PowerChute Bussines doesn´t work with VMwareESXi or LInux

[Anonymous user]

Hello,

   we are using several hypervisors with VMware ESXi and these hypervisors are connected to several UPS APC . So, we want to manage shutdown hypervisors and VM host machines when power outage is occurred and there will be low battery. We found the solution Powerchute Bussiness and vSphere management assistant. I´m testing this solution on VMware ESXi 5.5 and with vSphere management assistant 6.0.0.1 Build 3755529, agent PowerChute Business Edition v9.1.1 for Linux, UPS SMT1000RMI2U, serial cable 940-0625A. I proceeded according to the manual but there is some fault with communication between UPS and PowerChute agent in Linux. The communication is ok when i install agent to VM host with windows server2008, i see power load, events when power cable is unplugged and so on. I tried to install agent to openSUSE  Leap 42 as well but there are same symptoms as in SUSE Enterprise 11 (OVF template).

VM host with SUSE have added serial port  /dev/char/serial/uart0 (that is correct port because it is working in Windows machine). The serial cable is connected to RF45 port on UPS. I tried in configuration to choose RJ45 and DB9, serial port /dev/ttyS0 and /dev/ttyS1, /dev/ttyS2, /dev/ttyS3 without success. Here is extract of serial ports when is configured serial port /dev/ttyS0 in agent configuration. It is interesting that stty is showing speed 50. When i choose /dev/ttyS1 in agent then speed 50 is on this interface.  

linux-wjhg:/home/vi-admin # setserial -a /dev/ttyS0
/dev/ttyS0, Line 0, UART: 16550A, Port: 0x03f8, IRQ: 4
Baud_base: 115200, close_delay: 50, divisor: 0
closing_wait: 3000
Flags: spd_normal skip_test

linux-wjhg:/home/vi-admin # setserial -a /dev/ttyS1
/dev/ttyS1, Line 1, UART: 16550A, Port: 0x02f8, IRQ: 3
Baud_base: 115200, close_delay: 50, divisor: 0
closing_wait: 3000
Flags: spd_normal skip_test

linux-wjhg:/home/vi-admin #
linux-wjhg:/home/vi-admin # stty -F /dev/ttyS0
speed 50 baud; line = 0;
min = 0; time = 40;
-brkint -icrnl -imaxbel
-opost -onlcr
-isig -icanon -iexten -echo -echoe -echok -echoctl -echoke
linux-wjhg:/home/vi-admin # stty -F /dev/ttyS1
speed 9600 baud; line = 0;
-brkint -imaxbel

When is choose smart signaling then i see that communication was not established in web UI. If i use simple signaling then i see in status "On Battery" in event log is "Communication established" "Power failed" It seems to be that  there is no communication between UPS and agent. 

I tried to use output file instead of  /dev/char/serial/uart0 in VM host settings. The file was empty if I used simple signaling, if I used smart signaling then there was this output : YYYYYYYYY. 

Please can me to give some advice what can i do with this? I tried to change bound rate to 2400 without success. Is there wrong version of agent or LInux? 

Thank you for any advice 

[BillP]

Hi,

You are using the proper version so you should verify that no other VM is attempting to connect to the port. If multiple VMs are using the port PowerChute will not connect to the UPS.

[Anonymous user]

Hi,

Thank you for advice. I checked it just for sure,however no other VM  use serial port. When i tested that agent work and communication is ok  on windows server 2008 then i removed the serial port from this VM. Only linux VM use serial port.

[Anonymous user]

I tried other UPS SU1400RMI2U with only DB9 port, cable 940-1524D. I choose DB9 port in configuration, signaling smart. So, it is working with this UPS. I get many values from UPS. Is it possible that there is some kind of bug in linux agent when RJ45 port is used? I would suspect faulty cable or UPS but cable 940-0625A and UPS SMT1000RMI2U communicate with windows agent. The most of our UPS are with RJ45 port. I can try other model UPS with RJ45 port but i have to wait to next maintenance time when i can unplug next UPS. Is it needed to set something  directly in UPS SMT1000RMI2U?

Thanks

[BillP]

Hi,

I tested PCBE 9.2 installer on VMware vMA 6.0.0.1 and did not experience any issue with establishing communications with a Smart-UPS SMT and SMX. I have up-loaded a video of the set-up for review https://schneider-electric.box.com/s/c7hlwggx6016wlwehpxbdkq4vj9wbsmk

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Hi,

    thank you for great video tutorial. I think it is helpful for other people who want to deploy this solution. It is exactly same procedure what I did. I tried other UPS SMX750l with RJ45 port and It work. So it seems to be that there is problem with first UPS SMT1000RMI2U that don´t wont to communicate with linux agent. 

Thank you for advices.