Configure PowerChute so it never shutdown

[Anonymous user]

Hi,

Is there any way to configure powerchute so that the machine monitoring the UPS is never shutdown?

The reason I want to do this is because I want to test the runtime of a UPS on batteries by runing it with a 1000w non-critical load (2 x 500w lamps). During this test I'd like to let the UPS attached to the computer that is monitoring it, so I can remotely monitor the test, but I would not want the computer to be rebooted when the UPS batteries are depleted, since the computer will be connected to an other UPS.

[BillP]

i assume you are asking in regards to powerchute business edition. unless you remove the communication cable between the UPS and server, there is no way to do this. it will shutdown when the UPS reaches a low battery.

if you just want to do monitoring, i would suggest looking into a network management card. you have to buy it separately but you can just login and monitor the UPS via a local terminal connection, telnet, SSH, or a web interface among a couple other types of connections. there would be no software installed on to the computer with a network management card for monitoring because a network management card works with powerchute network shutdown to shutdown over the network but you do NOT have to install it on the computer if you dont want it to shutdown.

[Techie_apc]

If you just want to monitor the UPS runtime during the battery runtime test, then you may configure the Serial native support on other Computer which is powered by another UPS.

You need to connect a serial cable(part number-940-0024) between the UPS in question and other Computer Serial connector. Follow the below K-base document instructions to configure the Serial native support.

[http://nam-en.apc.com/cgi-bin/nam_en.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2519]

You will need to disable the Hibernation option so that the Computer which is powered by another UPS will not shutdown when the UPS in question reaches low battery condition on battery mode.

For your information, you can monitor only one UPS from a single Computer at a time through serial cable. So the Computer which is powered by the other UPS will not shutdown gracefully(when Hibernation is disabled) in case if the UPS which powers it reaches a low battery condition due to power disturbance.

I hope that this information is useful.

Message was edited by: Techie

[Anonymous user]

Thanks Techie,

I think I'll have a word with the 'Powers that be' to see if they are willing to purchase some Network Management Cards 🙂

[Techie_apc]

You are welcome Norman!

I hope that I have answered your questions. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.

[Anonymous user]

Hi Techie,

I have a similar problem, I wonder if you can help.

We have each of the power supplys on our servers, going into a different UPS. So if a UPS fails the server will be powered by the other UPS it is attached to, so we DO NOT want it to be stopped by Powerchute.

Do you know if there is any way of preventing Powerchute from shutting down a server if the UPS it is attached to fails?

Thanks,

Tweed.

[Techie_apc]

Norman,

What type of APC UPSs that you have got to power the Server which has got dual power supplies?

If you have Network Managed Card installed into each of APC UPSs, then you can install the Power Chute Network Shutdown software on your server to avoid this problem.

The Power Chute Network Shutdown(PCNS) software works in conjunction with Network Management Card([http://www.apcc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=98]) to shutdown your Server gracefully in the event of power failure. The PCNS is supported on most commonly used operating systems.

PCNS can be installed through a Typical or Customer installation.

Typical:
* PCNS is installed and listens for UPS events from one Network Management Card.

Custom:
* PCNS is installed and listens for UPS events from two or more Network Management Cards.
* Designed for graceful, unattended shutdown with redundant UPS systems.
* *{color:#ff00ff}PCNS treats all UPS units as one, meaning shutdown will not occur unless both UPS units switch to battery or report an event that requires shutdown.{color}*
* A custom installation requires:
* Two UPS units of the same product family (ie. Smart UPS)
* Matching firmware on all Network Management Cards being monitored.
I hope that this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[Anonymous user]

Hi Bala,

We have Smart - UPS 3000 RM DL3, we do not have any Network Cards in them.

I'm not sure if I made it clear, but I would like to know if there is any way to STOP Powechute from shutting down the attached server after a UPS failure.

Do you know if this is possible?

Thanks,

Norman.

[Techie_apc]

Norman,

The Power Chute software will shutdown your Server if the UPS reaches a low battery condition on battery mode. If you do not want to shutdown your Server by the Power Chute software on battery mode, then you need to uninstall the Power Chute from your Server. You may configure the Serial or USB native support and disable the Hibernation in case if you want to monitor the UPS status.

Could you please confirm me if your Server has got dual power supplies or has it got a single Power Supply? How do you power the Server by another UPS which is already being supported by the UPS? Could you please explain the UPS setup? What do you mean by UPS failure? Are you referring to the UPS shutdown due to the low battery condition on battery mode due to power failure?

Message was edited by: Techie

[Anonymous user]

Hi Techie,

We have 3 Smart - UPS RM DL3 machines in each of our racks.

Each of our servers has dual power supply, and has each of it's power supplies going into a different UPS. So if a UPS fails then each server still has power coming from another UPS.

This is why we would not like Powerchute to stop any of the servers, as they are not in any danger.

You mentioned that we could configure the Serial or USB native support and disable the Hibernation so that we can monitor the UPS status, this sounds like what we would like to do, can you tell me exactly what we would need to do please.

Thanks,

Norman.

[Techie_apc]

Norman,

Please refer the below K-base document which can help you to configure the native support.
[http://nam-en.apc.com/cgi-bin/nam_en.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2519]

Please note that the Computer/Server will not shutdown safely or gracefully if you disable the hibernation option. In this case, the Computer will be hard shutdown when the Second UPS reaches a low battery condition on battery mode. Thus, the Computer will loose its data due to hard shutdown.

The ultimate solution is to install the Network Management Card into each of the Smart UPS and install the PCNS software.

For example:

The Server which has got dual power supplies connected to Smart UPS A and Smart UPS B. If the UPSs loose power from the wall, the following events occur without the Power Chute software installed on your Server.

* Smart UPS A powers the Server during power failure.
* Smart UPS B powers the Server if the Smart UPS A stops powering due to low battery condition.
* Smart UPS B provides power till it reaches a low battery condition on battery.
* Smart UPS B will just hard shutdown the Server if you do not have Power Chute software installed on your Server.

*{color:#ff00ff}In this situation, you can prevent the Server from loosing data by installing the Power Chute Network Shutdown on your Server with the NMC card installed into each of the UPS.{color}*

Message was edited by: Techie

[Anonymous user]

Hi Techie,

After a good nights sleep, I have come up with another question for you 🙂

In the 'Power failure' option of 'Shutdown'. If the the 'After UPS has been on battery for' is set to 50 minutes, and the 'Runtime remaining' is 30 minutes when a UPS fails. Does this mean that the UPS will not shutdown the server?

Norman.

[Techie_apc · Accepted solution]

Norman,

APC Smart UPS's default remaining low battery run time is 2 minutes. Therefore, If the UPS reaches the remaining 2 minutes runtime from 30 minutes of run time on battery mode, the Power Chute software or Native support will initiate graceful shutdown to shutdown the Server safely even if the 'After UPS has been on battery for' is set to 50 minutes.

[cb831]

Please explain "low battery run time is 2 minutes." - does it mean that the UPS will run on battery until it predicts that it can run 2 more minutes ?
And "2 minutes runtime from 30 minutes of run time on battery mode" - does that mean that there is a fixed 30min max-run-on-battery despite the capacity is (like on mine) 1h53m ?

How do I setup my network shutdowns to run until battery runtime remaining is say 20min and then initiate a graceful shutdown ? Right now I get "Runtime exceeded" just after bootup despite battery on 100% = 1h53m runtime