Shutdown
In PowerChute Serial Shutdown, shutdowns can be initiated:
• By manually shutting down your system, see Shutdown Now.
• By manually shutting down an outlet, see Outlet Control.
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.
Initial Setup
This option guides you through a series of screens that enable you to complete your shutdown configuration.
You can select this menu option at any time but this screen displays automatically when you first install PowerChute.
The configuration screens are listed below in their display order. You can also access these screens individually at any time.
You can exit the shutdown configuration on any of the screens. When you click the Next or Advanced Setup button, your changes are saved and are retained even if you cancel out of the Initial Setup sequence before the end.
Shutdown Settings
This screen summarizes your shutdown configuration and also enables you to configure some steps of the shutdown sequence. (This screen is also part of the shutdown configuration accessible through
Initial Setup).
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
The options define the response when a power problem causes the UPS to switch to battery operation.
• initiates a shutdown as soon as a
On Battery event indicates that the UPS switched to battery power.
• initiates a shutdown when the UPS has been operating on battery power for the period of time configured here.
• configures the
Low Battery event to shut down; this is viewable on the
Event Configuration screen.
The Low Battery event is generated when the UPS is on battery and the battery runtime falls below the number of seconds you set here.
The Battery Discharged event is generated when the UPS is on line and the battery runtime falls below the number of seconds you set here.
• 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 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 heading) changes.
Power Outage Configuration and Shutdown on Event Configuration
Choosing one of the four options on Shutdown Settings (discussed above) works interactively with the Event Configuration 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 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 |
At runtime limit | Yes | No | No |
Do not shut down in the event of a power outage | No | No | No |
For example, if you choose here and apply it, you will see in the row of that the checkbox has been selected automatically.
And if you then clear the checkbox for the event of Event Configuration, apply it, and return here to , the option will NOT be the selected option.
Interactivity in shutdown durations
The value for on this screen displays as a read-only field on the Outlet Sequence screen, see OFF sequence. Upon installation, this is set to a value specific to your UPS model, usually 180 seconds or higher. If there is an attempt to change this value outside of PowerChute (e.g.via a Network Management Card), PowerChute will override this setting, reset it to the value specified via the PowerChute user interface, and log the override to the event log.
Another field on this
Shutdown Settings screen, under Operating System and Application Shutdown, interacts with thefield for the 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).
Hyper-V Server operating system shuts itself down only after shutting down its virtual machines. Allow for this in the
Time for operating system to shut down value. Perform a test shutdown to gauge the time needed.
Scheduled Shutdown
Use this option to view and create scheduled shutdowns. (This screen is also part of the shutdown configuration accessible through
Initial Setup).
See
Outlet Sequence for information on setting up delays and sequencing in shutdowns.
Viewing and creating scheduled shutdowns
The calendar view is by . Move from month to month by clicking on the arrow buttons on the top left. Click on the button beside the arrow buttons to make today the highlighted date.
You can schedule a shutdown to:
• Occur once: runs once only
• Repeat Daily: runs every day at the same time.
• Repeat Weekly: runs on the same day of the week, every week.
A schedule that displays in red or with a red outline indicates one of the following:
1 . The scheduled shutdown is due to run within ten minutes. At this point, you cannot edit a schedule though you can cancel it. The schedule is labeled as Pending.
2 . The schedule can’t be run: something has happened since you created the scheduled shutdown. .
– You should edit or delete this schedule, see “Creating and Editing Schedules”.
See also:
Ensure that your local time settings (timezone, date, and time) are correct. We recommend that you don't create schedules from a web user interface in a different time zone.
• To create a schedule:Click on a date in the main calendar view, and the Scheduled Shutdown dialog displays.
NOTE: You can only create shutdown schedules for a future time and date.
• Fill in the fields:
– Schedule Name: Provide a meaningful name for the schedule.
– Shutdown sequence starts at: Enter the date and time at which you want the shutdown sequence to begin. Due to your UPS model, the time value can only be updated in 6-minute increments.
Notes:
• Once you enter a date and time to start the shutdown sequence, the Turn-on sequence time is automatically populated to include: a) The Time required for command file to run (defined in the Shutdown Settings), plus b) The Time for Operating System to shutdown (defined in the Shutdown Settings), plus c) A minimum stay off delay of 6 minutes (to ensure that the attached device has enough time to restart).The time is displayed in 6-minute increments. The turn-on sequence cannot commence before the shutdown sequence has completed
Turn-on sequence starts at: Enter the date and time at which you want the turn on sequence to begin. Due to your UPS model, the time value can only be updated in 6-minute increments.
