Data center, power supply and redundancy

The federal government recently presented its three-step plan for Switzerland’s electricity supply and also announced the possibility of temporary grid shutdowns. Naturally, this is causing uncertainty on many sides. At Netstream, we already ensured a redundant power supply when building our data centers and developed corresponding emergency plans, so that we are well equipped for every possible scenario.

What happens during a power cut?

In the event of a power cut, the redundant uninterruptible power supply (UPS) in the Netstream Data Center kicks in first. This means that powerful batteries take over the power supply of our servers, storage and network components for a short time. The batteries bridge the time the emergency power system needs to start up. This usually takes only 20 seconds, but the batteries could take over for up to 20 minutes. After a short time, our emergency generator is fully operational and can take over the supply of the entire data center.

Now the ship’s engine impresses as a real powerhouse: the diesel-powered generator produces an output of 700 kVA. The output generated at full load is not only enough to supply our own data center but could theoretically also feed energy back into the grid. Should the worst-case scenario of a prolonged power cut occur against all odds, the fully fuelled ship’s engine can supply the entire data center for at least two days. The refuelling concept specifies refuelling at around 50% tank level, which is possible at any time during operation.

Regular live tests

The entire emergency power system is tested and checked once a month so that everything can run smoothly in an emergency. Read more about our ship’s engine and the tests in the following article.