Using a generator to boot up my Windows 2000 server SP4

[Guest]

Is there any potential damage caused by booting up a server using a generator?
I have heard some generators create surges that might harm part of the
server or cause damages to the OS itself. Does any one have any idea if this
is actually a fact? Is it really dependant on the type of generator one
implements or the creation of surge is an inherent fact associated with all
sorts of generators?
I would really appreciate a feedback on this.
Thanks

 

[Herbert Nagler]

Is there any potential damage caused by booting up a server using a
generator? I have heard some generators create surges that might harm
part of the
server or cause damages to the OS itself. Does any one have any idea
if this is actually a fact? Is it really dependant on the type of
generator one implements or the creation of surge is an inherent fact
associated with all sorts of generators?
I would really appreciate a feedback on this.
Thanks

-----------------------------
You have to boot your server, AFTER the generator has started and is
running.
If you can't have any down time on the server, you need to tie-in an
uninterrupted power supply (UPS).

H.N.

 

[Charlie Tame]

I think it's almost impossible to judge without full details

We have 3 emergency generators at work but most of our computer / phone
equipment runs off the oldest of the three. We have pretty "Dirty" power
anyway but it's not the generator per-se that causes the trouble, it's the
switchovers from normal to emergency power... in other words the breaks and
brown outs.

This is about a 25KVA generator, by no means the biggest but not something
you'd want to have to move around much.

Once running I doubt it's any worse than the normal supply, although
switching heavy loads on it might create bigger transients than the same
loads on normal power, simply because there's no "Damping" effect in the
wiring itself.

I'd see what others have to say but if you have to do this I'd at least get
a UPS and run the box through that to reduce transients and give a
controlled shutdown in case of trouble. I'm assuming here that the generator
complies with the sort of regulations you'd have for something like a
healthcare facility where emergency power is compulsory. These are probably
somewhat tighter than your average heavy duty camping device.

Any power outage risks damaging files on the machine, if these happen to be
system files then naturally the OS may be damaged. High voltage surges are
likely to damage the hardware, outages more likely the software, although
either of them is unwelcome. It may also depend to a large extent on the
machine's own power supply. Normal power is not clean.

Charlie

 

[Jay Somerset]

I think it's almost impossible to judge without full details

We have 3 emergency generators at work but most of our computer / phone
equipment runs off the oldest of the three. We have pretty "Dirty" power
anyway but it's not the generator per-se that causes the trouble, it's the
switchovers from normal to emergency power... in other words the breaks and
brown outs.

This is about a 25KVA generator, by no means the biggest but not something
you'd want to have to move around much.

Once running I doubt it's any worse than the normal supply, although
switching heavy loads on it might create bigger transients than the same
loads on normal power, simply because there's no "Damping" effect in the
wiring itself.

I'd see what others have to say but if you have to do this I'd at least get
a UPS and run the box through that to reduce transients and give a
controlled shutdown in case of trouble. I'm assuming here that the generator
complies with the sort of regulations you'd have for something like a
healthcare facility where emergency power is compulsory. These are probably
somewhat tighter than your average heavy duty camping device.

Any power outage risks damaging files on the machine, if these happen to be
system files then naturally the OS may be damaged. High voltage surges are
likely to damage the hardware, outages more likely the software, although
either of them is unwelcome. It may also depend to a large extent on the
machine's own power supply. Normal power is not clean.

Good advice, but the "uncleanliness" of commercial power is quite different
than the uncleanliness of generator power. Commercial power does not have
much (if any) in the way of harmonics -- it is a pretty smooth 60-cycle
waveform (ideally sinusoidal). A home/emergency generator has a waveform
that can be much less sinusoidal -- therefore is much richer in harmonics
that can damage some types of electronic equipment.

Best would be a UPS that always uses DC to create the AC for your equipment,
and never pases the commercial power directly to the load. Makes power
outages/transfers invisible, and also will protect against emergency
generator hash.

 

[Guest]

Thank you all for your advices on this.

Good advice, but the "uncleanliness" of commercial power is quite different
than the uncleanliness of generator power. Commercial power does not have
much (if any) in the way of harmonics -- it is a pretty smooth 60-cycle
waveform (ideally sinusoidal). A home/emergency generator has a waveform
that can be much less sinusoidal -- therefore is much richer in harmonics
that can damage some types of electronic equipment.

Best would be a UPS that always uses DC to create the AC for your equipment,
and never pases the commercial power directly to the load. Makes power
outages/transfers invisible, and also will protect against emergency
generator hash.