NOTE: You can define the turn on delay settings on the
Outlet Sequence page.
• Click OK and the schedule displays back on the calendar view.
• You can enter as many schedules as you like during a session and they all display in the calendar.
NOTE: Browser performance may suffer if you enter more than 1000 schedules.
However, they are not saved until you press the Apply button.To change or delete a schedule:
1 . Click on the scheduled shutdown in the main calendar view and the Scheduled Shutdown dialog displays with the current details.
2 . Change any field value as necessary and choose OK.
3 . Choose the Delete button to erase it from the calendar view.
A schedule is removed from the calendar after it runs.
A scheduled shutdown starts with the shutdown being initiated, and ends with the turn-on command. Though the
schedule duration does not appear to include the turn-on delays, they are added to the schedule when it is executed. See
Outlet Sequence.
Moving and resizing schedules
You can move a schedule in the calendar view by clicking and dragging. However, you can’t copy a schedule.
You can expand a schedule into a future date, but not into a past date. Expanding can save you time because you don’t need to open the Scheduled Shutdown dialog.
To expand in the calendar view, hover the mouse pointer over the right edge of the schedule until you see the double-headed arrow, and click and drag.
Overlapping scheduled shutdowns
Two overlapping scheduled shutdowns have some or all of their timing in common.
PowerChute Serial Shutdown uses criteria to ensure that the overlapping schedules you enter make sense, as well as actually being possible to run.
To achieve this, PowerChute prevents the creation of some overlapping schedules and enforces priorities and rules, as outlined in “Guidelines for running overlapping schedules”.
If schedules overlap when they have one outlet group in common, then only one schedule is actually run.
How does PowerChute decide which one is run? By using this logic:
A once-off schedule has priority over:
1 . a weekly schedule which has priority over
2 . a daily schedule
The starting and ending times of the schedules are irrelevant in this.
For example, see the graphic, showing two overlapping schedules which both shut down the outlet called “Main Server”. Even though it begins later, the “Once off with Main Server” schedule has priority over the “Weekly for Main Server” schedule, and it is the only schedule which will run.
Prioritizing once-off schedules enables you to schedule a unique shutdown like a public holiday.
Prioritizing weekly over daily schedules enables you to shut down at the weekend, while maintaining daily scheduled shutdowns.
IMPORTANT: As indicated, a schedule could be designated to start
before an overlapping one and still not run.
Daylight savings and scheduled shutdowns
Don’t schedule a shutdown to start or finish during a Spring daylight savings “transition hour”.
The transition hour means the skipped hour when daylight savings commences in Spring.
Outlet Sequence
The Outlet Sequence screen enables you to configure your outlet groups to turn off and on in a specific sequence during a shutdown. (This screen is also part of the shutdown configuration accessible through Initial Setup).
Additionally, you can choose whether your outlet groups should automatically turn back on after a shutdown. (By default, they turn on).
The delays on this screen apply to all shutdowns whether initiated by a power event, a scheduled shutdown, or manually by a user.
Examples of how you might use this screen
You configure the Off Sequencing of your outlet groups by specifying the turn-off delays of individual outlet groups.
An example of this usage is in electronic “Point of sale” transactions, where it is essential to ensure that all the front office equipment has been shut down gracefully before the back office equipment shuts down also. This maintains the accuracy of the sales transaction data.
Similarly, On Sequencing is achieved by delaying the turning on of individual outlet groups. This applies when your system is starting up initially or on the return of AC utility power after an outage.
You might use on sequencing to avoid a temporary overload if all the devices connected to your UPS try to turn on at the same time. Another use might be to ensure that certain equipment, such as network switch devices, turns on before other equipment, such as servers, which need the network switch in order to communicate.
Understanding the usage of outlet groups can be facilitated by thinking of them as separate UPS devices in their functionality, or “virtual UPS devices”.
Using the graph and common fields
The graph at the top of this Outlet Sequence screen shows a timeline of delays, turn offs, and turn ons, for each outlet group included in a shutdown.
