Configuring a remote UPS

The Network UPS Tools (NUT) client software in the Opengear console server can monitor the NUT server running in a remote console server (and it can monitor any remote Linux servers running NUT). So all your distributed USB, serial and network connected UPSes which may be spread in a row in a data center, or around a campus property or across the country can be centrally monitored through the one central console server window. 

 
With Network UPS Tools you can manage locally connected UPSes ("Managed UPSes") and you can monitor both local UPSes and "Remote UPSes". A Remote UPS is a UPS that is serially/USB/network connected as a Managed Device to some remote console server which in turn is being monitored (but not managed) by your console server. 

• To add a Remote UPS select the Serial&Network: UPS Connections menu (which will display any Remote UPS already configured) and click Add Remote UPS 
  
  
• Enter the Name of the particular remote UPS to be remotely monitored. This name must be the name that the remote UPS was configured with on the remote console server (as the remote console server may itself have multiple UPSes attached that it is managing locally with NUT). Optionally enter a Description 
  
  
• Enter the IP Address or DNS name of the remote console server that is managing the remote UPS 
  
  
• Check Log Status and specify the Log Rate (minutes between samples) if you wish the status from this UPS to be logged. These logs can then be viewed from the Status: UPS Status screen 
  
  
• Check Enable Shutdown Script if this remote UPS is the UPS providing power to the console server itself. In the event the UPS reaches critical battery status the custom script in /etc/config/scripts/ups-shutdown is run enabling you to perform any "last gasp" actions (refer faq 337) 
  
  
• Click Apply

Note: The Remote UPS feature is supported on all console servers with V2.8 firmware and later. Earlier versions only supported a single remote “Monitored UPS” which could be set to trigger the console server shutdown script 

 

Examples where customers have found centrally monitoring their remotely distributed UPSes to be of value include:

1. A regional airport customer with a multitude of locations with computer and other equipment spread across the site - each with their own UPS supply most of which were USB or serially connected. By placing CM4001 and IM4004-5 console servers at each remote location the manager could centrally monitor the status of the power supplies and centralize alarms
   
   
2. A retailer with outlets throughout the country monitors each outlet's UPS so they can be warned to initiate a call-out or take appropriate shut down actions (such as using the remote console server to control a PDU to automatically switch the power off selected equipment in the event of out-of-hours UPS "on battery" warning alarms. Refer faq 331 for details on writing custom scripts that are triggered by alert events)