NMC2 (AP9631) only sends some Email notifications

[BillP]

NMC2 Firmware version: 6.8.8

Model number: AP9631

We've had a UPS (SURT15KRMXLT) with an NMC2 for 8 years now. The Email notifications have always worked fine. Ever since I upgraded to a newer firmware last year, we have been having problems with the notifications. It’s a simple configuration: The UPS sends via an internal SMTP without authentication, the test always works.

When the UPS does a self-test though for example, it always only sends the “Self-Test started.” E-Mail, not the follow-up (“Self-Test passed.”). When I check the log, it says: “Email: Could not mail mailrelay.contoso.local”

sfN4UHOv9%2Fscvj%2FnZ69zAA%3D%3D&Rest-Api-Key=d3Bhc3F1aWw6NjM3MzU2MWEtNzYzMC00OTc5LTkyMTAtOTJjYTU0NGEwZWFl.png

The first Email from 20:47:55 arrived, but that’s it:

oXW2D%2BnC%2FM60qHM54VUz2g%3D%3D&Rest-Api-Key=d3Bhc3F1aWw6NjM3MzU2MWEtNzYzMC00OTc5LTkyMTAtOTJjYTU0NGEwZWFl.png

When I check the message tracking on our Exchange (the SMTP for the UPS), I only see one Email being submitted by the NMC:

av4g1hfTBiKN2okAdMS%2BuA%3D%3D&Rest-Api-Key=d3Bhc3F1aWw6NjM3MzU2MWEtNzYzMC00OTc5LTkyMTAtOTJjYTU0NGEwZWFl.png

Emails for “Self-Test passed” are activated:

cksJLzX0aVvolhDQqRD74w%3D%3D&Rest-Api-Key=d3Bhc3F1aWw6NjM3MzU2MWEtNzYzMC00OTc5LTkyMTAtOTJjYTU0NGEwZWFl.png

Another example: We had a power outage recently, the only Email we received was about the power being back on (I already suspected a switch or something being out during the outage and that causing the lack of Emails but I can check that off, especially because this also happens with the self-tests during normal operation).

M0CjNUcgUvS%2BqSUdOjrbxg%3D%3D&Rest-Api-Key=d3Bhc3F1aWw6NjM3MzU2MWEtNzYzMC00OTc5LTkyMTAtOTJjYTU0NGEwZWFl.png

Once again, the log from our Exchange server from that day, the only Email it received from the UPS was “No longer on battery power.”

OsUhyJKJH43RmPxWXNdCzA%3D%3D&Rest-Api-Key=d3Bhc3F1aWw6NjM3MzU2MWEtNzYzMC00OTc5LTkyMTAtOTJjYTU0NGEwZWFl.png 

The Email alert for “On battery power” is on:

I2iMD6YqdCd8jI6G6mFPaA%3D%3D&Rest-Api-Key=d3Bhc3F1aWw6NjM3MzU2MWEtNzYzMC00OTc5LTkyMTAtOTJjYTU0NGEwZWFl.png

Any ideas?

[BillP]

Hi,

You should see that error if the NMC cannot connect to the SMTP server or in your case the relay to send the mail. What firmware were you running prior to the upgrade? 

[BillP]

On 9/4/2020 9:55 AM, Bill said:

What firmware were you running prior to the upgrade? 

The one the NMC came with, so from 2012. It just makes no sense to me that the NMC can reach the SMTP server one minute and the next one it can't (during normal operation). It's definitely not on the SMTP server side, we have dozens of devices using it constantly without problems. Anyway, I'll test some more and report back if I make progress.

[BillP]

Hi Janic,

Try to replace the SMTP's hostname with it's IP address and see if that helps.

-Gavan

[BillP]

On 9/16/2020 4:09 AM, Gavan said:

Try to replace the SMTP's hostname with it's IP address and see if that helps.

Nope, this time the NMC didn't even send one E-Mail:

4mtFGF7wz2Rwx0D38FInnw%3D%3D.png

Just now I sent a test email again which works without problems as usual:

5%2FWwtIjAk9e4J6Phv%2Fy1pw%3D%3D.png

I'm starting to think the NMC is faulty with how inconsistent this problem has been. I'll upgrade to firmware 6.9.2 and see if that helps.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hi Janic,

I doubt it's an NMC fault, NMCs are very all or nothing, they either work or they don't.

Is the NMC on the same subnet as the mail server? If no can it be moved onto the same subnet, that is the first thing I would do.

-Gavan 

[BillP · Accepted solution]

On 9/18/2020 3:56 AM, Gavan said:

I doubt it's an NMC fault

Seems you are correct. I tested with a different SMTP server and so far it seems to work reliably. I didn't suspect our Exchange as the culprit since it works fine with all of our other devices. I'll have to test further to see what the problem between the NMC and our Exchange is. Thanks.

[BillP]

Exchange has a lot of "smart" integrated anti-spam and security features, but some times it can be too "smart" for what you actually want to do.

-Gavan