User Guide - PowerChute™ Network Shutdown
User Guide - PowerChute™ Network Shutdown
User Guide - PowerChute™ Network Shutdown
990-4595E-001
07/2016
Schneider Electric Legal Disclaimer
The information presented in this manual is not warranted by Schneider Electric to be authoritative, error free,
or complete. This publication is not meant to be a substitute for a detailed operational and site specific
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improper installation, system failures, or any other problems that could arise based on the use of this
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accessing this information.
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PowerChute Agents ...................................................................................................................................................... 57
PowerChute Configuration File ..................................................................................................................................... 58
User Interface Session Timeout .................................................................................................................................... 59
Check for Updates......................................................................................................................................................... 60
Customer Support ......................................................................................................................................................... 61
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................................................................ 62
Network Management Card Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................... 63
Browser Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................................................. 64
SNMP Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................................................. 65
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Introduction
PowerChuteTM Network Shutdown (PowerChute) works in conjunction with the UPS Network Management Card (NMC)
to provide network-based shutdown of multiple computer systems.
In the case of a UPS critical event, the software performs a graceful, unattended system shutdown before the UPS
battery is exhausted. The number of protected systems is limited only by the capacity of the UPS.
View these Application Notes for detailed information on using PowerChute in specific environments.
After installation, it is essential to configure the software using the PowerChute Setup wizard. This
ensures that PowerChute is aware of UPS critical events in order to protect your system.
1
UPS Configuration
• Network Configuration
2
Network Configuration
PowerChute can use IPv4 or IPv6 to communicate with the Network Management Card(s).
IPv6 support is available only for Network Management Card firmware 6.0.X or higher.
Select IP
If your computer has more than one IPv4 address you will need to select one of the available addresses. The IP
address you select will be registered with the NMC and displayed in the NMC user interface under Configuration -
PowerChute Clients.
IPv6 Configuration
If you are using IPv6 to communicate with the NMC(s), each network adapter on your machine will typically have
several IP addresses assigned to it. Each adapter will have at least one link-local address and one global unicast
address assigned to it.
Use the Unicast IP Address drop-down box to specify which address to use. The address type selected in this drop-
down box must match the address type that you enter for the NMC(s) on the Network Management Card Connection
page. This unicast address will be registered on the NMC(s) and displayed on the PowerChute Network Shutdown
Clients page of the NMC.
Multicast Option
The NMC supports sending communication packets to an IPv6 Multicast address instead of sending unicast packets to
each PowerChute agent. To use this, enable the Multicast check box and enter an IPv6 Multicast address.
The multicast address that is entered here will be registered on the NMC(s) instead of the unicast address and
displayed on the PowerChute Network Shutdown Clients page of the NMC. The NMC(s) will send communication
packets to that multicast address.
FF02::1 is an example of a multicast address with link-local scope so that only nodes on the same physical
network segment will receive it. If using a link-local unicast address, you must use a multicast address with
link-local scope.
FF0E::1 is an example of a multicast address with global scope and the NMC will use its global unicast
address to send the packet. If using a global unicast address you must use a multicast address with global
scope.
For detailed information, please view "The Communications Process of PowerChute Network Shutdown" here.
3
UPS Configuration Options
For a detailed overview of which UPS’s support each configuration, please view the “PowerChute Network Shutdown
Operating Modes and supported UPS Configurations” Application Note here.
Single-UPS Configuration
Redundant-UPS Configuration
4
For detailed information, please view “Using PowerChute Network Shutdown in a Redundant-UPS Configuration”
Application Note here.
Parallel-UPS Configuration
Note: To use the Parallel-UPS configuration, your UPS devices must already be configured to operate in parallel mode.
For detailed information, please view “Using PowerChute Network Shutdown in a Parallel-UPS Configuration”
Application Note here.
5
Advanced UPS Configuration
For detailed information, please view the “Using PowerChute Network Shutdown in an Advanced Redundant Setup”
Application Note here.
6
Network Management Card Connection
The Network Management Card uses the HTTP protocol by default. This can be changed to HTTPS through the NMC
user interface. Based on the NMC protocol used, you can select either HTTP or HTTPS in PowerChute.
The default port is 80 for HTTP, and 443 for HTTPS. Do not change this number unless you changed the port being
used by your NMC.
The NMC uses a self-signed SSL certificate by default when HTTPS is enabled. You need
to enable "Accept Untrusted SSL Certificates" to allow PowerChute to establish
communication with the NMC if a self-signed cert is being used by the NMC.
For Redundant and Parallel configurations, you need to enter more than one IP address to enable communications
with all the relevant NMCs.
For more information on UPS configurations and supported UPS models, view the Application Note "PowerChute
Network Shutdown Operating Modes and supported UPS Configurations" here.
Add each IP address using the + Add IP Address button. Enter the IP address of the NMC in the UPS. Click OK.
To edit an IP address, click the icon. To delete an IP address, click the icon.
When using the HTTPS protocol to communicate with the NMC, you must select the Accept Untrusted SSL
Certificates? check box. However, it is possible to create a Trusted Certificate file and add it to the PowerChute
truststore.
Your NMC Security Handbook has details on the Security Wizard used to create the Trusted Certificate file with an
extension .CRT. This file is then used to create components that can be uploaded to the NMC to replace the default
self-signed certificate.
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In order to facilitate the trusted SSL communication of PowerChute with the NMC, this Trusted Certificate file must then
be added to the system Java cacerts keystore or to the PowerChutekeystore file. (You can do this using the Java
keytool.exe; for details see the Java help documentation). Adding it to the cacerts keystore means it is available to all
your applications as distinct from just PowerChute.
By default the PowerChute-keystore file is located in APC\PowerChute\group1. Its password is “password”. If you add
the Trusted Certificate and you subsequently get a connection error with the NMC, then it could be because a) the
certificate has expired, b) it is not yet valid, or c) it has been revoked. In any of these cases, you need to add a new
Trusted Certificate to the PowerChute server or to upload a new valid SSL certificate to the NMC.
The PowerChute-keystore file only exists after the first attempt is made to communicate with the NMC
using HTTPS (by using the configuration wizard for example). For this reason, for a silent installation you
must add the Trusted Certificate to the Java cacerts keystore.
PowerChute only checks the keystore when its service starts. After you add the Trusted Certificate, you will
need to re-start the PowerChute service if it’s already running.
8
Advanced UPS Setups
Add UPS Setup
In an Advanced UPS configuration, a single instance of PowerChute Network Shutdown can monitor multiple UPS
setups and initiate graceful shutdown of equipment based on different redundancy levels. Each setup can be a single
UPS or a UPS group. A single UPS setup is represented by the icon. A UPS group is represented by the icon.
For example, one setup may be a group of UPS's that are configured with N+2 redundancy. Another setup may be a
single UPS.
On the UPS Details page of the Setup Wizard, click the + Add UPS(s) button to create a new setup.
To create a setup with a single UPS, on the Configure UPS Setup dialog choose Single UPS:
2. Click the + Add IP Address button and enter the IP address of the Network Management card in the UPS.
Click OK.
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To create a setup with a group of UPS devices, choose UPS Group:
2. Click the + Add IP Address button and enter the IP address of the Network Management card in the UPS.
Click OK.
