Help
  • Explore Community
  • Get Started
  • Ask the Community
  • How-To & Best Practices
  • Contact Support
Notifications
Login / Register
Community
Community
Notifications
close
  • Forums
  • Knowledge Center
  • Events & Webinars
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
Help
Help
  • Explore Community
  • Get Started
  • Ask the Community
  • How-To & Best Practices
  • Contact Support
Login / Register
Sustainability
Sustainability

Join our "Ask Me About" community webinar on May 20th at 9 AM CET and 5 PM CET to explore cybersecurity and monitoring for Data Center and edge IT. Learn about market trends, cutting-edge technologies, and best practices from industry experts.
Register and secure your Critical IT infrastructure

Low Battery Duration

APC UPS Data Center & Enterprise Solutions Forum

Schneider, APC support forum to share knowledge about installation and configuration for Data Center and Business Power UPSs, Accessories, Software, Services.

cancel
Turn on suggestions
Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type.
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
  • Home
  • Schneider Electric Community
  • APC UPS, Critical Power, Cooling and Racks
  • APC UPS Data Center & Enterprise Solutions Forum
  • Low Battery Duration
Options
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Mark Topic as New
  • Mark Topic as Read
  • Float this Topic for Current User
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Printer Friendly Page
Invite a Co-worker
Send a co-worker an invite to the portal.Just enter their email address and we'll connect them to register. After joining, they will belong to the same company.
You have entered an invalid email address. Please re-enter the email address.
This co-worker has already been invited to the Exchange portal. Please invite another co-worker.
Please enter email address
Send Invite Cancel
Invitation Sent
Your invitation was sent.Thanks for sharing Exchange with your co-worker.
Send New Invite Close
Top Experts
User Count
BillP
Administrator BillP Administrator
5060
voidstar_apc
Janeway voidstar_apc
196
Erasmus_apc
Sisko Erasmus_apc
112
TheNotoriousKMP_apc
Sisko TheNotoriousKMP_apc
108
View All

Invite a Colleague

Found this content useful? Share it with a Colleague!

Invite a Colleague Invite
Solved Go to Solution
Back to APC UPS Data Center & Enterprise Solutions Forum
Solved
AndrewJ_apc
Crewman AndrewJ_apc
Crewman

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

0 Likes
6
1667
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

Low Battery Duration

I have a question about the shutdown configuration settings in UNMC.  Low Battery Duration, according to the APC help file "Defines how long the UPS can continue to run on battery power after a low-battery condition occurs."  If I set it for the shortest duration possible (2 minutes) is it going to initiate UPS shutdown 2 minutes after Low Battery is detected (minimum runtime, maximum battery preservation), or is it going to initiate shutdown when only 2 minutes of runtime remain (maximum runtime, minimum battery preservation)?  I'm assuming the former is correct, but I have seen several posts in the forum indicating the later.   Which one is correct? 

Labels
  • Labels:
  • Smart-UPS & Symmetra LX | RM
  • Tags:
  • battery
  • duration
  • low
Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

  • All forum topics
  • Previous Topic
  • Next Topic

Accepted Solutions
AndrewJ_apc
Crewman AndrewJ_apc
Crewman

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

0 Likes
0
1667
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

Thank you all for your assistance.  I appreciate it.

See Answer In Context

Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Replies 6
mitsmith_apc
Lt. Commander mitsmith_apc
Lt. Commander

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

0 Likes
0
1667
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

Hi Andrew,

The key here is that we are focusing on UPS shutdown and not the shutdown of your severs. If we are just looking at the UPS, the UPS will shutdown with 2 minutes remaining (the second option). This low battery setting we are looking at is what will signal our graceful shutdown software, powerchute, to start turning off your servers. The UPS will stay running during this time until only 2 minutes remain to make sure everything was able to shutdown. 

To turn the UPS off earlier, you would have to have powerchute network shutdown and make sure you select the setting turn UPS off when configuring it. The way this will work is when the low battery condition exists the UPS will send a signal to powerchute. Powerchute will then start turning off your servers. Once enough time has passed to shut down your servers, powerchute will then send a signal back to the UPS to turn off.  

Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

AndrewJ_apc
Crewman AndrewJ_apc
Crewman

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

0 Likes
0
1667
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

Michael,

Thank you for the quick reply.  Our UPS units (approximately 150 of them) are powering network equipment, not servers, so my only concern is the UPS shutdown, not servers or PowerChute.  While I understand what you explained, it seems to contradict the documentation.  The documentation describes Low Battery Duration shutdown in terms of the number of minutes AFTER Low Battery Condition is detected.  Your explanation describes shutdown in terms of the number of minutes BEFORE the complete depletion of the battery.  If the calculation is based solely on remaining minutes of battery function, why is the setting described as Low Battery Duration?  And why does it make reference to the onset of Low Battery Condition, when Low Battery Condition appears to have nothing to do with the time interval?   

Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

voidstar_apc
Janeway voidstar_apc
Janeway

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

0 Likes
0
1667
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

The "low battery condition" just means the available runtime is below the "low battery duration." So when the "low battery condition" is reached, then by definition, the "low battery duration" is how long the UPS can continue to run on battery power. It's two different ways of looking at the same concept, although I find the NMC help's approach rather unnatural.

ASCII diagram illustrating the two views:

Time BEFORE complete depletion of the battery:

|<-- Low Battery Duration -->|
| |
Runtime: | =========================> | ----------------------- | --------------------- |
^ ^ ^ ^
Battery Depleted Low Battery Condition Current Runtime Runtime at Full Charge

Time remaining AFTER low battery condition is reached:

|<-- Low Battery Duration -->|
| |
Runtime: | <========================= | ----------------------- | --------------------- |
^ ^ ^ ^
Battery Depleted Low Battery Condition Current Runtime Runtime at Full Charge

Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

AndrewJ_apc
Crewman AndrewJ_apc
Crewman

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

0 Likes
0
1667
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

Thank you, this is helpful.  I will treat the Low Battery Duration field as "number of minutes before complete battery depletion."

Follow up question:  If I understand it correctly, Maximum Required Delay is a time interval set by the UPS (ours is 2 minutes) that functions as a shutdown buffer.  In other words, if we set the Low Battery Duration to 5 minutes, the system will add an additional 2 minutes of Maximum Required Delay automatically.  So shutdown will actually begin 7 minutes before complete battery depletion.  Is this correct?

Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

mitsmith_apc
Lt. Commander mitsmith_apc
Lt. Commander

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

0 Likes
0
1667
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

Hi Andrew,

You are a little off. The maximum required delay is used for the use with powerchute network shutdown. It essentially will look at all the PCNS installs and determines what the longest shutdown delay is out of those installs. If not using PCNS it will match the low battery setting by default. It is calculated whenever the management interface of the UPS turns on or is reset, or when the Force Negotiation option is selected and you click Apply. In your case you will not need to worry about this setting since it only applies to PCNS. 

There is a un-configurable setting of a 2 minute buffer for shutdown of the UPS. So if you set the low battery duration at 5 minutes it will signal low battery at 7 minutes. 

Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

AndrewJ_apc
Crewman AndrewJ_apc
Crewman

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

0 Likes
0
1668
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-06-30 10:44 PM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 10:41 PM

Thank you all for your assistance.  I appreciate it.

Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Preview Exit Preview

never-displayed

You must be signed in to add attachments

never-displayed

 
To The Top!

Forums

  • APC UPS Data Center Backup Solutions
  • EcoStruxure IT
  • EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert
  • Metering & Power Quality
  • Schneider Electric Wiser

Knowledge Center

Events & webinars

Ideas

Blogs

Get Started

  • Ask the Community
  • Community Guidelines
  • Community User Guide
  • How-To & Best Practice
  • Experts Leaderboard
  • Contact Support
Brand-Logo
Subscribing is a smart move!
You can subscribe to this board after you log in or create your free account.
Forum-Icon

Create your free account or log in to subscribe to the board - and gain access to more than 10,000+ support articles along with insights from experts and peers.

Register today for FREE

Register Now

Already have an account? Login

Terms & Conditions Privacy Notice Change your Cookie Settings © 2025 Schneider Electric

This is a heading

With achievable small steps, users progress and continually feel satisfaction in task accomplishment.

Usetiful Onboarding Checklist remembers the progress of every user, allowing them to take bite-sized journeys and continue where they left.

of