HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Introducing the UPS and UPS Monitor/iX Software
A new method of power failure protection is available on the HP 3000
Series 9X8 and the Series 991 and 995 computer systems. Instead of
battery backup units, they will have one or more HP model A2998A
PowerTrust UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) devices.
Like the battery backup method of power failure, the UPS devices protect
the HP 3000 system against the loss of work in progress in cases of
utility AC power failures of up to fifteen minutes in duration.
Furthermore, they have been designed to appear similar to the battery
backup method which minimizes their effect on system operation and
management procedures.
UPS devices offer two principal advantages over the battery backup
method:
* In a minimal UPS-based system, the degree of power failure
protection is equivalent to that provided by the battery backup
unit. You can, however, add more UPS devices to the system and
provide reserve power to selected peripherals. Depending upon how
much of the system is provided with UPS power, it can run a
partial or full workload non-stop through limited periods of AC
power failure.
* The UPS contains a serial I/O communications interface that, in
conjunction with UPS Monitor/iX software, notifies the system
operator of any problems. Like the battery backup hardware that
the UPS devices replace, a system-wide power failure recovery
message is broadcast to all active user terminals and to the
console upon the return of power following a failure. In addition
to console messages, the UPS Monitor/iX software also posts a
variety of status and warning messages to the system log files
which you can review and analyze to evaluate system performance.
To configure a UPS
You can use one of two configuration methods to add UPS devices to a
Series 9X8 systems. For the first or only UPS, which is attached to the
third serial port on the system's LAN/Console I/O interface card, you do
most of the configuration with SYSGEN. For additional UPS devices, which
are attached to a DTC serial I/O port, you add them to the configuration
primarily using the NMMGR program. (As the final step in this second
method, you will cross-validate the configuration files with SYSGEN.)
On a Series 991 or 995, all UPS devices are attached to the system via a
DTC serial I/O port. As a result, you use NMMGR to configure them and
then, as a final step in the process, cross-validate the configuration
files with SYSGEN. (If you have configured user terminals on a DTC, the
method will be very familiar.)
To configure the first UPS on a Series 9X8
The first UPS device on a Series 9X8 system is attached to the third port
on the LAN/Console I/O interface card. To perform most of the
configuration, you use SYSGEN's IO configurator. Once you have done so,
you use NMMGR to set the baud rate (which you cannot do in SYSGEN) and
then cross-validate the configuration.
To configure the first UPS on a Series 9X8, do the following:
1. Boot the system using the default configuration group.
You will see a series of status messages about the current I/O
configuration, including a Configuration file open error because
the NMCONFIG file does not yet exist. You can ignore it.
2. At the MPE prompt, start the NMMGR program. Enter:
:RUN NMMGR.PUB.SYS
3. Press the Open Config softkey twice and wait while NMMGR opens a
configuration file.
4. Enter the node name and press Save Data.
5. Press Go to DTS to display the DTS configuration screen. Tab to
the third field and enter the physical path of the LAN/Console
card and press Save Data.
(If you don't know the physical path, use SYSGEN's I/O
configurator module to find out.)
6. Press the Go to UPS Port softkey and at the UPS Port screen,
verify that the LDEV number is correct, the Parity Checking option
is set to none, and the baud rate to 1200.
7. Press the Save Data softkey to save your UPS Port configuration.
(Note that when you have done this, you will see Data:Y in the
upper-right corner of the screen.)
8. At the top of the NMMGR screen, enter validate at the command:
prompt to display the Validate Screen.
9. Press the Validate Link/DTS softkey to cross-validate the DTC
configuration with the SYSGEN configuration, then exit NMMGR.
10. Reboot the system to make the new configuration effective.
NOTE Each UPS device, and only a UPS device, MUST have its device class
name set to HPUPSDEV during I/O configuration. Otherwise, the UPS
Monitor software will not be able to initialize and communicate
with the UPS device(s) correctly.
