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Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

dcline97
Aspirant

Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

We just moved out RN516 from our main computer room to another building and its now on its own UPS (Tripp-Lite Omni1500LCDT). The UPS is connected via USB and when viewing the UPS status in the ReadyNAS admin console it is recognized and the status is showing up correctly. I did some initial testing by unplugging the UPS from building power and I immediately received an alert email from the ReadyNAS stating the UPS was now on battery power. After 5 minutes I plugged the UPS back in and immediately got another alert stating the UPS was back online with line power. All was good.

The next morning around 5:00am I received an email from ReadyNAS stating "UPS battery is low. System is going to shutdown soon." It did not shut down. I received two more of these messages the next night. I've opened up a case with Netgear support on this, but they are saying it may be a compatibility issue with the interpretation of the codes it is receiving from the UPS and to wait for a future firmware update. So I need to troubleshoot this further and asked if there was any way to retrieve the actual code(s) the UPS was sending that triggered these messages. No love.

I also contacted Tripp-Lite support and asked them if the unit should be generating ANY messages as long as the unit is on building power and nothing else changes. They said no. So my question for the group is the same one I asked support - is there any known way to retrieve the actual codes being send by the UPS, or has anyone experienced similar behavior from a USB connected UPS? If the UPS is indeed the culprit I want to get it replaced (its only a week old).

Thanks,

Dave
Message 1 of 16
BaJohn
Virtuoso

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

I am only a Newbie to ReadyNAS, but have already raised a post about the lack of UPS information flowing to the NAS.http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=79444
I believe that a PC connected to the UPS will be able to obtain far more information including logs.
If the 'problem' is regular and you can sensibly do it, I suggest that you power a PC from it and then run for a few days.
If that gives no joy, somewhere in this forum I have seen a post on how to connect a PC as well as the ReadyNAS to the UPS.
If neither of these is possible, I have no other ideas.
Message 2 of 16
dcline97
Aspirant

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

UPDATE:

After a few more of the erroneous "UPS battery is low" messages, the ReadyNAS simply dropped the UPS from the list of monitored UPS devices. I then hooked up a stand-alone PC with TrippLite's UPS monitoring software to see if it could pick up any additional info. I kept the PC hooked up for two weeks and reviewed the logs generated by the TrippLite monitoring software. Nothing out of the ordinary, everything looked normal. I removed the PC and plugged the USB cable back into the ReadyNAS and the erroneous errors started showing up again and the UPC was dropped again after a few days.

At this point I guess the only thing to do is wait for Netgear to provide a fix via a new firmware update.
Message 3 of 16
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

Can you send me your logs (see the Sending Logs link in my sig)?
Message 4 of 16
BaJohn
Virtuoso

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

dcline97 wrote:
After a few more of the erroneous "UPS battery is low" messages, the ReadyNAS simply dropped the UPS from the list of monitored UPS devices.
I have had the intermittent "UPS battery is low" for a little while. I put it down to building works in the house potentially affecting the supply (power drills etc). Anyway, I upgraded to OS 6.2.3 on Thursday 23rd April and went away for the weekend. This morning, at first look, low and behold I to have the problem.

Mon Apr 27 2015 6:48:33 System: UPS on Port:USB removed. Manufacturer: American Power Conversion, Model: Back-UPS CS 650, Serial: 4B1424P63244.
Mon Apr 27 2015 6:48:22 System: Error communicating with UPS 'UPS' ().

Since this was going on for some while, MAYBE just maybe something was introduced at OS 6.2.3 to generate the 'removal'. This does not of course help with the underlying problem.
Would you like my logs as well?
Message 5 of 16
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

Yes, please send me your logs (see the Sending Logs link in my sig).
Message 6 of 16
BaJohn
Virtuoso

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

Logs sent.
Message 7 of 16
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

Can you connect the UPS to the front USB port (just for testing) and see if it behaves any differently?
Message 8 of 16
BaJohn
Virtuoso

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

mdgm wrote:
Can you connect the UPS to the front USB port (just for testing) and see if it behaves any differently?
Sorry too late, as I tested whether a re-boot would 'fix' (albeit temporarily) it, and yes, after a 'restart' from NAS admin page the UPS connects back again.
When (presumably) it disconnects as can be expected from other postee, I will try what you suggested.
Message 9 of 16
BaJohn
Virtuoso

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

BaJohn wrote:
mdgm wrote:
Can you connect the UPS to the front USB port (just for testing) and see if it behaves any differently?
Sorry too late, as I tested whether a re-boot would 'fix' (albeit temporarily) it, and yes, after a 'restart' from NAS admin page the UPS connects back again.
When (presumably) it disconnects as can be expected from other postee, I will try what you suggested.
Swapped the connection from back to front earlier today and have had 2 of the messages already. So no, it is no different using the front USB port.
Message 10 of 16
BaJohn
Virtuoso

