-----Original Message----- From: nznog-request(a)list.waikato.ac.nz [mailto:nznog-request(a)list.waikato.ac.nz] Sent: Wednesday, 21 November 2007 12:00 p.m. Message: 2 Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:38:51 +1300 (NZDT) From: Matthew Poole Subject: [nznog] An explanation of what went wrong at Mayoral Drive on 4/11 To: NZNOG Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

ComputerWorld article. http://s0.tx.co.nz/at/tep34n279457j138688i194855f2c4680224a4t9s4z

During testing a UPS failed to start a generator, then its batteries went flat and the systems it was feeding had to be restarted.

Interesting that there was a similar power-related failure of emergency systems in the South Island a few days after this incident. And that a similar incident occurred at the Telecom Dunedin exchange about 6 months ago (UPS test, generator started, sparked, caused a fire, fire happened to be in same room as mains cutover switch...UPS ran flat.)