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There’s a common saying in IT support: “If all else fails, reboot.” Your router or printer stopped working? Maybe your IP camera is acting up? Unplug the wayward device, wait a few seconds, and then plug it back in. More often than not, it does the trick.
But what happens if the device is in a remote location like an edge computing site? You may have to send an IT person to the site just to unplug some IT equipment and plug it back in. Or you can get someone who works at the site to try and reboot for you. But there’s always the risk the person will unplug the wrong device, especially since routers, servers, uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), and other components tend to share cramped spaces in wire closets, computer rooms, or even under someone’s desk.
If the wrong device is unplugged, well, now you’ve just added to the problem. Even with an IT tech on the phone trying to guide the on-site employee, it may take the person some time fumbling around to figure out they pulled the wrong plug.
It’s a common scenario. It gets even more complicated when the site where a device needs rebooting is entirely unstaffed. This is happening increasingly with the implementation and expansion of edge computing networks that support Internet of Things (IoT) environments and other advanced technologies. Typically, these distributed sites are managed remotely.
So, the obvious solution is to enable remote reboot for all those devices. Over the years, vendors have enabled remote startup and rebooting for computers, servers, and other devices. Unfortunately, that still can get pretty complicated when you have to manage a variety of equipment from afar.
Thankfully, now there’s a simpler way – remote reboot through your UPS.
UPS-controlled reboot
Using the uninterruptible power supply to reboot a router, switch, storage drive, camera, or server essentially gives remote IT managers the ability to unplug a piece of equipment virtually and plug it back in using an Internet or cloud connection. For example, if the equipment is connected to an APC Smart-UPS™ with a SmartConnect Ethernet Port, cloud-based remote UPS monitoring is available out of the box via EcoStruxure™ IT SmartConnect. Power status email alerts, remote UPS firmware updates and remote diagnostics make monitoring and managing your remote Smart-UPS easier than ever. With the introduction of the SmartConnect Advanced Plan, one of the actions the administrator can take is to reboot the malfunctioning device by power cycling IT equipment connected to UPS outlet groups.
The capability eliminates the need to send someone on site for a simple reboot. A business that contracts out for IT services can save several hundred dollars by avoiding the costs associated with travel and troubleshooting for a technician’s visit. Even if the company has an IT staff, a site visit also costs them in travel and time that could be used for other tasks.
Market need driving reboot capabilities
The demand for remote reboot capability continues to grow with the increase in distributed IT deployments. In a recent Schneider Electric poll, 82% of customers using EcoStruxure IT SmartConnect asked for this UPS-controlled reboot capability. A remote reboot feature will resolve many issues without going on site and in cases where further troubleshooting is necessary, the technician has more information available to them before going on site.
The uninterruptible power supply is essential to protecting IT and infrastructure equipment. With built-in remote reboot capabilities for devices protected by your UPS, it becomes even more valuable to a business by further protecting the environment and reducing troubleshooting costs. Learn more about the capabilities and how this UPS-controlled reboot technology can improve IT infrastructure management at your organization.
