PCSS Installation Guide
PCSS Installation Guide
Windows Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Install the PowerChute Serial Shutdown Agent on Windows . . .8
Silent Installation of a Windows Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Starting and Stopping the PowerChute Agent on Windows . . .12
Uninstalling the PowerChute Serial Shutdown Agent on
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Windows Server 2012/2016/2019/2022 Server Core:
Installing and Uninstalling PowerChute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Simple Signaling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Supported UPS Devices and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Simple Signaling Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Smart Signaling Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Supported Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Installing PowerChute Serial Shutdown for Simple Signaling . .16
Shutdown Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
See:
IMPORTANT:
After installing and configuring PowerChute Serial Shutdown, we strongly recommend that you
test your configuration before relying on it in a production environment.
Product Center
The PowerChute Serial Shutdown Product Center page has many links to useful up-to-date information.
upsBasicIdentName
Revision
upsAdvIdentFirmware
anufacture
upsAdvIdentDateOfM
upsAdvIdentSerialNumber
UPS Devices
The Agent provides UPS status monitoring and, in the event of an extended power outage, system
shutdown capabilities for your UPS-connected servers. See Operating Systems and UPS Devices.
This software must be installed on each computer that is directly attached to one of the UPS devices
mentioned in Supported UPS Devices and Accessories.
You can also monitor your PowerChute Agents using a Network Management System (NMS), via SNMP
and through EcoStruxure IT™.
1. Select the model of your UPS from the list provided. The UPS model is found on the printed label
at the rear of your UPS.
2. If your UPS model prefix (e.g. SMT, SMX) is not available in the drop-down list, see the definitions
below to find your UPS model type:
– Type A
Smart-UPS models with prefix SMT, SMX, SURTD, SRT, SMTL, SCL, SMC, and SRTL
including models SRC2KUXI, SRC3KUXI, and SRC3KUXIX709.
– Type B
• Smart-UPS models excluding UPS models with prefix SMT, SMX, SURTD, SRT, SMTL,
SCL, SMC, SRTL, and models SRC2KUXI, SRC3KUXI, and SRC3KUXIX709.
• Easy Online UPS models with SRV prefix.
– Back-UPS
All Back-UPS models are supported except models with the BP, BF, BG, and BC prefixes.
Visit Knowledge Base article FA315835 on the APC website to find out more about
UPS model types.
For UPS devices with outlet groups, the default outlet group is selected automatically by
PowerChute.
If the UPS has Switched Outlet Groups, the default outlet group will be the first Switched Outlet
Group. Otherwise, the default outlet group will be the Main Outlet Group if Switched Outlet
Groups are not present.
The outlet group can be changed in the Outlet Setup screen in the PowerChute Agent and
also in the Initial Setup Wizard after installation.
The computer on which you install PowerChute Serial Shutdown must be a 64-bit operating system and
have:
Port Requirements
See Knowledge Base article FA159597 on the APC website for more information on the ports used by
PowerChute Serial Shutdown.
Browser Requirements
Supported browsers:
• The PowerChute Agent communicates with the UPS through the communications cable that
connects the UPS to the communications port on the server running the PowerChute Agent.
• PowerChute supports the connection of only one type of communications cable (USB or Serial
interface) from the UPS to the server at once. NOTE: PowerChute was not tested for usage with
serial-to-USB or USB-to-serial adapters.
• IMPORTANT: Do not connect your UPS to the server with more than one communications cable at
once (e.g. Serial and USB cable), as it may lead to unexpected shutdown behavior.
• See your UPS operation manual on the APC website for more information on the communications
cable that is included with your UPS, or see the Product Center page for cabling requirements.
Further information is also available in Knowledge Base article FA163632 on the APC website.
NOTE: A UPS can only protect one computer running a PowerChute Agent at a time, unless an Interface
Expander 2 card (AP9624) or a Share-UPS (AP9207) is used.
