Intermittent error - PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card.

[MRamsay_apc]

We have a newly installed APC Smart-UPS RT 5000 RM XL with a AP9631 NMC running version v6.4.0 firmware. We have PowerChute Network Shutdown 4.1.0.
Build 6428 running on a Windows 2012 R2 server. Both the NMC and PowerChute are on the same subnet.

Several times a day I see a log message "PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card" immediately followed by "Communication has been established". I ran a continuous ping from the PowerChute server to the NMC and checked it against when I was receiving the alerts and at no time did a ping to the NMC fail, despite having several of the above error messages logged.

Any idea how to reduce the sensitivity of PowerChute to this issue that clearly is not an issue? I have set up command files that email me when the various events are triggered so I am getting hit with numerous messages every day about the communications being re-established. I don't get an email message about the loss of communications because I set a 10 second delay on that, but I get a message immediately afterward that communications was re-established.

On another point, I was a little amazed that PowerChute could not natively send out emails for event triggers. The fact that I had to set up a series of command files that would send out customized email messages based on the various alerts is unheard of these days. No other management or monitoring package that I have at any of my clients can't send out an email with alert details. Time for APC to bring PowerChute into the 21st century and include email alerts!!

[BillP]

Marc,

There is no way to adjust the sensitivity of PowerChute. PowerChute should only report lost comm to the NMC if it has not received a packet from the NMC for roughly 2 minutes. The NMC sends out a signal every 25 seconds informing PowerChute of its status. If PowerChute does not receive the packets it will post the lost comm error message. 

What is being recorded in the event log and in the error log?

On 8/18/2016 1:25 PM, Marc said:

On another point, I was a little amazed that PowerChute could not natively send out emails for event triggers. The fact that I had to set up a series of command files that would send out customized email messages based on the various alerts is unheard of these days. No other management or monitoring package that I have at any of my clients can't send out an email with alert details. Time for APC to bring PowerChute into the 21st century and include email alerts!!

We do not have any plans at this time to add an e-mail feature to PowerChute Network Shutdown. However, in the next version (4.2) we are including SNMP that will allow PowerChute to be monitored and configured. 

[MRamsay_apc]

Hi Bill,

Thank you for the prompt reply.

The PowerChute Event Log shows a series of 3 events. The first 2 are always showing the exact same time, and the third 10 seconds later:

18/08/2016 10:13:37 Running Command File.
18/08/2016 10:13:27 Communication has been established.
18/08/2016 10:13:27 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card.

Where is the error log you are referring to?

The event log on the NMC is not showing any issues.

Marc

[BillP]

Marc,

If you install PowerChute to the default path the error log is in C:\Program Files\APC\PowerChute\group1

On 8/18/2016 3:53 PM, Marc said:

18/08/2016 10:13:27 Communication has been established.
18/08/2016 10:13:27 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card.

The event log show the lose of communications and establishment simultaneously. 

[MRamsay_apc]

Thanks for the location Bill.

The error .txt file is clear except for an error dated back when Powerchute was being initially configured.

The EventLog.txt file shows what the web interface does. These are the errors for today so far:

22/08/2016 05:01:54 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card. .3.5.1.5.6.5
22/08/2016 05:01:54 Communication has been established. .3.5.1.5.6.1
22/08/2016 05:02:04 Running Command File. .3.4.9.9
22/08/2016 11:10:39 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card. .3.5.1.5.6.5
22/08/2016 11:10:39 Communication has been established. .3.5.1.5.6.1
22/08/2016 11:10:49 Running Command File. .3.4.9.9

As before, a continuous ping to the NMC does not show any interruptions in connectivity with the NMC.

[BillP]

Marc,

How often is this happening? Is it daily or multiple times per day and is there any pattern to the occurrences? 

[MRamsay_apc]

Hi Bill;

Here is the log from yesterday. There are 8 occurrences and there is no pattern to the timing and it is typical of the days preceding it.

22/08/2016 05:01:54 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card. .3.5.1.5.6.5
22/08/2016 05:01:54 Communication has been established. .3.5.1.5.6.1
22/08/2016 05:02:04 Running Command File. .3.4.9.9
22/08/2016 11:10:39 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card. .3.5.1.5.6.5
22/08/2016 11:10:39 Communication has been established. .3.5.1.5.6.1
22/08/2016 11:10:49 Running Command File. .3.4.9.9
22/08/2016 11:54:01 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card. .3.5.1.5.6.5
22/08/2016 11:54:01 Communication has been established. .3.5.1.5.6.1
22/08/2016 11:54:11 Running Command File. .3.4.9.9
22/08/2016 12:03:54 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card. .3.5.1.5.6.5
22/08/2016 12:03:54 Communication has been established. .3.5.1.5.6.1
22/08/2016 12:04:04 Running Command File. .3.4.9.9
22/08/2016 12:12:55 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card. .3.5.1.5.6.5
22/08/2016 12:12:55 Communication has been established. .3.5.1.5.6.1
22/08/2016 12:13:05 Running Command File. .3.4.9.9
22/08/2016 12:15:04 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card. .3.5.1.5.6.5
22/08/2016 12:15:04 Communication has been established. .3.5.1.5.6.1
22/08/2016 12:15:14 Running Command File. .3.4.9.9
22/08/2016 12:36:07 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card. .3.5.1.5.6.5
22/08/2016 12:36:07 Communication has been established. .3.5.1.5.6.1
22/08/2016 12:36:17 Running Command File. .3.4.9.9
22/08/2016 18:10:31 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card. .3.5.1.5.6.5
22/08/2016 18:10:31 Communication has been established. .3.5.1.5.6.1
22/08/2016 18:10:41 Running Command File. .3.4.9.9

Thank you.

Marc

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

I'm having the same thing in my logs during the day.

...

12/08/2016 11:15:06 Communication has been established.
12/08/2016 11:15:06 PowerChute cannot communicate with the Network Management Card.
12/08/2016 09:08:15 Communication has been established.
12/08/2016 09:08:15 Network Management Card cannot communicate with the UPS.