PowerChute Network Shutdown questions

[BillP]

I have 3 ESXi Servers and a few Win2008 vSphere Client machines plugged in via Outlet Strips.

I built a vMA machine and have installed PowerChute Network Shutdown

Appears to look like things are installed correctly..

& can go online via the Network Management Card & configure the UPS settings etc.

I can also view the PowerChute Network Shutdown via the WebBrowser on my vSphere Client machine.  (via the vMA setup)

A few questions..

1.)

I've added my Host Machines as Clients in the UPS Network Management Card 2 setup..

& can see them in the PowerChute Network Shutdown vMA (via web browser)

Just not certain if I should have added each ESXi Host machine here..   if not, how do I remover them?  (see I can add, but not delete?)

I can add/remove them from the vMA machine, but not either the UPS Network Management Card 2 setup or the PCNS GUI

2.)

I've mentioned Outlets..   We have outlet strips for our Win2008 machines running our vSphere Clients.

but don't see an option to configure Outlets..   the Network Management Card shows No Outlets Available...

Network Management Card IP Address:     Outlet Settings:

192.168.101.20     No Outlets Available

I'd assume I need to configure Outlets so as to allow for a graceful shutdown of our vSphere Client machines.

3.)

In the PowerChute Network Shutdown setup, I see an option to configure the PCNS to check for updates.

However it shows as:

PCNS checks for updates at start-up, and every 7 days after that.

Last checked for updates on: 11/12/13 8:29AM

Unable to connect to the Update Server

I've opened the firewall for this IP Address, but yield the same results..

However, my vMA can get updates w/no problems or issues.

Any tips or suggestions you can offer would be appreciated.

Thanks in Advance...

[BillP]

what confuses me is the PCNS product calls them Connected Servers, where as the UPS Network Management Card calls them PowerChute Network Shutdown Clients.

& they are called servers in the vMA...  where as I've removed my Host Machines and have added my vCenter Server only..  just now see all these Servers (or Clients) listed and see no way to remove them from the PCNS or UPS Network Management Card.

[BillP]

Hi,

1 - I suggest you review the PDF attached to knowledge base document FA159780 When you install PCNS on the vMA you are asked to enter the ESXi host along with user name and password for the host. Page 53 - 55 of the PDF explain how to add other ESXi host to the server shutdown list. You do not need to add the host server IPs to the NMC. The only IPS that needs to be registered with the NMC is the IP of the vMA. To remove the entered IPs from the NMC look in PowerChute Clients. There you can add and remove PCNS clients.

2 - Without having specific model info I cannot help with the outlet configuration. In most cases you would not / do not configure external outlet using the UPS NMC. To power down any clients running on the ESXi host see knowledge base document FA159688

3 - The update server is down temporally. The most up to date version of PCNS is 3.0.1.

[BillP]

Hi Bill P,

Thank you for your note and for the information.

1.) I've added the Host Machines back to the vMA..  Host machine that is running the vMA is the last in the list as documented.

Question:

- do I also leave my vSphere Server there too, or just the 3 hosts??

(for now I have the vSphere removed... it's the virtual appliance piece as opposed to a physical box or guest OS)

As for removing the IP's from the NMC PowerChute Clients.. I only see an option button to Add, no button to Remove them. (?)

2.)

Model:     Smart-UPS RT 8000 RM XL

Position:     RACK

Serial Number:     QS1214150345

Firmware Revision:     477.18.W

Manufacture Date:     04/03/12

I've seen how to configure the Guest OS's running on the hosts..  however, we have a step down transformer option w/APC power strips that we have our vSphere Client Machines powered from..   that is what I was assuming they mean when they say Outlets..  (being the outlet strips?)  I thought I saw it in on Page 51 of the same document you referenced above.??

3.) thank you for this information.  I have 3.0.1 Build 2650 on the vMA

an additional question..

What if I've also installed the PCNS on my Win2008 box?  (my vSphere Client PC?)  I assume it's not really necessary as it appears to be a duplicate attempt as opposed to the vMA setup.

Thank you again in advance.

