I agree with him that Universal Serial Bus (USB), XML (Extensible Markup Language), Windows 2000, Java, Linux and more are having an impact on the network software that ensures a UPS performs when you need it.

Stolinski also noted that while standards are still in development, there is a real possibility that new servers in the next year won't be supported effectively by all UPS makers. "Some UPS manufacturers will be more aggressive in adopting USB and especially XML [a subset of SGML; a sort of bridge to HTML approved last year]."

Stolinsky warned, "Be sure you know what protocol you need and whether your UPS supplier supports it."

UPS monitoring and control software has come a long way, through digital serial-port communications and then to Simple Network Management Protocol. A UPS management information base was established in 1993 (RFC 1628 Proposed Standard) by the Internet Engineering Task Force.

But until the arrival of the USB and its adoption by Microsoft for Windows 98 and 2000, proprietary serial protocols were still typical for inexpensive UPS connections. "These Microsoft operating systems do not need any proprietary UPS vendor software to monitor or shut down the computer, which is great news for the small-network user," said Stolinski. "In effect, compliant UPSes connected via USB to a PC/server are seen by the OS the same as the internal battery in a notebook. The same Microsoft Power Panel used for notebook power management can now be used with a USB-attached UPS."

Most recently, Sun announced the Jini (pronounced "gee-nee," as in magician) specification and Microsoft announced Universal Plug and Play. Both of those general protocols are designed to attach and install devices to a network without any user action or intervention, and both will employ XML. XML tags are presently being defined for them so that any vendor's product can be recognized and installed by any network.