RE: UPS Suggestions

I s%$t canned our Powerware UPS (which had already been replaced under
warranty) because it malfunctioned

On Saturday September 20th at 4:30.22 a.m., the iSeries sensed a utility
power failure and inexplicably the UPS was not used and the iSeries did
an abnormal end of the system. The text that follows is a record of my
findings after investigating the cause for the abnormal end.

* The UPS was in normal mode at 6:30 A.M. on September 20th when
I first arrived on-site. That is, no alarms were activated.
* Here's the actual message of the utility power failure:
System utility power failed at 080920043022.
* I don't believe there was a power failure. Joe checked all his
logs for many of his servers and his conclusion was that the data center
didn't have a power failure.
* On Monday I called Powerware and they weren't helpful but they
did offer to send a new UPS; or have a technician inspect our unit,
which would be billable.
* Called IBM Software Support and they could only say that the
system reference codes (SRCs) indicated the iSeries couldn't sense power
at the time of the shutdown and they really can't go beyond that,
suggesting I make a hardware service call.


This Powerware UPS did everything you wouldn't want a UPS to do. Boss
said get a APC and I'm like "Well, the Powerware is under an IBM
contract and..." and the boss cut me short and said "Just get an APC".
(Our 20 some Wintel server run APCs and have never missed up beat).

I think IBM is somewhat at fault here by not specifying a UPS such that
they can take ownership of the whole UPS hardware, software and
interfacing stream. They're marketing six figure machines but leave it
up to the customer to figure out what's the most reliable solution?
They don't mandate a UPS NIC so you can get a messages on UPS status?
Why not? They think it's okay to rely on a UPS with an idiot
light/alarm?

Bryan


-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of James H. H.
Lampert
Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 10:32 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: UPS Suggestions

I think Best became Powerware (which, as Mr. Piotrowski mentioned, is a
division of Eaton).

Our Powerware didn't last very long. Not even as long as our first two
APCs. On the other hand, we have an APC to which I've fitted auxiliary
cooling fans, that hasn't yet even given a "worn-out battery" warning,
and worked just fine when we lost power a few months ago.

Cut-rate off-brand batteries have turned out to be a false economy.

My number one recommendation is, if your box doesn't have dual redundant
power (i.e., two separate AC cords, each of which can run the box by
itself) is to buy a standalone transfer switch, which will give you the
same effect.

In either case, you plug one AC input into the UPS, and plug the other
AC input either into a second UPS, or directly into the wall: that way,
both would have to fail at the same time, in order to bring your system
down.

Also, if you have a "relay contact" monitoring cable connected, and you
get shutdowns every time the UPS runs a self-test, it's a simple matter
to cut a relay into the line, that would block the monitoring signals if
the utility power is good.

--
JHHL