3. Repeat for each of the UPS devices to be added to the UPS group. A minimum of 2 IP addresses is required to
set up a UPS Group.
To edit a UPS Setup, click the icon. To delete a UPS setup, click the icon.
Click the Next button to go to the next step of the Setup Wizard.
PowerChute has been tested with a total of 16 NMCs in an advanced configuration. However it
is possible to configure for more than 16 NMCs in this configuration.
For detailed information, please view the “Using PowerChute Network Shutdown in an Advanced Redundant Setup”
Application Note here.
10
Outlet Group Registration
If your UPS supports outlet groups you must specify which one the server is being powered by so that PowerChute can
monitor it for shutdown events and also issue turn-off commands to that outlet group.
If your servers are being powered by a mix of outlet-aware UPS’s (e.g. SMX/ SMT) and non-outlet-aware UPS’s (e.g.
SU/ SUA) in a Redundant UPS Configuration, PowerChute only provides the option to turn off the UPS and not the
outlet group.
Your servers are still protected if there is a UPS critical event or if the outlet group is commanded to shut down e.g. via
the NMC User Interface.
11
Network Management Card Settings
For Single, Redundant and Parallel UPS configurations, the IP address of each NMC that PowerChute is
communicating with is displayed under the UPS Configuration menu option.
For Advanced UPS configuration, each UPS Setup is displayed as a menu item and the IP address of the NMC(s) with
which PowerChute is communicating is displayed under each UPS setup.
Click on the IP address to view the UPS information specific to that NMC.
• NMC IP Address
• UPS configuration
The NMC Host Name from the NMC's DNS settings page under Network - DNS - Configuration is also displayed. This
is not the same as the UPS name that can be set under Configuration - UPS General on the NMC.
12
Shutdown Settings
The Shutdown Settings page enables you to configure UPS turnoff and the shutdown command files.
• UPS Shutdown
13
UPS Shutdown
The default setting is Do not turn off the UPS.
You can select Turn off the UPS if you want to preserve battery power. Some UPS’s do not support UPS turnoff
through PowerChute or the NMC. For these models, it can only be done at the UPS itself. Please check your UPS
documentation to ensure your model supports UPS turnoff.
If your UPS has Switched Outlet Groups, then the Turn off the UPS Outlet Group option enables you to turn off the
outlet group that supplies power to the PowerChute protected server after a critical event occurs.
The default behavior for most UPS’s if they are turned off following an on-battery shutdown is
that they will turn on again once input power is restored.
The On-Battery Shutdown Behavior setting can be found in the NMC under Configuration –
Shutdown where you can change the behavior to Turn off and Stay off if required.
This is not available for an Advanced UPS Configuration that contains UPS Setups with
Redundant UPS's.
In a Redundant UPS configuration you have the option to turn off one of the UPS’s after it has switched to battery
power. This is designed to prolong the battery life and preserve the battery power of the UPS. If using this feature on a
UPS that supports outlet groups the option "Turn off the UPS" should be enabled.
After the specified delay, PowerChute will issue a command to gracefully turn off the UPS.
If one UPS is on battery and another UPS switches to battery before the configured delay for
Single UPS turn off has elapsed, then the first UPS will not be turned off.
If the shutdown action is enabled for the On Battery event, a Multiple Critical event condition
will occur if a second UPS switches to battery power (after the first UPS has been
commanded to turn off by PowerChute). When this occurs the shutdown sequence will start
after 10 seconds.
14
Shutdown Command Files
A Shutdown Command File can be configured to run if a UPS critical event is triggered.
Full path to command file: You must specify the full path name of the command file, including the disk drive or
®
volume name. On Windows , the file should be a .cmd or .bat file. For Linux and Unix systems, it should be a .sh file
with execute permissions of chmod +x [command file name].
Duration: Enter the number of seconds that the shutdown command file requires to execute.
Note: For Advanced UPS Configurations, if there are different command files configured for each UPS
Setup, PowerChute may need to wait for all command files to finish executing before proceeding with the
final steps in the shutdown sequence. This is dependent on the timing that UPS critical events occur on
each UPS Setup. PowerChute will automatically increase the Outlet Group Power Off delay or Maximum
Required delay (non-outlet aware UPS) to include the combined total of the shutdown command file
durations for each UPS Setup. This can impact the runtime available on the UPSs during a shutdown. To
accommodate this, set the low battery duration on the UPSs accordingly.
You must determine the time required for your command file to execute. PowerChute cannot
determine whether the command file has completed, so it will wait only the amount of time
entered before triggering an operating system shutdown.
The command file runs using the local system account. For Linux/Unix the command file must be executed with root
privileges. PowerChute cannot execute programs that require interaction with the desktop; only command line enabled
programs are supported.
15
Shutdown Settings for Advanced UPS Configurations
With Advanced UPS configurations, PowerChute can monitor multiple UPS setups, including single UPS devices and
groups of redundant UPS devices that you have created (see “Advanced UPS Setups”).
Field Description
Number of UPS’s required to power Set this value to the minimum number of UPS’s that must be available to
load support the equipment that is being powered by the UPS’s in the setup.
The value set here will be subtracted from the total number of UPS’s in the
setup and used to calculate the number of additional (redundant) UPS’s. In
redundancy terminology, this is the N in N+x.
This setting is not displayed for UPS Setups with a Single UPS device.
Number of additional (redundant) This will appear in a setup with more than one UPS. It represents the number
UPS’s of extra UPS’s in the setup. This option is associated with the number of UPS
critical events required to trigger shutdown:
N+1 2
N+2 3
N+3 4
Multiple critical events occurring on the same UPS does not impact the
above table values.
This setting is not displayed for UPS Setups with a Single UPS device.
Total number of UPS’s in Setup This is the total of the above two rows and is calculated automatically.
Run Command When a shutdown sequence is triggered you can configure PowerChute to
execute a command file.
Note: If the same command file is configured for each setup and a shutdown
sequence is triggered for more than one setup at the same time, the
command file is only executed once.
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Field Description
Shut down PowerChute Server This is enabled by default and is used to gracefully shut down the physical
machine running PowerChute.
Shut down if Redundancy lost If this option is enabled, when the number of UPS critical events is the same
as the number of additional (redundant) UPS’s, a shutdown sequence will be
triggered.
This option is associated with the number of UPS critical events required to
trigger shutdown:
N+1 1
N+2 2
N+3 3
Multiple critical events occurring on the same UPS does not impact the
above table values.
This option is not shown if there are no additional (redundant) UPS’s. For
example, this option will not appear if the number of UPS’s required to power
the load is the same as the total number of UPS’s in the group.
UPS Shutdown Use this option to set the required UPS behavior after connected equipment
or servers are gracefully shut down. For more information see UPS
Shutdown.
17
SNMP Configuration
PowerChute Network Shutdown can be configured to communicate via Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP), and can be discovered via SNMP by Network Management tools, such as StruxureWare Data Center
Expert. Using SNMP, you can query and configure PowerChute settings, and generate SNMP traps for UPS critical
events and lost communication events.
SNMPv1 and SNMPv3 are supported by PowerChute Network Shutdown. IPv4 and IPv6 are both supported. SNMP
support is enabled during the Installation process; see the PowerChute Network Shutdown Installation Guide available
on the APC website for more information. Once installed, go to SNMP Settings in the web user interface to complete
the configuration and make PowerChute accessible via SNMP. It is not necessary to re-start the PowerChute service
when enabling SNMP or making SNMP configuration changes via the web user interface. PowerChute configuration
changes via SNMP are logged to the Event Log.
See:
• SNMPv1 Configuration
• SNMPv3 Configuration
• SNMP Trap Configuration
• SNMP Data Points
• SNMP Troubleshooting
18
SNMPv1 Configuration
Select Enable SNMPv1 access to configure the User Profiles required to communicate via SNMPv1. Select Add
Profile and configure:
1. Community Name: The Community Name is sent with each SNMP request to obtain access to a device. The
maximum length is 15 ASCII characters.
2. NMS IP/Host Name: The IP address, Host Name or Fully Qualified Domain Name of the Network
Management System (NMS). An NMS is software that is used to manage software and hardware components
on the network. It can be used to manage PowerChute via SNMP by issuing SNMP GET and SET commands.
The default value of 0.0.0.0 permits access from any NMS.
3. Access Type:
• Disable: No SNMP GET or SET requests are permitted.
• Read: Only SNMP GET requests are permitted.
• Read/Write: SNMP GET and SET requests are permitted.
To edit an existing SNMPv1 user profile, click the button. To delete an SNMPv1 user profile, click the
button.
Certain Network Management Systems require the SNMP Engine ID to communicate via
SNMP. The SNMP Engine ID is displayed on the SNMP Settings page of the PowerChute
user interface.
SNMPv1 is less secure than SNMPv3. SNMPv1 does not provide encryption or authentication,
and the Community Name is sent over the network in plain text. To use encryption and
authentication with SNMP, configure SNMPv3 settings.
19
SNMPv3 Configuration
Select Enable SNMPv3 access to configure the SNMPv3 settings. Select Add Profile and configure:
1. User Name: In SNMPv3, all GET and SET requests and SNMP Traps are matched to a user profile by the
User Name. Enter a user name of a length less than or equal to 32 ASCII characters.
2. Authentication Protocol: Select MD5, SHA-1 or SHA-2 (SHA256 or SHA512) protocol. It is recommended to
use an SHA-2 protocol, if the NMS supports it.
3. Authentication Passphrase: Enter an authentication password for the protocol selected, of 8-32 ASCII
characters.
* † * †
4. Privacy Protocol: Select AES-128, AES-192 , AES-192 Ex , AES-256 , AES-256 Ex , or DES. It is
recommended to use the AES-256 protocol, if the NMS and PowerChute JRE support it:
*
Due to US Export restrictions, the Java JRE used by PowerChute may require an
Unlimited Strength Jurisdiction Policy to be installed before long encryption keys (such
as AES-192 or AES-256) can be successfully used. See
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html for details of the
latest Java Cryptography Extension (JCE). For more information, see Knowledge base
article FA290630 (Enter "FA290630" at http://www.schneider-
electric.us/sites/us/en/support/faq/faq_main.page). For operating systems that require a
custom JRE (such as HP-UX or AIX), see the manufacturer's website for JRE
guidelines.
†
Note: Certain SNMP Network Management Systems use a non-standard AES key
extension algorithm for 192 and 256 bit key lengths. This non-standard implementation
or “Key extension algorithm” is specified by the IETF.
If your NMS requires the use of the Key Extension algorithm, select Privacy Protocol
options AES-192 Ex or AES-256 Ex.
5. Privacy Passphrase: Enter a privacy password for the encryption protocol selected, of 8-32 ASCII characters.
6. Access Type:
• Disable: No SNMP GET or SET requests are permitted.
• Read: Only SNMP GET requests are permitted.
• Read/Write: SNMP GET and SET requests are permitted.
To edit an existing SNMPv3 user profile, click the button. To delete an SNMPv3 user profile, click the
button.
Certain Network Management Systems require the SNMP Engine ID to communicate via
SNMP. The SNMP Engine ID is displayed on the SNMP Settings page of the PowerChute
user interface.
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SNMP Trap Configuration
You can specify the device(s) that receive the SNMP traps generated by PowerChute for UPS critical and lost
communication events.
Click the SNMP Trap Receiver Test to send a test trap to the configured Trap Receiver. Check the Trap Receiver to
ensure that the test trap was received.
To edit an existing SNMP Trap Receiver, click the button. To delete an SNMP Trap Receiver, click the
button.
PowerChute sends SNMP traps to the configured Trap Receiver(s) upon the following events:
PowerChute sends SNMP traps to the configured Trap Receiver(s) upon the following events:
If the option to Send Trap when condition is cleared is enabled, the following traps are sent:
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• Network Communications Lost Resolved
If PowerChute regains communication with the Network Management Card of the UPS, a trap is sent to the
configured Trap Receiver.
• UPS Communications Lost Resolved
If communication is regained between the NMC and the UPS, a trap is sent to the configured Trap Receiver.
Other Events
See SNMP Data Points > PowerChute Traps for more information on PowerChute SNMP Trap OIDs.
To configure the settings for UPS Critical Event or Lost Communication traps:
22
SNMP Data Points
The tables below describe the PowerChute configuration details that are available for SNMP polling and/or
configuration.
Object Identifier
Access Description
Name
Object Identifier
Access Description
Name
read-only The web protocol that is used to connect to the PowerChute web user
pcnsUIProtocol
interface.
pcnsHttpPort read-only The port that is used to connect to the PowerChute web user interface.
The port that is used to connect via https to the PowerChute web user
pcnsHttpsPort read-only
interface.
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PowerChute Network Management Card Settings
Object Identifier
Access Description
Name
pcnsNMCPort read-only The port used to connect to all of the Network Management Card(s).
NMC details are contained in an SNMP table named pcnsNmcTable. Each table entry contains:
pcnsNMCIndex read-only The Index of the NMC within the PowerChute setup.
pcnsNMCOutlet read-only The Outlet Group of the NMC on which PowerChute is enrolled.
* Note: These OIDs are not available for Advanced UPS Setups. See below for equivalent OIDs for Advanced UPS Setups.
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Object Identifier Name Access Description
The PowerChute Shutdown Settings for Advanced UPS Setups are contained in an SNMP Table named
pcnsAdvancedShutdownTable. To SNMP GET or SET a property of a specific Advanced UPS Configuration, you
must specify the group number of the UPS Setup in the GET or SET command. To see a list of UPS Setups and their
associated numbers, perform an SNMP Get on.pcnsAdvancedGroupName
To perform an SNMP GET or SET command on each UPS Setup is, use the format .[Object Identifier
Name].[UPS Setup Number]
For example, to specify that a command file is configured for the first UPS Setup, the perform an SNMP SET
on.pcnsAdvancedShutdownCommandFileEnabled.1
pcnsAdvancedShutdownCommandFileDuration read-write
The number of seconds that the shutdown
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Object Identifier Name Access Description
PowerChute Events
The table below details the OID Names of the Configurable Events that can be configured via SNMP, and the names of
the Events as seen in the PowerChute User Interface.
26
Object Identifier Name PowerChute UI Reference
27
Object Identifier Name PowerChute UI Reference
[event name]EnableLogging read-write Enable or disable logging to the event log for this event.
[event read-write Enable or disable command file execution for this event.
name]EnableCommandFile
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For pcnsRunTimeBelowThreshold you can access:
PowerChute Traps
The table below details the OID Names of the SNMP traps sent by PowerChute for critical and lost communication
events.
pcnsNMCComsLostResolved Informational The NMC has regained communication with the UPS.
Other Events
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Event Configuration
When UPS events occur, PowerChute can be configured to log the event, notify users, execute a command file or
initiate a system shutdown through the Configure Events screen.
The symbol indicates that the action is enabled for this event while the symbol indicates that the action is not
enabled.
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Notifications
PowerChute can send a message to one user or all logged-in users when an event occurs:
Notify all users: For Windows, the message will be sent to all users who are on the same network. For Linux or Unix,
all users who are logged onto the server with a terminal prompt open will be notified.
Notify only this user: On Windows, enter the machine name. On Linux or Unix systems, enter the user name. The
user will still need to be logged onto the server with a terminal prompt open to be notified.
Repeat Interval: The time interval, in seconds, at which the message will be repeated while the event condition exists.
If this field is blank or zero, the message will not be repeated.
Delay (if required): Enter the amount of time in seconds that PowerChute should wait after the event occurs before
notifying users. Users will be notified immediately if a shutdown event is triggered.
For Windows operating systems, PowerChute can only send notifications if the operating system
supports the messenger service. If not supported, there is no option displayed in the UI. See
KBase article FA169440 for more information. (If you have difficulty with this link, enter
"FA169440" at
http://www.schneider-electric.us/sites/us/en/support/faq/faq_main.page).
31
Event-Driven Command Files
If required, PowerChute can be configured to execute a command file after certain events are triggered. Click the
symbol on the event row and select the Enable Command File check box.
Delay: Enter the amount of time in seconds that PowerChute should wait when the event occurs before executing the
command file.
If a shutdown command file is also configured, both command files will be executed in
parallel.
Full path to command file: You must specify the full path name of the command file, including the disk drive or
volume name. On Windows, the file should be a .cmd or .bat file. For Linux and Unix systems, it should be a .sh file.
The command file runs using the local system account. PowerChute cannot execute programs that require interaction
with the desktop; only command line-enabled programs are supported.
32
Shutdown Actions
When the Shutdown Action is enabled for an event, PowerChute treats the event as critical and will trigger a shutdown
sequence. Shutdown is not supported for all events: this is indicated by the presence or absence of an icon on the
event row.
The Delay field is the amount of time in seconds that PowerChute should wait before initiating the shutdown sequence.
By default, the On Battery event has a delay of 120 seconds, whereas the default for all other events is 0 seconds.
By default, PowerChute will only trigger a shutdown sequence if a low battery condition occurs or the UPS is
commanded to turn off. Shutdown cannot be disabled for these events using the PowerChute user interface.
33
Sequenced Server Shutdown
The Runtime Remaining below Threshold event can be used to sequence the order that your servers shut down
during an extended power outage.
This is useful if you have multiple servers powered by the same UPS and you want to extend the runtime for your
higher priority servers. It also ensures that lower priority servers are the first to be shut down.
This event will trigger a server shutdown command when the UPS is running on battery power and the runtime has
dropped below the threshold configured. You can also configure a command file to execute before shutdown occurs by
specifying a higher runtime threshold value for the Run Command File event action.
Example
1. You have 3 servers powered by the same UPS. Your lower priority server is Server C while you want to keep
Server A running as long as possible.
2. You want Server A to shut down when the UPS protecting it has 10 minutes runtime remaining.
3. You want Server B to shut down when the UPS protecting it has 15 minutes runtime remaining.
4. You want Server C to shut down when the UPS protecting it has 20 minute runtime remaining.
o Server A – 10 minutes
o Server B - 15 minutes
o Server C - 20 minutes
6. Each server is shut down when the runtime remaining drops below the threshold configured.
34
Sample Shutdown Scenarios
The following scenarios provide examples of how PowerChute and the UPS behave when a shutdown sequence is
triggered.
35
UPS without Outlet Groups
Example 1: Turn of UPS enabled, No shutdown command file configured.
The option to Turn off the UPS is enabled on the Shutdown settings page. No shutdown command file is configured.
When a critical UPS event, such as On Battery occurs, the following sequence is triggered.
2. After the shutdown delay configured for the On Battery event has elapsed, PowerChute sends a command to
turn off the UPS.
5. The UPS will wait the amount of time indicated by one of the following, whichever is greater: Low Battery
Duration or Maximum Required Delay
These are shown on the UPS Shutdown page in the NMC UI.
6. After this delay, a further non-configurable two minute delay is counted down.
7. The UPS will then turn off after the user-configurable Shutdown Delay time has elapsed
This is configurable on the UPS Shutdown page in the NMC UI.
It is recommended that the Low Battery Duration is configured to allow enough time for the Operating System
shutdown to complete. Ideally the operating system should have shut down before the non-configurable two minute
delay (step 6) starts to count down.
36
Example 2: Turn off UPS enabled, shutdown command file configured.
The option to Turn off the UPS is enabled on the Shutdown settings page. A shutdown command file is configured.
When a critical UPS event, such as On Battery occurs, the following sequence is triggered.
2. After the shutdown delay configured for the On Battery event has elapsed, PowerChute then sends a
command to turn off the UPS. UPS turn off starts.
4. After the duration configured for the shutdown command file has elapsed, an additional 70 second delay is
counted down before the operating system starts to shut down.
5. The UPS will wait the amount of time indicated by one of the following, whichever is greater: Low Battery
Duration or Maximum Required Delay. These are shown on the UPS Shutdown page in the NMC UI.
6. After this delay, a further non-configurable two minute delay is counted down.
7. The UPS will then turn off after the user-configurable Shutdown Delay time has elapsed (this is configurable
on the UPS Shutdown page in the NMC UI).
It is recommended that the Low Battery Duration is configured to allow enough time for the shutdown command file
and operating system shutdown to complete. Ideally, the operating system should have shut down before the two
minute delay (step 6) starts to count down.
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UPS with Outlet Groups
Example 1: Turn off Outlet Group enabled, no shutdown command file configured.
The option to Turn off the Outlet Group is enabled on the Shutdown settings page. No Shutdown command file is
configured. When a critical UPS event, such as On Battery occurs, the following sequence is triggered.
2. After the shutdown delay configured for the On Battery event has elapsed PowerChute sends a command to
turn off the outlet group that PowerChute is registered with.
5. The outlet group will turn off after the Power Off Delay configured on the NMC Outlet Group configuration
page has elapsed.
o If registered with the Main Outlet Group, the UPS will wait for any Switched Outlet Groups to turn off
before the Main Outlet Group turnoff starts.
o If registered with a Switched Outlet Group, only that delay is counted down.
