Management software for MULTIPLE UPS'

[BARIS_apc]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 11/18/2015

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Hi,

- We are going to use six or seven "SURT6000XLIM" UPS' in the ship. Is there a software that can monitor and manage all of these UPS' from single location? As far as I know PowerChute is connected directly to the UPS and manages that single UPS.

- For smart-UPS familiy, is there any option to have SNMP and serial interface at the same time?

Thanks in advance for helping.

Barış

[BillP · Accepted solution]

This reply was originally posted by Angela on APC forums on 11/18/2015

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PowerChute Business Edition users using PowerChute Business Edition console which includes a GUI that monitors the PowerChute Business Edition Agents connected to each UPS. Thus, the console shows all of the agents. I believe SURT6000XLIM UPS though ships with a UPS Network Management Card but if I look at the picture on the website, I don't see it there. The question is are you adding a UPS Network Management Card to the UPS SmartSlot? Users would use that to manage the UPS in conjunction with PowerChute Network Shutdown or if you have no management card, you use PowerChute Business Edition via serial connection. If you are using the serial connection, you'd want to check into PowerChute Business Edition and using the Agent, Server, and Console components if you have multiple UPSs on the same network you'd like to see with one GUI -> http://www.apc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=125. 

The tool we offer for managing multiple UPS Network Management Cards is StruxureWare Data Center Expert -> http://www.apc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=350 It uses SNMP to manage and monitor the devices and can do APC devices (which it is catered to) but also has support for third party devices. The VM Trial version allows you to monitor (5) devices for free I think. You can get it in VM form or as a hardware appliance if you wish. Other options you may have would be to just look into a generic SNMP monitoring tool depending on what capabilities you want. StruxureWare can do mass firmware upgrades, configurations, alarms, etc but if you just want basic monitoring or alarms, it may be overkill for you.

Regarding your second question, the UPS has a serial port for use with PowerChute. UPS Network Management Cards also have a serial port and SNMP interface on them if you're using that. If using a UPS Network Management Card, you wouldn't use the serial interface on the UPS itself. With AP9630/31 UPS Network Management Card, yes you can use both SNMP and serial connection at the same time.

[BARIS_apc]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 11/19/2015

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Hi Angela,

Thank you very much for your detailed answer, it was really useful. We can buy whatever we have to buy in order to meet the requirements. So we can buy AP9630/9631.

We are using serial interface for turning-on the UPS by short cutting related pins of the serial DB-9 interface ( dry-contact). It seems we can do it on SURT6000XLIM too.

According to documentation Default ports for SURT6000XLIM : DB-9 RS-232, RJ-45 10/100 Base-T, Smart-Slot (http://www.apc.com/shop/tr/tr/products/APC-Smart-UPS-RT-6000VA-230V-Marine/P-SURT6000XLIM)

Do you know if we can use the default 10/100 Base-T interface for management software ? If we can, we don't have to buy AP9630/31. But i dont know if powerchute works via ethernet. Perhaps it works only with serial connection? And the other The centralized managemet solution (StruxureWare Data Center Expert) works only if we install AP9630/31?

Regards

Barış

[BARIS_apc]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 11/19/2015

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Hi Angela, i have another question since i found the expert;

 SURT6000XLIM MARINE UPS 

In the marine applications, input supply of the UPS is Line1 and Line2. Where measured  vrms 

between Line1 and Line2 is 220 VAC,

between Line1 and safety ground is 110 VAC and

measured value between Line2 and safety ground is 110 VAC.

Can we assume the same values for the output of the SURT6000XLIM MARINE UPS?

Thanks for helping.

[BillP]

This reply was originally posted by Angela on APC forums on 11/19/2015

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Hi Baris,

Yes, you can use the DB-9 serial port as a dry contact interface and use the SmartSlot Network Management Card. I see what you mean on the tech specs mentioning 10/100 Base-T. I checked the US/English product page here (http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=SURT6000XLIM) and actually it does not list 10/100 Base T! I asked the product manager to look into the problem and in the meantime I decided to check the Build of Materials (BOM) on this UPS to see if a Network Management Card is included because I did not think it was meaning 10/100 shouldn't be listed there as the UPS itself only has a DB-9 serial port. 10/100base T is only available with the Network Management Card.

Long story short, I don't see that an AP9630/31 is included with this UPS. PowerChute Business Edition can only be used on USB (this UPS doesn't offer USB) or serial connections.

If you buy an AP9630/31 and need graceful shutdown, you install the management card in the UPS and use the PowerChute Network Shutdown on your servers/clients.

Yes, StruxureWare Data Center Expert only will monitor the management cards. There is a way to get it to "look" at PowerChute Business Edition agents but the support is so very limited I wouldn't even recommend it. I believe it only works on Windows and relies on Windows SNMP service or something like that. I think you'd be severely disappointed with the basic support, especially if you're buying StruxureWare just to manage them. You're better off using PowerChute Business Edition Console.

On your second question, here is what I know on input/output voltages and other features of the UPS -> http://www.apcmedia.com/salestools/PAYS-8ACJ4C/PAYS-8ACJ4C_R3_EN.pdf . Hope it helps. I don't have one of these to double check and measure any output voltages. I believe this UPS just cases what the L-L voltage is and it has different settings as noted in the specifications - 220, 230, 240 - and the legs will add up to that somehow.

[BARIS_apc]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 11/19/2015

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hi Angela,

Thanks a lot for detailed and clear explanations, that helped us quite a lot. Now we can work on the issue as you lead. if you don't mind I will keep asking you some more boring questions until we select the right HW and SW for our project 🙂

Baris

[BillP]

This reply was originally posted by Angela on APC forums on 11/19/2015

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OK 

Note here in the USA is the Thanksgiving Day holiday is next Thursday (and we get the day after off too).