PowerChute Software causing time creep on XP when USB Cable is connected

[Anonymous user]

Greetings!
We have been investigating an operating system clock time creep problem for around 2 weeks. The problem was a system clock time creep of ~67 seconds over a period of 4 hours. Somehow the operating system was adjusting the clock to the correct CMOS clock time every 4 hours even though the operating system time correction service process was disabled. We are still unsure of how or why the time was still self-correcting every 4 hours.
However, we then discovered the problem seems to only occur if the USB cable is connected to the APC UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and the APC Powerchute monitoring software (the agent) is running. This problem does not occur on systems that use a APC serial cable for communication to the UPS.
Is the APC Agent or Server software changing the system time? Has anyone heard of this before? This caused us lots of problems because we have data acquistion that was counting on the correct clock in order to calculate data using a standard period of time. We have 2 PowerChute Business Edition Deluxe Servers (can have up to 25 agents). We have about 48 agents. Most had serial cables, but we ran out, so we used USB cables for about 10 of them. 9 of the 10 had the problem. Why would the APC Powerchute Server or Agent software change system time? Could it be a USB Windows Driver?
Thanks,
Brian

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Hello,

Your full post did not come through. Please try again so we can assist you.

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Brian,

Sorry about the posting problem. Apparently the website doesn't like to include messages where the first line is indented with any spaces.

Anyways, regarding your issue. This would be the first time I have seen this in the two plus years I've worked for APC. It could be a USB issue, and I say that because the APC software should have no interaction with the clock. The only devices that use any local or NTP settings are APC Network-Enabled Devices such as a Network Management Card, etc.

[Anonymous user]

Here is my question:

We have been investigating an operating system clock time creep problem for around 2 weeks. The problem was a system clock time creep of ~67 seconds over a period of 4 hours. Somehow the operating system was adjusting the clock to the correct CMOS clock time every 4 hours even though the operating system time correction service process was disabled. We are still unsure of how or why the time was still self-correcting every 4 hours.
However, we then discovered the problem seems to only occur if the USB cable is connected to the APC UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and the APC Powerchute monitoring software (the agent) is running. This problem does not occur on systems that use a APC serial cable for communication to the UPS.
Is the APC Agent or Server software changing the system time? Has anyone heard of this before? This caused us lots of problems because we have data acquistion that was counting on the correct clock in order to calculate data using a standard period of time. We have 2 PowerChute Business Edition Deluxe Servers (can have up to 25 agents). We have about 48 agents. Most had serial cables, but we ran out, so we used USB cables for about 10 of them. 9 of the 10 had the problem. Why would the APC Powerchute Server or Agent software change system time? Could it be a USB Windows Driver?
Thanks,
Brian

[Anonymous user]

Trying again:
We have been investigating an operating system clock time creep problem for around 2 weeks. The problem was a system clock time creep of ~67 seconds over a period of 4 hours. Somehow the operating system was adjusting the clock to the correct CMOS clock time every 4 hours even though the operating system time correction service process was disabled. We are still unsure of how or why the time was still self-correcting every 4 hours.
However, we then discovered the problem seems to only occur if the USB cable is connected to the APC UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and the APC Powerchute monitoring software (the agent) is running. This problem does not occur on systems that use a APC serial cable for communication to the UPS.
Is the APC Agent or Server software changing the system time? Has anyone heard of this before? This caused us lots of problems because we have data acquistion that was counting on the correct clock in order to calculate data using a standard period of time. We have 2 PowerChute Business Edition Deluxe Servers (can have up to 25 agents). We have about 48 agents. Most had serial cables, but we ran out, so we used USB cables for about 10 of them. 9 of the 10 had the problem. Why would the APC Powerchute Server or Agent software change system time? Could it be a USB Windows Driver?
Thanks,
Brian

[Anonymous user]

And again: We have been investigating an operating system clock time creep problem for around 2 weeks. The problem was a system clock time creep of ~67 seconds over a period of 4 hours. Somehow the operating system was adjusting the clock to the correct CMOS clock time every 4 hours even though the operating system time correction service process was disabled. We are still unsure of how or why the time was still self-correcting every 4 hours. However, we then discovered the problem seems to only occur if the USB cable is connected to the APC UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and the APC Powerchute monitoring software (the agent) is running. This problem does not occur on systems that use a APC serial cable for communication to the UPS. Is the APC Agent or Server software changing the system time? Has anyone heard of this before? This caused us lots of problems because we have data acquistion that was counting on the correct clock in order to calculate data using a standard period of time. We have 2 PowerChute Business Edition Deluxe Servers (can have up to 25 agents). We have about 48 agents. Most had serial cables, but we ran out, so we used USB cables for about 18 of them. 17 of the 18 had the problem. Why would the APC Powerchute Server or Agent software change system time? Could it be a USB Windows Driver? Thanks in advance, Brian

[Anonymous user]

We have rack mounted (black) Smart UPS 1500s in which the USB and serial cables were connected. We also have some (white) Smart UPS 1400s, but they don't have a USB connection and did not have problems. Only the USB connected Smart UPS 1500s had the problem.