It is recommended that the outlet group Power Off Delay is configured to allow enough time for the operating system
shutdown to complete. You should allow extra time to ensure that the outlet group does not turn off before the
operating system.
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Example 2: Turn off the Outlet Group enabled, shutdown command file configured.
The option to Turn off the Outlet Group is enabled on the Shutdown settings page. A shutdown command file is
configured.
When a critical UPS event, such as On Battery occurs, the following sequence is triggered.
2. After the shutdown delay configured for the On Battery event has elapsed, PowerChute then sends a
command to turn off the outlet group that it is registered with. Outlet Group turn off starts.
4. After the duration configured for the shutdown command file has elapsed, an additional 70 second delay is
counted down before the operating system starts to shut down.
5. The Outlet Group will turn off after the Power Off Delay configured on the NMC Outlet Group configuration
page has elapsed.
o If registered with the Main Outlet Group, the UPS will wait for any Switched Outlet groups to turn off
before the Main Outlet Group turn off starts.
o If registered with a Switched Outlet Group only that delay is counted down.
It is recommended that the Outlet Group Power Off delay is configured to allow enough time for the shutdown
command file and the Operating System shutdown to complete. You should allow extra time to ensure that the Outlet
Group does not turn off before the Operating System.
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Recommended Power-Off Delays for Outlet groups
By default, the outlet group Power Off Delay will be the same value as the Low Battery duration configured on the
NMC. PowerChute will automatically increase the Power Off Delay for the outlet group it is registered with, if the total
shutdown time it needs is greater than the Power Off Delay.
• Built-in delay of 2 minutes (this consists of a 10 second OS shutdown delay and a 60 second OS shutdown
duration; rounded up)
The time required to gracefully shut down your operating system is not covered by the total
shutdown time, as PowerChute cannot determine how long it will take to complete.
The Power Off Delay for the outlet group should be long enough for the OS to gracefully shut
down. You should add extra time to allow for unforeseen circumstances.
The Low Battery Duration set on the NMC should be equal to or greater than the Power Off
Delay for the outlet group.
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PowerChute Events and Logging
The Event Log displays UPS events that affect PowerChute and the load that it is protecting. Not all UPS events are
logged. The log is refreshed automatically every 30 seconds.
By default, event logging is enabled for all configurable and non-configurable PowerChute events. To disable logging
of an event, use the Configure Events screen.
The EventLog.txt file is located in the group1 folder where PowerChute is installed. When the file reaches 1000 log
entries, the oldest third of the file is deleted.
1000 is the default value, but you can change it using the PowerChute Configuration (INI)
File. To do this:
1. Stop the PowerChute service/daemon. For more information, see Knowledge Base
article FA290624 (Enter "FA290624" at http://www.schneider-
electric.us/sites/us/en/support/faq/faq_main.page).
2. Locate the pcnsconfig.ini file in the group1 folder where PowerChute is installed
and open it using a text editor.
3. In the section [EventLog] change the value for logsize to the desired value. For
example, to change the value to 2000 entries, change logsize to:
logsize = 2000
To completely clear the Event Log, use the Delete Log File button. Use Export Log to download a copy of the Event
Log as a text file.
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Configurable Events
• Available runtime has been exceeded
For both conditions below, the “total shutdown time” includes the following durations:
Condition 1.
When the total shutdown time required by PowerChute is greater than the Low Battery Duration minus two minutes
configured for the UPS. In the event of a low battery condition, PowerChute will not have enough time to complete the
shutdown sequence before the UPS powers off. For example, if the total shutdown time required is 3 minutes and
Low Battery Duration is 4 minutes, the Available Runtime has been Exceeded event will be triggered.
Resolution: Increase the Low Battery Duration value on the NMC using Configure - Shutdown or decrease the
shutdown durations being used by PowerChute.
Condition 2.
When the shutdown duration configured for the UPS On Battery event plus the total shutdown time required by
PowerChute is greater than the Runtime Remaining on the UPS minus two minutes. This condition can be caused by
having too great a load on the UPS when the battery is fully charged.
Resolution:
1. Remove some equipment from the UPS to increase the available runtime.
2. Decrease the shutdown duration time for the UPS On Battery event.
3. Decrease the command file execution time using the Shutdown Settings screen.
This event is logged and event actions are carried out even if it occurs on a single UPS in a Redundant or Parallel
UPS configuration.
The available UPS Runtime/ Low Battery Duration is sufficient for PowerChute to shut down all equipment gracefully.
• Battery is discharged
The UPS battery runtime has fallen below an acceptable range. If there is a power outage, a low battery condition will
occur. This can be caused if the UPS has been operating on battery for an extended time period.
If a Battery Recharged event does not occur within four hours, the UPS may not be charging properly, please contact
APC Customer Support.
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• Battery has recharged.
The battery runtime of the UPS has returned to within an acceptable range.
The UPS has switched to bypass due to an internal hardware problem or because the UPS is overloaded.
• UPS has switched to bypass in response to the bypass switch at the UPS, typically for
maintenance.
A user put the UPS into bypass mode using a hardware switch.
• UPS has switched to bypass in response to the UPS front-panel or a user-initiated software
command, typically for maintenance.
The UPS has switched to bypass and cannot protect the load if a power outage occurs. This is a normal condition if
maintenance is being performed on the UPS.
If this event occurs when the UPS was not deliberately put into bypass, please contact Customer Support.
The bypass contactor is not operating properly. This will prevent the UPS from being placed in bypass or returning
from bypass. Please contact Customer Support.
PowerChute lost communication while the UPS was on battery and cannot detect a Low Battery condition if the power
outage continues. Graceful shutdown cannot be guaranteed.
Communication between the NMC and the UPS has been lost. Make sure that the NMC is firmly inserted in its slot.
This can occur during a firmware upgrade of the NMC.
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• PowerChute cannot communicate with the Management Card.
Network communication between PowerChute and the NMC has been lost. See Network Management Card
Troubleshooting. This can occur during a firmware upgrade of the NMC.
The UPS has switched to battery operation due to a power outage. If you can’t restore power to the UPS, do the
following:
1. If there is no general power outage (i.e. if only this UPS has lost input power), check the building wiring and
circuit breakers.
2. If this event occurs occasionally and briefly, check to see if equipment on the same electrical circuit as the UPS
uses high power periodically.
3. This event can also be caused by poor power quality (i.e. power fluctuation). Decrease the sensitivity of the
UPS through the NMC user interface.
• UPS is no longer running on battery power or output power has been turned on.
The load on your UPS has exceeded the maximum load threshold, set in the NMC user interface. Reduce the load on
the UPS or upgrade to a device that can support the existing load.
The UPS has too great a load or there are not enough power modules operational to support the desired redundancy.
Check to see that all power modules are functioning properly and that the redundancy configuration is correct.
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• Minimum redundancy restored.
The system has too great a load or there are not enough operational UPS’s to support the desired redundancy level.
Check to see that all UPS’s are functioning properly and that the redundancy configuration is correct.
The Parallel UPS system can now support the desired redundancy.
• The runtime remaining has dropped below the configured threshold while on Battery.
The runtime remaining has dropped below the configured threshold while on battery. You can configure this threshold
using the shutdown action on the Configure Events page.
