APC 1500 1500 Tower PCNS 4.2 on Esxi

[Anonymous user]

I have had this working well for over 1 year. The UPS shuts the VM's and Server on any event configured. 

Today, for no reason, the UPS shutdown my systems. The message was run time exceeded. The Front Panel shows normal AC and nearly 2 hours Run time. If I disable the shutdown on run time exceeded in PCNS,  it still shuts down after 10 minutes. The only way to stop the shutdown is to remove the Network cable from the card. I can turn all the options in PCNS off but it still shuts down

In the UPS logs via the card interface there is no indication about run time being exceeded. Only in the PCNS logs. 

The Hardware is a ML310eG8 and has worked perfectly until now. I have reinstalled the virtual device but no change. 

Not sure where to look ?

[BillP]

Hi,

You should increase the low battery threshold in the NMC and reboot the NMC. If that does not correct the issue please provide the PowerChute event.log,  pcnsconfig.ini, and the config.ini file from the NMC. If you do not know how to find those files I need to know what OS PCNS is running on and what the model of the NMC is along with the firmware running on the NMC. 

Available runtime has been exceeded is discussed in the PCNS help file, the PCNS User's Guide and in FAQ FA241713. 

[Anonymous user]

Hi Bill

Thanks for the response. Im struggling a bit here ! If I plug the Network Card back into my Network, it will set off a shutdown fairly quickly even though nothing configured in PCNS.

I expect the best way to get the NMC details is to shutdown PCNS and access the card via a browser. I did read the FAQ you mention, but this UPS is so lightly loaded, its so light I cant even run a Run time Calibration test as it reports insufficient load. The LED shows 100% battery AC normal no other errors. There has been nothing to trigger this, so Im unsure why the settings in the FAQ need changing and what to ?

Im not sure where to get any of those files from the NMC or PCNS. The PCNS 4.2 is running on a VM on ESXi5.5 using your "Appliance" I have attached the PCNS log, but I don't think I have exported it all ? There seems a lot of different logs in the NMC which are required ? I did notice in the logs somewhere straight after the ports are listed the runtime was exceeded  

The first event was at 1207 following a restart of the Esxi and PCNS, ( The Esxi hasn't been restarted for months, and so the PCNS has been running for months) then as you will see then its been shutting down all day and Ive stopped it by disconnecting the Network from the card a few times, and now left it disconnected.

PS I did have another server on the APC and PCNS but removed it in the summer  the run time with both was about 40 mins. After I removed the bigger server the run time shows nearly 3 hours and that’s when I found I could not do a calibration. The PCNS was never stopped and all carried on normally. Is it possible that the runtime can’t be ascertained after the restart? 

Thanks so much, your advise as best way forward appreciated and what exactly I need to change the NMC to ?

also the time in the PCNS is out by just over an hour, time zone is right so the logs won’t match the NMC as that is right  not sure how to get the appliance time right 

Tony

[BillP]

Hi,

On 12/13/2017 5:08 PM, Anthony said:

I expect the best way to get the NMC details is to shutdown PCNS and access the card via a browser.

You should stop the PCNS service and then connect the NMC to the network Log into the PCNS VM and enter service PowerChute stop. After rebooting the NMC you can restart PCNS. The command is service PowerChute start. 

On 12/13/2017 5:08 PM, Anthony said:

Im not sure where to get any of those files from the NMC or PCNS. The PCNS 4.2 is running on a VM on ESXi5.5 using your "Appliance" I have attached the PCNS log, but I don't think I have exported it all ? There seems a lot of different logs in the NMC which are required ? I did notice in the logs somewhere straight after the ports are listed the runtime was exceeded  

The gather the logs from PCNS go to /opt/APC/PowerChute/group1 The files needed are EventLog.txt, pcnsconfig.ini. I need to know the NMC model and firmware version to assist with gathering logs from the NMC.

[Anonymous user]

Bill

Appreciate if you can guide me further, sent the logs you asked for and awaiting instructions for the NMC logs. 

