Simple Signaling
Contents
Status
Events
Protected System
Status

The System Status Summary screen is the default PowerChute Business Edition screen. This screen summarizes the current device status and shows the contact information.

The device status indicates the present operating status of the UPS and displays one of the following states:

  • Low Battery: The UPS is on battery, and the UPS Low Battery Signal Time is at or below the runtime remaining threshold. A low battery shutdown will begin immediately.
  • On Line: The UPS is running normally on input power.
  • On Battery: The UPS is using its battery to provide output power.

The Contact Information shows the contact name and system location. These parameters were configured by the user either during the installation process or by accessing System Settings on the Protected System menu.

  • Contact Name: The name of the person responsible for the maintenance of the UPS.
  • System Location: The physical location of the protected system.
Events

Selecting Events from the PowerChute Business Edition menu opens a submenu that shows the following:

Log
Actions
Recipients
Configure Log

Log
The Event Log screen is the default when Events is selected from the PowerChute Business Edition menu. This screen lists the most recent UPS events and the date and time each event occurred in reverse chronological order.

To delete the contents of the event log, click Clear Log at the bottom of the screen, then "OK" to confirm the deletion.

Actions
The Event Actions screen lists the events that can occur and separates them into three categories - critical, warning and informational. You cannot change an event's configured category. The listing also shows the actions configured for each event.

To configure actions for a single event, click on the event. An event settings screen provides a brief description of the selected event and lets you configure the following:

  • Event Logging - records each instance of the event in the event log
  • Notification - sends a message to users and administrators when the event occurs
  • SMTP E-mail - sends an e-mail message to users and administrators when the event occurs
  • Command File - runs a user-specified command file when the event occurs
  • Shutdown - initiates a shutdown sequence for the event
(See Protected System for further information on these parameters).

Event Descriptions
Click on an Event in Event Actions to see its description.

  • Critical events can cause the UPS to stop supplying power to its supported equipment. These events require your immediate attention.
  • Warning events alert you to a situation that should be monitored.
  • Informational events report data about the UPS's operation.

Recipients
The Event Recipients screen lists the addresses of the users configured to be notified when an event occurs. You can configure users to receive either e-mail or broadcast messages, or both. Add recipients by clicking "Add E-mail Recipient" or "Add Broadcast Recipient". Click "Delete Recipient" to remove a user's address from the recipient list.

  • Add New E-mail Recipient: From the Event Recipients screen, click "Add E-mail Recipient" to open the Add New E-mail Recipient screen. Enter the SMTP e-mail address for the user you want to notify (example: yourname@atyourcompany.com) and click "Apply" to complete your changes.
  • Add New Broadcast Recipient: From the Event Recipients screen, click "Add Broadcast Recipient" to open the Add New Broadcast Recipient screen. Enter the network broadcast address for the user you want to notify. On Windows NT, enter the machine name (example: mymachinename). On UNIX, enter the user, i.e., logon, name (example: jdoe). Click "Apply" to complete your changes.

Configure Log
The Event Log Configuration screen has one field, Event Log Entry Expiration, which enables you to choose how long events remain in the event log file. Choose an option from one day to one year. You can also choose not to delete the entries at all.

Protected System

Selecting Protected System from the PowerChute Business Edition menu opens a submenu that shows the following:

Shutdown Settings
Use the System Shutdown Management screen to display or configure system shutdown parameters. You can select this screen by choosing Protected System from the PowerChute Business Edition menu.

The System Shutdown Management screen reports the following:

  • Command File Enabled: Indicates if a user-configured command file will run during the shutdown sequence.
  • Enable SMTP E-mail: Indicates if receipt of e-mail is enabled for shutdown.
  • Enable Notification: Indicates if notification is enabled for shutdown, which users will be notified, and how frequently notification will be repeated, if repeat notification is enabled.
  • Enable Logging: Indicates if logging is enabled for shutdown.

A description of the shutdown sequence is shown at the bottom of the screen.

To configure shutdown parameters, select "Configure" under the Shutdown Settings menu option. From this screen you can set the following:

Enable SMTP E-mail: Enable or disable e-mail for the shutdown event. If you enable SMTP E-mail, configured users will receive an e-mail notification if a shutdown occurs.

Use Notification to configure the following:

  • Select one of the following notification options:
    • Notify All Connected Users: Send a popup message to all users connected to the domain (Windows-based) or system (Linux-based).
    • Notify Only Configured Recipients: Send a pop-up message only to users who have notification enabled in the User Manager.
  • Enable Repeat Notifications: Select this option to send shutdown notifications periodically.
  • Repeat Notification Interval: Determines the rate at which notifications will repeat. You can choose an interval rate from 0 to 59 minutes 59 seconds. Choosing 0 minutes 0 seconds disables repeat notifications.

Use Command File Settings to configure the following:

  • Enable Command File Execution: Check to enable the running of a command file prior to OS Shutdown.
  • Choose Command File Name: Choose the command file to execute. To add command files to the pull-down menu, place them in the directory preceding the command file name:
    -- On Windows 2000: \Program Files\APC\PowerChute Business Edition\agent\cmdfiles
    -- On Linux: /opt/APC/PowerChuteBusinessEdition/Agent/cmdfiles
    Command files must be placed in the \cmdfiles directory located in the parent directory for the installed PowerChute Business Edition product. For example, the default location using Windows 2000 is \Program Files\APC\PowerChute Business Edition\agent\cmdfiles.
  •  
    • Command File Execution Duration: The approximate time required for the command file to complete. You can choose from 0 up to 59 minutes and 59 seconds.  

    Note: You must determine the Command File Execution Duration by running the command file manually and noting the time that it needs.

You can enable or disable Event Logging for the shutdown event. If you enable logging, a system shutdown will be logged as an event in the event log.

Click the "Apply" button at the bottom of the screen to accept your changes.

System Settings
The System Settings screen lets you configure the following:

  • Device Communication Port:
    From the pull-down list, select the port to which the UPS communication cable is connected.
  • Communication Type:
    From the pull-down list, select the signaling type (Simple or Smart) for the UPS communication with the selected communication port.
  • SMTP E-mail Settings:
    Use the SMTP E-mail fields to configure PowerChute Business Edition to send e-mail notification messages, as follows:
    • Server Name: The name of the SMTP mail server to use (example: mail2.yourdomain.com).
    • Account Name: The address that PowerChute will use in the "from" field when sending e-mail (example: emorris@server6.com).
  • Contact Information:
    Use the Contact Information fields to edit the contact information that was entered during the installation process.
    • Contact Name: The name of the person responsible for the maintenance of the UPS.
    • System Location: The physical location of the protected system.

Click the "Apply" button at the bottom of the screen to accept your changes.

Shutdown Now
Use the Shutdown System Now screen to set the following parameter during the shutdown sequence:

  • Begin OS Shutdown Sequence In: Specify the time to wait before beginning the system shutdown. The range is from 0 to a maximum time of 59 minutes and 59 seconds.

Click the "Apply" button at the bottom of the screen to accept your changes.

About
Selecting About from the Protected System menu displays the OS Information page for the system being protected. This page provides the name or IP address of the server being monitored and the operating system used by that server.