NOTE: For UPS devices with outlet groups, see the Choosing which individual outlet groups to turn
off in a shutdown section of the Shutdown chapter in the PowerChute Agent help. This details how outlet
groups work in shutdowns.
Before you perform the installation, note the following information about the installation process.
PowerChute v1.0 is a 64-bit only application and cannot be installed on a 32-bit operating
system. If you have a 32-bit operating system, you cannot upgrade to v1.0.
Upgrade Notes
• See Operating Systems and UPS Devices.
• Following an upgrade, clear your browser cache before accessing the Agent web interface to see
the latest changes.
• The Initial Setup Wizard does not show following an upgrade as your configuration settings are
carried forward.
If you are unsure whether you can upgrade or not, please contact APC Worldwide Customer
Support (https://www.apc.com/support/).
When the upgrade is completed, check your configuration settings to ensure that they have carried
over as expected.
IPv6 Compatibility
The IPv6 address must be in one of these formats:
See also:
NOTE:
You must uninstall other types of PowerChute applications before trying to install PowerChute Serial
Shutdown. These applications include PowerChute plus, PowerChute Personal Edition, PowerChute
Business Edition, and PowerChute Network Shutdown.
PowerChute Serial Shutdown v1.0 supports upgrades from PowerChute Business Edition v10.x, and the
installer will uninstall PowerChute Personal Edition v3.1 if it is installed on your PC. Earlier versions of
PowerChute Business Edition and PowerChute Personal Edition must be manually uninstalled before
attempting to install PowerChute Serial Shutdown.
Install the PowerChute Serial Shutdown Agent on Windows
Install the PowerChute Agent on each of your UPS-connected computers. See UPS Communications
Cable Requirements.
Download the PowerChute pcss.zip file from the APC website, unzip the contents, and double-click the
pcsssetup.exe file to start the installation.
1. Run the Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (NSIS) Setup Launcher (pcsssetup.exe). A wizard
guides you through the installation process. Click Next to proceed.
2. Accept the license agreement.
3. At “Would you like to automatically search all communications ports for a UPS,” we recommend
clicking Yes to allow the installation to automatically detect your connected UPS. If you select No,
see Manual UPS Detection below.
NOTE:
– A USB driver is required for Easy Online SRV UPS devices to communicate with
PowerChute over USB. For more information, please refer to Knowledge Base article
FAQ000223363.
–If you want to use simple signaling with your UPS, click No to use manual UPS
detection. See Simple Signaling.
– You are not asked to select a UPS during an upgrade installation. The UPS identified
during the original installation is used.
– If the installation program cannot detect a UPS connected to your computer, it will ask
you to manually select your UPS model. See Manual UPS Detection below.
4. PowerChute will ask you if you want to automatically detect a connected UPS. If PowerChute
cannot detect a UPS, click Run Auto Detect to attempt to detect your UPS again, or click Next to
proceed with the installation without detecting a UPS.
5. Choose the destination location for the PowerChute Agent files.
If you are performing an upgrade, see important information in Upgrading PowerChute Serial
Shutdown.
NOTE: If you are installing using a download, unzip pcss.zip and extract the
pcsssetup.exe file before continuing.
1. Edit the silent installation file to set the required parameters. See Editing Your Silent Installation
File.
2. Enter the following command in Administrator Command Prompt:
pcsssetup.exe /S /F silentInstall.ini
If silent installation is unsuccessful, an error code will be written to the PCSSInstall.log file. See Error
Codes for Silent Installation.
It is recommended to delete the silentInstall.ini file after successful installation as it contains the
PowerChute Serial Shutdown credentials in plain text. The installer does not modify the INI file
during installation.
NOTES:
Silent Uninstall
To uninstall in silent mode, entry the following command in Administrator Command Prompt:
Type A:
• Smart-UPS models with prefix SMT, SMX,
SURTD, SRT, SMTL, SCL, SMC, and
SRTL, and models SRC2KUXI,
SRC3KUXI, and SRC3KUXIX709.
