Compaq ProLiant 1000 ProLiant Server Troubleshooting Guide - Page 148

Error Prevention Recognizing Power Problems Caused by Acts of Nature Some power problems are caused by acts of nature, which can range from lightning and excessive heat to ice, rain, and windstorms. Lightning can cause spikes and surges. A spike is a quick impulse of undesirable high voltage on a power line, typically lasting only a fraction of a second, whereas a surge is a sudden increase in line voltage of short duration. Excessive heat from increased use of air conditioners can overload utility grids, causing erratic voltages, brownouts, or power outages. Brownouts are voltage reductions by a utility company to counter excessive demand on its generation and distribution system. Storms can cause total blackout conditions due to downed power lines. Power disruptions take many forms, including power surges and sags, high-voltage spikes, switching transients, brownouts, and complete power failure. When a power disruption occurs, check the server for signs of data damage, data loss, file corruption, and hardware damage. The difficulty of dealing with power fluctuations is that the damage is not always immediately noticeable; thus, problems may not be noticed until long after the power disruption has occurred. Preventing Power Management Problems When determining the power requirements for your server, consider the following factors: • General power requirements • Power consumption of the desired configuration • Power supplies required for the desired configuration • Power cords required for the desired configuration • Power redundancy requirements 6-8 HP Servers Troubleshooting Guide