AP9619 NMC not responding at all

[Anonymous user]

It's in a Smart-UPS RT 5000. I was just promoted to the network/sysadmin position a few weeks back and while working on getting a clean shutdown system for all the servers in the datacenter, realized the APC unit in one of the racks has the 9619 NMC (it has just never been attached to the network).

Trouble is, after plugging the card in to the network and running the Device IP Configuration wizard, I get nothing. It never finds it. Tried plugging in via serial and doing that part of the wizard, it never completes. Tried running hyperterminal, I'm getting no data. I found the reset hole and have tried that a few times to no avail.

I found the original QA test sheet with the MAC address on it, checked on our DHCP servers, no lease for that MAC. I have a couple other APC UPSs that the NMC could be installed in, but It would be a major headache to shut this unit down, our whole VMware ESX farm is running on it.

Any ideas?

edit: I've also made sure option 43 is set on the DHCP server. There's one orange LED illuminated on the back of the unit, looks like it's the "10/100" light. The labeling suggests there's a red/green LED on the other side of the network port (green = check mark, red = X) but that isn't illuminated at all.

Message was edited by: clauretano

[BillP]

Hello:

The best place to start would definitely be to see if you can get in by serial. What model is this unit exactly? (should be a model number on the back). What port settings are you using? What serial cable are you using to connect to it? Also, have you checked to ensure you have a good network cable going to it, and that the port on the switch is working properly? It actually sounds like it's not even getting a connection to the network.


Thanks

[Anonymous user]

First off, thanks for all the suggestions.

Yeah, getting in by serial is actually the first thing I tried, since I assumed the card had at least been configured by the previous network admin. I get nothing, but then I can plug that serial cable into any number of network devices in the same room and it works great. The serial cable was in a bag with all the documentation for the UPS, including the temperature probe that was never even plugged in. It's 15ft long, doesn't say APC anywhere on it, but it was sealed in that bag so I'd say it's safe to guess it is from APC.

COM Port Settings: 2400bps, 8 data bits, no parity, stop bits 1, no flow control

The network cable is good (I have tested another though, because before I traced the cable I wasn't certain it was actually going to the core switch), the port on the switch is good. I guess I could mirror another port on the switch and take some packet captures to see if there's even any network traffic to/from the card. I've also tried various computers --our "utility laptop" in the datacenter uses a USB to serial adapter, so I grabbed a bigger laptop with a serial port.

The Model # of the UPS is SURT5000XLT, as found on the serial number sticker on the front of the unit behind the faceplate.

[BillP]

you could try putting the UPS into bypass via the switch on the back, noting that while in bypass, you do not have any battery back up, reseating the network management card, and then taking the UPS back out of bypass.

when the status LED is off, it means the card is not getting power or is in a boot up state. we know its getting power though. you could also hold down the reset button for like 5-10 seconds to see if it does anything after reseating it.

[Anonymous user]

The UPS in question is being very flaky. If you go anywhere near that NMC or the serial port the whole unit shuts off (!!!!! our SAN and most ESX servers are on this yikes) so I'm going to wait until we have scheduled downtime for installing a new rack to get it done.

I'm going to put it in bypass mode, then pull out the NMC and try it in one of 4 or 5 other Smart-UPS units we have around the IT office.

Thanks for your help everyone, I'll update in a few weeks when that work gets done.

[BillP]

hmm ok. make sure you are using the actual APC serial cable since it has a different, non standard pinout. a regular ol' serial cable can cause a scenario like that.

[Anonymous user]

It's absolutely the APC one, but that's definitely good to know. It was still sealed in the bag with the environmental probe and all the documentation.

[Techie_apc · Accepted solution]

Chris,

If it is the APC Serial cable, the cable part number can be seen on the cable connectors itself.