Power management: more than a plug - power management software - Special Focus: Network Management - Technology Information - Cover Story

Communications News, Sept, 1997 by Brad Wyckoff

With network computing becoming more complex and power issues becoming more critical to productivity, network managers need power management able to handle the complexities of local area, wide area, and mixed networks.

Many rely on an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), a battery backup system with associated electronics which provides power to a computer or other device when the incoming electrical line fails.

Some take advantage of the more advanced, online UPSs, which offer sophisticated internal circuitry to provide protection from power abnormalities such as spikes and to provide better coverage over a wide range of conditions.

But today's network manager also needs network power management software to solve these common problems: * Loss of data/information. * Unexpected utility outages and power related events. * Increasing network complexity. * Limited resources to manage the network. * Inability to detect and solve power problems before they happen.

The most important problem is the loss of data or information. According to Contingency Planning Research, 45% of computer data loss in the U.S. is due to power outages and surges.

Protection by a UPS is adequate unless the power outage lasts longer than the length of time the battery in the UPS will provide power to the computer.

With some sophisticated operating systems, such as Unix, mission-critical data files and even the operating system itself can be corrupted. Then the network manager or user has to figure out what has been affected and take necessary corrective action. The operating system may have to be reinstalled, leaving many users unable to work during the process.

Today's network power management software products all provide for a graceful shutdown of the operating system and closing of all open applications and files in the event of an extended electrical failure.

They also provide configurable shutdown parameters which allow the user to select how much time to spend on-battery before beginning the shutdown process. They usually turn off the UPS to prevent complete discharge of the battery, which shortens battery life.

More sophisticated packages offer a shutdown sequence customized to execute a particular command before bringing down the system. This feature allows for stopping applications in order of a priority scheme determined by the user.

Nothing irritates users as much as losing work because of an unscheduled shutdown. Rapid notification of people affected by a changing power condition, so they can save work before the system shuts down, is standard in most power protection software packages.

More advanced packages include notification via e-mail or paging. With this feature, a network manager can be notified remotely of a power related problem and can perform system management activities before shutdown on-site or remotely.

A high-end package may also provide notification via simple network management protocol (SNMP) traps. A trap is a message sent to an SNMP-supported network management software package, such as IBM's Net View for AIX, Hewlett Packard's Open View, and Sun Microsystems' SunNet Manager, which gives a brief statement/alert to the network manager describing the power condition.

Good UPS software communicates with non-computer devices attached through a network adapter. A network manager can monitor and reboot a remote UPS, cycling power to a device which initiates a reset (sometimes required to get a device to function properly).

More advanced software packages also permit communication with adapters to allow multiple computers to be powered by one UPS and still shut down properly upon utility failure. This configuration can save money and space.

As networks become more complex, network managers have the increasingly difficult task of maintaining consistent software solutions across hardware platforms. A software vendor must support the wide variety of operating systems.

For true wide area network protection, select packages that can communicate across network devices such as bridges and routers. A graphical user interface helps speed installation, configuration, and use of the software.

In a situation with a large number of protected computers or network devices spread geographically, one of the most important features to look for is remote monitoring capability. Using remote monitoring and advanced features such as notification via SNMP traps, network managers can monitor the power enterprise-wide from a single workstation.

In some higher-end packages, remote retrieval of battery information is also possible, making planning for maintenance of UPSS much easier.

Advanced packages also should contain a scheduled shutdown/restart feature which will safely shut down and restart the system on a daily, weekly, or holiday basis for energy conservation or security purposes.

Of all the topics related to power protection, detecting and solving power problems before they happen is perhaps the most desirable and the most difficult to achieve.

Advanced network power management software packages take a first step by providing a log of power events that have occurred over a period of time, allowing the manager to spot trends and resolve chronic power problems.