expansion advice

[Anonymous user]

My current situation is, I have (2), 3 year old SU1500's. Both are at their limit, and 1 also has a replace battery notification just showing up on it. I need to add a few more servers that would probably require less than 1000 Watts.
I think I have 2 options
1) add another SU1500 and get battery replacements for the existing (2) 1500's, giving me (3) ups's
2) return the existing 2 and replace with (1) SU5000.

Option 1 seems like the most economical by 1000's of dollars.
If anyone has any suggestions for which option would be better, taking into consideration, management of the UPS's, software, managing devices on the UPS's etc. please let me know.

Thanks.

[Anonymous user]

Thanks for the info.
Would I be able to manage 12 or so servers with 1 network card and the appropriate software or would I need 3.

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Ron,

I'm assuming those 12 servers are going to be split amongst the 3 UPS's therefore you'll want 1 management card PER UPS so that PowerChute Network Shutdown, installed on a server, points to the IP of the NMC which is in the ups that is providing power to it.

[Anonymous user]

Thanks for all of your insight Notorious K. You've been a really big help.

[Anonymous user]

Thanks for all of the info Notorious K. M. P.

After I thought this through for a second and realized that even though the servers and UPS's are in the same rack, they are connected to switches 50 meters away. If I was to use the NMC, I would also need to put in a UPS for the switches in the closet, and the fiber converters. The switches wouldn't be bad, but the fiber converters all have power converters the size of shoeboxes, so I would have to use power bars etc.

I think I may be looking at UPS Interface Expander Cards - AP9207 now instead.

Would I be able to implement a solution of 1 instance of PowerChute software on 1 Server to manage 3 UPS's, with connected Expander cards?

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Ron,

Unfortunately, the PowerChute Software doesn't work that way. The Agent portion of the software will only monitor the first UPS it detects. The other two won't be manageable. What the interface expanders are for is a Many server connection to one UPS. Not a Many UPS to One server connection.

[Anonymous user]

So with my scenario, to manage the shutdown procedures I would need to....

- Get the (1) 5000 unit

- Install PCBE onto 3 seperate servers to manage the 3 UPS's and also use an Interface expander on all 3 UPS's to manage multiple servers/UPS.

- Install NM software on 1 server, install a NMC into each of the 3 servers, and install UPS's along the data path between UPS -> server for any switches, fiber converters etc.

Any other solutions I may not be thinking of?

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Ron,

I hope I haven't confused you or improperly relayed information. PowerChute Business Edition and the Network Management Card can't be used together. PCBE uses Serial or USB connection (on the new SUA's). PowerChute Network Shutdown is used in unison with the Network Management Card. And you would need to install PCNS onto each of the servers that need to be gracefully shutdown, the same way you would install a PowerChute Business Edition Agent onto each machine that would be connected to an expansion port.

[Anonymous user]

No, I think I understand.
My question is though, from a device management perspective.

If I use PCBE on the 3 UPS scenario, I need to install the software on 3 seperate servers connected to 3 seperate UPS's. Therefore I need to log in and manage the situation at 3 different places. I'm not talking the agents on the servers, I'm talking the actual PCBE software.

If I use a NCM solution I would be able to manage it from one place.

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Ron,

Actually you could do centralized mangement from one server. The server portion of PCBE will allow you to monitor up to 5 PCBE Agents, so long as they're on the same subnet. The other way to view each Agent's interface is through a web brower:

http://:3052

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc · Accepted solution]

Absolutely correct. You would be able to auto-detect the UPS when installing agents on servers 1, 5 and 9, as they would be using the Smart-Signaling port. The remaining servers would be installed as "Interface Expander - Basic" and the appropriate comm. port. PowerChute Business Edition Deluxe is available here:

http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=AP9411

[Anonymous user]

My current situation is, I have (2), 3 year old SU1500's. Both are at their limit, and 1 also has a replace battery notification just showing up on it. I need to add a few more servers that would probably require less than 1000 Watts.
I think I have 2 options
1) add another SU1500 and get battery replacements for the existing (2) 1500's, giving me (3) ups's
2) return the existing 2 and replace with (1) SU5000.

Option 1 seems like the most economical by 1000's of dollars.
If anyone has any suggestions for which option would be better, taking into consideration, management of the UPS's, software, managing devices on the UPS's etc. please let me know.

Thanks.