The June 15 systems outage sent up a red flag on power issues, because the North 
Building backup power system did not function properly after a Con Edison power outage. 
For this reason, and just because it is good disaster preparedness practice, we are 
pleased that Hunter College has planned a power test for the night of August 22. During 
this test, the power to Con Edison in the North Building will be turned off in order to 
provide a live test of the entire power backup system. We expect the generator to take 
over power during the test, as it would during a real outage. Note that the generators and 
individual power systems are thoroughly tested every month, but a real outage simulation 
is a better indication of what would happen during an emergency. 

All the systems in our machine room are on backup generator power. There is also 
battery backup to cover power needs between the time the line power goes off and the 
generator comes on. As a precaution during the power test, we will gently shut down 
systems that are not generally needed at night during the summer. These systems, listed 
in the general ICIT announcement, are mostly the Oracle applications. In addition, the 
North Building wiring closets as well as general lighting and air conditioning are not on 
generator power, so the North Building offices, classrooms and labs will be without 
network connectivity and lights during the power outage. 

ICIT staff will be on hand during the entire power outage, ready to deal with any 
problems that may arise. They will also watch over our email and web systems, which 
will remain up, to make sure that they function correctly during the outage. When the 
outage is completed, ICIT staff will return all systems to normal. We do not expect any 
problems, but we will be prepared for whatever does happen. In the end, this test will 
leave Hunter College better prepared for future power outages, should they occur.