Type B:
• Smart-UPS models excluding UPS models
with prefix SMT, SMX, SURTD, SRT, SMTL,
SCL, SMC, and SRTL, and models
SRC2KUXI, SRC3KUXI, and
SRC3KUXIX709.
• Easy Online UPS models with SRV prefix.
UPS Models:
NOTES:
• The ShareUPSMode value will be ignored if
AutoDetect value is specified as yes.
Auto-detection of Interface Expander 2 and
Share-UPS is not supported.
• If UPSModel value is either 12 (SRV) or 14
(Back-UPS), then ShareUPSMode value
must be 0.
NOTES:
• The UPSPort value will be ignored if
AutoDetect value is specified as yes,
• If you specify USB, ensure the UPS is
connected to a USB port during installation.
If no UPS is connected, then the required
driver cannot be installed, and installation
will be unsuccessful.
• If UPSModel value is 12 (SRV), only COM
port values are allowed.
• If UPSModel value is 14 (Back-UPS), only
USB port value (0) is allowed.
• If ShareUPSMode value is greater than 0,
only COM port values are allowed.
Port Values
0 = USB
1 = COM1
2 = COM2
<n>=COM<n>
Username requirements:
• The username must be between 6 and 128
characters in length.
• The username cannot be part of the
password.
• The username can only contain US-ASCII
characters. It is not supported to include
whitespace.
Password The password to use for PowerChute Serial
Shutdown.
Password requirements:
• The password requires:
-Minimum 8 and maximum 128
characters in length.
-One upper and lower case letter.
-One number or special character
(#?!@$%^*-).
• The password can only contain US-ASCII
characters. It is not supported to include
whitespace.
AddToFirewall yes | no Add exception to the Windows Firewall. Yes
To start the PowerChute Serial Shutdown Agent manually after it has been deliberately stopped, go into
Windows Services under Administrative Tools in the Control Panel. The display name there is
PowerChute Serial Shutdown.
Installing
From the APC website, download pcsssetup.exe to a non-Server Core version of Windows. Copy the
file to a temporary directory on the Server Core machine, 2012, 2016, 2019, or 2022.
In the command prompt window, go to the temporary directory and run pcsssetup.exe by typing its
name and pressing Enter.
For example,
cd \temp
pcsssetup.exe
Uninstalling
Open Command Prompt, and enter “C:\Program Files\APC\PowerChute Serial Shutdown” Uninstall.exe
For example,
cd "\Program Files\APC\PowerChute Serial Shutdown"
Uninstall.exe
This guide details simple signaling using the Interface Expander 2 card only. Previous generation
accessories such as the UPS Interface Expander 1 (AP9607) and the APC Share-UPS (AP9207) also
provided graceful system shutdown for multiple servers, using a single Type B UPS and PowerChute
Serial Shutdown. For more information on the operation of the Share-UPS or Interface Expander 1, see
their associated user guides available on the APC website, and Knowledge Base article FA156051.
NOTES:
• Some Type B UPS devices with the prefix SRC do not support simple signaling. For example:
SRC1KI, SRC2KI, SRC1KI-IN and SRC1KUXI.
• UPS devices with the SRTL prefix do not support simple signaling with Interface Expander cards.
NOTE: The smart signaling cable used will depend on your UPS. Use the cable that is included
in the box with your UPS. For more information on the communication cables used with
PowerChute, see Knowledge Base article FA163632.
Interface Expander 2
and PowerChute
Serial Shutdown
Master Server
Connected to the smart computer
interface port of the UPS, using a smart
signaling cable.
Status
OK
Basic STARTING Basic
Port 1 Config COM ERROR Port 2
FAULT
1234
0Ļ1Ĺ
USB
AP9624 UPS Interface Expander 2
PowerChute Server
Connected to the IE2 card basic
port using a simple signaling
cable.
