Shutdown
Shutdown
In PowerChute Serial Shutdown, shutdowns can be initiated:
• Through an event occurring, see Event Configuration.
• When the UPS signals the Low Battery event in a Simple Signaling configuration.
Shutdowns can also be initiated manually through the UPS LCD or from “outside” PowerChute, e.g. from the Network Management Card (NMC). However, using the NMC in conjunction with PowerChute Serial Shutdown is not supported.
Shutdown Settings
This screen summarizes your shutdown configuration and also enables you to configure some steps of the shutdown sequence.
The summary includes timing and delays, with the “base time” being the occurrence of the On Battery event. The options chosen on this screen can affect the configuration of events, set up in Event Configuration. This can include which events are selected to cause a shutdown. Read the other sections below for further information.
See also:
• Power Outage Configuration
• Power Outage Configuration and Shutdown on Event Configuration
• Interactivity in shutdown durations
Simple Signaling Limitations
The PowerChute Serial Shutdown supported configuration for Simple Signaling is described in the PowerChute Serial Shutdown Installation Guide. In this configuration, an Interface Expander 2 Card (IE2) can be used to provide a graceful system shutdown for up to three network servers (or other devices) during a power outage, by using only one UPS and simple signaling. In the event of a power outage, all connected servers shut down at the same time.
In the supported configuration, a Master Server is connected directly to the smart computer interface of the UPS, and up to two Slave Servers can be connected to the UPS via the IE2 card basic ports.
NOTE: Some Type B UPS devices with the SRC and all UPS devices with SRV prefixes do not support simple signaling. For example: SRC1KI, SRC2KI, SRC1KI-IN, SRC1KUXI, SRVLPM1KRIL, SRVLPM2KRIL, and SRVLPM3KRIL etc.
Visit Knowledge Base article FA315835 to find out more about UPS model types.
Supported Configuration for Type A UPS devices:
Supported Configuration for Type B UPS devices:
You can use PowerChute to configure when a shutdown should occur through the Shutdown Settings page. Due to the nature of simple signaling, there are limitations to the shutdown features available, when compared with a standard configuration:
• IMPORTANT: You must make sure that all PowerChute Agents running on the servers in a Simple Signaling configuration have the same settings to ensure a graceful shutdown:
– The Power Outage Configuration must be the same for each Agent.
– Event Configuration must be the same for each Agent - see Power Outage Configuration and Shutdown on Event Configuration.
– Different command files may be used on each Agent, but they must use the same Time required for command file to run.
• If you disconnect a communication cable in an active simple signaling configuration, PowerChute will not detect the disconnected cable, and you will experience unexpected shutdown behavior. Disconnecting communication cables during simple signaling is not supported. If you need to disconnect a simple signaling cable, manually shut down the connected server first.
NOTE: Do not edit the shutdown settings in the PowerChute UI when the IE2 card is in timer mode as PowerChute relies on the default configuration (“When the UPS signals the Low Battery event”) to shut down the connected servers in this mode. The PowerChute shutdown settings should only be modified when the IE2 card is in confirmed mode. For more information on the IE2 modes of operation, see Knowledge Base article FA156051.
Installation and Configuration with Simple Signaling and Type A UPS devices
Provide a high delay in the Time for operating systems to shut down field in the Shutdown Settings screen in the Master Server. Setting a high value here will give the operating system more time to shut down.
Connect all servers, including the simple clients, to a PowerChute outlet group. Doing this will ensure that the servers turn off in accordance with the Outlet Sequence screen in the Master Server.
Shutdown Functionality with Simple Signaling and Type B UPS devices
After the Interface Expander 2 card issues a shutdown command to simple clients, a turn off command is also issues to turn off the UPS. To ensure graceful shutdown, the delay of this turn off command is forced to be equal to the values set for Time for operating systems to shut down and At runtime limit in the Shutdown Settings screen of the Master Server.
Set the At runtime limit value in the Master Server appropriately, as this decides the turn off delay of the UPS.
Power Outage Configuration
The Power Outage Configuration options define the response when a power problem causes the UPS to switch to battery operation.
• Immediately initiates a shutdown as soon as a On Battery event indicates that the UPS switched to battery power. See Time on Battery Threshold Exceeded on the Event Configuration screen.
• After UPS has been on battery for initiates a shutdown when the UPS has been operating on battery power for the period of time configured here.
• When the UPS signals the Low Battery event initiates a shutdown when the UPS signals that the Low Battery event has occurred. In a Simple Signaling configuration, this can impact a slave server when the Master Server connected to the UPS signals to all slave servers connected to the Interface Expander 2 Card that it is shutting down. For more information on Simple Signaling configuration, see the PowerChute Serial Shutdown Installation Guide. This is the default power outage configuration in a simple signaling configuration.NOTE: For Type B UPS devices, the value set for At runtime limit in the Shutdown Settings screen is also added to the UPS turn off delay.
• Do not shut down during a power outage relies on the Low Runtime Warning event to cause a shutdown.
The Low Runtime Warning event is generated when battery runtime falls below the combined time configured for Application and Operating System shutdown: see the Operating System and Application Shutdown section of this screen.
NOTE: This Low Runtime Warning event does not display on the Event Configuration screen as it is not configurable (because it always causes a shutdown).
When you select different radio button options here, the displayed summary information on this screen (under the Shutdown Summary heading) changes.
 
Power Outage Configuration and Shutdown on Event Configuration
Choosing one of the four Power Outage Configuration options on Shutdown Settings (discussed above) works interactively with the Event Configuration Shutdown checkboxes for different events.
You can see this by selecting a radio button option here, pressing Apply, and going to the Event Configuration screen to note the differences.
This is also true in reverse: changing a Shutdown checkbox for an event in Event Configuration can change which radio button option is selected here on Shutdown Settings.
If the check box is selected, a warning appears on the screen to inform you of this.
This table summarizes the interaction:
With this On Battery option selected:
...the Shutdown checkbox of these events is selected
Low Battery
On Battery
Time on Battery
Threshold Exceeded
Immediately
No
Yes
No
After UPS has been on battery for
No
No
Yes
When the UPS signals the Low Battery event
Yes
No
No
Do not shut down in the event of a power outage
No
No
No

* The Low Runtime Remaining event is always configured to shutdown for these Power Outage Configuration options. This event is only displayed in the Event Log, and is not configurable on the Event Configuration page.
For example, if you choose Immediately here and apply it, you will see in the On Battery row of Event Configuration that the Shutdown checkbox has been selected automatically.
And if you then clear the Shutdown checkbox for the On Battery event of Event Configuration, apply it, and return here to Shutdown Settings, the Immediate option will NOT be the selected option.
Interactivity in shutdown durations
Another field on this Shutdown Settings screen, Time required for command file to run under Operating System and Application Shutdown, interacts with the Command File Execution Duration field for the Shutdown Starting event on Event Configuration. When they are changed, these fields automatically update each other.
(Note that the Time required for command file to run field only displays on Shutdown Settings when you have chosen a command file).
 
 
• If you have only Switched Outlet Groups, then the group supplying power to the PowerChute Agent always shuts down and ALL other groups have a choice of whether to be shut down or not.