PowerChute
PowerChute
Event Configuration
The Event Configuration screen lists the events that can occur and separates them into three categories - critical (severe), warning, and informational. You cannot change an event's category.
By default, the Informational events are hidden, click the + icon beside Informational to display them. You can also click the - sign to hide any of the three categories.
You can configure events to cause certain actions, named in separate columns:
• Logging: Records the event in the Event Log when the checkbox is selected.
You can disable all logging, see Log Settings.
• E-Mail: Sends an e-mail message to users and administrators when an event occurs. The checkbox must be selected to enable this. E-mail must be configured in PowerChute, see E-Mail Settings.
• Shutdown: Initiates an operating system shutdown sequence in response to an event when the checkbox is selected. See Shutdown.
IMPORTANT: Changing the shutdown and command file options for events has a direct effect on the configuration you specify on the Shutdown Settings page. See Power Outage Configuration and Shutdown on Event Configuration.
• Command File: Runs a user-specified command file when an event occurs.
Command files are often used to shut down open applications in order to avoid loss of data. They have to be placed in this folder:
<Installation folder>\APC\PowerChute Serial Shutdown\agent\cmdfiles
which for example is, by default on Windows, this folder:
C:\Program Files\APC\PowerChute Serial Shutdown\agent\cmdfiles
Click on the Command File icon to enable it, and choose a file to run and a duration.
All command file types are supported.
IMPORTANT: PowerChute does not check the contents of a command file before executing it.
When you have enabled a command file for an event, the icon color changes from grey, , to green, .
See also Power Outage Configuration and Shutdown on Event Configuration.
Some events cannot be configured to trigger certain actions and have no checkbox for that action. For example, most informational events cannot cause a shutdown so the checkbox is missing in the Shutdown column for those events.
Description of events
For descriptions of individual events, see:
• Critical events
• Warning events
• Informational events
The events that display depend on your UPS, some events described below might not display for your UPS.
Critical events
Critical (severe) events can cause the UPS to stop supplying power to its supported equipment. These events require your immediate attention.
Event Name
Description
Communication Lost While on Battery
A problem occurred causing PowerChute to lose communication with the UPS while the UPS was operating on battery power.
Make sure that the proper communications cable is being used and that it is connected correctly.
Low Battery
A UPS that is operating on battery power has reached the low runtime threshold - the Runtime Remaining reported by the UPS is less than the At runtime limit value on the Shutdown Settings screen.
Warning events
Warning events alert you to situations that should be monitored
Event Name
Description
On Battery
The UPS has switched to battery operation due to a power outage or poor power quality.
Battery Discharged
An On Line UPS has reached the low runtime threshold. If a power outage occurs, a shutdown will begin immediately.
The low runtime threshold indicates that the Runtime Remaining reported by the UPS is less than the At runtime limit value on the Shutdown Settings screen.
Overload
The UPS cannot support the current load. It is at 105% or more of its maximum capacity. (This percentage varies between UPS devices and can be as high as 110%).
If the overload was not caused by adding new load equipment, do the following:
1. Run a UPS self test to see if the problem clears.
2. If the problem persists, disconnect all equipment from the UPS and reboot the UPS.
3. If the problem is cleared, reconnect and turn on the load equipment, one piece at a time, to determine which piece of equipment causes the overload.
If the overload still exists, the UPS needs to be repaired or replaced. For further information, see the support services at www.apc.com/support.
Self Test Failed
The UPS did not pass its last self test. It might have a bad battery.
If the system is reporting an Insufficient Runtime Available or an Overload condition, clear the event and test the UPS again.
If the self test fails again, see the support services at www.apc.com/support.
Communication Lost
Communication between PowerChute and the UPS has been lost while the UPS was On Line. Make sure that the proper communications cable is being used and that it is connected correctly.
See also Communication Lost While on Battery.
Time on Battery Threshold Exceeded
The UPS is on battery and has breached the user-configured threshold.
Specifically, the time that the UPS has been on battery exceeds the After UPS has been on battery for value on the Shutdown Settings screen.
Output Load Threshold Exceeded
The UPS has exceeded the user-defined load threshold. See UPS Output Load Threshold on UPS Settings.
This threshold event can be seen as a warning. The UPS itself determines when the UPS is actually overloaded and this generates another more serious event, see Overload.
Insufficient Runtime Available
The UPS is On Line and is below the low runtime threshold - the Runtime Remaining reported by the UPS is less than the total turn-off delays for the outlet group supplying power to the Agent.
 
In a forced shutdown, the UPS might not have enough runtime available to perform a graceful shutdown.
Low Runtime Available
The UPS is on battery and is below the low runtime threshold - the Runtime Remaining reported by the UPS is less than the total turn-off delays for the outlet group supplying power to the Agent.