PowerChute Server
Connected to the IE2 card basic port
using a simple signaling cable.
Interface Expander 2
and PowerChute
Serial Shutdown
Master Server
Connected to the smart computer
interface port of the UPS, using a smart
signaling cable.
Status
OK
Basic STARTING Basic
Port 1 Config COM ERROR Port 2
FAULT
1234
0Ļ1Ĺ
USB
AP9624 UPS Interface Expander 2
PowerChute Server
Connected to the IE2 card basic
port using a simple signaling
cable.
PowerChute Server
Connected to the IE2 card basic port
using a simple signaling cable.
To use PowerChute simple signaling with an Interface Expander 2 (IE2) card, install the IE2 card in your
UPS following the Installation and Configuration steps in the User’s Guide available on the APC website,
then:
NOTE: UPS models with the prefix SURTD or SRC do not have a USB port. In this case, the
server must be connected to the smart computer interface port of the UPS using a simple signaling
cable.
• Connect the other two Slave Servers to the IE2 card, using the simple signaling cables provided
with the card.
NOTE: If you disconnect a communication cable in an active simple signaling configuration,
PowerChute will not detect the disconnected cable, and you may experience unexpected
shutdown behavior. Disconnecting communication cables during simple signaling is not
supported.
See Knowledge Base article FA176957 available on the APC website for information on the valid
configurations of the IE2 card with Simple Signaling.
Install the PowerChute Agent on each connected server, following the initial steps for Windows
Installation.
During the Windows installation, you are prompted to select the type of connection to the UPS:
• Connected to the UPS Port - select this option when installing PowerChute on the Master Server
that is connected directly to the smart communications port of the UPS using a smart-signaling
cable.
• Interface Expander Port - select this option when installing on a Slave Server connected to the
basic port of the IE2 card using a simple-signaling cable.
• Share-UPS Advanced Port - this option is available for a Master Server connected to the
advanced port in a Share-UPS using a smart-signaling cable.
• Share-UPS Basic Port - this option is available for a Slave Server connected to any basic port in a
Share-UPS using a simple-signaling cable.
For more information on the operation of the Share-UPS or Interface Expander 1, see their
associated user guides available on the APC website, and Knowledge Base article FA156051.
Select the connection to the UPS and complete the installation for your operating system.
Shutdown Configuration
In a simple signaling configuration, multiple servers are supported by one UPS, and all are provided with
graceful shutdown in the event of a power outage. All connected servers are shut down at the same time.
There are two ways to configure shutdown using an Interface Expander 2 card - using PowerChute Serial
Shutdown, or using the physical DIP switches on the IE2 card.
NOTE: If you are using this configuration, you must ensure that:
Shutdown Mode 1 2 3 4
Confirmed 0 0 0 *
5 min. 0 1 1 N/A
10 min. 1 0 0 N/A
15 min. 1 0 1 N/A
30 min. 1 1 0 N/A
60 min. 1 1 1 N/A
Server on Await 0 0 0 0
UPS port Confirmation
Treat as 0 0 0 1
Confirmed
For more information on configuring the IE2 card, see the Interface Expander 2 User Guide and
Knowledge Base article FA176957, both available on the APC website.
Installation and Configuration with Simple Signaling and Type A UPS devices
Provide a high delay in the Time for operating systems to shut down field in the Shutdown Settings
screen in the Master Server. Setting a high value here will give the operating system more time to shut
down.
Connect all servers, including the simple clients, to a PowerChute outlet group. Doing this will ensure that
the servers turn off in accordance with the Outlet Sequence screen in the Master Server.
Set the At runtime limit value in the Master Server appropriately, as this decides the turn off delay of the
UPS. See Knowledge Base article FA335089 available on the APC website for more information.
