>>Bob McGregor writes:
>>
>>We purchased the HP Powertrust because of it's ability to inform the 3000.
>> It was a big disappointment to learn that there was no mechanism to begin
>>graceful shutdown when power was interrupted.  Having a console message is
>>simply not enough....

>Bruce Toback writes:
>
>The problem is a bit more complex than this, which is probably why nobody
>has seriously attacked it yet.
>

I agree with Bruce that the problem can be complex.  Although if you buy
into the idea that there is no stopping the shutdown after it is initiated,
as Bruce Senn suggested, then it may be a bit easier to resolve.

I have a UPS on an NT server.  The UPS monitoring software is set to start
the NT shutdown when the battery level gets down to five minutes remaining.
 In one instance, the power was restored after the NT shutdown was
initiated and the NT box very happily sat idle with the 'it's OK to turn of
power now' dialogue box and waited and waited and waited until a human came
along and started it up again.  Not so hot for an unattended situation.

It seems to me the solution is for UPS hardware and the monitoring software
to work together.  When the monitoring software initiates a shutdown, it
also tells the UPS to drop output power in some configurable number of
minutes and restore output power when input power is restored *and* when
the batteries have recharged to some configurable level -- probably just
enough to go through another shutdown cycle.

Case 1:  If line input power is restored after the monitoring software has
initiated a software shutdown, then you want to wait until the batteries
have recovered to the minimum level then drop and restore output power to
initiate the restart.

Case 2:  If line input power is not restored before the batteries die, when
the line power is restored, the batteries get some minimal recharge and
then output power is restored which causes the system to restart.

If you want to play fast and loose, then set the minimum level for battery
recovery to zero and you get an immediate restart.


------------------------------------------------------------------
John Pearce  <[log in to unmask]>       | Bethesda Management Company
Speaking for only myself             | Colorado Springs, CO  USA