What are some features I need to be aware of while manipulating the config.ini file of a APC Network Management Card?

Issue

What are some features I need to be aware of while manipulating the config.ini file of a APC Network Management Card?

• Network Management Card 1 (NMC1) - AP9617, AP9618, AP9619

• Network Management Card 2 (NMC2) - AP9630/AP9630CH, AP9631/AP9631CH, AP9635/AP9635CH

Environment

• All serial numbers
• Firmware versions v3.X.X and higher

Cause

The config.ini file on every network management card can be downloaded using command line FTP or SCP. It is a current snapshot of what is running in the Network Management Card's flash memory.

You can make minor changes to the config file and put the file back on the card to make changes to the options on the network card or unit it is installed in. This is useful for configuring multiple units with similar settings.


Resolution

The purpose of the override keyword is to prevent a user from accidentally setting many cards to the same IP settings, thus causing IP conflicts on the network. The override keyword is located in the NetworkTCP/IP section, for example:
When putting the config.ini file back on a network card, the override keyword MUST match the MAC address of the card for the four settings listed above to apply. They will be ignored if the override and MAC do not match.

On certain types of devices such as UPSs, there is a similar override mechanism to protect certain values. In this instance, you'll find a keyword called UPSOverride under the UPS device settings section (ex. [SmartUPS/Matrix]) and it will look similar to this at the top of the specific section with UPS values and UPSOverride:

UPSOverride must equal or have a value of the serial number of the UPS in which the Network Management Card in this example, which is where this setting would be applied.

On newer generation Micro-link UPS devices, such as SMX, SMT, SRT, and SURTD the following keywords in config.ini are protected by UPSOverride:

• RatedOutputVoltage
• OutputFrequencyRange

On older generation devices, the following are protected by UPSOverride:

• RatedOutputVoltage

These values are protected to avoid accidently setting the same potentially "site specific" settings to multiple UPSs without extra care, just as with the TCP/IP settings.

For more details on UPS "generations," refer to knowledge base FA230533.

For more information on mass configuration, please see knowledge base FA156117.

Released for:APC Netherlands