[watsocd]

I have done work on a power system for a data center in a previous life.

It is not easy to shut power off in a data center. They are designed that way intentionally. Yes, it is fairly easy to shut down utility power. But then you have automatic diesel generators that will start. If you shut them down, then you have battery powered UPS units.

In the building that I knew well in Canada, they had a well guarded and covered button behind the security desk that was labeled 'EPO': Emergency Power Off.

This button would send a signal to all systems (utility switches, diesel generator, and UPS units) to immediately shutdown or don't even start (diesels).

[jve]

Small correction: UPS start after utility power goes down and only THEN Diesel stats up. Because you can't start diesel generator in a fraction of a heartbeat.