PDU AP7930 - loss of configuration after power loss

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-03

I had two AP7930 PDU's which had to be completely reconfigured after loss of power. They are running v3.7.4 firmware and they both have serials which start with ZA0819 and hardware revision B2.

It was only two out of dozens but it this indicative of an issue I might have with more of them?

Any ideas why the unit would loose all of its settings? Anything I can do to repair it? replace a battery?

Regards,

J

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-03

Reposting to Convert to answer:

Angela Najmowicz Clark

Jul 07, 2016

Hi John Smith I asked someone who said one possible reason for the issue you saw is if the EEPROM couldn't be read at the time of bootup due to a temporary or permanent problem, this could happen. The PDU will assume the default configuration in that scenario. There also could've been a problem with the communication bus too. Anyway, seeing if it happens again on these two units may tell us if it is a permanent problem or if something temporarily prevented the management interface from reading the EEPROM. There is nothing you could've done unfortunately to prevent or nor to repair it. We usually tell people that the typical design life of these Rack PDU units is around 5-7 years, though they can very well go beyond that depending on loading, temperature, environment, usage, and handling. These are from 2008 per the serial number and I don't know if they've actually been in service from 2008 but if they are all the same age and all of the loading, temperature, environment, usage, etc, then I would assume the same could happen to others eventually and is just due to the aging electronics and those factors I mentioned. Let me know if you have any other questions and if you're able to coldstart them again to see if the same thing occurs.

See Answer In Context

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-03

Hi John,

Can you provide the event.txt logs from these two units that displayed the issue? (Instructions here if you need them -> http://www.apc.com/us/en/faqs/FA156131)I have an idea but I'd like to see the logs. It is possible the on board Network Management Card has lost internal communication with the PDU intelligence but I am not sure. The log may confirm or deny that.

Did everything need to be reconfigured or only certain things? Like all PDU specific settings or all OS type settings (IP, DNS, SNMP, etc)?

These units don't have any user serviceable parts unfortunately. The little coin cell battery they do have (which is not accessible by the user) is used to keep the date/time on the management interface when the unit is powered off and for this function should outlast the typical service life of the PDU and go 10+ years.

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-03

I can't post the file but it looks like the PDU went through the following:

System: Coldstart

System: Initializing data in the TCP/IP file. (and telnet, FTP server, system, etc...)

System: Switched Rack PDU: Communication established.

System: Warmstart.

System: (Initializing data in many more files)

Then someone logged into the unit via serial to re-ip the device.

The unit restarted and warmstarted.

Does that help?

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-03

Hi John - a little. So, I don't see any problems with that (besides obviously it reset). Do you see any Switched Rack PDU: Communication lost anywhere in the log, even before of this event?

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-03

No I ran a search and it came back empty, just Switched Rack PDU: Communications established. I pulled all the logs still in the device.

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-03

Silly question since I am sure these are in production but I don't suppose you can see if either of these units shows the problem consistently, can you?

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-03

Hi John Smith I asked someone who said one possible reason for the issue you saw is if the EEPROM couldn't be read at the time of bootup due to a temporary or permanent problem, this could happen. The PDU will assume the default configuration in that scenario. There also could've been a problem with the communication bus too. Anyway, seeing if it happens again on these two units may tell us if it is a permanent problem or if something temporarily prevented the management interface from reading the EEPROM. There is nothing you could've done unfortunately to prevent or nor to repair it. We usually tell people that the typical design life of these Rack PDU units is around 5-7 years, though they can very well go beyond that depending on loading, temperature, environment, usage, and handling. These are from 2008 per the serial number and I don't know if they've actually been in service from 2008 but if they are all the same age and all of the loading, temperature, environment, usage, etc, then I would assume the same could happen to others eventually and is just due to the aging electronics and those factors I mentioned. Let me know if you have any other questions and if you're able to coldstart them again to see if the same thing occurs.

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-03

Reposting to Convert to answer:

Angela Najmowicz Clark

Jul 07, 2016

Hi John Smith I asked someone who said one possible reason for the issue you saw is if the EEPROM couldn't be read at the time of bootup due to a temporary or permanent problem, this could happen. The PDU will assume the default configuration in that scenario. There also could've been a problem with the communication bus too. Anyway, seeing if it happens again on these two units may tell us if it is a permanent problem or if something temporarily prevented the management interface from reading the EEPROM. There is nothing you could've done unfortunately to prevent or nor to repair it. We usually tell people that the typical design life of these Rack PDU units is around 5-7 years, though they can very well go beyond that depending on loading, temperature, environment, usage, and handling. These are from 2008 per the serial number and I don't know if they've actually been in service from 2008 but if they are all the same age and all of the loading, temperature, environment, usage, etc, then I would assume the same could happen to others eventually and is just due to the aging electronics and those factors I mentioned. Let me know if you have any other questions and if you're able to coldstart them again to see if the same thing occurs.

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-03

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