Although data centers are generally prepared for power interruptions with uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems and generators, the stress that a heat wave puts on power supplies can reveal new issues, said Kern Weissman, director of infrastructure and network systems at CD&L Inc.

Utility problems in New York affected a three-phase power supply in CD&L's secondary data center, but the company's UPS system didn't immediately alert the IT staff to reduce voltage on one of the phases.

"The heat wave exposed an area of risk that I hadn't considered," said Weissman. There was no system downtime, but new automated alert procedures were implemented.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a thing Weissman could do about the brownout that reduced the power in most electrical outlets at his Queens home. "I only have two active full sockets that are working. It's pretty miserable," Weissman said last week.

Customers' Help Utilities struggling to meet the peak demand asked business customers to help cut power usage. Slumberland Inc., a 100-store furniture retailer in Little Canada, Minn., responded to such a request by removing its corporate headquarters, distribution center and a retail outlet from the local utility's power grid and powering them with a generator instead, said Seth Mitchell, infrastructure team manager.