I'm really confused.

[Anonymous user]

Hi,
I'm really confused regarding the settings.

I have powetchute network shutdown.

What I want to do:
Host - turnsoff when it's 10min left of the battery
One VM - Turns off when it's 30min left of battery.
And the rest of the VM's will turnoff when it's 15min left of battery.

But I have so many settings.
Under the client/webgui I have:
* Virtualization settings
* Configure Events

In Configure Events I have set the host for 600sec for the host.
And under Virtualization settings I have set it 900 sec for the VM Shutdown this is because I have multi VM's and not all of them will turnoff when it's 30min left of battery that Is some things that I have setup in the agent for that VM.

BUT then we have settings inside the SmartCard also.
We have Outlet Settings and also Shutdown settings.
What should I do here? I can't really understand why I should need so many settings for just a shutdown.

What should I use as settings here?

[BillP]

Hi,

On 8/27/2018 9:41 AM, Robin said:

What I want to do:
Host - turnsoff when it's 10min left of the battery
One VM - Turns off when it's 30min left of battery.
And the rest of the VM's will turnoff when it's 15min left of battery.

That is not how PowerChute works. The shut down process is

1. NMC reports that the UPS is on battery.

2. Shutdown delay for the On Battery event elapses. PowerChute starts a maintenance mode task on each Host. At the same time it sends a command to turn off the UPS or Outlet Group.

3. PowerChute starts VM shutdown followed by vApp shutdown.

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

5. vCenter VM shutdown duration elapses.

6. PowerChute starts executing the shutdown command file.

7. Shutdown command file duration elapses. PowerChute shuts down the VMware hosts using the order on the VMware Host Protection page. (The host running the vCenter VM will be shut down last in this scenario).

8. OS shutdown sequence starts on the PowerChute physical machine.

9. After a 70 second delay the OS starts to shut down.

10. UPS waits for greater of Low Battery Duration/Maximum Required Delay (NonOutlet Aware UPS‟s) or the Outlet Group Power Off Delay (initiated during step 2).

11. UPS turns off after the user-configurable Shutdown Delay time has elapsed or the Outlet Group turns off after the power off Delay elapses.

To assist with the proper configuration I need to know what is the model of UPS, the network card model and firmware, if you have vCenter Server configured or a single ESXi host? 

[Anonymous user]

Hi,

I have the SMT1000I with the networkcard.

The host are running Hyper-V and the host are connected to main UPS Outlets.
The outlet group 1 have some devices connected that are not computers or other things like that and I want that group to shutdown after 600 sec.
I want my first VM to turnoff when it's 2700sec remaining of battery.
And I want my Host to start to turnoff when it's 1800sec remaining of the battery and when the host starts to turnoff it should turnoff the Hyper-V VM's gracefully per default but I'm not sure that's why I did put 1800sec in the VM Shutdown.

I have the following settings for the host now:
Virtual Machine Shutdown

• VM Shutdown: 1800sec

Configure events

• Runtime remaining below threshold: 1800sec

And on my VM I have this settings:
Configure events

• Runtime remaining below threshold: 2700sec

In the Network card I have this settings:
Shutdown

• Low Battery Duration: 30min

Outlet Group Settings/main UPS Outlets: 

• Power Off Delay: 2040sec
• [ ] Skip outlet off delay: this one is unchecked I did guess that if I have this it will skip the power off delay is that correct?

Outlet Group Settings/Outlet Group 1:

• Power Off Delay: 0sec
• [X] Power failure lasts longer than: 600sec (I have also checked the box for this one)
• [X] Skip outlet off delay (this one is checked)

[BillP]

Hi,

I have a few more questions.

Do you have a single host or multiple hosts and if multiple hosts have you installed PCNS on each or are you running SCVMM?

You wrote 

On 8/27/2018 2:46 PM, Robin said:

And on my VM I have this settings:
Configure events

• Runtime remaining below threshold: 2700sec

Have you install PCNS on the VM and if so what is the OS?

On 8/27/2018 2:46 PM, Robin said:

Outlet Group Settings/Outlet Group 1:

• Power Off Delay: 0sec
• [X] Power failure lasts longer than: 600sec (I have also checked the box for this one)
• [X] Skip outlet off delay (this one is checked)

Assuming you have configure PCNS with the main group these settings will work to power down group 1 after the UPS has been on battery for 10 minutes. The main outlet group will not be affected by these settings. 

