One of the most important features of a UPS is its capacity. Another is its run time. While these two concepts are related, they are not the same. It's important to understand the difference between them, as these numbers play a critical role in UPS sizing.
The run time that a UPS provides is the number of minutes that the UPS will be able to provide power from the battery for a given load level. Since driving more equipment requires more power to be taken from the battery, driving more load will result in shorter run time. A UPS with a larger battery, or with an add-on battery pack, will provide longer run time for a given load size. Run time is critically important because it tells you how long a power outage the UPS can handle before the battery runs out. Most UPS manufacturers will provide tables that show the typical run times for a model based on the loads it has to handle.
Resources:
WWW.JETCAFE.ORG
WWW.PCGUIDE.COM
WWW.COMPUTER.HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM