Is APC Back-UPS ES 750 compatible with HP ml350 G6 server?

[wuitsung]

I got HP ml350 G6 server, this model has 460 Watt Power Supply. I would like to know if it's compatible, if not, could anyone please tell me why?
The actual model is here :
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF06b/15351-15351-241434-241646-241477-3884315-3922634-4151434.html

APC Back-UPS ES 750:
http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=be750bb

Thank you.

[Michael A. McKenney]

750VA is small for a ML350 G6. I would go with 2kVA UPS. You can switch cords to work with it.

[wuitsung]

Thank you. If I still want to go with APC Back-UPS ES 750, will that cause any problem?

[Terry Hutchings]

I would not recommend using this with the ML350 G6. It will likely not be able to keep the server running if there is a power outage. If you go with an APC UPS I would recommend a Smart UPS be the lowest end model be used.

According to APC when you have a server with Power Factor Correction power supplies installed:
"In any of these situations, APC recommends that a true, pure sine wave, server class UPS be use" - not a low end UPS, such as the one you recommend.

http://www.apcmedia.com/salestools/RMUZ-7DTKRC_R1_EN.pdf

[wuitsung]

>>It will likely not be able to keep the server running if there is a power outage.

Regardless the above situation, will there be any problem such as server shut down unexpectedly? if it will cause that problem, can you explain why?

[Terry Hutchings]

Yes, the server will likely not be able to stay running if a power failure occurred. The power supplies in this server require higher regulation of the power getting to them. The power supplies by the UPS you are asking about is sufficient for it to run, but when the initial power outage occurs the server will shut down because it cannot provide the correct current during the time it is switching from AC power to battery power.

Please read the doc on APC's site.

[wuitsung]

Actually this was not my question.... I was saying if we don't care about the power outage, and I just plug my server to the UPS.
will that cause any problem to the server?

[Terry Hutchings]

I will not hurt the server.

[Michael A. McKenney]

What is your goal with the ES 750? It is a workstation level backup. Why do you want such a small UPS on a file server? What does the server do? How long does management want it up and running? Will the UPS also handle any other hardware like switches, routers, firewalls, monitor, KVM?

[wuitsung]

It's for my home office. Since the down time not critical and it's still working, so I just didn't think of buying another one. Actually, why I am posting my question here is that my server shut down from time to time unexpectedly. I checked windows event viewer and didn't find anything wrong. Also I run the smart cd diag for almost whole day and didn't find any problem. And there was no power outage during that time as well. So I am just wondering if UPS is the root of the problem....

[Wayne Henegar]

Several of us have fought the ML350 G6 power supplies and UPSs. The issue is the type of output, more that the size. Check out this forum...maybe start at the bottom of the thread. Those of us posting have good experience with the 9000 series Eaton, or Higher end APC.

http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/ProLiant-Servers-ML-DL-SL/ML350-G6-UPS-issues/m-p/4548907#M97605

Good Luck.

[wuitsung]

Thank you for your reply. But I am not sure if they also having the same problem with me. As the problem in that post, is that the server shut down when the UPS running on battery. But my is it shutdown from time to time, this time it lasted 2 weeks and it shutdown. There is no error in event viewer and no error after running long diag using hp tool... but I am sure it's power related issue as in iLO log, i see the server power removed.... So do you think it's due to the UPS??

[Terry Hutchings]

I do not think your problem is due to the UPS, but it's possible to have a power event which only effects equipment which has a higher susceptibility to power issues (the ML350 G6). Everything else (destops, older servers, etc.) may stay up, but the server may go down due to not having the right power.

[wuitsung]

not sure what you mean... it not due to the UPS...? so what do suggest what would be the problem? The server is plugged into the ups

[Terry Hutchings]

I mean, there really was a power outage.....does this UPS you are using have any kind of power monitoring software? You should have a better idea of what caused this problem, if so.

[wuitsung]

There was no power outage at the time my computer shut down itself. I already checked the log.

[wuitsung]

if my low end ups was the issue.... d oyou guys think this one is ok? APC Smart-UPS 750?

[Michael A. McKenney]

The 750 does not have the power load to keep a ML 350 G6 up and running on battery. The batteries are not capable of maintaining a server power load. It needs a 2kVA UPS to maintain the power load with multiple batteries.

[Wayne Henegar]

If you read that post in detail, you will see that several of us have/had ml350G6s that shut down when on utility power and/or fail to stay on during the switch to UPS. Basically, it is a Power Supply issue. The PS is so sensitive to fluctuations that the server will shut down (no events logged). Unless you have a double conversion UPS, or TRUE sign wave UPS, the UPS will not switch on fast enough to keep the server from shutting down. Our experience is that the Eaton 9000 or High end APC can keep the server on line during utility power fluctuations (and I mean fluctuations that are unnoticed by PC's and other servers.) I am fairly certain that the APC Back-UPS ES 750 is not adequate for the ML350G6. You will have to spend some money and get one of the models listed in that post.

[wuitsung]

Thank you Wayne Henegar!! Because the server is used in my home office, and only 2 people will use the server and the server only has 1 cpu Xenon E5620, 1 PSU and 4 GB of Ram... it's mainly used as file server and running 2 win2k3 VM sevrer on it. So in this case, do you still think it's not enough? and from my understanding, my PSU is a single 460 Watt and the APC Smart-UPS 750VA (SMT750) offer 500 watts.... why do you think it's not sufficient?

[Wayne Henegar]

My experience with Eaton 9130 is that 750 is big enough. I have 3 clients with dual processors, 4-5 HDD's and redundant power supplies that get an hour of run time on the 75o UPS. But here is the issue we chased for months. The server for no apparent reason would shut down. We determinied that the unique power supplies in the ML350G6 can not handle minor fluctuations in utility power. Thus the need for a style of UPS that is double-conversion, or TRUE sine wave. Those cost close to $500. THUS, the issue is not the VA, but the type. Those consumer grade UPS (like the ES 750)just won't respond quickly enough for the ML350G6. It requires an enterprise class UPS. Personally, I don't think you need 1500 or 2K size for the situation you describe, but you won't be able to keep that machine running without a UPS that 'conditions' the utility power, and carried it through those minor fluctuations in utility power.

[wuitsung]

I got it your point!! thank you again. Do you know any cheap and good brand UPS that fits my budget? I really don't want to spend too much for my little home office.....i am poor..

[wuitsung]

I just remembered one setting in the APC software though... which we can adjust the sensitivity of the current.. so it will switch to battery mode... will not this help if i do this on SMT750?

[Michael A. McKenney]

If you don't worry about blackout battery life, which it does not seem to be an issue.Get a Tripp Lite line conditioner instead of a UPS. Do you have a Carepaq on the server? Why do you need a UPS?

What do you do with this server? For a home office, HP servers are noisy and not fast. You could build a quieter, faster workstation for a home office to suit your needs. My home office has a Supermicro X7DWA-N server board, pair of E5430 Xeons, 16GB of RAM, LSI 8708EM2 RAID controller, pair of RAID 1 SAS 15K drives, pair of RAID 1 SAS 10K drives. It was designed for CAD and A/V work. I use line conditioners on it. I need a quieter video card for it.

20A double pole breaker. Ran it to a double pole switch for 2 x 20A@120V. One for the PC Power and Cooling 1000W power supply and other side for montior, printer, etc.

[wuitsung]

What is Tripp Lite line conditioner? is it just a line protection? and is it a pure sine wave?? What is Carepaq? I think I don't have it.