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I have a server (Dell R310) running which has a main power cable (long) connected to power(in the wall). Anyone who is bored will pull out that cable (Train station/Airport/ Public zone) and server goes down. Again and again that's happening (specially construction guys/morning cleaner doing this, while moving the equipment from one point to another).

Is there any hardware cheap/medium/expensive which can on power-off least 2 or 20 or 30 minutes and when its battery is almost flat, it triggers to my server $init 0 or something similar?

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    If you have random people pulling out your cable, you have a personell problem, not a hardware problem. You need to keep these idiots away from your server. Jun 17, 2011 at 11:01
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    Hire a body-guard for that server. A serious men-in-black guy should stop intruders. Or buy a cheap UPS for your server. Jun 17, 2011 at 11:04
  • @Paul Tomblin: I know it sounds odd. But in Airport/Train stations, i have a server with wheel and it has power connector which is far away, and most of the time it occurs (mostly the construction guys, when they want to move this POS). So i need to embed a hardware so that it will always happen but i will be charged with UPS.
    – YumYumYum
    Jun 17, 2011 at 11:28
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    Why do you have a server located somewhere that anyone could touch? Jun 17, 2011 at 11:50
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    Tell the construction people that if they keep taking down the server, their company will be charged for the damage and downtime. Jun 17, 2011 at 11:54

7 Answers 7

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Buy an Uninterruptible Power Supply - put it between your server and the idiots around you :)

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  • And then they'll pull the plug out of the UPS. Jun 17, 2011 at 11:18
  • No, if i can put a correct UPS which can trigger in 1/2 minute shutdown signal that will solve the problem. Because UPS will be placed in locked mode inside a big POS. but power cable is in public long cable.
    – YumYumYum
    Jun 17, 2011 at 11:29
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    That is standard behaviour of an UPS, that is triggering a shutdown on the server it is connected to a few minutes before it runs out of battery. Usually this is done via. a simple serial protocol.
    – bjarkef
    Jun 17, 2011 at 11:47
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Get a UPS, and there are hardware devices that are designed to make sure that a plug cannot be pulled from the wall. Ask an electrician or hardware store about them.

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A UPS, as Chopper3 has already said, will provide the required battery power to give the server time to power down gracefully. The UPS software can tell your server to power down at a preset time or battery level.

While a server should always have a UPS anyway, that doesn't solve the real problems.

  • Put the server and UPS in a secure area where people can't get to it.
  • Make sure your management learn about the problem, in the hope that they do something about it.
  • Get a really big stick and hit anyone who even looks like going near the server.
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    +1 excellent answer that you wrote. Specially the "stick and hit anyone" appreciate it. I have a very unfriendly management team and customers. One of the largest idiots i am dealing. I wish i stop my work and tell them about the middle finger story.
    – YumYumYum
    Jun 18, 2011 at 21:28
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Why not locate the server somewhere that isn't going to be rolled or bothered, and have the POS access it over wireless? Secure everything with UPS's, but you probably don't want your server just shutting down if it's dealing with multiple clients.

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Simple effecctive way. Why dont you consider key and lock system for tbe power supply boards that connects to the server and only trusted personnels have the key. BTW, why is the server not kept in a protected server room and kept in public. If you dont value the server then why bother about graceful shutdown.

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The R310 has two power connectors. So buy two UPS (and configure them so that they do not do their self-test at the same time). Connect both via USB to your server. Shutdown your server if both UPS say "it`s time now". Lock the power-plugs.

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You can also hire an electrician to put a power outlet in the POS shelter. Then add your UPS with the software configured to shut down if need be. remember to have the system send an email/sms/page etc if there is a power problem!

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