 
In a forced shutdown, the UPS will NOT have enough runtime available to perform a graceful shutdown.
Battery Needs Replacing
One or more UPS batteries need to be replaced.
See Battery Management.
AVR Boost Enabled
The UPS began using AVR Boost to correct a low voltage condition.
AVR Trim Enabled
The UPS began using AVR Trim to correct a high voltage condition.
Battery Disconnected
The battery in your UPS has been disconnected or removed.
Reconnect the battery. If this does not clear the problem, see the support services at www.apc.com/support.
Frequent Overvoltage
The UPS has been using its AVR Trim feature to decrease a high input voltage more than five times during the last 24 hours, or more than fifteen times during the last seven days. This may indicate that the quality of the input voltage provided to the UPS needs to be improved.
This event will resolve when the input voltage returns to normal, or the input voltage becomes too high to be gracefully decreased (On Battery event).
If the devices connected to the UPS can accept a less sensitive input power quality, configure the UPS to use the AVR Trim feature less frequently, by setting High Transfer Voltage to its highest setting, and the Sensitivity to Low.
Frequent Undervoltage
The UPS has been using its AVR Boost feature to increase a low input voltage more than five times during the last 24 hours, or more than fifteen times during the last seven days. This may indicate that the quality of the input voltage provided to the UPS needs to be improved.
This event will resolve when the input voltage returns to normal, or the input voltage becomes too low to be gracefully increased (On Battery event).
If the devices connected to the UPS can accept a less sensitive input power quality, configure the UPS to use the AVR Boost feature less frequently, by setting the Low Transfer Voltage to its lowest setting, and the Sensitivity to Low.
Extended Overvoltage
The UPS has been using its AVR Trim feature to decrease a high input voltage continuously for at least one hour. This may indicate that the quality of the input voltage provided to the UPS needs to be improved.
This event will resolve when the input voltage returns to normal, or the input voltage becomes too high to be gracefully decreased (On Battery event).
If the devices connected to the UPS can accept a less sensitive input power quality, configure the UPS to use the AVR Trim feature less frequently, by setting the High Transfer Voltage to its highest setting, and the Sensitivity to Low.
Contact APC Support for information on how to improve the quality of UPS input power.
Extended Undervoltage
The UPS has been using its AVR Boost feature to increase a low input voltage continuously for at least one hour. This may indicate that the quality of the input voltage provided to the UPS needs to be improved.
This event will resolve when the input voltage returns to normal, or the input voltage becomes too low to be gracefully increased (On Battery event).
If the devices connected to the UPS can accept a less sensitive input power quality, configure the UPS to use the AVR Boost feature less frequently, by setting the Low Transfer Voltage to its lowest setting, and the Sensitivity to Low.
Contact APC Support for information on how to improve the quality of UPS input power.
Invalid Configuration File
The contents of the pcssconfig.ini file are invalid. Open the pcssconfig.ini file using a text editor (e.g. Notepad) to view and resolve the errors.
Invalid User Login
A user has unsuccessfully attempted to log in to the PowerChute user interface. NOTE: PowerChute will automatically “lock out” for 2 minutes after three unsuccessful login attempts (incorrect username and/or password) to prevent brute force password cracking.
Informational events
Informational events report data about the operation of the UPS device.
Event Name
Description
No Longer On Battery
AC utility power has been restored; the UPS is no longer running on battery power. This event follows On Battery.
Overload Solved
The overload condition has been corrected. See Overload.
Output Load in Range
The UPS load out-of-range condition has been corrected. See Output Load Threshold Exceeded.
Shutdown Starting
Shutdown in Progress
Various stages of the shutdown procedure.
Communication Established
PowerChute has established communication with the UPS.
Monitoring Started
Monitoring Stopped
PowerChute has started or stopped monitoring the UPS.
Sufficient Runtime Available
This event follows Insufficient Runtime Available. Your UPS now has enough runtime available to perform a graceful shutdown.
Self Test Initiated
Self Test Passed
The UPS has started or passed its internal diagnostic self test.
See Diagnostics for details of the date and status of the self test.
AVR Boost No Longer Active
The UPS no longer needs to use AVR Boost to correct a low voltage condition. This event follows AVR Boost Enabled.
AVR Trim No Longer Active
The UPS no longer needs to use AVR Trim to correct a high voltage condition. This event follows AVR Trim Enabled.
Battery Reconnected
The battery in your UPS had previously been disconnected and is now reconnected.
Battery Replaced
Various states relating to the battery.
Configuration File Changed
The pcssconfig.ini file has been edited directly.
User Logged On
A user has successfully logged into the PowerChute user interface.
User Logged Off
A user has successfully logged out of the PowerChute user interface or the PowerChute session has expired. By default, the PowerChute session times out after 15 minutes of inactivity and users will be automatically logged out of the PowerChute UI.
