2 UPS's - 4 Servers

[fairm010]

Sorry if this is the wrong place, couldnt find anywhere more specific for UPS's.

 

We have four servers... and just bought 2 APC Back-UPS Pro 900's.

 

Are we able to connect the APC's in such a way that they will tell all 4 servers to shutdown at a power outage? Ie, install the PowerChute software on each server. and plug one UPS into the network via the RJ45 socket they normally converts into a USB plug, which would tell all four to turn off?

 

Any help appreciated, Matt.

[X-13]

Are we able to connect the APC's in such a way that they will tell all 4 servers to shutdown at a power outage? Ie, install the PowerChute software on each server. and plug one UPS into the network via the RJ45 socket they normally converts into a USB plug, which would tell all four to turn off?

 

The easiest way to test that would be to use a couple of spare machines you may have.

 

 

It's an interesting idea though...

[zag]

You can do this with the internet connected psu's.

[twin--turbo]

What servers as 900Va sounds quite low.

 

If it has a network port it will be for configuration and not signaling which will be via USB with powerchute in control.

 

Depending on the version of powerchute it may be able to have attached agents taht it can tell to shut down.

Rob

Edited November 28, 2012 by twin--turbo

[SYNACK]

Make sure that the RJ45 port on the back is actually Ethernet, usually they are serial with a converter cable so won't work if connected by a switch.

 

Best you can do is get network management cards for each of them and install the powershutte network software on all of the machines. The hack is to have the UPSs connected one each to two of them and then have the power fail even trigger a script that shuts down the not connected ones then the ones that are connected.

[twin--turbo]

Looking again, as the are BACKUPS they are unlikly to have any monitoring/network and jsut have simple signaling.

[fairm010]

Thanks Synack, having checked the UPS's the RJ45 socket is actually serial and USB. Would have been good, but I didnt choose these UPS's . Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

 

What i might do is see if i can make a scehduled task run to shutdown another server when a power outage is detected.

[twin--turbo]

looking at the manual there is a serial/usb RJ45

 

and some surge protected RJ45's

 

The backups is also an ( or was ) off-line rather than line-interactive UPS. Not ideal for servers unless they are not critical.

 

Rob

[fairm010]

Yep, your right!

 

Unfortuately I didnt have a say in these

 

matt

[mavhc]

You can either get a network card for them, or try to find a script that does the same thing as powerchute network shutdown, when signal received send shutdown message to other 3 servers

[fairm010]

You can either get a network card for them, or try to find a script that does the same thing as powerchute network shutdown, when signal received send shutdown message to other 3 servers

 

I'm going to try that sript.... Best start looking!

[strawberry]

Set it up on 1 server so it writes to the event logs, attach an event to the "ups on battery" event and use psshutdown to set the other servers to shutdown in say 60 seconds, then find the "ups no longer on battery" command and set that to abort the last command