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Brian,

If you want to test one, simply do this:

1. Unplug the entire attached load, and all communications cables, as well as the power cable from the wall.
2. Depress the TEST button for approximately 4-6 seconds and you will hear a click from the UPS and all the LED's will flash for a second.
3. Plug everything back in, and get everything up and running.
4. Use the USB cable (do not plug serial in before this), and see if the time creep still continues.

[Anonymous user]

We noticed the Native Windows ACPI Power Management is disabled with the agent installation when using USB. Could this be part of the problem?
By the way, our answer was to abandon all use of USB cables connected to the UPS's and instead go exclusively with Serial cables.
Thanks,
Brian

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Brian.

The use of APC software, whether Business or Personal Edition, disables the Windows Native Power Options section. You can still configure it, however, it will be rendered useless because it will be superceded by PowerChute.

[Anonymous user]

Thank You. I will put a UPS cable and the Powerchute Agent back on one of our computers and test it, to see if the time creep returns. Then, I will try your sequence of 4 steps and let you know if that fixes it. I will let you know in the next workday or two. (Probably, next Monday or Wednesday, Jan. 2) thanks again
Brian

[Anonymous user]

I installed a USB cable to the APC Smart-UPS 1500 and then installed the Powerchute Business Edition Agent on the Windows XP computer. I verified the time creep was not occuring prior to this. After this, the time creep came back. So, next, I did the 4 steps as requested by Notorious K. But, after 4 hours, the time creep returned. (The OS would readjust by subtracting about 67 seconds every 4 hours) Brian

[BillP]

Hello,

It is actually not PCBE that is causing this issue, it is a USB connection to the computer. Here is a Microsoft document that may help . The work around that document mentioned did work before. Good Luck!
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321290

If you try this way and still can't fix this problem, I would suggest to use serial communication.

[Anonymous user]

thank you. We've already switched out all the USB cables for Serial and everything works fine. I'm continuing this thread to help others with the same problem and to see if anyone else has seen this. We've looked at those time issues that your Microsoft link was talking about. But, we have concluded that the PCBE agent DOES cause the issue. Whenever I keep the USB cable connected to the UPS and then disable the agent the problem goes away. However when the agent is enabled, it comes back. Therefore the combination of the cable and the PCBE agent is causing the problem. Brian

[BillP]

What PCBE version are you using? 7.04 or 7.05? What java version is running on the server?

I saw this issue happening with PCBE704 about two years ago and can't remember it happened with 7.05.

[Anonymous user]

We are using version 7.0.5. I'm not sure what you mean by 'What java version is running on the server'. Do you mean the PCBE Server? This problem occurs at the agent when the server is not even running. Thanks.

[BillP]

Hello,

Just want to doublecheck the PCBE Version and Java version.

Could you please open PCBE Agent web page http://:3052 to goto "help" and then "About PowerChute Business Edition" to see if the version is indeed 7.05. Please keep in mind that you need to install java 1.4.2 higher to open this page.

Try to check java version on your computer that PCBE Agent installed.

Message was edited by: annwang

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Greetings!
We have been investigating an operating system clock time creep problem for around 2 weeks. The problem was a system clock time creep of ~67 seconds over a period of 4 hours. Somehow the operating system was adjusting the clock to the correct CMOS clock time every 4 hours even though the operating system time correction service process was disabled. We are still unsure of how or why the time was still self-correcting every 4 hours.
However, we then discovered the problem seems to only occur if the USB cable is connected to the APC UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and the APC Powerchute monitoring software (the agent) is running. This problem does not occur on systems that use a APC serial cable for communication to the UPS.
Is the APC Agent or Server software changing the system time? Has anyone heard of this before? This caused us lots of problems because we have data acquistion that was counting on the correct clock in order to calculate data using a standard period of time. We have 2 PowerChute Business Edition Deluxe Servers (can have up to 25 agents). We have about 48 agents. Most had serial cables, but we ran out, so we used USB cables for about 10 of them. 9 of the 10 had the problem. Why would the APC Powerchute Server or Agent software change system time? Could it be a USB Windows Driver?
Thanks,
Brian