Concerned the Server has no graceful shutdown in operation still. 

Tony

[BillP]

Hi,

When I view the pcnsconfig.gif it is blank. Please save the file as pcnsconfig.txt and attach that file. 

To gather the logs from the NMC go to About - Support and click on Generate Logs. Once the logs have been generated select Download 

Download the debug.tar to your PC and attach that file to the post.

[BillP]

Hi,

It is tough to tell since the configuration has been changed. When configuring with vCenter these are the settings that are taken into account when determining if available runtme has been exceeded. 

• VM migration duration
• VM shutdown and startup duration
• vApp shutdown and startup duration
• Shutdown command file duration
• Built-in duration of 2 minutes (this consists of a 10 second OS shutdown duration and a 60 second OS shutdown duration; rounded up to 2 minutes)

As an example if the low battery threshold is set at the default of 2 minutes and PCNS is configured to to power down VMs with a duration of 4 minutes, restart the VMs when power is restored with a duration of 4 minutes, power down vCenter Server with a delay of 4 minutes the available runtime has been exceeded alert will be triggered. To correct the alert the low battery threshold must be a minimum of 16 minutes. 4 + 4 +4 +2 = 14 and the threshold must be 2 minutes greater = 16 minutes for low battery. I recommend adding 2 more minutes so I would enter 18 minutes for low battery threshold on the NMC.  

[Anonymous user]

Bill that’s really helpful. Can you just clarify 2 points as it will enable me to reconfigure properly. 

1 The NMC was at the default of 2mins. I altered this to 19 minutes, as that was “Required Low Battery Duration” indicated below the setting. I did configure to 19 , but does it need 2 more than this figure ?

2 I realise now whilst originally I had PCNS to shutdown when on battery for “x” minutes. However I changed this to option 3 shutdown with 10 mins runtime left. Now I realise with 2 VMs at 4 mins and the Vapp at 4 mins this was impossible. HOWEVER I did change it back to shutdown after “x”minutes, does PCNS remember the 10 minutes as it’s odd it shut down 10 mins after the vApp started exactly, and I saw 600 seconds in my copy of the ini file. 

Thanks Bill hopefully I can configure properly. 

Tony

[BillP]

Hi,

On 12/18/2017 3:28 PM, Anthony said:

1 The NMC was at the default of 2mins. I altered this to 19 minutes, as that was “Required Low Battery Duration” indicated below the setting. I did configure to 19 , but does it need 2 more than this figure ?

If you have determined the shutdown needs 19 minutes I recommend adding 2 more minutes. Once set wait a few minutes and check the PCNS event log to verify that available runtime has been exceeded has cleared. If not add an aditional 2 minutes until the alarm clears. I also recommend before switching to configured with vCenter that you deselect shutdown for available runtime has been exceeded. The ini file provided shows that the setting is not configured but I wanted to mention it just in case you decide to change that setting.

On 12/18/2017 3:28 PM, Anthony said:

2 I realise now whilst originally I had PCNS to shutdown when on battery for “x” minutes. However I changed this to option 3 shutdown with 10 mins runtime left. Now I realise with 2 VMs at 4 mins and the Vapp at 4 mins this was impossible. HOWEVER I did change it back to shutdown after “x”minutes, does PCNS remember the 10 minutes as it’s odd it shut down 10 mins after the vApp started exactly, and I saw 600 seconds in my copy of the ini file. 

 The process is, after the UPS has run on battery for 10 minutes shutdown will begin.

PowerChute starts VM shutdown followed by vApp shutdown.

VM/vApp shutdown durations elapse and PowerChute gracefully shuts down the vCenter Server VM.

vCenter VM shutdown duration elapses.

PowerChute starts executing any shutdown command file.

PowerChute and host/s are powered down.

If set to do so UPS powers down or outlet group powers down. 

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Bill

thanks if I get any more problems when reconfigured I will report with all the appropriate logs

Tony