Shutdown Server before Runtime

[Anonymous user]

Hi all,
In the Non production site, we use a Symmetra LX 8kvA UPS to provide Power for 2 Servers (the power about 1.4kvA ) with PowerChute Network Shutdown installed on.
Last week we have tested scenario of gracefully shutdown Servers after main power of 70 minutes, but actually after main power off 30 mins, the server has been shutdown. We have tried to find out the reason but can not find.
Is the problem with configuration of PowerChute Network Shutdown software?
Please reply to me quickly as posible, please show me the detail of this problem!
Thanks !

[Anonymous user]

Hello,

I've installed a APC10000 RT and dealing with the same problem as above. After 20 minutes the APC gives a shutdown commando to the eleven connected servers. In random order the server will shutdown. How can I control this behavior?

Thanks!

Best regards,

Michiel Dekker
System Enigineer.

[Anonymous user]

What is the run time reporting as both before and after the UPS transfers to battery? Depending on the firmware rev of your card, you can find the run time est under UPS/Status/Run Time Remaining. Next, what is your low battery signal set for. This can be found under UPS/Configuration/Low Battery Duration.

[Anonymous user]

Hi all,
In the Non production site, we use a Symmetra LX 8kvA UPS to provide Power for 2 Servers (the power about 1.4kvA ) with PowerChute Network Shutdown installed on.
Last week we have tested scenario of gracefully shutdown Servers after main power of 70 minutes, but actually after main power off 30 mins, the server has been shutdown. We have tried to find out the reason but can not find.
Is the problem with configuration of PowerChute Network Shutdown software?
Please reply to me quickly as posible, please show me the detail of this problem!
Thanks !

[Anonymous user]

The current configuration of UPS and PCNS as follow:
2 Server is supplied by UPS
OutPut load : 1.18KvA
Redundency : n+2
Present Capacity : 8KvA
Battery Capacity : 99%
Self-test : Pass
Shutdown parametter:
Return Battery Capaccity : 25%
Low-Battery Duaration : 12 minutes
Maximum Shutdown time 75 minute
Shutdown Delay 480 sec
Return delay 20 sec
sleep time 00 hours

Shutdown Behavior Settings

Maximum Shutdown time : 75 minutes
On-Battery Shutdown Behavior :RebootOnLineReturn

shutdown event on the Event list
Event Shut down System

Battery: Recharged V
Bypass Switch: Fail v
Minimum Load Capability:Lost v
Minimum Redundancy:Lost v
Runtime:Exceed v
UPS Temperature: Overheated v
UPS: On Battery v
UPS: Overload v
We have tested scenario of gracefully shutdown Servers after main power of 70 minutes, but actually after main power off 30 mins, the server has been shutdown
Go to Edit to show this text

Message was edited by: thehungbkt

[Anonymous user]

Hello, what is the UPS reporting for run time before you switch to battery and after? What is your low battery signal set for? You can find this information through the network interface of the Symmetra.

[Anonymous user]

Runtime: 53 minutes
Firmware card: 3.5.5
Low battery duration: 20 minutes
Shutdown delay: 120 seconds

What I don't understand is how can I configure my client to shutdown in the order that I want.

Thanx again for you're help!

[Anonymous user]

Hello,

If your run time is 53 minutes, once on battery, then you should have this amount of time left on battery. However, the low battery signal appears to be the reason why you're seeing a shutdown after 30 minutes.

The low battery signal is generated by the Smart UPS and reported by the network card. A low battery signal sent from the network card automatically causes Powerchute to initiate a graceful shutdown of the system. Based on your information, you have 53 minutes of run time and a 20 minute low battery signal. You stated that after 30 minutes, the server began shutting down. This is exactly why: 53 (run time) - 20 (low battery) = 33 minutes of on battery time.

You can try lowering your low battery signal. This can be done from the network card. However, the lowest possible setting is 2 minutes, so the maximum amount of on battery time you will have is 51 minutes: 53 (run time) - 2 (low batt) = 51 minutes. Keep in mind that if the hardware devices need longer than 2 minutes to power down, then you should choose a higher low battery signal.

If you need longer than 53 minutes, then you need to add some additional batteries. Could you get me the exact model number off your UPS and I'll let you know whether you have additional battery options.

Thanks.

Message was edited by: KVM4Life

[Anonymous user]

Let me explain what I want:

After 20 minutes the APC must give a signal to my servers to shutdown in a order that I want.

I've created low battery events on my clients, but after 20 minutes in random the servers are going down. It's absolute neccesary that this is specific order.
I've got 11 servers connected to the APC. And the version of PCNS is: 2.2.1 Build 12.

What do I need to do to get this thing working?

I've never does before, that's why I need this information.

Thanks for the help again.

[Anonymous user]

Hello,

Try lowering your low battery signal. You do this from the network card that is located in the Smart UPS. Once you log into the card, go to UPS/Configuration/Shutdown. You should see the Low Battery Signal setting. Try lowering this from 20 minutes to something lower, such as 8 or 10. The reason you should lower the low battery signal is that I think its conflicting with the shutdown time that you set on Powerchute.

Think of it this way. When you configure Powerchute to shutdown after a certain amount of time, the software will get the on battery message and wait x amount of time before shutting down. Server 1 is configured for 15 minutes, server 2 for 18, server 3 for 20. As long as the UPS hasn't hit a low battery signal, each server will shutdown at the designated times. The problem you're having is that the UPS is switching to battery. The software sees the on battery message. However, the card then sends a low battery signal, which trumps everything. Once a low battery signal is sent, powerchute disregards everything and shuts down right away.

So, to summarize, your desired run time needs to be less than your actual run time minus your low battery signal. You also need to make sure that if your servers are shutting down in a certain order, that the times don't take so long that the UPS reaches a low battery state.

One other thing you should check, is what does the run time fall to once its actually on battery. The run time when online is an estimate (53 minutes). When you switch to battery, this time may drop a bit. Have you checked to see what it drops to?

Let me know.

[Anonymous user]

Many thanks for the clear explanation!

One thing I don't understand yet is when I configure the client, I choose Configure Events, and select the Shutdown System when UPS: on battery.

Server 11 (First server that need to shutdown)

Select YES, I want to shut down the system.
Shut down the system only when the event last this long (Seconds): 1200

Server 10 (Second server that need to shutdown)

Select YES, I want to shut down the system.
Shut down the system only when the event last this long (Seconds): 1320

Is this the right way to configure the shutdown order just the way I want?

Many thanks again for you're help!

Michiel Dekker

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Yes, that should be the correct way to set up powerchute. As long as you have more than 22 minutes on battery, server 11 should shutdown after 20 minutes, then server 10 will shutdown after 22 minutes. Based on the info that you've sent before, the longest you could keep a server up without shutting down on low battery is 30-33 minutes. This assumes that once switching to battery you still have 53 minutes of run time.