Some browsers display a message box with an option to click on a button to trust the certificate. Click on
the button to avoid getting the error message. With other browsers, you must add the certificate manually
by adding the <servername> as a trusted site.
To access the PowerChute Serial Shutdown Agent on a local machine, select the Windows start button,
then select PowerChute Serial Shutdown > PowerChute Serial Shutdown.
To access the PowerChute Agent remotely, in a Web browser type the servername and port:
https://servername:6547
• Installation Messages that can occur as you install PowerChute Serial Shutdown
• Error Codes for Silent Installation
• Possible Issues When Uninstalling on Windows
• Communications Help – Troubleshooting Automatic and Manual UPS Detection
• Checking UPS Communications on Windows
• Installing without a USB Cable Connected on Windows
• Unexpected Shutdown and Lost Communications
• Standby Mode Disables the Agent Temporarily on Windows
• Standby Can Postpone a Scheduled Shutdown on Windows
• Issues when Changing the Date and Time on the Operating System
• Changing the UPS following Installation or an Upgrade
• UPS does not Turn On after Scheduled Shutdown
Installation Messages that can occur as you install PowerChute Serial Shutdown
The following messages may occur while you are installing the PowerChute Serial Shutdown Agent.
NOTE:
If the problem persists, contact APC Worldwide Customer Support (https://www.apc.com/support/).
Message Description
An unidentified program wants This message is a security feature of Windows and occurs if User
access to your computer. Account Control (UAC) is enabled. Click Allow to continue the
installation.
Service failed to start. Aborting Setup could not install the PowerChute service. Ensure that no
installation. PowerChute files are already installed and that the computer uses a
supported operating system. Restart your PC before you retry the
installation.
The username must contain only US- The username must contain only US-ASCII characters and no
ASCII characters. whitespace. See Username and Password Requirements.
The password must contain only US- The password must contain only US-ASCII characters and no
ASCII characters. whitespace. See Username and Password Requirements.
The password requires: Ensure that the provided password meets the password
• Minimum 8 to maximum 128 requirements. See Username and Password Requirements.
characters in length
• 1 upper and lower case letter
• 1 number or special character
Error
Error Message Description
Code
3 Installer is already running Another instance of the installer is already
running.
4 Installation on 32-bit OS is not supported PowerChute Serial Shutdown must be installed
on a 64-bit operating system.
5 PowerChute Network Shutdown installation Uninstall PowerChute Network Shutdown before
detected installing PowerChute Serial Shutdown.
6 PowerChute Serial Shutdown is already installed This version of PowerChute Serial Shutdown is
already installed on your system.
7 This version of PowerChute Serial Shutdown
does not support Japanese language OS
8 Upgrade from this version of PowerChute Uninstall PowerChute Business Edition before
Business Edition is not supported installing PowerChute Serial Shutdown.
9 Silent upgrade from PowerChute Business Run normal PowerChute Serial Shutdown
Edition 10.x is not supported installation, where the installer guides you
through the upgrade steps. Alternatively,
uninstall PowerChute Business Edition before
installing PowerChute Serial Shutdown.
10 Silent installation of Visual C++ Redistributable Run normal PowerChute Serial Shutdown
is not supported installation, where the installer guides you
through the Visual C++ Redistributable
installation. Alternatively, download and install
the latest Visual C++ Redistributable version
before installing PowerChute Serial Shutdown.
11 Silent uninstall of PowerChute Personal Edition Run normal PowerChute Serial Shutdown
is not supported installation, where the installer guides you
through uninstalling PowerChute Personal
Edition v3.1. Alternatively, uninstall PowerChute
Personal Edition before installing PowerChute
Serial Shutdown.
20 “/F” command line parameter for silent
configuration ini file is missing
21 Silent configuration ini file doesn’t exist
22 AcceptEULA entry missing in ini file
23 EULA not accepted
• After you uninstall PowerChute Serial Shutdown, you might need to remove some files and folders
manually. Delete the installation folder, including its contents, if it still exists (the default folder
\Program Files\APC\PowerChute Serial Shutdown or the non-default folder you
specified during the installation). If PowerChute Serial Shutdown is the only PowerChute product
installed, also delete the APC folder.
