Uninterruptible power supply management network system

• US 20030033548A1
• Filed: 08/07/2001
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Giaquinto, Todd J., Wenisch, Thomas F., Cardimino, David A. Jr., Kuiawa, Christian L.
• Application Number:
  US09/924,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20030033548A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24

Abstract

Aspects of the invention are directed to configuring multiple uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices coupled to a network. According to one aspect of the invention, multiple agents are coupled between the network and the multiple UPS devices to be managed, each agent being associated with a UPS device. A server stores an agent list containing the list of agents and configuration profiles having configuration settings that are used to configure the UPS devices. The server establishes communication with the agents of UPS devices that require configuration. The server transmits configuration setting of the configuration profile applicable to the UPS device, wherein the agent configures the UPS device using the transmitted configuration setting.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a plurality of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices coupled to a network, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of configuration profiles, the configuration profiles having configuration settings to configure the UPS devices;

storing a list of UPS devices to be managed;

selecting at least a portion of the plurality of UPS devices from the list of UPS devices, and for each selected UPS device,

establishing communication with the UPS device;

selecting a configuration profile from the plurality of configuration profiles to configure the UPS device; and

transmitting configuration setting of the configuration profile to the UPS device.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein establishing communication with the UPS device further comprises:

establishing communication with an agent of the UPS device; and

transmitting configuration settings to the agent of the UPS device.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein selecting a configuration profile further comprises:

retrieving identification information of the UPS device;

retrieving a system protection strategy of the UPS device; and

selecting the configuration profile applicable to the UPS device based on the identification information and the system protection strategy.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein retrieving of the identification information of the UPS device further comprises:

retrieving a firmware version of the UPS device;

associating the UPS device with a family; and

selecting the configuration profile applicable to the UPS device based on the family and the system protection strategy.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an additional UPS device to be configured that is added to the list of UPS devices;

selecting the configuration profile applicable to the added UPS device; and

transmitting configuration setting of the configuration profile to the added UPS device.

6. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

storing a second list of UPS devices to be configured;

associating a second configuration profile with the second list of UPS devices;

receiving re-configured settings for the second configuration profile; and

re-configuring the plurality of UPS devices associated with the second list of UPS devices using the re-configured settings of the second configuration profile.

7. A computer for configuring a plurality of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices coupled to a network, the computer comprising:

a plurality of configuration profiles stored in a memory, the configuration profiles having configuraton settings to configure the UPS devices;

a list of UPS devices to be managed stored in the memory; and

wherein the computer is configured to select at least a portion of the plurality of UPS devices in the list of UPS devices and for each selected UPS device, the computer is configured to establish communication with the UPS device, select a configuration file from the plurality of configuration profiles to configure the UPS device and transmit the configuration settings of the configuration profile to the UPS device.

8. The computer as in claim 7, wherein the computer is configured to establish communication with an agent of the UPS device and transmit the configuration settings to the agent of the UPS device.

9. The computer as in claim 7, further comprising:

a system protection strategy stored in the memory; and

wherein the computer is configured to retrieve an identification information stored in the UPS device and to retrieve the system protection strategy from the memory, wherein the computer is further configured to select the configuration profile applicable to the UPS device based on the identification information and the system protection strategy and transmit the configuration settings of the applicable configuration profile to the UPS device.

10. The computer as in claim 9, wherein the identification information stored in the UPS device is a firmware version of the UPS device.

11. The computer as in claim 7, wherein the computer is configured to detect an additional UPS device to be configured that is added to the list of UPS devices, select the configuration profile applicable to the added UPS device and transmit the configuration setting of the applicable configuration profile to the added UPS device.

12. The computer as in claim 7, further comprising:

a second list of UPS devices stored in the memory;

a second configuration profile stored in the memory and associated with the second list of UPS devices; and

wherein the computer is configured to receive a re-configured settings for the second configuration profile and the computer is configured to re-configure the plurality of UPS devices associated with the second list of UPS devices using the re-configured settings of the second configuration profile.

13. An apparatus for configuring a plurality of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices coupled to a network, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of configuration profiles, the configuration profiles having configuration settings to configure the UPS devices and the memory further storing a list of UPS devices to be managed; and

means for configuring at least a portion of the plurality of UPS devices from the list of UPS devices using at least one of the configuration profiles.

14. The apparatus as in claim 13, further comprising:

means for communicating with the UPS device.

15. The apparatus as in claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving identification information of the UPS device; and

means for selecting the configuration profile applicable to the UPS device based on the identification information.

16. The apparatus as in claim 15, further comprising:

means for receiving a system protection strategy; and

means for selecting the configuration profile applicable to the UPS device based on the identification information and system protection strategy.

17. The apparatus as in claim 13, further comprising:

means for detecting an additional UPS device added to the list of UPS devices; and

means for selecting the configuration profile applicable to the added UPS device.

18. The apparatus as in claim 13, further comprising:

the memory to further store a second list of UPS devices to be configured;

means for associating a second configuration profile with the second list of UPS devices; and

means for receiving re-configured settings for the second configuration profile; and

means for re-configuring the plurality of UPS devices associated with the second list of UPS devices using the re-configured settings of the second configuration profile.