[CentOS] Power Fail Protection

[Mark LaPierre]

On 08/08/17 19:50, Chris Olson wrote:
> 
> Some of our largest systems run Windows because it supports engineering
> applications that we use regularly.  These applications have unattended
> runs that often take between ten and fifteen hours to complete.  We have
> taken the recommendation of the application supplier and equipped these
> Windows machines with UPS protection for 30 minutes at full load.
> 
> The UPSs are Ethernet connected.  A support application on the Windows
> engineering machine communicates with the UPS to detect and address any
> facility power failure.  The long run engineering application is then
> suspended at a restart point and the system is shut down.  We initiate
> job completion manually from the suspension restart point after the
> system has reliable power and is rebooted.
> 
> If we wanted to protect our CentOS systems from facility power failure
> in a similar way, is there operating system or other standard support
> that we might employ?  Most of the Linux-based applications are not as
> critical as the engineering applications on the Windows machines. There
> is a significant amount of processor idle time on several of the CentOS
> systems during non-work hours when the systems are unattended.  Several
> CentOS systems are supported currently with UPSs, but they run out and
> the system loses power if it is unattended.
> _______________________________________________

You didn't say what brand/model of UPS you are using so I can't be
specific.  Check with the manufacturer of your UPS to see if they have
an application that can communicate power status with your CPU.  Many
UPS devices are capable of signaling power loss.  The UPS can give you
enough warning to initiate a graceful shutdown.

For example APC brand UPS devices.  Many of them can connect to the CPU
through either Ethernet, USB, or serial cable so they can send the bad
news that the power is going down soon.  Check with your UPS
manufacturer first.

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   ^ ^  Mark LaPierre
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