swpmre Posted September 9, 2010 Posted September 9, 2010 Hi. We'd like to purchase a UPS for our servers. We have two of these, both HP Proliant ML-310 (Spec sheets here) According to that page, I think they are rated at 410W each. We'd like a UPS that would allow us enough time for some sort of automated shut-down (so we'd also need the relevant software). Anyone recommend anything? Cheers Martin
rosswilson Posted September 9, 2010 Posted September 9, 2010 The APC Calculator is a good tool to get an idea of server run times for specifying a UPS: UPS Selector Sizing Applications Ross 1
sonofsanta Posted September 9, 2010 Posted September 9, 2010 Forget exactly which model we're running, but our Proliants run three to a single 1500VA UPS and get about 7 or 8 minutes of time before they shut down. The software that comes with the APC UPS we use lets us do a graceful shutdown as well - there's a USB cable that goes from the UPS to one of the servers, a program runs on that server that monitors the UPS, and when there's a certain amount of time left it initiates a full shutdown of the other two servers before downing itself. It also sends e-mails out as soon as the power wobbles which has saved me no end of times
Will1976 Posted September 13, 2010 Posted September 13, 2010 Try Eaton Ellipse UPS - seem good value.
Edu-IT Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 Forget exactly which model we're running, but our Proliants run three to a single 1500VA UPS and get about 7 or 8 minutes of time before they shut down. The software that comes with the APC UPS we use lets us do a graceful shutdown as well - there's a USB cable that goes from the UPS to one of the servers, a program runs on that server that monitors the UPS, and when there's a certain amount of time left it initiates a full shutdown of the other two servers before downing itself. It also sends e-mails out as soon as the power wobbles which has saved me no end of times What software is this? Do you have the name? We have three servers connected to a UPS but only one of them talks directly to the UPS and in order to get the others to shutdown it sends a command over the network. Problem is, some of the switches aren't connected to a UPS yet, so this isn't really any good. There must be some software out there that can talk to all three servers and send a message down the cable which goes to each?
EduTech Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 APC and PowerWare UPS Systems I have used in the past and have not had any issues, the software they both come with as probably most is useful for gracefully shutting down the servers. you can set it up also so if you say have 3 power outages through the night and it gets to a point where there won't be enough power in the battery to shut them down again it will just shut them down. I know NET-CTRL http://www.net-ctrl.co.uk have a range of UPS Systems they have on the cards, might be worth talking to them as they look pretty good kit and reasonable prices when spoke to them at BETT 2011. James.
plexer Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 You can either fit a network card into the ups but your switch needs to be on it. You can also get a card with 2 serial ports or a serial expander. Ben
Edu-IT Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 Got the expander cards but the other servers are not being found in the PowerChute software. I suspect that that wrong cables are being used. http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=AP9607CB
Edu-IT Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 The expander ports only seem to support 940-0020 simple signalling, from what I understand from the documentation on there? At the moment the software is set to smart signalling which could explain why...? Interface Expander with 2 UPS Communication Cables SmartSlot Card
dhicks Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 Anyone recommend anything? As discussed in this thread: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/hardware/58096-ups-server-cupboard.html I went for a bunch of APC Smart-UPS 2200VA at £589.00 (6 months ago) as those were the best value and easiest to install - not rack-mounted so you don't have to mess around with rack rails, you can just plonk them on a shelf and (just about) light enough to lug up a set of stairs by yourself (would recommend a stair-climbing sack-truck, mind). Anything larger you tend to have to get installed and grounded, etc, by an electrician, which is just extra messing around.
sonofsanta Posted February 10, 2011 Posted February 10, 2011 What software is this? Do you have the name? We have three servers connected to a UPS but only one of them talks directly to the UPS and in order to get the others to shutdown it sends a command over the network. Problem is, some of the switches aren't connected to a UPS yet, so this isn't really any good. There must be some software out there that can talk to all three servers and send a message down the cable which goes to each? APC PowerChute Business Edition - as I say, came with the UPSes themselves. Our switch is on a different ring to the servers in our server room so the software just runs on one server, and at a certain battery-remaining mark, it runs a cmd file that just has lines like START "" shutdown -s -f -m \\SERVER -t 3 for each of the other servers plugged into that UPS, then a couple of minutes after that is run, it starts shutting itself down. Probably not much help as an answer, I know. Sorry!
