Please, need help after upgrading AP9617

[Anonymous user]

Hello,
I am new here and I really appreciate some feedback about the situation I am experiencing here.
I have an APC Smart-UPS SU1400RM2U with a AP9617 network card.
I tried to upgrade the firmware but it seems that the process was unsuccesful. Now, I cannot communicate with the UPS in any form: no network access, the AP9617 has BOTH leds on constantly (Green and orange) and I can't even access the UPS via serial port. Do I have a dead AP9617 card? A dead unit?

The following is the results.txt file from the firmware upgrade:
======================================================================

Using AOS file : AOS = apc_hw02_aos_371.bin
Using Application file: APP = apc_hw02_sumx_371.bin


Checking network connection ... Checking version information ...
*************** Next **************

Before Upgrading the NMC the AOS is: apc_hw02_aos_264.bin
Attempting to log in to 192.168.1.4 ... Log in sucessful
Loading OS, please wait ... OK
Please wait (2 minutes ) for system restart OK
Attempting connection to verify restart Failed to ping at 192.168.1.4System reboot failed. Aborting this Upgrade.



Not all Network Management Cards were upgraded successfully:
192.168.1.4: The Management Card at this address is not responsive.

Encountered 1 failures during upgrade.

===============================================================
Is there any way to restore/repair this card?
Any help on this matter would be GREATLY appreciated.

[Anonymous user]

Hello,
First of all, I REALLY appreciate you taking the time to help me with this issue. This situation is extremely frustrating. I refuse to believe I wasted a perfectly good UPS unit by performing a firmware upgrade.
At this point I am 99% sure that the Network card is toast, but it would be very nice if I could at least manage the unit serially for the time being, and maybe replace the damaged card in the future.

Now, regarding your specific questions:
1. The part number of the serial cable I am using to access the UPS unit is 940-0024D. I am also using a USB to serial adapter since my computer lacks serial ports.
2. Before the failed firmware upgrade I was able to access the UPS unit serially using Hyperterminal, also ping the unit and access it via network and web interface. Everything was working fine. After the upgrade, nothing. No network (the LED port on the router won't even light up when I connect the ethernet cable), no ping response, no access via serial. The unit would power up and appear to operate fine but without any communications.

Is it possible to damage the unit with a firmware upgrade so badly as to disable any type of communications? I am very afraid I have a bricked unit in my hands. Is there any way to restore serial access to the UPS?

Your help is greatly appreciated. I need to find out the extent of the damage.

[Anonymous user]

I understand that the USB to serial solution is not the best one, but it used to work fine before the upgrade.
Anyway, I went ahead and removed the NMC card from the unit.

I used Hyperterminal again to try and log in into the unit, and issued the "Shift-Y" command.
As a response I get "SM". If I continue hitting enter I get "NA" as a response.
If I issue some other key combinations I get different responses. "Shift-L" gives me a 121.6. "Shift-A", the unit beeps and I get "OK". And so on.

What does this mean? Looks like we are making some progress here. My guess is that the card is dead.
Is it possible to repair it? Or just get a new one?

Thank you so much,

JJ

[Techie_apc]

The Serial to USB may not work properly with the UPS in order to access it through hyperterminal as the 940-0024 cable is wired specifically to the pinouts of the UPS’ serial port. If possible, could you please try connecting the UPS to another Computer which has got a serial port and check if you are able to access the NMC through Hyper Terminal? And also different combinations of connecting, ie. Com1/Serial port1, Com1, Serial port2.

If this does not work, I recommend you to check if the serial cable is communicating with the UPS. In order to do this, follow the below steps:

Remove the NMC from the UPS smart slot. You need to [brain dead|http://nam-en.apc.com/cgi-bin/nam_en.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=946] the UPS before removing/installing the NMC from the smart slot.
Connect the Serial cable(940-0024) between the UPS serial port and Computer serial port directly
Open Hyperterminal
Select appropriate COM port
Use COM port settings: 2400, 8, none, 1, none
At terminal screen, issue Shift+y command and then you will get an "SM" response
This is a useful step to determine if the NMC is bad or the port on the UPS is bad.

