PowerChute constantly sending Power Failed/Restored messages

[Anonymous user]

Morning All,

We have a Smart-UPS 1500 connected to our SBS 2003 server and we have PowerChute Business Edition Version 9.0.1 monitoring it.

For the past month or so - either late at night or early morning we are getting "Power Failed on Agent " and "Power Restored on Agent

I have checked over PowerChute and everything is coming back as working fine, no abnormalities as I can see. And the Self-Test of the UPS comes back fine.

Is this something that is easily fixed?

[BillP]

how do you know this is not a legit power event? i am just wondering why you think there is an issue here when the UPS is trying to tell you power failed. can you provide the full event and data log? if there is a possibility it is legit, i would suggest maybe try lowering the sensitivity so that your UPS is less sensitive to noise on the line (which could also cause the UPS to go to battery versus a blackout.

are you monitoring the UPS via USB or serial communications? the only other thing i can think of is that it if it is a "false alarm," that it could be due to the method you are using for monitoring.

unfortunately, Business Edition doesnt really offer customizing the notifications to set a delay or anything. the network management card products allow you to delay events which sounds like a good idea for you.

[Anonymous user]

Hi Angela,

I've looked over the logs myself and nothing seems wrong regarding the power levels etc. but I've attached them regardless.

The main thing that points me to a possible problem is that this is the only time that something has even touched the UPS - and if they were legitimate power failures, I would expect something else to react even a little bit. I've looked over the logs briefly and can't see any problems such as abnormal voltages or anything like that, but I wouldn't turn down a second opinion!

We are monitoring it via USB also, which I have read can cause a couple of problems similar to what is happening here if they are indeed false alarms.

[BillP]

OK - good points. I tend to agree but wasn't sure how much investigation you had done on the validity of the messages so far.

these logs appear to be something that i can't view in notepad - can you? if not, is it too much trouble to ask for a copy/paste into a text document from the web UI or whatever UI you are using?

[Anonymous user]

I can open the data log fine so copied into a fresh text document and attached.

The Event Log I can't however so snipped an image of what it looks like in the agent and attached.

[BillP]

thanks. are you able to access this particular UPS's agent directly via web browser. looks like you're using the PowerChute Business Edition Console (that purple window). i just want to make sure there is not any more events listed in the agent's log vs. what you just showed me.

you can access the agent  via https://:6547 or using HTTP on port 3052. let me know if the log shows any different events.

also, i see you are at 240v-250v - is this nominal voltage 240v at this site? or 230v? (I ask because I saw your location as UK). just curious what your UPS transfer voltages are set to because i was wondering if at 250v, its jumping to battery power briefly. i compared the data log times to the events and it seemed close to 250v at those times.

[Anonymous user]

I've snipped the logs from the web agent rather than the desktop agent and attached to this post for you to look over - I can't see any differences myself.

Regarding your voltage question - 240v is the nominal for the site in question and the transfer voltages are:

High Transfer Voltage: 261 VAC

Low Transfer Voltage: 208 VAC

[Anonymous user]

I haven't tried lowering the sensitivity yet but will do it shortly and see if it repeats the process at all over the weekend - we didn't get any reports last night fortunately but whether it was one of those problems that fixes itself magically I'm not too sure!

Regarding the reason to transfer to battery; I couldn't see anything like that. Only the fact it lost power in the event log but no reason to it going to the battery.

I will let you know how I get on.

[BillP]

I agree. The only other thing I can think of that could cause this is dV/dT which means the change in voltage over time. if it is too quick, the UPS could go to battery as well. have you tried adjusting the sensitivity? we could see if lowering it a notch stops these from happening and then it'd tell me its some type of noise on the line or dV/dT.

i thought in PowerChute also that the UPS could report its last transfer to battery reason but on all my PowerChute lab devices, I can't seem to find it. You didn't see anything like that, did you? I am able to see this information via a Network Management Card which says something like Due to software command or UPS's test control for my UPS.

[BillP]

Yeah, I am not sure why it wouldn't display in PowerChute but a Network Management Card shows it..

[Anonymous user]

Hello, I am having the same problem with a Smart UPS x2000. I am attaching a copy of the logs. It does not appear to be a legit power outage because none of the other UPS (3) are showing a loss in power. We have 2 x3000 and 1 older 2200 rm xl. None of these are showing the power failures. Any help would be greatly appreciated. These are all being monitored via serial connection to separate machines.

3/7/13	04:38:08	Power Restored
3/7/13	04:38:07	Power Failed
3/7/13	02:51:01	Power Restored
3/7/13	02:51:00	Power Failed
3/7/13	01:20:36	Power Restored
3/7/13	01:20:35	Power Failed
3/6/13	23:56:10	Power Restored
3/6/13	23:56:09	Power Failed
3/6/13	20:07:18	Power Restored
3/6/13	20:07:17	Power Failed

[BillP]

Have you tried to adjust the power quality/sensitivity settings a notch or two? Also, are those UPSs on the same or different circuits? Because if they are different circuits, it doesn't really help me that the other UPSs don't react this way since its a different circuit. It could be a quick sag or something on the line also when a particular attached device draws high current momentarily.

What is your UPSs firmware version?

[Anonymous user]

Yes they are all on dedicated circuits. I have switched it to another circuit as well and had the same issue. I did just change the sensitivity to low and have not had an issue since.

Here are the settings for the UPS:

Firmware: UPS 01.9/COM 01.6

[BillP]

OK good to know - and on the UPS firmware information, did you see an ID listed anywhere, like (ID 17) or similar? That will help me verify the exact UPS type right from the firmware information. My educated guess is that your ID is 10 and if so, you already have the latest version of firmware for your UPS.

[Anonymous user]

I do not see that anywhere.... I am looking at the data through the APC console. The UPS is brand new so I think it is at the highest firmware.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hmm, usually where it lists the UPS COM, MBL, CBL, etc versions you listed, it usually ends with (ID XX)

Anyways, I agree. It is most likely the latest already.