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

BaJohn wrote:
Swapped the connection from back to front earlier today and have had 2 of the messages already. So no, it is no different using the front USB port.
It was around 1 day ago and during that time 2 messages came up. This morning I swapped the USB cable from front to back, and almost immediately the UPS was removed from the port with message:-
System: UPS on Port:USB removed. Manufacturer: American Power Conversion, Model: Back-UPS CS 650, Serial: 4B1424P63244
NOTE that on a subsequent reboot the UPS was re-connected.
Message 11 of 16
BaJohn
Virtuoso

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

The following occurred this morning.
Sat May 9 2015 9:00:24  System: Communication with UPS 'UPS' () is OK. 
Sat May 9 2015 9:00:23 System: Error communicating with UPS 'UPS' ().
Sat May 9 2015 9:00:23 System: Automatic disk spin-down disabled.
Sat May 9 2015 1:15:26 snapshot: Smart Snapshot successfully delete snapshot '2015_03_14__00_00_47' from share or LUN 'TM-RoboCopy'.
Sat May 9 2015 0:15:24 snapshot: Smart Snapshot successfully delete snapshot '2015_03_14__00_00_35' from share or LUN 'TM-Files'.
Sat May 9 2015 0:01:09 Miscellaneous: Snapshot 'c_1431126069' is successfully created for share or LUN 'TM-RoboCopy'.
Sat May 9 2015 0:00:08 Miscellaneous: Snapshot 'c_1431126008' is successfully created for share or LUN 'TM-Files'.
Fri May 8 2015 21:00:01 System: Automatic disk spin-down enabled.
Fri May 8 2015 13:53:55 System: UPS 'UPS' () battery is low. System is going to shutdown soon.
Fri May 8 2015 9:00:23 System: Automatic disk spin-down disabled.
The 'battery low' messages keep happening, but this is the first time L have seen the 'Error communicating' message.
Just a thought ... could interference on the mains cause the battery low messages?
Message 12 of 16
StephenB
Guru

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

BaJohn wrote:
...The 'battery low' messages keep happening, but this is the first time L have seen the 'Error communicating' message.
Just a thought ... could interference on the mains cause the battery low messages?
That seems unlikely, since the UPS is supposed to clean up the mains if needed.

Do you have a different cable you can try?

It might be worth monitoring on a PC for a day or so, possibly something is wrong with the UPS.
Message 13 of 16
BaJohn
Virtuoso

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

StephenB wrote:
BaJohn wrote:
...The 'battery low' messages keep happening, but this is the first time L have seen the 'Error communicating' message.
Just a thought ... could interference on the mains cause the battery low messages?
That seems unlikely, since the UPS is supposed to clean up the mains if needed.
It does clean up the mains, BUT if I get a break of 0.5 second, is that going to cause the original messages. Literally 30 mins ago, I was on my PC and the lights flickered and I got a 2 verbal messages from my PC UPS and on checking my NAS the logs had
Sat May 9 2015 13:39:10  System: UPS 'UPS' () is on line power. 
Sat May 9 2015 13:39:08 System: UPS 'UPS' () is on battery power.
The TV went off for a split second as well, as I checked with 'the others' in the lounge. That I believe was a genuine 1 to 2 sec mains break, but the previous messages seem to be spurious and random in occurrence.

StephenB wrote:
Do you have a different cable you can try?.
Are you talking about the UPS to NAS cable? That is a special cable that came with the UPS. No spare although I suppose I could find a replacement somewhere online.
StephenB wrote:
It might be worth monitoring on a PC for a day or so, possibly something is wrong with the UPS.
Having had the 2 second mains break a little while ago, I am reluctant right now to do that. Maybe after my holiday. Anyway, am currently trying to fix my washing machine before we go away which the wife says takes priority.

The originator of this post (not me) said something about waiting for next update of OS. Does he know anything more about the problem.
I am also not the only one having this problem. Also I sent my logs as requested and have had no response to that. Hopefully those 2 options of a possible helpful outcome are still open?
Message 14 of 16
StephenB
Guru

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

My cyberlink uses a normal USB cable, so that is easier to swap out. The custom serial-USB cables can be hard to find and pricey.

I was thinking that you could leave the UPS connected to the NAS, just switch the monitoring for a bit. Then the NAS is still protected from those short outages (which I agree is important). It wouldn't receive shut down messages, but it sounds like your outages are much shorter than the battery limit.
Message 15 of 16
BaJohn
Virtuoso

Re: Debugging erroneous UPS alerts

StephenB wrote:
I was thinking that you could leave the UPS connected to the NAS, just switch the monitoring for a bit. Then the NAS is still protected from those short outages (which I agree is important). It wouldn't receive shut down messages, but it sounds like your outages are much shorter than the battery limit.
A good idea BUT my PC is through 4 doors away from the NAS. You forgot I can't get a good WiFi speed between the two, owing to the distance and thick walls (another post). BUT, a great idea, as I can get (hopefully) my old Vista laptop working (after my holiday ... boring I know to mention it again) and give that a go. Thanks StephenB.
Message 16 of 16
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