How to Setup APC to Shutdown your ESX environment

The plan is to shut down your ESX VM’s and Host cleanly during a power outage situation. The hardware you need is a network interface approx. $300 each and a couple hours to configure and properly test. 

APC Setup:
1) Must have a true 10/100 NETWORK interface called an NMC2

  Note: The “Network Monitoring Port” that typically is built in is actually a USB interface. If you attach the USB interface into your switch or hubs it may shutdown the APC unit and/or damage your switch or hubs.

2) You will want this link handy to program your Network interface: http://nam-en.apc.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3061/~/how-do-you-make-a-network-management-card-communicate-on-a-network%3F

3) You can factory reset the password on the APC unit but it requires the terminal session as shown in the video in the above link

Note: If you have the USB port plugged in it DISABLES the com port and telnet 

4) Use a Static IP address not DHCP

APC setup on ESXi 4.1

Download Vsphere Management Assistant: http://downloads.vmware.com/d/details/vma41/ZHcqYmRoaGhiZCVodw

Download the interface application: (use Chrome or Firefox to download)
http://www.apc.com/tools/download/download.cfm?sw_sku=SFPCNS300&software_id=AKRN%2D8GZB2X&family=&part_num=SFPCNS300&swfam=127&tsk=&swtyp=

And WinRar to extract it:
http://www.win-rar.com/downloads//rar/wrar410.exe

 Extract the files:

Create an ISO of the extracted folder APC.iso

Log onto your APC Network interface and configure your usernames, passwords, and pass phrases.

Note: use Static IP addresses not DHCP

Extract Vsphere Management Assistant from zip file.

Install Vsphere Management Assistant by using Deploy OVF

After starting the Appliance VM open the VM console and you will be prompted to configure the settings. (Use a static IP address and define your hostname ”APC.domain.local” for example) Once you are at the logon screen you are ready to install the APC software to the vMA.

Attach APC.ISO to vMA using vSphere Client

Login as vi-admin

Go to console and logon as viadmin and enter the following

sudo su - -s /bin/bash

sudo mkdir /mnt/cdrom

sudo mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom

cd /mnt/cdrom

ls
(confirm files are there if not change to the proper sub directory using “cd” and “ls” to list contents till you find the following)

Sudo ./install_en.sh
Ignore Read-only file alerts:

Follow Defaults and enter yes as required.

Enter in the host IP of ESX host IP and credentials

Use Browser to access the web interface example https://10.10.10.33:6547 

Your APC battery backup network card must be configured before setting up the web interface on vMA web interface:

You then need to specify the triggers for the shutdown from the APC unit:

Click Shutdown System and specify the shutdown time delay: (5 minutes for example)

And define if Power Cute VA shuts down the APC unit: 

Your virtual servers then need to be configured to shutdown properly:

In order for PowerChute Network Shutdown to be able to shut down the virtual machines (VM) on VMware ESXi or ESX, you need to configure a "Guest Shutdown" on each VM using VSphere Client.

Save settings and test

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 9, 2013 at 2:50 AM

    I am so grateful to find your interesting post. I have bookmarked this website and I will keep visiting you for further such interesting posts.

    APC back-ups

    ReplyDelete

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