When the UPS in running on battery power and the runtime remaining on the UPS drops below the threshold,
PowerChute will trigger a shutdown sequence. See “Sequenced Server Shutdown” for more information.
• The runtime remaining is now above the configured threshold or input power has been restored.
Occurs when the UPS runtime is greater than the user defined threshold or if the UPS is no longer running on battery
power.
The UPS’s internal temperature is too high. Make sure that there is at least one inch of clearance around the UPS,
and that the UPS ventilation ports are not blocked. If this condition is not resolved quickly, damage may occur to your
UPS.
The UPS has sensed a load greater than 100 per cent of its rated capacity. Remove attached equipment from the
UPS until the condition is corrected. If this condition happens occasionally and briefly, check to see if some equipment
connected to the UPS is using high power periodically (e.g. connected laser printers or photocopiers). If the condition
persists, contact Customer Support.
A condition that caused the UPS output overload event to occur has been corrected.
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Configurable Environmental Events
The following events are logged and event actions are carried out even if they occur on a single UPS in a Redundant
or Parallel UPS configuration.
The temperature exceeds the threshold configured for the Environmental temperature probe.
The temperature no longer exceeds the threshold configured for the Environmental temperature probe.
The humidity exceeds the threshold configured for the Environmental humidity probe.
The humidity no longer exceeds the threshold configured for the Environmental humidity probe.
PowerChute has stopped receiving data from the Environmental Monitoring Card or the probe has been removed
from the Universal I/O (UIO) port on the NMC.
Check to see that the Environmental Monitoring Card is firmly inserted in its slot and has power. Check that
environmental monitoring information is accessible through the NMC user interface.
If PowerChute cannot communicate with the NMC you will need to correct that problem first.
PowerChute Network Shutdown is receiving data from the Environmental Monitoring Card/Probe.
• Contact X Alarm.
One of the environmental input contacts is in an alarm state. Check in the location being monitored by this contact.
• Contact X Normal.
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Non-Configurable Events
• Three unsuccessful logon attempts detected. Temporarily denying logon attempts from machine
with IP <IP address>.
There have been three invalid login attempts from a machine with the IP address listed in the event. Further login
attempts will be prevented from this machine for two minutes. This is a security measure designed to prevent brute-
force login attempts.
• Username was changed by user [User] from IP address [IP address]. New username is
[Username].
The Username has been changed by the user at the specified IP address. This is a security feature to notify the user
when the Username has been changed.
The password has been changed by the user at the specified IP address. This is a security feature to notify the user
when the password has been changed.
• Authentication phrase was changed by user [User] from IP address [IP address].
The authentication phrase has been changed by the user at the specified IP address. This is a security feature to
notify the user when the authentication phrase has been changed.
The runtime remaining on the UPS has dropped below the Low battery duration value while the UPS was on battery.
A graceful shutdown command has been issued to the UPS using the NMC User Interface, the LCD display or by
PowerChute. This event is logged for all UPS Configurations.
The operating system has started to shut down in response to a critical UPS event.
The outlet group that PowerChute is registered with is turned off. This can indicate that PowerChute is not configured
for the correct outlet group.
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• Warning: Outlet Group X is turning off for NMC X.
The outlet group that PowerChute is registered with is shutting down. A shutdown sequence will be started as a result.
If PowerChute was not registered with an Outlet group during setup it will be automatically registered with the first
outlet group on the UPS by default.
• PowerChute is unable to open TCP port [number]. Check that TCP port [number] is free.
PowerChute uses TCP ports 3052 and 6547 for the Web User Interface. This event will be logged if another
application is already using either of the above ports.
Use the netstat command to identify which process is using these ports or change the values using the PowerChute
Configuration File.
PowerChute has begun to open the port it requires for the Web UI.
PowerChute has successfully opened the port it requires for the Web UI.
• PowerChute is unable to open UDP port 3052. Check that UDP port 3052 is free. This is required
for NMC communication.
PowerChute uses UDP port 3052 for communication with the NMC. This event will be logged if another application is
already using this port. Use the netstat command to identify which application is using the port. This port cannot be
changed.
PowerChute has begun to open the port required for NMC communications.
PowerChute was able to open the port it needs for NMC communications.
Reported when the PowerChute Agent cannot communicate with the Network Management Card over the network.
This could be due to a mismatch in security credentials or a network issue.
Reported when the Network Management Card cannot communicate with the UPS. If this issue persists please
contact technical support.
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• Connection failed because PowerChute received an untrusted SSL certificate from the NMC
https://[ip_address]
This can occur if registering with an NMC that has HTTPS enabled and is using an SSL certificate that is not signed
by a trusted root certification authority.
To accept the certificate, enable the option "Accept Untrusted SSL Certificates?" on the UPS Details page of the
PowerChute Setup Wizard or add the certificate to the PowerChute-keystore.
Occurs when registering with an NMC that has HTTPS enabled if the SSL cert is not signed by a trusted root
certification authority.
If the option Accept Untrusted SSL certificates is enabled, PowerChute will automatically add self-signed and
untrusted certs to its local keystore.
Reported when one UPS goes on battery in a UPS configuration with multiple UPS's.
• The On Battery UPS is no longer running on Battery power or output power has been turned on.
Reported when one UPS in a UPS configuration with multiple UPS's returns to On Line operation.
The advanced option is enabled under UPS Shutdown Settings for a Redundant UPS Configuration and one UPS is
on Battery.
Reported when one UPS turns off in a UPS configuration with multiple UPS's.
Reported when one UPS turns back on in a UPS configuration with multiple UPS's.
• Multiple UPS's have been commanded to turn off / Outlet Group turn off has been initiated on
Multiple UPS's.
This occurs in a Redundant or Parallel-Redundant UPS Configuration when two different critical UPS events are
active.
One of the UPS devices in a Parallel-UPS configuration has been removed from the Parallel system.
PowerChute has sent a graceful shutdown command to the UPS. This is logged when a critical event occurs and the
option to Turn off the UPS is enabled on the Shutdown settings page.
PowerChute has sent a graceful shutdown command to the UPS Outlet group. This is logged when a critical event
occurs and the option to Turn off the UPS Outlet Group is enabled on the Shutdown settings page.
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Configuration (INI) File Events
The table below lists events that may be logged as a result of manual changes to the PowerChute Configuration File.
Before editing the Configuration file manually you should save a backup copy locally.
• Error: PowerChute cannot find the configuration file or the backup configuration file. Shutting down.
PowerChute cannot locate pcsnconfig.ini or pcnsconfig_backup.ini to error.log in the group1 folder where PowerChute
is installed. Please re-install PowerChute. If this does not resolve the issue contact APC technical support.
• Error: The ini file is missing [x] key from section [x].
A required key is missing. Replace the missing key from a backup file.
• Error: The ini file could not find IP address information in section [x].
• Error: The ini contains an invalid value for [x] in section [x].
An invalid value is present in the file and no previous good value or default is available in the backup file.
• Error: The ini contains an invalid value for [x] in section [x]. Using {2} instead. Please validate the
configuration.
An invalid value is found in the file but a previous valid value or default value is available in the backup file. This
should be checked but no further action may be needed.
