Liebert UPS and ESX 4.0

[DFATAnt]

We use Liebert UPS to manage the power to our ESX servers and shut them down when the battery of the UPS is getting low. This worked great with ESX 3.x. Now we want to upgrade all our ESX servers (and build new ones) with ESX 4.0. Unfortunately the Liebert UPS software doesn't seem to work any more. It certainly installs OK, but it seems that there is either an issue with a change to the JAVA libraries or SNMP or both (I'm really not sure).

There is one part of the initialise script that references xhost from /usr/bin/X11, but the X11 folder no longer exists. I don't think this is causing any real issues, but it seems that there have been major detrimental changes to the command line console.

I'm hoping that someone out there has some suggestions or similar issues that can shed some light on how I can get this to work. If I can't get it to work, we will not be able to upgrade to ESX 4.0 and there are suggestions that it will be a nail in the coffin for ESX with us (and that's not something that I want to see happen).

Cheers

Ant

[lamw]

I suggest checking with the UPS software vendor for further details, in this case Liebert. It's up to them to provide and update to the software to support vSphere ESX 4.0

=========================================================================

William Lam

VMware vExpert 2009

VMware ESX/ESXi scripts and resources at:

VMware Code Central - Scripts/Sample code for Developers and Administrators

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

[DFATAnt]

Thanks for the response Iamw,

but the reason I posted the question in the forum is because there is no support from the Vendor. Their software is for a generic linux version is more than 2 years old. Someone posted a similar question over 2 years ago looking for help getting the software working in 3.x as the vendor was quoted as saying "what is VMware". We ourselves had to get help from VMware 2 years ago to get the software to work. I would be very surprised if we were the only ones in the world that have this situation.

Cheers

Ant

[lamw]

Understandable, but if the vendor doesn't support it, it's very unlikely you'll get support from VMware. Perhaps someone else on the forum is in the same situation. I know with VMware's direction they're trying to move away from the Service Console, at least in theory they want to. I know there have been other questions regarding UPS utilities for ESXi specifically around APC's products but unfortunately they only support ESX(i) 3.5/4.0 w/SC and not ESXi. With that said, there is a vApp called VMware vMA which can be utilized to manage your hosts and the goal of that product is for centralized remote management and its especially helpful for ESXi where no SC exists. APC has claimed they would have a UPS utility that would install like the traditional version on the SC of ESX that runs on vMA but I have not heard or seen such a product.

I've written a script that uses some open source APC tools and with help of Joseph Holland APC documentation, came up with:

I bring this up because vMA is a RHEL VM, so you might have more luck installing your UPS utility and doing slight modification with my script to get it working, it's a suggestion but again it maybe very slim on getting official support from VMware and if the product is 2yrs old, most likely its not compatible with vSphere ESX.

Good luck.

=========================================================================

William Lam

VMware vExpert 2009

VMware ESX/ESXi scripts and resources at:

VMware Code Central - Scripts/Sample code for Developers and Administrators

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

[Frank_Jakobsen]

Did you concider change UPS provider!, Eaton Powerware are WMware aproved

Med venlig hilsen / Best regards

Frank Jakobsen

Account Manager

Eaton Power Quality Danmark

Generatorvej 8 A,

DK-2730 Herlev

cell: +45 2075 7585

direct: +45 3686 7912

office: +45 3686 7910

fax: +45 3686 7921

email.:

[DFATAnt]

No we haven't considered changing our UPS provider as we have made a considerable investment with the Liebert UPS we are using, but thanks for your suggestion.

As it turns out, I have come across a document that has helped me to get the software to work. I just needed to setup a fedora server, install the software and configure it, and then tar up the installation folder and copy it to my ESX server where I untar it. After that I just copy the startup script to the rc.d folder and set a some links so that the software starts and stops automatically.

Thanks for the help and the suggestions.

Cheers

Ant

[trwagner1]

Ant, could you provide a URL link to that document for reference?

Thank you

Ted

[DFATAnt]

The link that Liebert Support sent me is :

Looking at the link again, it is pretty useless. What was useful was a PDF file that the Liebert Support sent me in the same email. I have attached the PDF file to this response. It is only a small file, so the text of it is:

The MultiLink installation and configuration tool for V3.6 is GUI based, and therefore it is not

possible to directly install it on a ‘headless' or terminal-only system due to this requirement. It is

possible; however, for the background agent to run properly on a headless system, provided that the

configuration can be prepared on a similar operating system with a GUI. This process involves first

installing MultiLink on a ‘host machine' that has a matching operating system and a GUI. Once

installed, the files are moved verbatim on to the ‘destination machine' which is the headless system.

*

Step One: Install MultiLink on the host machine. During the installation, specify the

*

communication method for the destination machine, even if it is not accessible from the host machine.

Also, configure the desired shutdown timers and other events for the destination machine. If the

Network Administration feature is being used from a machine with a GUI, the username and password

must be configured during installation.

Important: After the installation, change the GUI option to disable all message windows,

which will force MultiLink to send status messages to the system console. This is done in the

Viewer, click the Configure menu, then Options, the toggle button for ‘Disable all MultiLink

popup windows' should be checked.

*

Step Two: Transplant the installation directory from the host machine to the destination machine.

*

To do this, copy the ./MultiLink directory into a matching location such as /opt or /share. You will

want to either use a tool like SCP that can copy recursively over a network, or tar/gz the directory and

move it manually to the destination.

*

Step Three: Move the LiebertM script (/etc/rc.d/init.d/LiebertM) to the host system, and

*

then use the following commands to symlink the script into the startup directories. Not all systems use

the same layout, so be certain these paths are correct for your distribution.

ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc0.d/K30LiebertM /etc/rc.d/init.d/LiebertM

ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc1.d/K30LiebertM /etc/rc.d/init.d/LiebertM

ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc2.d/S90LiebertM /etc/rc.d/init.d/LiebertM

ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc3.d/S90LiebertM /etc/rc.d/init.d/LiebertM

ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc5.d/S90LiebertM /etc/rc.d/init.d/LiebertM

ln -s /etc/rc.d/rc6.d/K30LiebertM /etc/rc.d/init.d/LiebertM

*

Step Four: the destination system can be rebooted or the server process started manually by

*

executing the following command: /etc/rc.d/init.d/LiebertM start

The MultiLink process should then be running properly in the background. Text messages should

show up on the console indicating status. MultiLink should be loaded automatically at boot time. If

not, you will need to add the command to a startup script such as /etc/rc.local. If the Network

Administration license is being used at this site, the destination machine should be available for remote

monitoring and control once it is properly added to the administration server.

I hope this is of some use.

Cheers

Ant

[Frank_Jakobsen]

Sorry - I have noting to do with Liebert! Iám employeed in Eaton Powerware

Med venlig hilsen / Best regards

Frank Jakobsen

Account Manager

Eaton Power Quality Danmark

Generatorvej 8 A,

DK-2730 Herlev

cell: +45 2075 7585

direct: +45 3686 7912

office: +45 3686 7910

fax: +45 3686 7921

email.: frankjakobsen@eaton.com

www.powerware.com

www.ePDU.com

www.mgeops.com

www.eaton.com

[trwagner1]

Fantastic! Thanks Ant!

Ted