It does not matter that you set the power off delay to zero seconds since you have selected skip outlet off delay. When the NMC commands the group off any delay will be skipped. 

[Anonymous user]

Hi Bill,

It's only one host.
I have the PCNS installed on the host that runs windows server 2016 and the VM's are running Hyper-V

I have the PCNS installed on the VM and the OS is Windows Server 2016.

So Basically what I want is that my VM are turning off when it's 2700sec left of battery and that my Host are turning off when it's 1800sec left of battery.

And the outlet group 1 will turnoff when it has been running on battery for 600sec but that I guess that we have fixed already?

[BillP]

Hi,

You will need to set PCNS to start the shutdown process when there is 2700 second left of battery. Then in the VM shutdown/startup section of PowerChtue set the delay to 900 seconds. PowerChute will start the shutdown process then wait 900 seconds and finally the host will be powered down. 

Please see Schneider Electric FAQ FA159689 "Configuring Virtual Machines to shut down when a Hyper-V host is commanded to shut down."

On 8/28/2018 9:27 AM, Robin said:

And the outlet group 1 will turnoff when it has been running on battery for 600sec but that I guess that we have fixed already?

Correct.

[Anonymous user]

Why should I set the delay at 900 sec? 

I have multi VMs on the host that needs to turn off at the same time as the host. 

The first VM is just a power consuming non critical that I can power off before everything else. 

I'll get back tomorrow with pictures of my settings so you can see if I have done it in the right way. 

[Anonymous user]

Hi,
Here is pictures over my settings, does it look right?

Host

ZNsywWAJCxlWHjxHa%2BxyyQ%3D%3D.png

lhZcGm6UK39QL39m43ytrQ%3D%3D.png

Network card that are in the UPS.

C0NvIdkUyvAkmb%2BPVm8jvQ%3D%3D.png

Main Outlet Settings

NtorWFDoLE0tJdV7CqvV1Q%3D%3D.png

And here is the settings for my VM

Vwqxx%2BnpiM177IWHGIEB1Q%3D%3D.png

[BillP]

Hi,

You had stated

What I want to do:
Host - turnsoff when it's 10min left of the battery
One VM - Turns off when it's 30min left of battery.
And the rest of the VM's will turnoff when it's 15min left of battery.

So for the host you should set the Runtime remaining threshold to 1200 seconds. That way the VMs will start the shutdown process when there is 20 minutes left of battery life. The way you now have it configured the process will begin at 30 minutes. The reasoning is, you stated you want the VMs to power down with 15 minutes of battery life. I added 5 minutes to that. The extra time is base on how you need to set the low battery duration. The low battery duration needs to include VM shutdown delay, start up delay, host shutdown, and an additional 2 minutes un-adjustable buffer. So, 5 + 2 + 10 + 2 = 19 minutes for low battery duration and I added 1 extra minute for safety. If the host does not require 10 minutes to power down you can adjust these number accordingly. 

For the VM shutdown duration you should set that to 300 seconds. That way the host will begin to power down 5 minutes after the VMs have. That should be close to if not exactly at 15 minutes of battery life. Again, adding the needed time for low the low battery duration. The way you now have it configure the host will not be powered down until 30 after the VMs have been.

As mention the low battery duration should be set to 19 minutes. 

The basic low battery duration will only affect any devices connected to the UPS via serial communication.

The power off delay for the outlet group should be 1140 seconds to keep the outlet group energize through out the entire shutdown process. This number can be adjusted if the host does not require 10 minutes to power down. 

For the VM you should set runtime remaining to 1800 seconds. 

Also, I recommend enter 1200 seconds for the min return runtime for the outlet group. This will ensure that the UPS will be able to complete the required shutdown process in the event that during start up there is another outage. The UPS will be charge enough to power everything down properly.  

[Anonymous user]

Hi again,

If I want to turn off the VM's when it's 30min left and then turn off the host when it's 20min left (or when the VM's is power down doesn't really matter), how do I do that?
I'm still a little confused.

But I guess that I increase the low battery duration to 29min as I increase the host from 10 to 20min?
And if I want the VM's to power off when it's 30min left I do just adjust the Runtime remaining threshold to 1800sec on the host.