To configure a UPS connected via a DTC port
On a Series 9X8 system, all UPS devices other than the first one are
connected to your computer system via a DTC port. On a Series 991 and
995 system, all UPS devices (including the first one) are connected via a
DTC port. In both cases, you use the NMMGR program to add them to your
system configuration. (If you have configured user terminals on a DTC,
the method will be very familiar.)
To configure a UPS connected via a DTC, do the following:
1. At the MPE prompt, start the NMMGR program by entering:
:RUN NMMGR.PUB.SYS
2. Press the Open Config softkey and then press DTS to display the
DTS configurator.
3. Press Go to DTC and choose the appropriate DTC configurator for
the system (DTC16ix, DTC16MX, DTC16, DTC48, etc.).
4. Fill in the required information and press Save Data.
5. Choose an available LDEV number for the UPS you are configuring,
and determine which DTC port (DTC card number and port number) the
UPS is connected to.
6. Press the Config Card softkey to enter the DTC card configurator.
7. Add the UPS by entering its logical device number in the Ldev
field and UP10D12 in the Profile Name field. When you have added
all UPS devices, press the Save Data softkey.
8. At the top of the NMMGR screen, enter validate at the command:
prompt to display the Validate Screen.
9. Press the Validate Link/DTS softkey to cross-validate the DTC
configuration with the SYSGEN configuration, then exit NMMGR.
If you see a message that the NETXPORT subsystem is not validated,
ignore it and continue.
10. Shut down the system.
11. Turn power to the DTC hardware off and then on again to download
the correct baud rate for the UPS port to the DTC hardware. (On
some systems, cycling the power to a DTC may require you to unplug
it and plug it in again.)
12. Reboot the system to make the new configuration effective.
To use UPS Monitor/iX software
Once you have configured UPS devices on the system, they will
automatically be monitored by the UPS Monitor/iX software. This software
causes the UPS devices to emulate the traditional battery backup method
of system powerfail handling and recovery and, in addition, provides
system console messages and system log file entries describing UPS
hardware conditions.
The UPS Monitor/iX process behaves in one of two ways, depending on the
system on which Release 5.0 of MPE/iX has been installed:
* When installed on a system that has been configured with UPS
devices, UPS Monitor/iX runs continually while the system is up to
monitor all of the UPS devices for power failure and any other
hardware status conditions. It reports these conditions to the
system operator's console via console messages and records them in
the system log file.
* When installed on an old system that does not use UPS devices, UPS
Monitor/iX is launched at startup, discovers that there are no UPS
devices on the system, and terminates itself. In this case, the
system uses the existing battery backup method of system power
failure protection.
NOTE UPS monitoring is event number 148 in the system log files. The
default is ON (i.e. UPS hardware conditions are recorded in the
files) regardless of whether the system has UPS power fail
protection or not. In the latter case, when no UPS devices have
been configured, the system log files will receive and record two
UPS-related messages each time the system starts: one indicating
that the UPS Monitor/iX process has been launched and a second
message which says that no UPS devices are found in the I/O
configuration.
System behavior when AC power fails
Whenever input AC power to any UPS device fails, the UPS hardware
switches to internal battery operation to continue to deliver output AC
power to the computer equipment. No actual power failure occurs at the
computer equipment itself and, as a result, the SPU continues to operate.
However, the actual behavior of the system will vary depending on how
much of the system equipment is provided with UPS power.
In the minimal case, where only the SPU and any Remote Busses receive UPS
power (and assuming that disks are external to the SPU), the system is
most likely to appear to be dormant (like a traditional battery backup
method system) because the system can not make progress once the disks
lose power and spin down. The system will simply enter its "idle loop",
waiting for disk I/O operations to complete, and that won't happen until
AC power returns and the disks spin up again.
But in expanded UPS coverage systems, where some or all of the disks
receive UPS power, the system may continue to run to some extent. Again,
it depends on what resources the system needs to perform its workload.
Batch jobs that only need CPU, memory, and disk I/O can continue to run
undisturbed. Processing that requires tape or printer or terminal I/O
will be blocked if those peripherals do not have UPS power.
