Cloud-based remote UPS monitoring platforms such as Riello Connect provide data centres and other mission-critical environments with the added reassurance of a “virtual” engineer onsite 24-7.
In an article appearing in both Data Centre Management (DCM) magazine and digital news website Techerati, Riello UPS Business Development Manager Chris Cutler argues why remote monitoring is more important than ever in the era of COVID-19.
The ongoing pandemic has led to restrictions on both staffing levels and physical access to critical sites, increasing the emphasis on remote monitoring.
Our article offers readers an overview to the different types of UPS monitoring. At its most basic, this involves voltage-free dry contacts, terminals that provide simple “true/not true” responses for queries such as whether there’s a mains failure or if the UPS is running off battery.
More sophisticated UPS monitoring comes in the form of network-based approaches, for example, RS232 serial connection, Modbus, or Profibus.
Even more advanced monitoring is enabled by Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) capabilities, which enables uninterruptible power supplies to be monitored and controlled remotely from a central location.
Explaining Remote UPS Monitoring
Cloud-based SNMP monitoring like Riello Connect allows the UPS to communicate remotely with an external service centre manned 24-7 by expert technical staff. All interactions are through highly-secure SSL encryption.
The service centre quizzes the UPS system at regular intervals, checking its performance and operating environment. Most UPSs will also run daily self-tests and alarm if there’s a dramatic change in conditions, such as an overload or mains failure.
Whenever a UPS alarm triggers, the remote monitoring software instantly dispatches notifications to key personnel by SMS or email, while service centre staff start carrying out initial diagnostics. They can then send engineers to site with all the correct parts needed for a first-time fix, or for the most serious faults, they can initiate emergency shutdown scripts.
Remote monitoring also enables the service centre and data centre staff to interrogate the UPS’s history and generate performance reports.
What Are The Benefits Of Remote Monitoring?
Downtime isn’t an option for mission-critical sites such as data centres. Cloud-based remote monitoring delivers several advantages for operators, including:
- Immediate fault detection
- Remote fault diagnosis
- Reduced number of service visits
- Improved UPS performance and efficiency
Read the full article about UPS remote monitoring in DCM magazine or on the Techerati website.