• Error: The key [x] in section [x], did not match the supplied regular expression.
This can occur if you enter a username value that contains unsupported characters or if you entered a value other
than http/https for they key protocol.
• Error: Could not convert the value of [x] in section [x] to its expected type.
This can occur if you enter a non-numeric value where a numeric value is expected for example.
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• Error: Event [x] is enabled for command file execution, but an invalid value for [x] is specified
There are extra entries outside of a section that PowerChute does not recognize. These can be deleted.
• The invalid key [x] should be deleted from section [x] in the ini file.
The configuration file contains keys that PowerChute does not recognize. These can be deleted.
• The ini file has detected duplicate values for [x] in section [x].
When this occurs PowerChute will use the first value and this may result in an incorrect value being used e.g. if you
enter 2 values for the HTTP port (80 and 8080), PowerChute will use 80 instead of 8080.
• The invalid section [x] should be removed from the ini file.
The configuration file contains a section that PowerChute does not recognize. This can be deleted.
• Disabling command file execution for event [x] due to bad parameters. Please validate the
configuration.
This can occur on a Linux/ Unix system if the path to the command file is valid but the file itself does not have execute
permissions.
This notifies the user that the username has been changed via the ini file, for security purposes.
This notifies the user that the password has been changed via the ini file, for security purposes.
This notifies the user that the authentication phrase has been modified via the ini file, for security purposes.
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Critical Events in a Redundant-UPS Configuration
This topic does not apply to Advanced Configuration with Advanced UPS Setups. For more
information about Critical Events in Advanced UPS Setups, please view the “Using
PowerChute Network Shutdown in an Advanced Redundant Setup” Application Note here.
PowerChute Network Shutdown considers all UPS devices in a Redundant configuration as one UPS System. Each
UPS must be able to support the entire load itself.
• 2 identical critical events (such as Low-Battery Condition Occurred OR UPS turn off has been initiated)
occurring in succession on 2 UPS devices cause a shutdown. The shutdown is immediate and no configured
delay is counted down.
• 2 identical user-configured critical events such as UPS On Battery occurring in succession on 2 UPS devices
will cause a shutdown. Any configured delay is counted down first.
• 2 different critical events (such as Low-Battery Condition Occurred and PowerChute cannot communicate
with the Management Card ) occurring in succession on 2 UPS devices cause the event called Multiple
Critical Events occurred which always leads to a shutdown. Prior to the PowerChute shutdown process
starting, a 10-second delay is counted. No configured delay time is counted down.
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Critical Events in a Parallel-UPS Configuration
In Parallel-UPS configurations, the combined outputs of several UPS devices support the load. With this setup,
PowerChute monitors the load as it changes to determine whether the mode of operation is Parallel Capacity or
Parallel Redundant.
For example, you are operating in a Parallel Redundant mode (i.e., there are more UPS devices available than are
required to provide power to the load) and then you increase the load by adding new servers. PowerChute detects if
the mode of operation changes to Parallel Capacity (i.e., all UPS devices in the configuration are now required to
provide power to the load). This could cause PowerChute to initiate a shutdown if just one critical event is triggered.
Scenario 1: Three 5kVA UPS devices supporting an 8kVA Server Load (Parallel Redundant)
In this Parallel Redundant configuration, two or more critical events occurring cause PowerChute to trigger a graceful
shutdown of the server(s).
• 2 identical critical events (such as Low-Battery Condition: Occurred OR UPS turn off has been initiated)
occurring in succession on 2 UPS devices cause a shutdown. The shutdown is immediate and no configured
delay is counted down.
• 2 identical user-configured critical events such as UPS: On Battery occurring in succession on 2 UPS devices
will cause a shutdown. Any configured delay is counted down first.
• 2 different critical events (such as Low-Battery Condition: Occurred and PowerChute cannot
communicate with the Management Card ) occurring in succession on 2 UPS devices cause the event
called Multiple Critical Events occurred which always leads to a shutdown. Prior to the PowerChute
shutdown process starting, a 10-second delay is counted. No configured delay time is counted down.
Scenario 2: Three 5kVA UPS devices supporting a 13kVA Server Load (Parallel Capacity)
In this Parallel Capacity configuration, one critical event triggers a graceful shutdown of the server(s).
• If 2 identical critical events occur in a parallel capacity configuration, then the event is only reported once and
any configured delay is counted down.
• If 2 different critical events occur, then both events are reported separately and the shortest shutdown delay of
the two is counted down.
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General
• Communications Settings
• PowerChute Agents
• Customer Support
55
Communications Settings
PowerChute Access
HTTPS is enabled by default and provides secure access to the PowerChute user interface. You may change the
Protocol to HTTP (unencrypted) and this will come into effect after you restart the PowerChute service. For more
information, please see Application Note “PowerChute Network Shutdown Security Features Overview” here.
PowerChute Security
The Username and Authentication Phrase are used to authenticate communications between PowerChute and the
NMC. Therefore, you must set these values to be the same in both PowerChute and the NMC.
In the NMC, the default administrator username and password are both apc. The default authentication phrase is
admin user phrase. We recommend that you change the defaults for security reasons.
• The password specified here is unique to PowerChute. The password length must be 3 to 32 characters
and special characters are allowed.
Changes to the Username, Password and Authentication Phrase are logged to the event log. For more information see
Non-Configurable Events.
If PowerChute is registered with more than one NMC, they should all use the same administrator user name and
authentication phrase.
Click the Check Details button on the Communications Settings page to validate that the PowerChute settings are the
same as the NMC(s).
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PowerChute Agents
The PowerChute Agents page, under the UPS Configuration menu option, lists all PowerChute Agents registered with
the same NMC(s).
Loading this screen may be slow as PowerChute tries to resolve the host name for each Agent. If the host name
cannot be resolved, just the IP address will be displayed. You can click on an IP address to launch the PowerChute
user interface for that Agent.
A maximum of 50 PowerChute Agents can be registered with a single NMC. For more information, please view
Application Note “PowerChute Network Shutdown with more than 50 computers” here.
If you uninstall a PowerChute Agent, its IP address remains registered with the
NMC and must be removed manually using the NMC UI.
If System Problem Report is displayed when accessing the screen, this is because PowerChute has not received the
information it requires from the NMC(s). During normal operation, this can happen due to network traffic. Try the menu
selection again in a few minutes.
This may also occur if PowerChute cannot establish communication with the NMC.
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PowerChute Configuration File
PowerChute stores all its settings in a configuration file called pcnsconfig.ini, located in the group1 folder where
PowerChute is installed.
This file is updated when running the PowerChute Setup and when you make configuration changes through the user
interface, e.g. enabling shutdown actions for events.
After you have configured one installation of PowerChute with your required settings you can use the pcnsconfig.ini file
to apply the same settings to another copy of PowerChute on a different machine. Certain settings such as the
localHostAddress or UnicastAddress values in the [Networking] section will need to be edited manually for the
target machine.
1. Stop the PowerChute service. For more information, see Knowledge Base article FA290624
(Enter "FA290624" at http://www.schneider-electric.us/sites/us/en/support/faq/faq_main.page).
