[GLLUG] UPS for Linux Boxes

[Edward Glowacki]

John Lewis wrote:

>Interesting idea, but I can't but think I may have trouble fitting a tatter
>battery within the confines of the UPS. Also, since you've already read
>this, are tater batteries rechargeable or would the taters have to be
>constantly swapped out? I mean I don't want to spend all my computer time
>handling taters.  :/
>
>  
>
I don't believe potatoes are rechargeable, unfortunately.  But in this 
case, they are there for an emergency only, so you would only have to do 
the swapping after a major power failure and it wouldn't really be that 
bad ("Hey kids, time to make some more potato batteries!" "Yay!!!!").  
Another issue would be the potatoes tendency to grow "eyes" over time, 
which may or may not impact the performance of the potato under load 
during the critical time that your system is without power.  Pruning the 
"eyes" may or may not solve that problem, and would in any case be 
additional maintenance.  One nice feature of the potato system is that 
you would have a clear indication of when the potato backup power unit 
was failing, as the whole area would begin to fill with the stench of 
rotting vegetable matter.  However, this too has a downside, as it may 
take a while to clear the air after the replacement potatoes are installed.

What this all boils down to is whether or not the increased maintenance 
costs exceed the reduced cost of materials, i.e. whether the potato 
backup power unit has a lower TCO than a battery-based system.  What the 
potatoes themselves boil down to is a matter of how lumpy you like your 
mashed potatoes.

-ED