to manage multiple units as a single device, it’s great for places like schools that may not have many IT staffers.
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Designed to be stacked in a server rack, each Eaton 9PX UPS takes up two units of space. When mounting multiple devices, power management software makes it easy to balance the load across every UPS for maximum efficiency. The devices also have large LED panels for local status updates and network cards for setting up remote monitoring.
The 1,350-watt UPS has eight plugs for connecting equipment. At a full load, the device is rated to provide power for up to five minutes, or 14 minutes at half a load. In my testing, it exceeded that rating by just a bit, giving administrators plenty of time to safely shut down connected servers and other equipment. You can also configure automatic shutdown procedures that trigger whenever the main power is lost.
RELATED: K–12 districts are using internet failover solutions to stay connected.
Double conversion technology is used to regulate power, ensuring that only clean power is delivered to connected devices. Not only does this protect them from surges, it can also help extend their life by providing an optimum and constant power source.
Another innovation from Eaton is its ABM charging technology, which is designed to extend battery life. Instead of using a trickle charge that really taxes batteries, Eaton UPS units make use of a technique that uses three stages. According to Eaton, this can extend the life of a UPS for up to 30 months, effectively doubling normal battery life so schools spend less money on replacements.
The Eaton 9PX UPS also comes with a network card and management software, allowing IT administrators to watch over the power management for an entire district or school system from a central location.
Device Type: Rack-mountable intelligent UPS Batteries: Sealed lead-acid Power Provided: 1,350 watts Output Plugs: 8 Estimated Runtime: 5 minutes at full load, 14 minutes at half load Dimensions: 17.3 inches x 17.7 inches; 3.4 inches tall Weight: 42.55 pounds
LEARN MORE: Read about meeting K–12 schools’ power needs at the edge.
Every Eaton 9PX UPS comes with an Eaton Gigabit Network Card, a powerful tool used to monitor the unit. If all your Eaton UPS are equipped with network cards, you can watch over your entire power infrastructure from a remote location.
That means IT administrators can monitor how the batteries are performing at multiple K–12 schools and only need to visit each campus in person when something physical needs to be done, like swapping out a failing battery. Front-facing LEDs are also present for local monitoring.
Combining the network card with the Eaton Intelligent Power Software Suite makes remote management even more effective. The software has an easy-to-understand interface and dashboard showing the performance of every connected UPS. In the event of a power failure, it immediately notifies administrators and can institute an orderly shutdown of connected equipment.
Monitoring capabilities also include the overall battery health status, so administrators will know how every battery is performing, including when units are nearing the end of their effective lifespan. Administrators will never again be surprised by a dead battery assigned to protect a critical system.
In addition to enabling network monitoring, the Eaton network card has built-in cybersecurity features to help it resist unauthorized login attempts. This includes the use of strong encryption and the ability to set up a highly configurable login policy.
It’s clear that Eaton is pushing the boundaries of what a UPS can do for K–12 schools. Yes, they can still provide power in emergencies. But, with power management software and remote monitoring, they can also now become a vital and integrated component of any school’s network infrastructure.
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