To run a Bitcoin node, should I invest in a UPS? My house gets frequent power outage (3 ~ 5 times/year). After synced to the blockchain, how much of a headache is it to deal with sudden power loss? Data corruption? Having to resync for days again?
Yes, that is the problem (and it happens very frequently – definitely not a rare event in the case of a power outage). I’ll be publishing a video “soon” about how to program an inexpensive UPS so that it triggers the server to shut down cleanly when it detects a power outage (I’ve just been focused on the spam war, so this one keeps getting delayed). But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get one even just to use without such a program (to handle short-duration power outages or give you a chance to shut down your server manually). If you get a model by APC which has the USB connector (such as the “Back-UPS 650”) then you’ll be able to follow my video when it comes out.