NOTE:
Setup cannot automatically detect a device connected by a simple-signaling cable. Therefore, during
setup, when your UPS is connected through the basic port of an Interface Expander 2 Card, use manual
detection and specify the port and UPS type. See Simple Signaling.
IMPORTANT:
• Check that you are using a UPS model that is compatible with PowerChute Serial Shutdown. See
Knowledge Base article FA315835 on the APC website to find out more about supported UPS
model types.
• If another service, such as a terminal emulator, is using the COM port to which the UPS is
connected, stop that service or connect the UPS to another COM port. For automatic detection,
use Run Detect to have the setup program search again for the UPS. For manual UPS detection,
specify the new COM port.
• Ensure that the service PowerChute Serial Shutdown is running.
• Check the back of the UPS to ensure that you are using the correct cable, and that it is securely
connected. See UPS Communications Cable Requirements. After any changes, stop and restart
the service PowerChute Serial Shutdown.
• Make sure that there is only one communications cable connecting the UPS to the server on which
you are installing PowerChute. If you connect the UPS to the server using both USB and serial
communications cables at once, the incorrect communications type may be installed, and
installation may not be successful.
• If you are using a serial-to-USB or USB-to-serial adapter, ensure that the correct drivers for the
adapter are installed. NOTE: PowerChute was not tested for usage with serial-to-USB or USB-to-
serial adapters.
• If you are using a USB cable:
– Ensure that the Communications Port is set to USB. (To change from a serial to a USB
connection, you must re-install the PowerChute Serial Shutdown Agent.)
– Check your USB device through the Windows Control Panel, by selecting Administrative
Tools > Computer Management > HID. If either HID, or under HID the driver American
Power Conversion USB UPS is not displayed, ensure that the USB port is enabled at your
computer. If you are using a USB hub instead (not recommended), ensure that the hub is
receiving power, check the hub’s documentation to determine if an adapter is needed, ensure
that the USB cable to the UPS is the last cable in the chain, and ensure that all USB devices
upstream from the UPS have are communicating.
• If either of the following is installed or connected, check its configuration:
– A Network Management Card must be fully configured and operational.
– If you are using PowerChute Serial Shutdown to monitor an Interface Expander 2 Card, ensure
that you are using the correct cable (as listed in Simple Signaling Cables), and that “Simple
signaling Accessory” was specified when the card or device was installed. If you are unsure
what type of accessory was specified, reinstall the card or device with the correct settings.
• To check for USB/serial connection issues, use another port and cable, or use a terminal emulator
to check the connection. See Checking UPS Communications on Windows.
NOTE:
If the troubleshooting methods in this section do not solve the problem, contact APC Worldwide
Customer Support (https://www.apc.com/support/).
NOTE: There is currently no way to check the communication for Type A devices.
The following procedure describes how to check the serial communication using the PuTTY terminal
emulator.
You need to correctly connect the USB communications cable from the computer to the UPS and then re-
install the Agent.
Issues when Changing the Date and Time on the Operating System
Certain PowerChute functionality uses the operating system’s time settings. Components such as
scheduled shutdowns, event logging, and data logging rely on the time settings to function correctly.
Changing the time or date after PowerChute is installed is not supported.
For information on how to obtain local customer support, contact the APC by Schneider Electric
representative or other distributor from whom you purchased your APC by Schneider Electric product.
As standards, specifications, and designs change from time to time, please ask for confirmation of the information given in this publication.
© 2023 Schneider Electric. All Rights Reserved. Schneider Electric, APC and PowerChute are trademarks and the property of Schneider
Electric SE, its subsidiaries and affiliated companies. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
TME10992-001 03/2023