[Techie_apc]

JJ,

The SM response indicates that the UPS is communicating with the Computer via the serial cable. However, please do not issue any other unknown shift commands as the wrong shift responses will damage the UPS circuitry.

If possible, reseat the NMC into the UPS smart slot and see if you are able to access it through Hyper terminal. Please refer my first response in order to access the card through Hyper terminal.

Do you have another working NMC? If so, swap the cards and see if the issue lies with the NMC.

For your information, you can install the [Power Chute Business Edition|http://www.apc.com/tools/download/software_comp.cfm?sw_sku=SFPCBE801&id=125&swfam=125] on your Computer to monitor the UPS via the serial cable.

[BillP]

JJ, for the NMC, do you still have this set up? can you FTP to the card and do the ls command to see which files are listed in the root directory?

we may be able to remedy this card in some manner with a little tinkering..

[Anonymous user]

Hello,
I am new here and I really appreciate some feedback about the situation I am experiencing here.
I have an APC Smart-UPS SU1400RM2U with a AP9617 network card.
I tried to upgrade the firmware but it seems that the process was unsuccesful. Now, I cannot communicate with the UPS in any form: no network access, the AP9617 has BOTH leds on constantly (Green and orange) and I can't even access the UPS via serial port. Do I have a dead AP9617 card? A dead unit?

The following is the results.txt file from the firmware upgrade:
======================================================================

Using AOS file : AOS = apc_hw02_aos_371.bin
Using Application file: APP = apc_hw02_sumx_371.bin


Checking network connection ... Checking version information ...
*************** Next **************

Before Upgrading the NMC the AOS is: apc_hw02_aos_264.bin
Attempting to log in to 192.168.1.4 ... Log in sucessful
Loading OS, please wait ... OK
Please wait (2 minutes ) for system restart OK
Attempting connection to verify restart Failed to ping at 192.168.1.4System reboot failed. Aborting this Upgrade.



Not all Network Management Cards were upgraded successfully:
192.168.1.4: The Management Card at this address is not responsive.

Encountered 1 failures during upgrade.

===============================================================
Is there any way to restore/repair this card?
Any help on this matter would be GREATLY appreciated.

[Anonymous user]

I just wanted to say thank you to all the nice people who contributed to this thread.

Today I received my new AP9619 NMC card. I installed it in the SmartUPS unit following the procedure detailed above and now everything is fine.
I now have network control, FTP, web, telnet access, and everything seems to be operating properly.
The old NMC has been confirmed dead.

I guess the moral of the story is don't try to update the firmware unless really necessary.
If you need to do it, follow VERY CAREFULLY the proper procedure, and make sure your UPS unit is securely connected to the electrical outlet and all loads have been removed.
I hope this information benefits someone sometime.

Thanks again.

Message was edited by: Picard

[Anonymous user]

Ok.
I tried to reseat the NMC card with no results. As suspected the NMC card appears to be damaged.
I don't have any other NMC card to use for testing.

Regarding the suggestion about trying to FTP the card, I know that this is a alternative method to recover from a failed upgrade.
However the NMC is REALLY dead. There is no way to access the card, not even pinging it much less doing an FTP. Unless there is a way to recover via serial there is no point in trying the FTP route. The NMC won't even light up the router port when connected.

I think I am going to try and get a new card. If I replace the AP9617 would I regaing all previous functions (network, web interface, etc)?
Is it possible to use a AP9618 or AP9619? What are the differences with the AP9617?

Your feedback is much appreciated.

[Techie_apc]

The AP9618 is Same functionality as AP9617 except..
* On-board modem allows for Out-of-Band Management as well as Numeric/Alpha Numeric paging
* Temperature probe that provides temperature readings
* Dry contacts – allows a user to monitor either a normally open/closed contact.
* Output Relay – Open/Closed contact that can change states based on UPS events.
* Ships with one Temperature Monitoring probe, part number AP9512T

The AP9619 is the same card as the AP9618, except it lacks the out of band management.

I hope that this information is useful.

[Techie_apc · Accepted solution]

You are welcome JJ!

We are glad that you got everything working again. as far as I know, firmware upgrade does not really damage the card. It might be just coincidence that the card would have failed when you upgraded the firmware.

Have a nice weekend!

:)