Adding a list of UPS to PCNS

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-30

Hi everybody, Hi Bill,

what is the best practice to adding a lot of UPS without clicking the "Powerchute setup"?
can I import a CSV or something else? Script the NMC2 with powerchute clients?

The solution with INI Utility sounds great to me.

thanks in advance

best regards

BillP · ‎2021-06-30

Hi,

PowerChute Network Shutdown is designed to react to signals sent from the network management card based on the status of the UPS. PowerChute Network Shutdown is not designed to be a monitoring or management tool. Its purpose is to shutdown the OS when the UPS is on battery, at low battery etc. A list of possible shutdown variables will be found in the PowerChute User's Guide under configurable events.

If you need a tool to monitor and manage the UPS at multiple location through the network card you should look at EcoStruxure. Another option is through a SNMP Agent. An example of an SNMP Agent is SolarWinds.

Another note: you pointed to an old thread concerning the PowerChute VM. We do not support Advanced Redundant UPS configuration when PowerChute is running on a VM. Also, we list in the User's Guide that we tested PowerChute in Advanced Redundant UPS configuration with 16 UPS / NMCs. The User's Guide does states that you can add more to allow users to determine their own best practices.

See Answer In Context

BillP · ‎2021-06-30

Hi,

Do you want to add UPS to the PCNS client or do you want to add PCNS clients to the UPS?

In the pcnsconfig.ini there is a section that represents the UPS/s the PCNS client is registered with. See Schneider Electric FAQ FA159757

[NetworkManagementCard]

mode = single

IP_1 = 192.168.1.11

port = 80

protocol = http

enrolWithNMC = true

acceptCerts = false

IP_1_Outlet = 1

Note: you can only add 4 UPS to a single PCNS client unless you are configuring for Advanced Redundant UPS.

To add PCNS clients to the NMC you can edit the NMC config.ini file.

[PowerChute]

; PowerChute Network Shutdown, provides reliable network based shutdown of

; multiple computer systems to enhance the manageability of APC UPSs in

; datacenter environments. To add a client server, simply list the IP as such:

; CurrentPCNSClientIP0=192.168.0.1

; To associate an outlet group with a client where the groups are numbered

; 0 to n with 0 being the main outlet group (if present on UPS)

; PCNSClientIPGroup= 0

; To remove a specific client, list the client using the keyword:

; RemovePCNSClientIP=192.168.0.2

; To remove all configured clients, use the keyword, value pair:

; RemoveALLPCNSClientIP=yes

; To change the Authentication Phrase, use the AuthPhrase keyword

; i.e., AuthPhrase=apc auth passphrase

OnBatteryShutdownBehavior=Reboot On Line Return

PCNSUserName=apc

CurrentPCNSClientIP1=192.168.1.10

PCNSClientIPGroup1=1

OutletGroup1PCNSShutdownControl=enabled

OutletGroup2PCNSShutdownControl=enabled

OutletGroup3PCNSShutdownControl=enabled

OutletGroup1PCNSOffDelayControl=enabled

OutletGroup2PCNSOffDelayControl=enabled

OutletGroup3PCNSOffDelayControl=enabled

OnBatteryShutDownStatus=disabled

OnBatteryShutDownDelay=120

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-30

Hi Bill,

thanks for you answer, sorry for my late answer I was busy with other tasks.

first I tried to add all NMC to PCNS, the APCs were listed in the PCNS, but it wasn't pushed to the UPSs

Then I tried to edit the NMC Config, but in the config is the IP address, and if I want to reupload a NMC Config, I hoped that its possible to uploade only a few settings. The problem is, that if I create and upload a config with IP, every NMC get the same IP address, the 2nd way to upload a NMC config without the section IP address will overwrite it to blank, and the APC is lost.

I know I got very dumb questions.

Thanks a lot for helping me all the time.

BillP · ‎2021-06-30

Hi,

Do you want to add multiple PCNS clients to a NMC. If that is the case you would add the PCNS client IPs to a NMC config.ini and then push that file to the NMC.

Schneider Electric FAQ FA156117 discusses mass configuration of NMC. I followed the steps to add just PowerChute client to the config.ini and the clients were added to the config.ini when I copied the PowerChute.ini to the NMC. I have attached the test PowerChute.ini file.

NOTE: I had to change the name to PowerChute.txt to attach to this post. If you want to use the file you will need to change the extension to .ini

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-30

Hi Bill,

this worked perfectly thanks a lot, I updated all my NMCs.

