Recommended UPS for Home Server(s)?

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IaaS

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Feb 15, 2015
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Either I'm misunderstanding, or it just doesn't work as needed on my motherboard (SuperMicro X10SL7-F). I changed the BIOS setting "Restore on AC Power Loss" to be "Power On":
That's a firmware issue if the board does not power back on after physically cycling power (regardless of the previous power state of the board) while that option is set to "Power On". Have you tested it a few times? Maybe a low-level feature like that requires at least one full power cycle before it takes effect? The behavior you described is what happens when that BIOS option is set to "Last State".
 

Entz

Active Member
Apr 25, 2013
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Canada Eh?
Worst case you could always go the WoL or IPMI route via a script. But yes that sounds like a BIOS bug. On should mean turn on as soon as the PSU receives power (bypass the Front panel switch).
 

Entz

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Apr 25, 2013
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Canada Eh?
Oh and speaking of NUT (which is awesome). This is one of those perfect things to run on a Raspberry Pi . Can be the last thing running on your network and handle all the startup/shutdown stuff you require and with a battery bank (or one of the only things running on your UPS at the end) you can keep it running for the better part of a day waiting for the power to come back up.
 

T_Minus

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Feb 15, 2015
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What's a "NUT" ?

I'm using a NUC as my 'last' shut down item to handle shutdowns on systems without other options, as well as my "entrance" into that vlan remotely.
 

NeverDie

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Jan 28, 2015
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Worst case you could always go the WoL or IPMI route via a script. But yes that sounds like a BIOS bug. On should mean turn on as soon as the PSU receives power (bypass the Front panel switch).
Yup. I would imagine Wake-on-LAN would be the easier of the two to implement.

I'm predisposed to pursue a mainstream solution, but maybe there isn't one: I'm beginning to get the sense that few, if any, people here are automatically waking up their servers after a power outage.
 

TuxDude

Well-Known Member
Sep 17, 2011
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Yup. I would imagine Wake-on-LAN would be the easier of the two to implement.

I'm predisposed to pursue a mainstream solution, but maybe there isn't one: I'm beginning to get the sense that few, if any, people here are automatically waking up their servers after a power outage.
My equipment at home is not UPS protected at all, but all my BIOS's are configured to turn on after an outage.

As for WoL VS IPMI - well WoL will work on just about every system out there with onboard NICs (or add-in cards if you connect the extra WoL cable), while IPMI obviously will only work on server MB's with IPMI. But IPMI will work on everything that supports it, while WoL is poorly supported and the magic packet cannot cross a router/subnet. If your hardware can do IPMI, then it is the better option.
 

T_Minus

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Feb 15, 2015
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Yup. I would imagine Wake-on-LAN would be the easier of the two to implement.

I'm predisposed to pursue a mainstream solution, but maybe there isn't one: I'm beginning to get the sense that few, if any, people here are automatically waking up their servers after a power outage.
Hmm, because it doesn't work for you doesn't mean it's not working for others ;)
 

Entz

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Apr 25, 2013
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Canada Eh?
Indeed ;) The IPMI approach is definitely the far more reliable method and dead simple to use. All it takes is a one liner in a script (ipmipower)...
 

T_Minus

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If anyone is Northern CA area or drives to Sacramento I may unload 1 or 2 of the APC units with new batteries, and the card in it. I think I have too many :)
 

TuxDude

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Sep 17, 2011
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If anyone is Northern CA area or drives to Sacramento I may unload 1 or 2 of the APC units with new batteries, and the card in it. I think I have too many :)
I wish I could take you up on the offer, but I'm quite a ways farther north than the northernmost part of CA... far enough that I use the same two letters for my country code :)
 

Entz

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Apr 25, 2013
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Canada Eh?
Sad thing is it might be cheaper to drive to CA then it would be to ship. Shipping goes through the roof the second you cross the border :(
 

TuxDude

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Sep 17, 2011
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If it was summer I might call it a good excuse for a trip and ride the motorcycle down. Wouldn't be the first time I've rode to California. I've done it in a car too, but that was way more boring.
 

T_Minus

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Feb 15, 2015
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Sad thing is it might be cheaper to drive to CA then it would be to ship. Shipping goes through the roof the second you cross the border :(
You're not joking. I sold something to CA and didn't realize it until I went to ship... cost about 50% more!

USPS Priority to EAST COAST from CALIFORNIA flat rate $18, same size box, not flate rate $24... lOL
 

NeverDie

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Jan 28, 2015
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That's a firmware issue if the board does not power back on after physically cycling power (regardless of the previous power state of the board) while that option is set to "Power On". Have you tested it a few times? Maybe a low-level feature like that requires at least one full power cycle before it takes effect? The behavior you described is what happens when that BIOS option is set to "Last State".
I've tried it a couple times now, including unplugging it from the wall. Same result. Might it have something to do with the power supply? I've been testing using a Corsair HX520W, which is circa 2007. It's still in good working order, but it's not exactly modern.

i.e. Is it the MB noticing the power failure, or is it the power supply noticing the power failure and then telling the board or ....? I can imagine different ways it might have been implemented.
 

T_Minus

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Feb 15, 2015
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I tested mine this morning, it def starts back up when you have it set to "POWER ON" after AC failure.

It could be the PSU not knowing to "turn on" when the signal is sent, possibly ?
 

NeverDie

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Jan 28, 2015
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I tested mine this morning, it def starts back up when you have it set to "POWER ON" after AC failure.

It could be the PSU not knowing to "turn on" when the signal is sent, possibly ?
When you say "I tested mine", are you referring to the same model motherboard, or a different one?