- joe

[BillP]

Joe,

Are your ESXi host set up in a cluster? If they are then you should review knowledge base (kbase) document FA159784 If each host is configured as stand alone then the configuration you are using now is correct. The vMA will command each host to power down and the host will tell the VMs to power down. Right now we do not work directly with the vCenter Server. When we release PCNS version 3.1 (scheduled for mid December 2013) we will.

To remove an IP address from the list go to PowerChute Clients and click on the IP address you would like to remove. A window will pop up that allows for editing or delete the IP.

As for #3, you do not need to install PCNS on any of the VMs. When the vMA see that the UPS is on battery it will communicate that information to the host and the host command the VMs down. To be sure the VMs are configured properly please review our kbase FA159688 document and VMware knowledge base document 1008182

[BillP]

Hi Bill,

Thank you again for your reply and for the information and screen shot...  I'm pretty much most certain the ESXi hosts are not setup in a cluster..  rather all 3 stand alone as you note.

also,

Thank you for the tip on how to remove the Client IP Addresses from the UPS Network Management Card GUI.  I'm good there now & reflects properly now in PCNS. 
(I only see my vMA machine there now)

Short of testing various shut down configuration options, I think I'm set for the ESXi Host machines and the Virtual Guests.

I'm still curious as how one might gracefully shut down a Physical Box (my vSphere machine) that is plugged into the APC Power Strips...

Can you tell if that is that a configurable option based on the Model information I provided above?

Also, I've seen info out there on configuring FastPass on the vMA...  but didn't seem to have any luck w/that command.

As if not installed on our version of the vMA or with the PowerChute Network Shutdown 3.0.1 that was installed on the vMA machine.

Not sure that I see where it might be needed at this time..   can you advise?

Thanks again,
Joe

[BillP]

Hi,

Outlets in a step down transformer are not configurable / switchable. As for the physical box, I am not sure I understand the question. The physical box should be the ESXi host and that is being command down by the vMA and PCNS.

As for fastpass, that is included in the vMA OS. When you add a host to the shutdown list you are adding it to the fastpass list. If you run the command on the vMA vifp listservers you will see a list of the host that are configured to be shutdown. If there is a host missing you can add the host using sudo vifp addserver   If you are running vMA 5.1.X you may experience an issue with the command vifptarget -s. There is a know issue with that command when the vMA has been upgraded and I have seen the issue even with a clean installation of the vMA.

[BillP]

Hi Bill,

Thanks again for your note and information...   I was out of town (business trip) yesterday, thus my delay in seeing your note..   Not to confuse you.. but in addition to the ESXi Servers and SANS in the Rack, we have 3 physical computers..   Win2008 machines that are our 3 vSphere client PCs..   we have them plugged into the (110v) outlets that are fed from the back of the UPS..  was hopeful for a way to control the shutdown on these 3 Dell Precision T7500 machines..   (they are Win2008 Server OS...  not ESXi, but rather just run the vSphere Client software only)

Thanks for the info on fastpass...  I was able to run add the 3 ESXi  Host Servers w/no problem..

I saw on page 55 that they suggested a vifpinit command.. (as seen in the screen shot) I get a -bash error vifpinit: command not found

Also, if I run the command vifptarget -s (as shown in the instructions) I get a -bash error vifptarget: command not found

If I run the Vicfg-nics –l command, I get prompted to enter username & password but get error:

I'm running;

Vendor:    VMware, Inc.

Appliance Name:    vSphere Management Assistant (vMA)

Appliance Version:    5.1.0.1 Build 1062361

Hostname:    vMA

OS Name:    SUSE

OVF Environment:    Not present

Also, just curious as to what folks typically do to shut down the SANS??  (EMC2)

Thanks again for your help w/this.  -j

[BillP]

opps, that's a small v  (vicfg-nics –l) as the documentation is incorrectly showing the capital V (Vicfg-nics –l)

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Not sure if this helps or is pertinent, but each ESXi (Dell PowerEdge R720) has 4 embedded NIC's and 1 (4 port) PCI slot NIC..   (all 8 ports are being used)