But now I'm looking for a faster way to add all NMC(APCs) to the central PCNS, with editing the pcnsconfig.ini

1. in this section:

IP_1 = 10.xx.xx.xxx
IP_2 = 10.xx.xx.xxx
IP_3 = 10.xx.xx.xxx
IP_4 = 10.xx.xx.xxx
IP_5 = 10.xx.xx.xxx
IP_6 = 10.xx.xx.xxx

and 2. section

[advanced_ups_setup_4]
setup_name = namexyz
ip_addresses = 10.xx.xx.xxx
ups_required_for_load = 1
shutdownCommandFileEnabled = false
shutdownCommandFileDuration = 0
shutdownOnLostRedundancy = false
turnOffUps = false
turnOffSOG = false
executeCommandFileAfterHostShutdown = false
shutdownCommandFileDelay = 0
hostlist = xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&0
force_VApp_shutdown = false
enable_guest_vm_migration = true
guest_vm_migration_duration = 270
enable_custom_target_vm_migration = false
custom_target_hosts =
enable_guest_vm_shutdown = true
guest_vm_shutdown_duration = 270
enable_guest_vm_startup = true
guest_vm_startup_duration = 360
enable_VApp_shutdown = false
VApp_shutdown_duration = 120
enable_VApp_startup = false
VApp_startup_duration = 120
vm_startup_delay_duration = 0
ShutdownVirtualHosts = false
shutdownPowerchuteServer = false

and then the entries are listed on the PCNS Webinterface on the left site with Error Accessing(see embedded screenshot), but then I have to do the Powerchute Setup again to enable the communication.

7zi5e%2FI62ggLF7yrXDx6FQ%3D%3D.png

BillP · ‎2021-06-30

Hi,

How I have done this in the past is to install PCNS on a system and configure for VMware and Advanced Redundant UPS through the web interface. Then on the secondary system I installed PCNS silently configuring for basic setup e.g. single UPS. When the silent install has completed I stop the PCNS service, copy the pcnsconfig.ini file from the original system to the secondary system, edit it as needed, and then restart PCNS. The secondary system is now configured for VMware with Advanced Redundant UPS.

NOTE: Advanced Redundant UPS configuration is not support when PCNS is running on a VM.

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-30

perfect!

sorry for the dumb question, I put all my APC in the pcnsconfig.ini with IP = xx.xx.xx.xxx and IP_xx_Outlet

im totally a beginner in scripting and powershell, I want to script the advanced setup, I got all entries of my APCs in an excel sheet,

and I only want to count the number at[advanced_ups_setup] +1, and fill the setup_name and ip_adresses from the excel sheet....

[advanced_ups_setup_6]
setup_name = namexyz
ip_addresses = 10.xx.xx.xxx
ups_required_for_load = 1
shutdownCommandFileEnabled = false
shutdownCommandFileDuration = 0
shutdownOnLostRedundancy = false
turnOffUps = false
turnOffSOG = false
executeCommandFileAfterHostShutdown = false
shutdownCommandFileDelay = 0
hostlist = xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&0
force_VApp_shutdown = false
enable_guest_vm_migration = true
guest_vm_migration_duration = 270
enable_custom_target_vm_migration = false
custom_target_hosts =
enable_guest_vm_shutdown = true
guest_vm_shutdown_duration = 270
enable_guest_vm_startup = true
guest_vm_startup_duration = 360
enable_VApp_shutdown = false
VApp_shutdown_duration = 120
enable_VApp_startup = false
VApp_startup_duration = 120
vm_startup_delay_duration = 0
ShutdownVirtualHosts = false
shutdownPowerchuteServer = false

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-30

Nevermind got it already... but now I got the same problem, like my first request here...

if I put about 150 APCs to my central PCNS appliance it runs again with 100% CPU...

is there a best practice amount of APCs connected to a PCNS?

Thanks a lot

BillP · ‎2021-06-30

Hi,

What are you attempting to accomplish with this configuration? Also, are all of the UPS at the same location?

Anonymous user · ‎2021-06-30

Hi Bill of course not, they are at different locations.

see my old post "http://forums.apc.com/spaces/7/ups-management-devices-powerchute-software/forums/general/84347/pcns-..."

I thought this appliance should be a central management for all APCs with advanced config in all locations.

BillP · ‎2021-06-30

Hi,

PowerChute Network Shutdown is designed to react to signals sent from the network management card based on the status of the UPS. PowerChute Network Shutdown is not designed to be a monitoring or management tool. Its purpose is to shutdown the OS when the UPS is on battery, at low battery etc. A list of possible shutdown variables will be found in the PowerChute User's Guide under configurable events.

If you need a tool to monitor and manage the UPS at multiple location through the network card you should look at EcoStruxure. Another option is through a SNMP Agent. An example of an SNMP Agent is SolarWinds.

Another note: you pointed to an old thread concerning the PowerChute VM. We do not support Advanced Redundant UPS configuration when PowerChute is running on a VM. Also, we list in the User's Guide that we tested PowerChute in Advanced Redundant UPS configuration with 16 UPS / NMCs. The User's Guide does states that you can add more to allow users to determine their own best practices.