 
Command file durations and shutdowns
The longest command file duration configured for any event that has shutdown enabled will be used in the shutdown sequence.
For example, the Battery Discharged and On Battery events are both configured to shutdown. If you configure the command file associated with the Battery Discharged event to have a duration of 3 minutes, and the On Battery command file duration to 4 minutes, Operating System Shutdown will not start for 4 minutes
You can view how command file durations will impact the shutdown sequence on the Shutdown Settings screen. Expand the Shutdown Summary and select When a Power Outage Occurs. The time delay between the Command File Execution starting and the Operating System Shutdown starting will be the longest command file duration for any event that has shutdown enabled.
E-Mail Settings
The E-Mail Settings screen lists the e-mail addresses of users configured to be notified when an event occurs. In order to receive e-mail notifications when an event occurs, the e-mail address must be set up here. See Event Configuration for information on configuring an event to send an e-mail when it occurs.
The following five fields must be defined to enable PowerChute to send e-mail messages when events occur. (This includes messages to pagers that accept e-mail).
• SMTP Server (Hostname, IPv4, or IPv6) identifies the SMTP server by one of the three methods mentioned: its name, its IPv4 address, or its IPv6 address. An example hostname is mail.server.com.
• From E-Mail Address specifies the e-mail that the recipient gets the mail from. It is the e-mail account to be used to send notifications.
• Port specifies the port number from which e-mail is sent via SMTP. Port numbers can have a maximum of five digits and can be set to 25, 465, 587, or any number ranging from 5000 to 32768. If you do not enter a port number, the default of 25 is used.
• Use SSL/TLS defines the e-mail encryption protocol that will be used when e-mail is sent. There are three options available:
– None selected – if authentication is disabled, no e-mail encryption protocol will be used and e-mail will be sent unencrypted. If authentication is enabled, e-mail will be encrypted using the SMTPS protocol.
– SSL – e-mail will be encrypted using the SSL encryption protocol. You must select port 465 or the port your email administrator has assigned for SSL communications.
– TLS – e-mail will be encrypted using the TLS encryption protocol. You must select port 587 or the port your email administrator has assigned for TLS communications.
The Enable Server Identity Check checkbox, if selected, verifies that the provided SMTP Server has a valid certificate to ensure you are connected to the correct server. This setting reduces the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks and should be selected if SSL/TLS is selected.
Click the Test button to send a test e-mail to all configured recipients. This button is only enabled when valid e-mail settings and e-mail recipients are provided. If you do not receive a test e-mail, check the pcss.log file for errors. Common reasons for the test e-mail not being received are incorrect credentials, server identity mismatch, proxy issues, the SMTP server is unreachable, or the chosen protocol is not supported.
See also: Authenticating e-mail.
If you are using SSL/TLS and your SMTP Server uses a self-signed certificate, the certificate must be added to the trusted certificate store of the bundled Java JRE.
On Windows:
1 . Stop the PowerChute service via the services console – PowerChute Serial Shutdown – or using the command net stop APCPBEAgent
2 . Copy server.crt (or server.cer) to the security directory in the installed PowerChute directory (e.g. C:\Program Files\APC\PowerChute Serial Shutdown\jre\lib\security).
3 . Open a command prompt with Administrator privileges and navigate to this security directory.
4 . Execute the following command to import the email certificate into the JRE trusted certificate store:
..\..\bin\keytool -import –alias mailserv –file server.crt –keystore cacerts –storepass changeit
5 . Accept the certificate when prompted.
6 . Start the PowerChute service via the services console – PowerChute Serial Shutdown – or using the command net start APCPBEAgent
 
For more information, see Replace Default PowerChute SSL Certificate.
Adding and removing e-mail recipients
To add an e-mail, under the Add/Remove E-Mail Recipients section, type an e-mail address and click the Apply button.
To remove an e-mail, select the checkbox to the right of the address, and click Apply.
Filling in the Contact Name and System Location under Contact Information is optional. If present, the information is included in e-mails. The name is intended to represent the person responsible for the maintenance of the UPS. The location is the physical location of the server hosting the PowerChute Agent.
See also: Authenticating e-mail
We advise testing your e-mail settings after configuration. You can do this by selecting an E-Mail checkbox for an event with Event Configuration, and then create that event.
Authenticating e-mail
Authenticating e-mail is optional. You can enable it by selecting the Basic E-Mail for Authentication checkbox. Contact your e-mail administrator if you’re not sure about authentication.
If you are going to use authentication, you can specify a server username and password in the respective fields, but you do not have to do so. If you don’t specify a server username and password, PowerChute uses the SMTP Server (Hostname, IPv4, or IPv6) to obtain a list of IP Addresses that are allowed to send authenticated e-mails.