These days, the LAN doesn't end at the door. Unfortunately for network managers, the more widely a network is distributed, the greater the chance that a disturbance will bring down the network.

Fortunately, providing distributed power protection for your distributed processing power is simple and cost-effective. In a WAN environment, the primary benefits of UPS protection revolve more around communications uptime and hardware protection than stored data protection.

However, before you even get to the issue of power protection, the most important aspect of network reliability is network design. For instance, a star configuration based around a wiring hub will deliver greater reliability because the hub isolates the nodes from each other, preventing one node failure from bringing the complete network down. Once you have decided on your network configuration and implementation, you can maximize the reliability of that system with power protection and power management. The best advice is:

Protect workgroups: The same design aspect which makes peer to peer networks easy to use also makes them particularly vulnerable to power failures. At any given moment, any PC on the LAN could be acting as the server, which means each node needs Back-UPS protection. At least one node should be equipped with a Smart-UPS to maximize compatibility with future software offerings.

Client server based operating systems need full Smart-UPS protection on the host or dedicated server. If you are using cache or a cache controller you are guaranteed to use data in the event of a power interruption without UPS protection. In a UNIX environment, it can literally take days to recover from an unexpected crash.

All workgroups should have appropriate UPS monitoring software installed to ensure safe, unattended shutdown and network management.

Protect auxiliary servers: Communications and print servers handle slightly less critical loads than typical database servers, but in many cases ongoing communications are as essential as data integrity.

Protect minicomputers and DASD boxes: With newer models draw-ing less and less power, a loaded AS/400 can now be completely protected with a single midrange UPS. Be sure to protect disk expansion boxes and backup devices.

Protect internetworking equipment: For a WAN to operate properly, equipment such as gateways, wiring hubs, and bridges must run smoothly through an outage. Proper protection assures reliable operation and data transmission. Since the power draws of this type of equipment are very low, they can be cost-effectively protected by a low-powered UPS.

Protect modems, faxes, phones and data lines: These lines represent a "backdoor" opportunity for spikes to enter your network that can be protected with a multistage surge suppressor. For networks that depend on auto-downloading or reception, uninterrupted modem reception is critical.

Protect remote users. Any unattended polling-type dial-in stations should be protected with a UPS to ensure that downloads are completed properly. In addition, phone lines and data lines need surge suppression for full protection.

Add network power management and environmental management capabilities as needed. Both servers and internetworking devices benefit from increased control and management.

We started using APC Smart-UPS and PowerChute almost four years ago because we were looking for automatic shutdown capability, explained Frapaul. Today the units support a corporate, multi-OS WAN. We are a worldwide company and there is no room for network failure because of power problems. One aspect of my job is to make sure that avoidable problems are avoided. APC makes this part of my job easier.