Shutdown additional servers

[da644]

Hi All.

We have an APC UPS which is attached to a W2k3 server via the COM port. We have PowerChute Business Edition install on this machine (Agent, Server and Console). This all appears to working fine, I have tested it and it shuts the machine down no problems. We also have two additional W2k3 servers attached to the same UPS for power. What do I need to do to get PowerChute to shutdown these two machine as well if required? I have tried installing PowerChute agent on these machine but during the install it asks for the port the UPS is attached to, but for these machines it is not attached directly.

Thanks in advanced for any help with this.

Best Regards

Andrew.

 

[sharper]

You will need either a serial interface card to give you extra serial ports on the UPS or a network card for the UPS. I think add-on serial cards come with two ports so that would give you the right number and you could manage all three servers from the one admin console.
If you want to protect more than three you will need a network card in the UPS. You then give this network card a static IP address and install the APC Network Shutdown Agent on all the servers powered by the UPS. Be careful though, that if you use the network card make sure that the switchs/hubs that the servers and UPS are connected to have backup power also.

 

[da644]

Hi

We have the another UPS (same make and model) connected to three Linux boxes and the network switch and on the Linux configuration you only need to connect one of the servers to the UPS and when the power goes that signals the other servers via ethernet and shuts them down. Is there no way to do something similar with Windows?

Andrew.

 

[da644]

Hi All.

Ok, got this one sorted. Forget APC Powerchute, I have installed the same software we use on our Linux boxes (there is a Win32 port). The software is apcupsd (

http://www2.apcupsd.com/)

and is open source and released under the GNU GPL2. This software allows you to do what I have described above, but remember to plug your network hub/switch into the UPS as well otherwise it will not work.

Andrew.

 

[58sniper]

You can also use the APC9607 UPS Interface Expander card, which will give you more monitoring ports on the back of the UPS. You can then connect a serial cable from one of those ports to the additional server.

The APC9607 fits into the expansion slot on the back of the unit.

I bought some of these cards on ebay recently for less than $10 each.

Pat Richard, MCSE(2) MCSA:Messaging, CNA(2)