How to shutdown/power up servers in multiple Vlans

[iron4o_apc]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 8/23/2011

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Hello,

This is my first post in this forum-i think that this is right place to ask.

I have this UPS
http://www.apc.com/products/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=G3TUPS20

and this Card and sensor

http://soft.apc.com/emb/htm/66074e.htm

I have 65 physical servers and 30 virtual machines.
First PSU on each servers is powered from this big UPS and second PSU is powered from local UPS in each rack.

I have to monitor temp/humidity and shutdown all servers and power up again when temp/humiditu is returned back to normal state.

But all servers are in different Vlans and broadcast from Management card can't communicate with them.
I think if i have one PC/Server direct attached to Management card and on this PC/Server there is software/agent who will send shutdown/start up command to all servers.
This PC will have access to all Vlans.

Is this is possible?

[voidstar_apc]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 8/23/2011

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>
But all servers are in different Vlans and broadcast from Management card can't communicate with them.
>

Three things:
1) The NMC uses unicast for communicating outside it's broadcast domain. So assuming the netmasks are set up correctly, the NMC should be unicasting to the servers on different VLANs.
2) If the VLANs prevent unicast communication from the NMC, then why not give the NMC access to all VLANs?
3) In theory, PCNS will rebroadcast the NMCs communication from one network interface onto other network interfaces. Unfortunately I've never used that feature.

[voidstar_apc]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 8/24/2011

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>
So i can connect NMC card to main core switch and then to all other switches and i will have communication between NMC and PCNS on servers?
>

I don't know how your system works.

In your original message, you seemed to be concerned that ethernet broadcasts will not reach all your servers because they span multiple VLANs.

If those VLANs are different broadcast domains but otherwise connected, that's not a problem. You need to make sure the netmask of the NMC is correct so that it can determine which servers are within its broadcast domain. Servers outside its broadcast domain will receive unicast messages from the NMC.

If the VLANs won't pass direct traffic between each other, then you'll need to find some way to put the NMC on all VLANs. If putting it on the core router does this, then great!

>
Or i can install this PC/Server with 2 network card.
First NIC1 connected to NMC and second NIC2 connected to switch(and will have access to all VLANS).
And PCNS on this PC/Server will reroute traffic from NIC1 to NIC2?
PCNS can do this?
>

I think so, but I've never done it. Seems like you could just as well give the NMC access to all VLANs.

This document has a nice explanation of how PCNS traffic is routed:
[PowerChute Network Shutdown with more than 50 Computers on One UPS|http://nam-en.apc.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/786/]

[iron4o_apc · Accepted solution]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 8/24/2011

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So i can connect NMC card to main core switch and then to all other switches and i will have communication between NMC and PCNS on servers?

Or i can install this PC/Server with 2 network card.
First NIC1 connected to NMC and second NIC2 connected to switch(and will have access to all VLANS).
And PCNS on this PC/Server will reroute traffic from NIC1 to NIC2?
PCNS can do this?