Code requires this here. The intent of the EPO buttons are to immediately disconnect all energized power to the entire facility/building in the event of a critical fault like an electrical fire or electrocution. Only locally-battery powered low-voltage emergency lighting should still be operating. Often the next step after EPO is to flood the room... —L.B. Ms. Lady Benjamin PD Cannon of Glencoe, ASCE 6x7 Networks & 6x7 Telecom, LLC CEO lb@6by7.net <mailto:lb@6by7.net> "The only fully end-to-end encrypted global telecommunications company in the world.” FCC License KJ6FJJ
On Sep 15, 2021, at 8:58 AM, Adam Thompson <athompson@merlin.mb.ca> wrote:
Now I'm curious... in all of the DCs and COs I've worked in - to the best of my knowledge, I haven't personally tested this! - the EPO button does not switch to emergency power. It turns off ALL equipment power in the space - no lights, no klaxons, nothing. In simpler setups, the EPO is connected to the UPS so anything plugged in to the UPS does dark instantly. In one DC I'm familiar with, the EPO switch kills all the UPS output and uses several relays to kill commercial power at the same time. In some, the room lights were not covered by the EPO switch, in some they were. Emergency exit lamps will continue to be lit, as they have internal batteries, and are required by building/fire code.
Is it (somewhat) common for an EPO switch to only disconnect commercial power and leave local redundant power live? What sort of facilities would have this?
-Adam
Adam Thompson Consultant, Infrastructure Services
100 - 135 Innovation Drive Winnipeg, MB, R3T 6A8 (204) 977-6824 or 1-800-430-6404 (MB only) athompson@merlin.mb.ca <mailto:athompson@merlin.mb.ca> www.merlin.mb.ca <http://www.merlin.mb.ca/> From: NANOG <nanog-bounces+athompson=merlin.mb.ca@nanog.org> on behalf of Jay R. Ashworth <jra@baylink.com> Sent: September 11, 2021 22:23 To: nanog <nanog@nanog.org> Subject: Re: Never push the Big Red Button (New York City subway failure)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sean Donelan" <sean@donelan.com>
NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT RAIL CONTROL CENTER POWER OUTAGE ISSUE ON AUGUST 29, 2021 Key Findings September 8, 2021
https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2021-09/WSP_Key_Findings_Sum... <https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2021-09/WSP_Key_Findings_Summary-for_release.pdf>
Key Findings [...]
3. Based on the electrical equipment log readings and the manufacturer’s official assessment, it was determined that the most likely cause of RCC shutdown was the “Emergency Power Off” button being manually activated.
I don't even *do* datacenter for a living, and I know that when you hit the Molly button,
1) A Klaxon goes off in the Data Center -- one that sounds *different* from the Halon Klaxon, in both cadence and tone (just for a couple bursts), and
2) Yellow rotating beacons turn on, and stay on while you're on Emergency Power.
Yes, real honest-to-ghod *rotating mechanical beacons*, none of this flashing LED crap.
Clearly, it's important that the use of Emergency Power be annoyingly noticeable.
Cheers, -- jra -- Jay R. Ashworth Baylink jra@baylink.com Designer The Things I Think RFC 2100 Ashworth & Associates http://www.bcp38.info <http://www.bcp38.info/> 2000 Land Rover DII St Petersburg FL USA BCP38: Ask For It By Name! +1 727 647 1274