UPS Monitor/iX issues a warning message to the system console to notify
the operator that the particular UPS (identified by its LDEV number) has
reported to the system that its input AC power has failed. In the
following example, UPS Monitor/iX reports and power failure and a
recovery shortly thereafter:
_____________________________________________________________________________
| |
| |
| :showtime |
| FRI, AUG 13, 1993, 11:27 AM |
| : |
| :11:27/50/UPS LDEV 102 reports loss of AC input power. (UPSERR 0033) |
| |
| **RECOVERY FROM POWER FAIL** |
| |
| 11:27/50/UPS LDEV 102 reports AC input power restored. (UPSWRN 0036) |
| |
| : |
| |
_____________________________________________________________________________
Example 3-6. Sample Console Messages from UPS Monitor/iX
UPS Monitor/iX also writes a system log file entry that denotes the input
power loss to the UPS device. Read "To enable logging of UPS activity"
and "To review UPS activity recorded in the system log file", later in
this chapter for more information.
System Behavior When AC Power Returns
The behavior of the system when AC input power returns to the UPS is very
similar to that of the battery backup method systems. One of two things
will happen: a recovery from power failure (if AC power returns before
the UPS battery that backs up the SPU becomes exhausted) or a system
crash.
If AC power returns before the UPS battery becomes exhausted (up to
fifteen minutes when starting with fully charged UPS batteries; less if
the batteries were already partially discharged), then the system
recovers from the AC power failure and resumes normal operation. In this
case, UPS Monitor/iX displays a message on the system console, posts an
entry in the system log files, and broadcasts the following message to
all active user terminals:
** RECOVERY FROM POWERFAIL **
If the UPS battery that powers the SPU becomes exhausted before AC input
power returns, then the system really does lose AC power and crashes. In
this case, when AC power does return and the UPS turns on again, the
system reboots just as if it used battery backup.
To enable logging of UPS activity
The UPS Monitor/iX program posts UPS status and alarm messages to the
system log files. If system logging for the UPS Monitor/iX (which is
event number 148) is turned on, you can review the messages to
troubleshoot your system configuration and evaluate system performance.
As the default, event 148 is ON. To verify that it is or, if necessary,
to turn it on, do the following:
1. At the MPE prompt, start SYSGEN by entering:
:SYSGEN
2. At the sysgen> prompt, start the LOG configurator by entering:
sysgen>LOG
3. To display which system logging events are enabled or disabled,
enter:
log>SHOW SLOG
4. To turn UPS Monitor/iX logging on (if it is currently listed as
OFF), enter:
log>SLOG ON=148
5. To exit the LOG configurator and SYSGEN, enter the EXIT command
twice. You will see the MPE prompt displayed on your screen.
To review UPS activity recorded in the system log file
UPS Monitor/iX status and alarm messages are recorded in the system log
files as event number 148. You can use the LOGTOOL utility to review
entries in the system log file about the performance and condition of UPS
devices on your system. To do so, follow these steps:
1. List the names of the log files currently on your system. At the
MPE prompt, enter:
:LISTFILE LOG@.PUB.SYS
Note the number of the last numbered log file in the list. You
will use it in step 5.
2. Start the system diagnostic utility. At the MPE prompt, enter:
:SYSDIAG
3. Run the LOGTOOL utility. Enter:
DUI >RUN LOGTOOL
4. To review the current log file, use the SWITCHLOG command to close
the current logfile and open a new one. (You need to close the
current log file before reviewing it to ensure that it is brought
up-to-date.)
DUI >SWITCHLOG
5. List the UPS-related messages (which are recorded as system log
event number 148) in the log file that you just closed. This will
be the last numbered log file (such as LOG0017) listed on your
screen in step 1, incremented by one (that is, LOG0018). For
example, enter:
DUI >LIST LOG=17;TYPE=148
In a moment, you will see the contents of the system log files for
event 148, which stores UPS-related messages. If event 148 was
disabled, you will be informed that no messages were found.