Vendor-Neutral DCIM Detects a Critical UPS Power Failure Before It Becomes a Major Outage
How Sensorium Provided the Real-Time Visibility Needed to Challenge Assumptions and Protect Critical Telecoms Infrastructure
When a major UK telecommunications provider set out to modernise the monitoring of its critical infrastructure, it selected Sensorium DCIM from Advanced Datacentre Systems (ADS). The organisation wanted a single platform capable of monitoring its IT infrastructure, power systems and building services while integrating with its existing Building Management System (BMS).
That decision proved invaluable during an unexpected site-wide utility power failure.
The Challenge
The customer had implemented Sensorium DCIM to create a centralised monitoring platform capable of integrating equipment from multiple manufacturers. Rather than relying on separate monitoring tools, Sensorium provided a single operational view across both IT infrastructure and building services.
When a utility power failure affected the site, Sensorium immediately detected the event and alerted operators that both Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs) had successfully transferred onto battery backup.
The customer promptly informed its estates team, who were already investigating the incoming power failure.
A short time later, the estates engineers confirmed that utility power had been restored across the site. Under normal circumstances, this reassurance may have marked the end of the incident.
However, Sensorium continued to tell a very different story.
One UPS Had Recovered. The Other Had Not.
Although utility power had returned to the first UPS, Sensorium continued to report that the second UPS remained on battery power.
Instead of simply displaying an alarm, the platform continuously monitored battery capacity, load and estimated runtime. Based on live operating conditions, Sensorium calculated that the remaining UPS had just 39 minutes of battery life before shutdown.
This immediately raised concerns that an underlying electrical fault still existed despite the earlier confirmation that power had been restored.
Because Sensorium presents data from multiple systems within a single platform, operators could clearly see the difference between the two power feeds rather than relying on assumptions or verbal updates.
Verifying the Problem
Rather than dismissing the alert, the ADS support team investigated further.
Engineers reviewed Sensorium’s live telemetry before connecting directly to the physical UPS controller. The hardware confirmed exactly what Sensorium had already reported: the UPS remained disconnected from utility power and continued to discharge its batteries.
Armed with this evidence, ADS contacted the customer immediately and advised them that the original fault remained active.
The customer escalated the issue back to its estates team, requesting an urgent reinspection of the affected power feed.
Meanwhile, Sensorium continued to provide real-time updates as battery capacity steadily reduced and the remaining runtime decreased.
The Outcome
Despite receiving continuous warnings from Sensorium, the physical distribution fault was not located before the remaining battery capacity was exhausted.
Eventually, the second UPS reached zero battery capacity and shut down.
Fortunately, the customer’s critical telecommunications infrastructure had been designed with dual power paths. As a result, its most important services remained fully operational throughout the incident.
However, some less critical systems operating from single power feeds experienced a temporary outage until engineers identified and corrected the electrical fault.
As soon as utility power returned, Sensorium automatically detected the recovery and confirmed that the UPS had returned to normal operation.
More Than Monitoring – A Trusted Source of Truth
This incident demonstrated that modern DCIM is about far more than generating alarms.
Throughout the event, Sensorium provided an independent, real-time view of the entire power infrastructure. While different teams reached different conclusions about the status of the electrical supply, Sensorium continued to report the actual condition of the UPS without ambiguity.
By combining live telemetry with vendor-neutral integration, the platform gave both ADS engineers and the customer the confidence to challenge incorrect assumptions before they affected critical services.
Complete Post-Incident Intelligence
Once the incident had been resolved, Sensorium’s alarm history and audit logs became just as valuable as the live monitoring.
Because every alarm, event and infrastructure change had been automatically recorded, the customer could review a complete, time-stamped timeline covering the entire incident.
Instead of gathering information from multiple monitoring systems, spreadsheets and engineering reports, all operational data was available from a single platform. This significantly simplified the root cause investigation while providing valuable evidence for future operational improvements.
Key Results
- Immediate detection of the site-wide utility power failure
- Independent monitoring of both UPS power feeds
- Accurate calculation of remaining battery runtime
- Verification of the fault through direct hardware monitoring
- Continuous real-time visibility throughout the incident
- Protection of critical telecommunications services through infrastructure resilience
- Complete audit history supporting post-incident investigation and future planning
Why Vendor-Neutral DCIM Matters
Power failures rarely follow a simple script. Different systems recover at different times, multiple teams become involved and assumptions can quickly replace facts.
Sensorium removes that uncertainty by providing a single source of truth across your entire infrastructure. Whether monitoring UPS systems, power distribution, cooling, environmental sensors or building management systems, it delivers the real-time operational intelligence needed to make informed decisions when every second matters.
For organisations operating business-critical facilities, that visibility can make the difference between a controlled incident and an avoidable outage.