Each outlet group has its own row in the graph, with the outlet group name on the same row, to the right. The outlet group supplying power to the PowerChute Agent is designated by the PowerChute logo.
Time, in minutes and seconds, is measured along the bottom of the graph. The selected outlet group has a
green border in the graph.
Move your pointer over each section in the graph to display text with information on time values for that outlet group.
View and edit the turn off and turn on values in individual fields lower down on the screen.
To move between outlets, you can either click on a different row in the graph, or select a different tab.
The Automatically turn on all outlet groups when AC utility power returns checkbox underneath the graph applies to all outlet groups displayed on this screen. If you want to turn on outlets manually after your system has turned off, clear this checkbox.
Choosing which individual outlet groups to turn off in a shutdown
At the top of each area under the tabs, a message states whether the selected outlet group turns off during a shutdown. The outlet group supplying power to the PowerChute Agent always turns off during a shutdown, so This outlet group is included in a turn-off sequence always displays under that tab.
What displays here for other outlet groups depends on which type of outlet group — Main or Switched — supplies power to the server that the PowerChute Agent is protecting. The different set-ups are discussed below.
NOTE: On Smart-UPS devices, any outlet group labeled Group 1, Group 2, is a Switched Outlet Group. Any unlabelled outlet group is a Main Outlet Group. (Some devices have no Main Outlet Group).
• If your UPS has a
Main Outlet Group and it supplies power to the PowerChute Agent, then all outlet groups will automatically turn off. When turning off, a Main Outlet Group always turns off all the Switched Outlet Groups.
• 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.
Deciding on delay times for individual outlet groups
The outlet group supplying power to the PowerChute Agent has these possible turn-off delay times:
• Time for other applications to shut down: this value represents a duration for applications like Siebel and Microsoft SQL to shut down gracefully and for any command file to run.
This is a read-only value here. In many circumstances, it derives from
Time required for command file to run on
Shutdown Settings. However, if you configure ANY individual shutdown event to use a greater command file running time, then that is displayed here instead. (You configure this on
Event Configuration). See also the
Interactivity in shutdown durations.
• Time for operating system to shut down: this value is configured on the
Shutdown Settings screen.
• The following fields are present for all outlet groups, Main or Switched Minimum battery charge required before outlet group turns on: Select the percentage of battery charge that must be available before the outlet group will turn on. This value is included following a Low Battery, On Battery or Time on Battery Threshold Exceeded-related event shutdown.Use this additional delay to sequence outlet group turn-on: Selecting different delay values in this field causes the sequencing of turn ons. Place the mouse pointer over the different graph rows for further information on the delay values shown. Select a value (in seconds) to wait before the UPS will turn on the Main Outlet Group.
Outlet Control
The Control Outlet Groups screen shows you the name and present status of each outlet group on your UPS. In addition you can specify actions to occur immediately by choosing from lists in the drop-down boxes.
The possible types of status for each outlet group are:
• On
• On, turning off
• On, processing shutdown
• On, processing sleep
To choose an action for an outlet group, select it from the drop-down box and click Apply.
The available actions are below, (see also Outlet Sequence):
• Off with Delay - turn off the outlet group power while enforcing the configured delays.
• Shut down with Delay, AC restart - turn off the outlet group while enforcing the configured delays; if AC utility power subsequently returns, the outlet group will restart, with configured delays.
This user interface always displays a confirmation screen before carrying out any of these actions. Use the Confirm button on that screen to continue with the action or Cancel to stop. The confirmation screen also specifies any configured delays in seconds.
Shutdown Now
Use the Shutdown Now screen to initiate a shutdown sequence, either immediately or within fifteen minutes. You can also control how and when the UPS turns on after the shutdown.
The screen can be used as a quick alternative to scheduling a once-off shutdown.In addition, it gives you the option of manually turning on power to the UPS after a shutdown.
UPS Shutdown Type | With both of these options in this drop-down box — Delayed Wakeup and Manual Restart — the turn-off delays you have set up on Outlet Sequence are observed. However, the turn-on delays are observed with Delayed Wakeup but they are NOT observed with Manual Restart. |
Wakeup Delay | This field displays only when you choose Delayed Wakeup. Use it to specify the amount of time the UPS will remain turned off. |
Use the
Cancel Pending Shutdown button on this screen if you change your mind about shutting down. It displays on this screen before the shutdown commences.
