I have an APC Back-Ups XS 1300 UPS connected via USB cable to my Dell PowerEdge SBS server. I'm not using APC Powerchute. There must be a simple way (using shutdown.exe or something) to gracefully shut down the server after going to battery backup. It would also be nice to send out a command to all connected client computers to shut down as well. Anyone know how to accomplish these tasks with SBS built-in tools? Any help would be much appreciated!
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Shutdown on power loss
- Thread starter thardwick
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #3
I would need the Business Edition of Powerchute, which is not compatible with all of my Back-UPS units. I would have to switch all of them out with Smart-UPS units. I'd rather not have to do that, plus I'd rather not have to install 3rd party software to handle a power loss if I don't have to. I have read posts where Powerchute has caused problems. With a USB cable connected from the UPS to my SBS server, I can see the battery status just fine in the Power Options window. There are also 2 battery alarm tabs (low battery and critical battery) and options to run some type of program when the alarms occur. It seems to me that SBS would have some sort of built in tool that would tell all of the clients to close server apps, then shut down the server...
In theory, you could run a vbs script that does a NET SEND to * advising the users to shut down, then also run SHUTDOWN.EXE for the server.
Purely theory, though.
Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Purely theory, though.
Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP
- Thread starter
- #5
I tried to run shutdown.exe using the critical battery alarm. I set it up to run as administrator and set the password. It put the task in "scheduled tasks", but program did not run when the alarm went off. It looks like it tried to run, but nothing happened.
I use VBScript for that. Have encountered many customers with a SmartUPS that had just one management cable and they wanted to shut down multiple servers. VBScript executing a WMI shutdown works like a charm.
I hope you find this post helpful.
Regards,
Mark
Check out my scripting solutions at
Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.
I hope you find this post helpful.
Regards,
Mark
Check out my scripting solutions at
Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.
- Thread starter
- #7
Mark,
Thanks for the info. I looked at your site and saw the following:
"This script is a useful add on for server environments with a UPS that can only communicate with a single server. Configure the UPS to execute this script. Modify the script with the names of all servers to be shut down."
What I have is a single Windows SBS 2003 server and multiple clients. I don't need to shut down multiple servers. Can the ServerShutdownForUPS script be modified to tell all clients to shut down apps, save data, and log off the server? Also, where would this script be run from?
Travis
Thanks for the info. I looked at your site and saw the following:
"This script is a useful add on for server environments with a UPS that can only communicate with a single server. Configure the UPS to execute this script. Modify the script with the names of all servers to be shut down."
What I have is a single Windows SBS 2003 server and multiple clients. I don't need to shut down multiple servers. Can the ServerShutdownForUPS script be modified to tell all clients to shut down apps, save data, and log off the server? Also, where would this script be run from?
Travis
Yes, a computer is a computer be it a server or workstation, the WMI shutdown is the same. The script is run from the server and triggered by whatever action you want, in this case the low battery warning.
I hope you find this post helpful.
Regards,
Mark
Check out my scripting solutions at
Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.
I hope you find this post helpful.
Regards,
Mark
Check out my scripting solutions at
Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.
If you get the management card for the expansion slot on the SmartUPS, you can use the Network Shutdown utility with it to send commands to as many machines as you want.
Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP
- Thread starter
- #10
Yes. It comes with the Management Card and can be downloaded. I think it's called Network Shutdown Utility. It can trigger shutdown on many machines, but does require that you install a tiny app on each server to listen for the shutdown commands.
Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP
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