Data Center

Product Review: New Rack-Mountable Eaton UPS Powers Up Agencies

Eaton’s 9PX uninterruptible power supply provides emergency backup and keeps agencies safe from disruptions and blackouts.

John Breeden II

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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 and easy to manage. They 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 UPS is a great example of this new generation of battery backup devices designed to easily integrate into almost any network. Because it’s as easy to manage multiple units as a single device, it’s great for places that may not have many IT staffers.

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Load Balancing Allows IT Teams to Better Protect Devices

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 outlets 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.

How the Eaton 9PX Delivers Clean Power to Devices

Double conversion technology is used to regulate power, ensuring that only clean power is delivered to connected devices. This protects them from surges and helps extend their life by providing an optimal, constant power source.

Another innovation from Eaton is its advanced battery management charging technology, which is designed to extend battery life. Instead of using a trickle charge that taxes batteries, Eaton UPS units use a three-stage charging technique that, according to the company, can extend UPS life by up to 30 months, effectively doubling normal battery life.

The Eaton 9PX UPS also comes with a network card and management software, allowing IT administrators to oversee power management from a central location.

SPECIFICATIONS

Device Type: Rack-mountable intelligent UPS
Batteries: Sealed lead-acid
Power Provided: 1,350 watts
Outlets: 8
Estimated Runtime: 5 minutes at full load, 14 minutes at half load
Dimensions: 17.3 inches x 17.7 inches; 3.4 inches
Weight: 43 pounds

Remote Power and Emergency Management

Every Eaton 9PX UPS comes with an Eaton Gigabit Network Card, a powerful tool used to monitor the unit. If all your Eaton UPSs 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 offices. They only need to visit each office to perform necessary in-person tasks, such as swapping out a failing battery. Front-facing LEDs are also present for local monitoring.

Combining the network card with Eaton’s power management 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 lifespans. 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 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 agencies. Yes, it still provides power in emergencies, but with power management software and remote monitoring, it can also become a vital and integrated component of any agency’s network infrastructure.