Auto Restart pc after extensive power failure
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Hi
I would like to find a way to restart my PFsense servers after extensive power failures, I know that there is a relevant setting in the bios that you tell the computer to turn on when the power is back up ( and i currently use it ) BUT when the servers are on UPS and the power failure lasts longer than the batteries of the UPS and the batteries are drained that setting wont turn back on the PC and i have to manually go and push the switch and that not an easy thing on remote setups,
When the power failure is shorter than the time the UPS takes to shuts down and drain the batteries the bios setting works and the servers go back online. I have also tried to modify the ATX psu's of my servers by crossing the green and ground/black wire on the ATX plug that goes on the motherboard, this had partial success old P3 servers would turn on but P4 ones would such start the fans of the pc without powering up the motherboard ( i guess this is a motherboard issue ).
Is there any other RELIABLE option to make my servers turn on automatically? maybe some sort of relay on the power switch that would turn on when power is back.
Thanks
Chris -
I forgot to mention that i already know solutions like :
http://www.quantek.co.uk/GSM%20gate%20opener.html
or
http://denkovi.com/product/45/internet-ethernet-two-channel-relay-board.html
But i prefer to make my servers turn on on their own, if that is impossible i will end up buying one or the other solution
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If it's proper server grade hardware there is usually a setting to disable power off.
You could simply adjust your UPS settings so that they don't power off your servers though. That would leave you open to data corruption etc.
How are your UPS's connected?
Generally speaking your UPS hardware/sofware should take care of it. Clearly it's correctly shutting down the servers cleanly. It there not a power-on via USB or equivalent?Steve
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I have several servers with Smoothwall, Pfsense and Mikrotik.
This is the worse case scenario for me:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.456774370902.244507.545300902&l=daabf33b17&type=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6-1MlTOx4k
In this setup a Nilox 1100VA ups powering a P4 2ghz and a small Access Point. It can last about 30 min and it doesnt have any com or usb connection.
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Ah well if it's not a smart UPS (or not smart connected) then presumably it just powers off the servers as soon as the batteries run flat with no clean shut down. In which case you just need to set the bios to come on in case of power failure. Or is it that the UPS doesn't come back on when power resumes?
Steve
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I already have the relevant setting in the bios but it doesnt work when the batteries run flat. The pc used to restart before putting the ups in the equation.
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You can get the DCDC-USB 'UPS' from mini-box. Use the automotive mode and an external wall-wart to trigger the ignition. This will basically make the device manually trigger the motherboard's power switch pins to power it on when the ignition voltage is high enough (the DC/DC wallwart will provide enough voltage to trigger this upon restoration of power).
http://www.mini-box.com/DCDC-USB?sc=8&category=1264
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I already have the relevant setting in the bios but it doesnt work when the batteries run flat. The pc used to restart before putting the ups in the equation.
So it's the UPS failing to restart?
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So it's the UPS failing to restart?
No, it's his board.
I must have been stoned out when I replied earlier.
@biomechanoid: Have you tried replacing the CMOS battery on your systems? Sounds like the boards are not retaining the improper shutdown information (when the UPS are not fully drained, there is still standby power to the boards from the PSU).
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I'm confused. ???
If the UPS is not connected to the server via serial or USB then in the event of a power failure the servers will simply continue to function until the battery is exhausted. Then the supply from the UPS to the server will simply be cut.
When the power is restored to the UPS it will restore power to the server, unless it's set to remain off, and the server will come back on if it is set to do so in the bios.
If the server comes on OK without the UPS in place then the only reason it would not come on with the UPS in place is if the UPS is not providing power to the server.
I agree that if the CMOS battery is flat in the server then if will go to the default bios settings every time which may be 'stay off'.Steve
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Last week i went to the roof and and installed a NEW cmos battery and took a screen with me to check the bios and it was like i had configured it. There was a power failure since to test if it was just the cmos battery
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Is your BIOS set to actually power it on, or just to retain the last status? If you have a "power on" option instead of a memory/last-state choice, try that.
Another higher-tech way around such a problem is to have a lights-out management card (DRAC, iLO, etc) that lets you power on the box remotely if it was powered off on purpose (say, by a connected UPS signalling a clean shutdown)…
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Is your BIOS set to actually power it on, or just to retain the last status? If you have a "power on" option instead of a memory/last-state choice, try that.
Another higher-tech way around such a problem is to have a lights-out management card (DRAC, iLO, etc) that lets you power on the box remotely if it was powered off on purpose (say, by a connected UPS signalling a clean shutdown)…
Yeah but looking at the pics it's not a server class motherboard. However, most modern NICs and BIOS you can wake it up via LAN. Look up Magic Packet. In his case since his entre setup is hosting a wireless network it's going to be a little hard to do that.
