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Wake up Server after Power Failure

Offline ntblade

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Wake up Server after Power Failure
« on: May 26, 2008, 12:09:39 PM »
This is a followup from:
http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=41120.0
Unplanned shutdown / Server unresponsive

ENVIRONMENT POWER FAILURE!
It turns out that I had installed a machine connected to an APC Smart-UPS with a serial connection but hadn't configured NUT :oops: :oops:
Since I didn't know about the power failure I went off in the wrong direction assuming everything else was OK.  This is good in one way as it wasn't a fault with the machine.

Anyway, this raises the question, What do the folk here do about booting a server when power is restored?  I mean, how do we get back on-line after a server shuts down during the power outage.  I can't seem to find anything in the NUT documentation.

Any suggestions please?

Offline Stefano

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Re: Wake up Server after Power Failure
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2008, 12:18:19 PM »
Hi

AFAIK nut can't power on a server.. simply because nut is IN the server :-)

this is normally solved in bios: there is a setting in virtually all BIOS out there called “AC Power Loss Restore State” (or something to that effect). With this setting you can specify what happens to your system once power is completely lost and then returns. By default, most systems are set to “stay off”, but other options include “turn on”, or my personal choice “last state”.

HTH
Stefano

Offline byte

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Re: Wake up Server after Power Failure
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2008, 12:20:18 PM »
Anyway, this raises the question, What do the folk here do about booting a server when power is restored?  I mean, how do we get back on-line after a server shuts down during the power outage.

You have a number of ways depending on hardware/support, you could do what most people probably do is use the "Wake up on modem ring" or if your server supports it you could use "Wake up on LAN" these can be configured within the BIOS.

Moving this topic to the General Discussion forum, it is more appropriate there. Thanks!
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Offline ntblade

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Re: Wake up Server after Power Failure
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2008, 12:28:11 PM »
Ha, I wondered where the topic went!
I'm sure that the boot on power restore option is set in the BIOS but I'll have to check.

The trouble is that the server should shut down before the UPS's battery is exhausted therefore, when there's no load the battery will last for a long time even though it is still able to supply power.  When mains power is restored, there is no change in the UPS output power state so the server doesn't boot.

Some machines have the option in the BIOS to boot the machine every day at a certain time.  I'll check this out as it would go some way to solving the problem.

How is wakeup on ring setup please?

N

Offline byte

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Re: Wake up Server after Power Failure
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2008, 12:55:05 PM »
Have a look at this it has been used on the "older releases" and I haven't tried this:

http://www.wellsi.com/sme/wol/wol.html
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Have you filled in a Bug Report over @ http://bugs.contribs.org ? Please don't wait to be told this way you help us to help you/others - Thanks!

Offline ntblade

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Re: Wake up Server after Power Failure
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2008, 06:07:24 PM »
Thanks all,

I think I need to look at WOL/WOR or a small bit of hardware that's power from the non-UPS supply which when booted sends a magic packet to the server.  Any suugestions?  A hacked router running dd-wrt or similar?

N