[cfgeeks] So Gil...

[Kevin Korb]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Tue, 5 Dec 2006, syberghost wrote:

> Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2006 09:52:02 -0500
> From: syberghost <syberghost at gmail.com>
> To: Central Florida Geeks <cfgeeks at mail.cfgeeks.org>
> Subject: Re: [cfgeeks] So Gil...
> 
> On 12/5/06, Kevin Korb <kmk at sanitarium.net> wrote:
>>
>>  #1 The generator should be run once per week on full load to keep it in
>>  good working order.
>
> It runs once a week for an hour, but not at full load.  They're afraid
> of transfer switches.  :)

I always run the exercise mode on full load.  The generator is a set of
equipment that includes the transfer switch and if you don't test it all
you don't know if it works.  Also, if you only monitor the traansfer
switch like I do you wouldn't know if the generator ran or not if it
doesn't transfer.

>
>>  #2 If you don't see the lights blink when the transfer switch transfers
>>  during the 6 month inspection they didn't inspect it.
>
> I'll suggest that to the hardware guys.  My team (test/dev system
> administrators) are all being trained in all the hardware stuff, but
> we haven't participated in the 6 month inspections yet.  We do the
> weekly readings and fill out the log.
>
> We now have a PC that monitors the transfer switch and other
> components, and alarms in the monitoring room.  However, I have found
> that the ops folks have a tendency to turn the sound off instead of
> acknowledging alarms once they call us about them, proclaiming that
> "nobody trained us".
>
> Training them fixes this problem for about a month, but only if you
> actually go in there and train each individual operator; "train the
> trainer" doesn't work with those folks.  So we just go in there
> periodically and check it ourselves, turning the volume back up.
> Usually to a "too loud" level, for which I have very little sympathy.
> It's not like the software is hard to use.

Monitoring is good.  Training is also good.  I have never had ops folks
though so I have always gotten my own notifications.

>
>>  #3 The generator should start running within a few seconds of losing
>>  power not when the batteries are about to run out.
>
> It starts running in seconds; it doesn't transfer to generator until
> the battery threshold, whatever percentage that is.

That is a bad idea for 4 reasons:

#1 The A/C is usually on the generator but not the UPS so your data
center will be cooking the entire time you are on batteries.

#2 If the generator does fail to start and transfer immediately you have
the maximum possible amount of time to fix it.

#3 You can have multiple power failures before the batteries can
recharge.

#4 Why burn fuel AND batteries at the same time.

> _______________________________________________
> cfgeeks mailing list
> cfgeeks at mail.cfgeeks.org
> http://mail.cfgeeks.org/mailman/listinfo/cfgeeks
>
>

- --
~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~
 	Kevin Korb			Phone:    (407) 252-6853
 	Systems Administrator		Internet:
 	FutureQuest, Inc.		Kevin at FutureQuest.net  (work)
 	Orlando, Florida		kmk at sanitarium.net (personal)
 	Web page:			http://www.sanitarium.net/
 	PGP public key available on web site.
~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.5-ecc0.1.6 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFFdYptVKC1jlbQAQcRAhguAJ4kXY39hgxlrUHezWUyH3FPjDdWqwCfcyRM
csAgtFRneeC9gyzWi5Rh/jU=
=UyIA
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----