2. Replace the existing copy of pcnsconfig.ini in the group1 folder.
3. Start the PowerChute service.
If you forget your username or password, you can re-set them by editing the pcnsconfig.ini file.
In the [NetworkManagementCard] section of the INI file, set the following lines with your new values:
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User Interface Session Timeout
The PowerChute user interface has a ten minute session timeout by default. Following ten minutes of inactivity, the
session will be terminated and the login screen will display to enter the username and password. It is possible to
increase or decrease the duration of the session timeout by editing the Web.xml file.
1. Stop the PowerChute service. For more information, see Knowledge Base article FA290624
(Enter "FA290624" at http://www.schneider-electric.us/sites/us/en/support/faq/faq_main.page).
2. Open the folder where the installed files are located, and locate the file at the following location:
\group1\comp\http\html\WEB-INF\web.xml
<session-config>
<session-timeout>10</session-timeout>
</session-config>
4. The duration value in the <session-timeout> element can be changed. For example to change the timeout to
15 minutes, change the <session-timeout> value to 15, e.g.:
<session-config>
<session-timeout>15</session-timeout>
</session-config>
The PowerChute UI will now timeout following a period of inactivity that corresponds to the new <session-timeout>
value.
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Check for Updates
The Enable Automatic Updates feature is selected by default and informs you when a new software update is
available.
When enabled, PowerChute checks for available software updates when the service is started and every seven days
after that. You can also check for updates immediately by clicking the Check Now button.
When a new software version is released, key details and a link to download the new version are displayed on the
Check for Updates screen and logged in the Event Log.
You can disable the software update notifications feature on the last screen of the PowerChute Setup wizard or on the
Check for Updates page.
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Customer Support
For customer support options, please visit www.apc.com/support as a starting point.
The Knowledge Base there contains detailed troubleshooting information for product issues.
You can also browse discussion forums or submit a query using e-mail.
For country-specific support centers’ contact details, go to www.apc.com/support/contact and select your country from
the drop-down box list. This lists the contact details for support services you may require.
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Troubleshooting
• Browser Troubleshooting
• SNMP Troubleshooting
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Network Management Card Troubleshooting
PowerChute does not register with the Network Management Card(s) or PowerChute reports
communications lost with the Network Management Card(s):
1. Verify that the Administrator Username and Authentication Phrase are the same for PowerChute and the NMC.
3. Check the IP settings on the PowerChute machine and on the NMC user interface to verify that the default
gateway and subnet mask are correct.
4. Check that the IP address of the Network Management Card has not changed after PowerChute was
registered with the NMC. To check this, click on the Communications Settings menu item in PowerChute and
check that the IP address shown in the Network Management Card section is correct.
5. Verify that there is a network connection between the PowerChute client computer and the Network
Management Card. Attempt to access the Network Management Card from the PowerChute client computer,
or use the ping utility from the Network Management Card.
6. A PowerChute Network Shutdown client that acquires its IP address through DHCP will lose communications
with the Network Management Card when the client renews its DHCP address lease and acquires a different
IP address. To resolve this issue,each system using PowerChute Network Shutdown must have a permanent
IP address. Reserve IP addresses in the DHCP server by using the MAC address of the clients, so that they
never change for the specified machines. The NMC should also have a static IP address.
7. Verify that the PowerChute service is started. If it is already started, stop the service and then restart it again.
8. Update the firmware on the NMC to the latest version which can be downloaded from the APC Web site, or
contact “Customer Support”.
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Browser Troubleshooting
The PowerChute Web UI is accessed using a browser. For a list of supported browsers please view the Operating
System Compatibility chart.
PowerChute requires cookies and JavaScript to be enabled in the browser in order to function correctly. If cookies are
being blocked this will prevent logging into the PowerChute UI. To avoid this, allow cookies for the PowerChute URL.
• IE Enhanced Security is enabled by default for most Windows operating systems and this can block JavaScript
for the PowerChute Application - to avoid this add the PowerChute URL to the Trusted Sites List under Tools -
Internet Options - Security.
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SNMP Troubleshooting
The Network Management System (NMS) cannot connect to PowerChute via SNMPv1:
1. Verify that there is a network connection between the NMS and PowerChute.
2. Verify that the SNMP Port specified during installation (161 by default) is not blocked for inbound
communications by a firewall.
4. Verify that the Community Name specified in PowerChute matches the Community Name used by the NMS.
The Community Name is case sensitive.
5. Verify that the NMS IP or Hostname specified in PowerChute matches the IP/Hostname of the NMS.
6. Verify that the Access Type specified in PowerChute is set to Read for SNMP Get requests, or Read/Write for
SNMP Set requests.
The Network Management System (NMS) cannot connect to PowerChute via SNMPv3:
1. Verify that there is a network connection between the NMS and PowerChute.
2. Verify that the SNMP Port specified during installation (161 by default) is not blocked for inbound
communications by a firewall.
4. Verify that the User Name specified in PowerChute matches the User Name used by the NMS. The user name
is case sensitive.
5. Verify that the Authentication Protocol. Authentication Passphrase, Privacy Protocol and Privacy Passphrase
used by the NMS match those specified in PowerChute.
6. Verify that the Access Type specified in PowerChute is set to Read for SNMP Get requests, or Read/Write for
SNMP Set requests.
1. Verify that there is a network connection between PowerChute and the NMS.
• Verify that the UDP Port specified (162 by default) is not blocked for outbound communications by a
firewall.
• Verify that the SNMPv1 Community Name, or SNMPv3 User Profile used to send the Trap is
configured in the NMS.
• Verify that the Privacy Protocol selected is compatible with the Java JRE used by PowerChute:
65
Due to US Export restrictions, the Java JRE used by PowerChute may require
an Unlimited Strength Jurisdiction Policy to be installed before long encryption
keys (such as AES-192 or AES-256) can be successfully used. For most
operating systems, see
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html for details
of the latest Java Cryptography Extension (JCE). For more information, see
Knowledge base article FA290630 (Enter "FA290630" at http://www.schneider-
electric.us/sites/us/en/support/faq/faq_main.page). For operating systems that
require a custom JRE (such as HP-UX or AIX), see the manufacturer's website
for JRE guidelines.
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APC by Schneider Electric
Worldwide Customer Support
Customer support for this or any other APC by Schneider Electric product is available at no charge in
any of the following ways:
• Visit the APC by Schneider Electric web site, www.apc.com to access documents in the APC
Knowledge Base and to submit customer support requests.
– www.apc.com (Corporate Headquarters)
Connect to localized APC by Schneider Electric web site for specific countries, each of which
provides customer support information.
– www.apc.com/support/
Global support searching APC Knowledge Base and using e-support.
• Contact the APC by Schneider Electric Customer Support Center by telephone or e-mail.
– Local, country specific centers: go to www.apc.com/support/contact for contact information.
– For information on how to obtain local customer support, contact the APC by Schneider
Electric representative or other distributor from whom you purchased your APC by Schneider
Electric product.
© 2016 APC by Schneider Electric. APC, the APC logo, and PowerChute Network Shutdown are
owned by Schneider Electric Industries S.A.S., or their affiliated companies. All other trademarks
are property of their respective owners.
990-4595E-001 7/2016