SMT3000RMI2U frequently displays 'Faulty Battery'

[Anonymous user]

Hi, bit long winded this one but please bear with me.

We have a SMT3000RMI2U which frequently displays 'Faulty Battery' alerts.

The first time this happened I ran a self test from the Network Management interface, however the fault persisted.

After ringing APC support, they asked if I had run one from the front panel, to which I replied no, as I am not based on the same site as the UPS, support said that they would send me a replacement battery but would need my old battery back to test and if there was no fault, I may be charged for the replacement battery.

In the time between my phone call with support and the new battery turning up, I ran a self test from the front panel, and the error went away.

Spoke to support again, and they asked me to send the replacement battery back to them, which I did.

Since then, approximately once a fortnight, our UPS displays a faulty battery error along with an email every 2 minutes telling me that there is a fault until we run a front panel self test.

This morning however, the front panel self test failed, twice, and only a self-test initiated from the network management interface cleared the error.

Can anybody shed any light as to why our UPS frequently gets this problem?

Thanks in advance

Chris

[BillP]

Could you post all the logs from the management card so we could review please? This includes data.txt, config.ini, and event.txt.

Instructions are here in the knowledge base (http://www.apc.com/site/support/index.cfm/faq/) and refer to article ID FA156131.

Also, in the UPS->About section of your management card, can you tell me your UPS firmware version too? Something like UPS 01.3 or in that format.

[Anonymous user]

Hi Angela, thanks for the reply.

The firmware version is marked as: UPS 06.5 / MCU 11.0 / UBL 08.2 / MBL 11.0 (ID18)

Log files attached

Cheers

Chris

[BillP]

I am seeing a few strange things in there - like the fact that two self tests are being done some types "via internal operation" within a few ours of each other. Not to mention the faulty battery issue.

Also, ID18's latest update is UPS 08.3 according to what I have. If it were me, I'd say we should update this UPS (as well as the management card if you'd like to).

As far as updating the UPS, it will require the power output to turn off on the UPS no matter how you do it which I imagine you might need to arrange for.

You have two options in order to complete the upgrade on the UPS itself.

1.) Via serial (or USB if supported - not sure off the top of my head on this model) as noted in article ID FA164737 in the knowledge base

2.) Via the network management card (so make sure the network management card's network connection isn't connected to a piece of networking equipment that turns off during the upgrade) as noted in the article FA170679. I can give you the image file you need for this method.

Let me know what you think as far as what I propose or if you have any questions.

[Anonymous user]

Hi Angela,

Thanks for the suggestion.

I agree that upgrading the firmware is probably a good idea, and you are quite right that it is something that I will need to arrange out of hours.

Our NMC2 is currently version 5.1.6 so I think upgrading it to the latest available version is also good idea.

I have read on one of the Knowledge Base articles that upgrading the NMC2 firmware does not affect the UPS and therefore I can do it while the UPS and all connected devices are online with no ill-effects. Can you confirm this?

Thanks

Chris

[BillP]

Hi Chris,

Yes, updating NMC firmware does not affect the UPS - it will only reboot itself.

6.0.6 is the latest version and it is a major change from what you have now - I wrote up article ID FA167693 in the knowledge base to go over some of the key points on upgrading (and downgrading if you hate it).

I thought we had some cards online at testdrive.apc.com with it but i cannot get to them. maybe you can.

also, i don't think the NMC firmware has anything to do with the issue are seeing but i did see it was a few revisions older so I just mentioned it, if interested.

I blame the UPS solely for the battery faults

[Anonymous user]

I also blame the UPS, but it can't hurt for the NMC2 card to be on the latest.

I will update the NMC2 this morning and I have already uploaded the firmware image to the UPS ready for when I can negotiate some down time!

[Anonymous user]

NMC2 updated.

Wouldn't update at first when running the update from the server (SBS 2011), got an error - Unable to verify current firmware version - however, when running it from my workstation, even accross the VPN it upgraded successfully.

[Anonymous user]

Hi Angela,

I updated the firmware on the UPS last Saturday (22 June) and all seemed fine until this Saturday (29 June) when the UPS started to report a faulty battery again.

Logs attached.

[BillP]

So under About->UPS, you show the updated UPS versions (UPS 08.3? If anything, seems like an intelligence issue some place (battery or UPS). Did you ever end up getting a replacement battery in there to try (i know you mentioned it initially when you spoke to support)?

[Anonymous user]

The replacement battery never made it into the UPS as by the time it had arrived, the UPS was behaving itself, so we sent it back to avoid being charged for it.

I have been on to support this morning and sent them the logs. They said they would most likely send me another replacement battery, just awaiting a response to confirm.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Alrighty.