AP8941 unreachable after firmware update

[Anonymous user]

I updated the firmware on two AP8941 units from v5.X.X firmware to the latest 6.4.0 firmware. Both worked fine for several days then one unit became unresponsive with the error "The Application Is Incompatible With This APC OS". This has all the symptoms of "Information Bulletin: Potential Issue with AP8XXXsries Rack Power Distribution Units with rdpu2g v6.0.9 firmware". The LCD is blue with no readout, network port is alternating green/orange, reset button won't reset, even after a hard reset it's still unresponsive. What are my options here, there isn't a newer firmware to update to. I can't down grade the firmware as I need the functionality of the latest firmware, hence the update. I guess I can only reload the current firmware and hope for the best...unless you all have a better suggestion.

Model Number

AP8941

Hardware Revision

02

Manufacture Date

05/19/2012

Rack PDU, APC OS

Version

6.4.0

Boot Monitor

Version

1.0.8

Thanks

[BillP]

Hi Justin,

This just may a coincidence. If you never used v6.0.9 firmware (right, you went from v5->v6.4.0), then there is hope we can recover this. When you get the message about the application being unable to load, it can be because there is a problem with the firmware or that the network management interface tried to boot and couldn't after about 6 times. Sometimes this can be caused by a bad packet on the network or something strange.

Though, because it is COMPLETELY inaccessible, and if you never had 6.0.9 firmware loaded, I am curious. And then you have two units that did it..

We'll need to try the bootmonitor mode/access found in the FAQ about the 6.0.9 firmware as the first and most beneficial step to identifying the problem. This can be tricky timing-wise to access but this does require a local serial connection using the APC serial cable and if the blue display is powering up, the mode should be accessible. Tech support can also guide you through this if you prefer.

Can you clarify the steps you took for "hard reset?" Did that mean power down and back up? If so, did the outlets come back on?

[Anonymous user]

We updated 2 AP8941 PDUs, one is up and running with no problems the other one....

• The hard reset was a power down, or should I say we had a building wide power outage.
• All the outlets are functioning.
• I'm still able to telnet  into the PDU  and the firmware updater still can communicate with the PDU
• I tried to reload the firmware and according  to the updater  it was successful however the PDU  is still showing the same error, LCD    screen is still blue
• I'm not sure we have the serial cable, I came in well after this was setup

[User Name :

[Password  :

Schneider Electric                      Network Management Card AOS      v6.4.0

(c) Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved  RPDU 2g                          v6.4.0

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name      : PDU02                                     Date : 08/09/2016

Contact   : Unknown                                   Time : 10:06:59

Location  :                            User : Super User

Up Time   : 0 Days 0 Hours 54 Minutes                 Stat : P+ N4+ N6+ A!

Type ? for command listing

Use tcpip command for IP address(-i), subnet(-s), and gateway(-g)

apc>

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hi Justin,

I think I mis-read before. I thought your network port was inactive but I see it said it was alternating green and orange.

If it is a rapid green and orange on the status LED (next to the checkmark and the X), this means the management interface is rebooting. The rapid green and orange is what you get if you press and release the pinhole reset button once. If this is a "slow" green and orange, then it means the PDU is doing a DHCP request.

Did it ever lose its IP at all and you needed to reconfigure?

Can you try reboot command, let it reboot, and then ideally, watch both the display and the status LED I am talking about? I want to know if you see it go through multiple reboot cycles which would be rapid green and orange for like 15 seconds, slow green and orange probably for a few seconds, off, then rapid green and orange again, repeat.

Since we can get to it, we can try to work without the serial cable.

I have a feeling the PDU may be in a reboot loop so after 6 loops, it pauses and you get the A! as you see in your paste of what is on the screen. If you can afford to wipe all the settings from it (maybe you don't have many non-default settings or back up config.ini file), let me know and we can proceed with the format command to wipe ALL settings including TCP/IP network settings. Alternatively, we can try reset to defaults with the keep IP option and see if it clears up any corruption without losing the IP but some junk could linger behind. Not sure, depending on what the issue is.

Let me know if you have any questions before moving forward or on my suggestions.

[Anonymous user]

Hi Angela,

Thank you so much for the info I resetToDef   -p keepip   and the PDU   was back online,   just have some  reconfiguring to do...

Thanks again!!

Justin

[BillP]

Hi Justin,

You're welcome. As I am sure you're already thinking, might be a good idea to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't happen again because then we have to dig a little deeper perhaps.

[wegentryjr]

I know this is an old thread, but I have a bunch of 8941's that I need to sanitize. What is the format command you were talking about?

Thanks

[Teken]

Page 47 of the user guide outlines the required steps to complete the format process.

I’ve appended a direct link from the APC website here: https://download.schneider-electric.com/files?p_enDocType=User+guide&p_File_Name=Switched+Rack+Power...