2008-5-14  The APC Smart-UPSfi RT (SURTA1500XL, SURTA1500XLJ, and SURTA2000XL) is a high- performance, Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) designed to prevent blackouts, brownouts, sags and surges from reaching your computers, servers, and other sensitive electronic equipment.

Hello Community!Please tell me that someone reading this can help me! I simply want to connect to my APC SUA3000 Smart UPS to configure the networking so that I can monitor its statistics remotely. I know it sounds simple, and it sounds like ANYONE should be able to do this but I cannot. I have attempted to connect via serial cable (the APC serial cable none-the-less that I had to purchase because you can ONLY use APC serial cables.) Once connected with the serial cable, I opened hyperterminal with the suggested settings and no luck.

I then attempted to connect to the weird ethernet jack on the back and browse to 10.0.0.9 as instructed and nothing.Do I need APC software to go along with this? I would think connecting directly with a serial cable would bypass the need for any software. Someone of the 1 million plus users of Spiceworks has surely done this before and knows exactly what to tell me!Thanks for the help! Is this the NIC card you have installed in your UPS?If so, have you tried using the 'N etwork Management Device IP Configuration Wizard ' to configure it? If you don't have that application, you can download it from here:Connect your UPS to the same network as the computer you are using to configure it. You can install the configuration wizard and follow the step-by-step instructions that you can find on that same page. I haven't done it in a while but from what I remeber it is very straight forward with that software.

Is this the NIC card you have installed in your UPS?If so, have you tried using the 'N etwork Management Device IP Configuration Wizard ' to configure it? If you don't have that application, you can download it from here:Connect your UPS to the same network as the computer you are using to configure it.

You can install the configuration wizard and follow the step-by-step instructions that you can find on that same page. I haven't done it in a while but from what I remeber it is very straight forward with that software. Ok guys, so we all agree I need to grab the software. Let me ask you this in reference to the Network Management Card: Does it belong where this black plate is currently attached on the back of my UPS? I attached a picture I just took.

I'm thinking I DO NOT have the NMC installed. Are we saying this is something I would need to have as well? You can see in the picture where I currently have the ethernet cable attached.

I'm thinking now that is incorrect.Sorry, I just got hit with this project this afternoon and I've never played with these things before, so this is why I might seem a bit naive when it comes to my questioning. Ok, from that picture I can make out that it says 'SB' where you connected that red ethernet cable so I assume that is a USB port.not sure how you got an ethernet cable plugged in there lolAnyway, that black plate on top of that is where you would need to install your management card. The card itself can look like the one on the first link I posted or one of these other 2:Those cards are typically purchased separately so check if you have it. If not you will need to purchase it if you want to manage your UPS over the network.

If you have 4 units you should be able to use the free version of software, installed on one server with agents on the rest. You can then go into the console on the server and check your UPS status, power down, etc. The USB to ethernet adapters should work for this, you would connect each UPS to it's own server.The other option is to install the NMC in each UPS in the SmartSlot that your picture shows. Not hot-swappable by the way, power down first.

The you can access the NMC through a web browser but you have to access each unit independently.Having done this both ways I now prefer the latter method. They are pretty much set & forget anyway, plus you configure the alert emails and they let you know when it's going pear-shaped. (Although 6 units all emailing you every 2 minutes when the power goes off can be a slight annoyance)The beauty of the NMC for me is the remote cabinets that have a UPS but no server. Yup, that connector is 'most definitely' a 100% pure USB connector, just implemented on a non-standard port (a keyed RJ45) rather than the expected USB Type A.And yup, the way to go if you have the money, is to purchase the network management card for the SmartSlot. A nice bonus feature of these cards is that they come with a plug-in temperature probe and I think it may monitor humidity too. When properly configured, it will be your environment monitor for that rack room.If you're bothered by having lots of extra money that you can't find a use for, and if you have several similar UPS units or APC infrastructure devices to monitor (power distribution units, chillers, NetBotz appliances, etc.) then they make an application (used to be called InfraSTRUXure or something like that) to manage all your gear from one web-based console.

I think you can get it as a hardware appliance, or as software-only and install it on your own server. I think it will also monitor non-APC gear when properly set up.We hav.

At APC, we understand that many of our partners didn’t start their business selling back-up power. With the rise of cloud computing, we’re seeing an increase in Managed Service providers and their expertise is usually networking and IT gear, not necessarily power.

When back-up power isn’t your core business, it can be uncomfortable to bring it up with your customers. But we’re finding that many organizations are investing in their networking gear – servers, switches, and routers but ignoring their back-up power. Sound familiar? How many of your customers are buying new Cisco, HP, EMC, NetApp, or Dell equipment but supporting it with a 10-year old UPS?

It can be difficult to start a conversation about back-up power if you don’t believe you have enough knowledge to help your customer identify exactly what their power needs are. That’s one of the reasons that APC recently put in place a network of Partner Development Representatives (PDRs). Assigned by region, the PDRs are there to support partners and they want to help you close more business. As AJ Andrews, Partner Development Manager and former PDR for California and Hawaii describes it, “One of my favorite things is when a partner comes to me and says, ‘Hey, I have this opportunity but I need your help.’ I want to help them work it and I want to help them close it and a lot of times, that means I help them find the right UPS.”

But AJ goes on to explain that it starts with asking the right questions. “I want to help the partners get comfortable talking about power, so I suggest a series of questions to help them get the information I need to help specify a UPS.”

Get the Conversation Started

So what are those questions? An easy way to start the conversation is when discussing your customer’s IT gear, ask them what they are doing for back up power – how are they backing up all of this equipment? In some cases, your customer contact may not know, but suggest that you take a few minutes to find out. “It can be as simple as taking a picture of the model and serial number on their exiting UPS,” AJ explains, “from just that, I can tell enough to get started.” The model and serial number of a UPS reveals the general specifications for input/output and load size. Ultra compressed pc games. It also contains the date of manufacture.

However, it’s common for customer requirements to change over time, so it’s possible that your customer may need a different sized UPS – especially if you are adding new servers to their configuration. Or, if they have migrated servers to the cloud, their current UPS may be oversized and they need a smaller one.

With a few basic parameters, your PDR can recommend a solution over the phone. When discussing power with your customer, try to cover these basics:

• What’s the wattage of the load that needs to be protected?
• What are the input and output voltage requirements? 120V? 208V?
• What are the input plug and output receptacle requirements?
• How much run time do they need?
• Do they need a rack-mounted solution or would a tower UPS be ok?

Armed with this information, your PDR can help you find a UPS that meets your customer’s requirements and with programs such as the Attach Incentive Program (AIP), your PDR can help you get some discounts on APC Smart-UPS.

You don’t have to be a power expert to help your customers find a UPS solution that’s right for them. By asking the right questions and taking advantage of the product knowledge your PDR has, you can make recommendations to your customer with confidence. For more information about Smart-UPS, visit our website. To learn more about the discount and incentive programs available for APC partners, visit your partner page or contact your PDR. Don’t know who your PDR is? You can call our Preferred Partner Support Line for assistance: 1-800-771-1APC.