VM shutdown duration is still on 300sec (5min) is that correct?

The power off delay for the outlet group should it be 1740sec as it's the same as 29min as the low battery duration are on 29min are that correct?

One the min return runtime it's 1200sec now as you did recommend that earlier but should I increase that to 1800sec as the turnoff time is 1800sec?

Here is the new pictures over my settings.

Host

wJVl0CU3iOi3U1zHSaiBEA%3D%3D.png

MxtsMdIDyE2eb2bk5Nitww%3D%3D.png

Smart NetworkCard

POY2Ahq3x2xCKGuew6IajQ%3D%3D.png

FfsclhiJ9%2FdY%2B%2FFVb8ON6w%3D%3D.png

[BillP]

Hi,

On 8/30/2018 2:30 PM, Robin said:

If I want to turn off the VM's when it's 30min left and then turn off the host when it's 20min left (or when the VM's is power down doesn't really matter), how do I do that?

There are a few ways to accomplish that. Using PCNS you should set the runtime remaining threshold to 30 minutes so when the UPS fall below that level PCNS will start the shutdown process. If you want the host to power down at 20 minutes enter a 10 minute delay for the VM shutdown  duration. The VMs will be commanded down and once 10 minutes has elapsed the host will be commanded down. 

On 8/30/2018 2:30 PM, Robin said:

The power off delay for the outlet group should it be 1740sec as it's the same as 29min as the low battery duration are on 29min are that correct?

 The outlet group power off delay needs to be great enough to allow all attached equipment to power down. So if the VMs need 10 minute and the host needs 10 minutes the outlet group power off delay needs to be greater than 20 minutes. I recommend adding 2 minutes for safety so set the delay to 22 minutes. 

On 8/30/2018 2:30 PM, Robin said:

One the min return runtime it's 1200sec now as you did recommend that earlier but should I increase that to 1800sec as the turnoff time is 1800sec?

That would be fine. 

To better explain Low Battery Duration: it is a threshold set to trigger shutdown. It is viewed as a critical event. Once the NMC see that the battery has fallen below the threshold it sends out a signal to all PCNS clients that are listening to inform them that the UPS is at low battery. PCNS would then begin the shutdown process. So let say you do not configure runtime remaining in the PCNS web interface to trigger a shutdown. You do however set the low battery duration to 30 minutes. When the UPS battery falls below 30 minutes of runtime PCNS will begin the shutdown process. In your case if you set VM shutdown delay to 10 minutes the host will be command down 10 minutes after the VMs. 

You may be wondering why then is there a setting in PCNS for runtime remaining. The reason is runtime remaining from with in PCNS can be configure for greater than 30 minutes. The low battery duration has a maximum of 30 minutes. 

[Anonymous user]

Thanks I think I got it now.

What I have done is that in the Host PCNS I have nothing set but the VM shutdown for 300 sec and VM Startup at 120sec (is that good or should I have it longer for the VM Startup?)

That's because I have put the Low Battery Duration: at 30min so as far as I understand is that when it's 30min left of battery it triggers a shutdown for the VM's and then 300sec after the VM's is shutdowned it shutdown the host?
Correct?

And as I have some switches etc. in the Outlets I have set the Power Off Delay at 2400sec.
Does the outlet start it's countdown when the Low Battery Duration are triggerd and then 2400sec after that it's powering off?

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hi,

On 9/1/2018 1:21 PM, Robin said:

That's because I have put the Low Battery Duration: at 30min so as far as I understand is that when it's 30min left of battery it triggers a shutdown for the VM's and then 300sec after the VM's is shutdowned it shutdown the host?

That is correct.

On 9/1/2018 1:21 PM, Robin said:

Does the outlet start it's countdown when the Low Battery Duration are triggerd and then 2400sec after that it's powering off?

The outlet off delay should be not greater than the low battery duraton unless you have configured the outlet group to begin the shutdown process. If the shutdown process is being triggered by the low battery duration than the outlet off delay should be the same as low battery duration or less. 

For your setup since group 1 is starting the shutdown of the single VM the delay can be greater. Keep in mind that if the batteries are depleted prior to the outlet off delay completion the outlet group will be powered down upon battery depletion.