PowerChute Network Shutdown with more than 50 computers

Luminarist · ‎2022-03-17

Setup:

Redundant Galaxy VS UPS (2 units).

Workstations and servers totaling to more than 50 units.

I have tried to follow the application note (https://download.schneider-electric.com/files?p_enDocType=Application+solutions&p_File_Name=BKIR-6QW...) to apply on my setup but failing to get rebroadcast to work on unregistered units on the same segment.

Things that work.

Workstations/servers with PCNS installed and registered to the NMC work fine. They are shutting down as intended.

I am using silent install to get PCNS to install without NMC registration. Logs show TCP and UDP connections are established on the PCNS web UI. Have tried to configure "on battery" and "PCNS lose communication with NMC" events on 2 units registered computers and 1 unregistered computer on the same IP segment but the unregistered computer still won't shut down. Very confused on how to proceed, please advise.

BillP · ‎2022-03-22

@Luminarist

Does the shutdown fail for both events and have you run a packet capture on the system to see if it is getting the packets from the NMC? The NMC sends a UDP packet every 25 seconds and when switching to battery. If the PCNS client does not receive a packet for more then two minutes it will report lost communications with the NMC. When the PCNS client receives a UDP packet informing of a battery event it will react based on the configuration.

Luminarist · ‎2022-03-22

@BillP As explained in original post, the configured event between NMC and registered PCNS client is working as intended. "On battery" and "PCNS lose communication with NMC" events are able to trigger the shutdown process. I am using "PCNS lose communication with NMC" event for convenience sake as it is easier to disable the port from the network switch to perform this functional test compared to breaker operation on the main distribution board.

The problem is on the NMC unregistered PCNS clients not behaving as intended. Referring to the application note, I am expecting to receive broadcast message from another NMC registered PCNS client on the same network segment to trigger the shutdown but it didn't happen.

So for example scenario on performing this functional test.

UPS 1: 192.168.40.203

UPS 2: 192.168.40.204

Following application note, at least two PCNS shall be registered to NMC for reliability on rebroadcast.

NMC registered PCNS client A: 192.168.6.29 (Shutdown executed on configured event)

NMC registered PCNS client B: 192.168.6.30 (Shutdown executed on configured event)

Test subject

NMC unregistered PCNS client C: 192.168.6.31 (No shutdown triggered on configured event, even though PCNS configured to mirror the same shutdown event as clients A and B via silent install)

I will try to run packet capture next to gather information. But I think there is a lack of information from manual/application note on exact step by step needed for getting this NMC unregistered PCNS to work with NMC registered PCNS. For example, do I need to match the configured event on unregistered PCNS client with registered PCNS client?

Side note, trying to prevent PCNS from registering with NMC as per last page of the application note will only put the PCNS client in a shutdown loop if "PCNS lose communication with NMC" event has been configured previously. However, if I perform silent install without NMC registration, then this event will not trigger. I think there is some unintended behavior here as well.

BillP · ‎2022-03-23

@Luminarist

I apologize for the misunderstanding. When I read " Have tried to configure "on battery" and "PCNS lose communication with NMC" events on 2 units registered computers and 1 unregistered computer on the same IP segment but the unregistered computer still won't shut down."

I was asking if the PCNS client that is not registered with the UPS shuts down when configured for an on battery event? And, when configured for shutdown due to lost comm?

What I think you are now saying is, when configured of ran on battery event the UPS does not shutdown. When configured for lost comm it will shutdown but only if you edit the pcnsconfig.ini file and set enrolWithNMC = false? If that is the case when installing are you registering the PCNS client? And, if you run the silent install and set Register_With_NMC=no the PCNS client will not shutdown?