Bruce123 Posted April 14, 2011 Posted April 14, 2011 (edited) As discussed in this thread: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/hardware/58096-ups-server-cupboard.html I went for a bunch of APC Smart-UPS 2200VA at £589.00 (6 months ago) as those were the best value and easiest to install - not rack-mounted so you don't have to mess around with rack rails, you can just plonk them on a shelf and (just about) light enough to lug up a set of stairs by yourself (would recommend a stair-climbing sack-truck, mind). Anything larger you tend to have to get installed and grounded, etc, by an electrician, which is just extra messing around. We are looking at purchasing some UPSes and saw APCs 2200VA at around that price, which seem more at the budget end of APCs range and I wondered if we would miss something really essential by going with these, rather than highest priced ones from APC. I am particularily intestered in how we could shutdown servers automatically after a certain amout of charge is left following a power cut? If they don't have a network card then presumably there is one cable which goes from the unit to a server and then does this server run software which can then be used to shutdown the other servers? Is this software free? And is it flexible enough to say "Initiate shutdown when UPS has 10 mins of charge left"? Also, I assume that a unmanaged UPS (i.e. with no software or cable) won't let itself fully dischage and damage the Lead Acid battery? UPS seems to be a whole field of it's own (which I have have neve really tocuhed before)! We discovered load of old (dud) APC Smart-UPS 1400VA units (which are probably around 10 years old) which we determined just needed new batteries. So we plan purchase new batteries for these and perhaps use them for comms side, rather than servers (mainly because I am unsure of the auto shutdown), they have a serial connection, but not USB or Cat5. Totally agree with your about floor standing verses rack mount. Any advice/help much appreciated. Bruce. Many Thanks, Bruce. Edited April 14, 2011 by Bruce123
Dos_Box Posted April 14, 2011 Posted April 14, 2011 If you can wait we have AEG speaking about UPS and power requirements at the conf on June 2nd, and they will be available to answer any questions about UPS in general. Should be an interesting talk.
dhicks Posted April 14, 2011 Posted April 14, 2011 I am particularily intestered in how we could shutdown servers automatically after a certain amout of charge is left following a power cut? For the server cupboard I bought the above devices for, I had a dedicated PC for power and temperature sensing. APC's PowerChute software is free and comes with the UPS. I installed that on the dedicated PC, plugged in one of the UPSes via USB and set the software up to shut the PC down if the UPS had been off mains power for a certain amount of time. I didn't worry about measuring the exact amount of charge left per UPS, I simply wanted the servers to have enough time to shut down if the mians went off, so I simply figured that if the mains had been off for, say, 3 minutes then it was time to start shutting things down. Another process on a server somewhere pinged the dedicated PC and, if it couldn't contact it, started to shut the oter servers down via SSH. Same for temperature - a cheap temperature sensor off eBay (£10) that shuts the PC down if it hits a given temperature, and I'm sure you could do the same with a couple of moisture sensors. I used a random spare PC, but you could buy a dedicated low-power motherboard for this function.
john Posted April 14, 2011 Posted April 14, 2011 I have just spent a bit of time evaluating UPS's and decided to avoid APC this time, and have gone for Borri, which is a name not many have heard of, however they have been the most helpful and quickest to reply out of ANY firm mentioned in this thread. I have in my rack(ready for the electricians on Monday) a 10,000VA UPS with at least 30 minutes run time on the future load we planned for it, and its hard wired into the fuse box so no need for over-priced PDUs, and runs my lights in the server room as well (bonus being able to see!) and it cost less than APC wanted for the same kit. Borri do make many sizes of UPS, this is a big beast at 9U's and well over 200KG of kit with all the batterys! but well worth talking to them. UPS | UPS Systems | Uninterruptible Power Supplies | Power Protection | Borri is the website and they sent out a guy called John Inmann who knew his stuff and he came out promptly and was incredibly helpful sorting it all out, ensuring the bills arrived in time for the year end etc... My electricians can only speak highly of the Borri advice as well in terms of checking the requirements for the feed for it and how the Bypass systems should be setup for optimal working etc so that is another good thing with them Well worth an email I would say. 1
Soulfish Posted April 15, 2011 Posted April 15, 2011 I have just spent a bit of time evaluating UPS's and decided to avoid APC this time, and have gone for Borri, which is a name not many have heard of, however they have been the most helpful and quickest to reply out of ANY firm mentioned in this thread. I have in my rack(ready for the electricians on Monday) a 10,000VA UPS with at least 30 minutes run time on the future load we planned for it, and its hard wired into the fuse box so no need for over-priced PDUs, and runs my lights in the server room as well (bonus being able to see!) and it cost less than APC wanted for the same kit. Borri do make many sizes of UPS, this is a big beast at 9U's and well over 200KG of kit with all the batterys! but well worth talking to them. UPS | UPS Systems | Uninterruptible Power Supplies | Power Protection | Borri is the website and they sent out a guy called John Inmann who knew his stuff and he came out promptly and was incredibly helpful sorting it all out, ensuring the bills arrived in time for the year end etc... My electricians can only speak highly of the Borri advice as well in terms of checking the requirements for the feed for it and how the Bypass systems should be setup for optimal working etc so that is another good thing with them Well worth an email I would say. +1 - I've dealt with Borri before (in fact we had a very similar system to John ) and found them excellent
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