Practical example no. 3 for the logic and rules of your IT security system
In our third practical example we want to monitor the power supply in the IT and server room 24/7. The responsible IT staff must be notified immediately when the maximum backup time of the UPS system has been reached. For the non‑stop monitoring of the company‑critical IT and server room the following monitoring equipment is used:
| # | Equipment | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All‑In‑One IT security system | Monitoring System 500. |
| 2 | AC voltage sensor | The AC current sensor contained in the monitoring starter set. |
| 3 | Siren | 12 V relay output no. 2 for the alarm siren with strobe‑light function. |
| 4 | E‑Mail alarm Admin | User‑defined e‑mail alarm notification to the administrators. |
| 5 | SMS alarm Admin | User‑defined SMS notifications to the administrators. |
Create a trigger / trigger function
First, we need to create several triggers in the "System Tree" of our IT security system. To do this, in the German-language web GUI, go to the "System Tree" menu item and click the "+" icon in the top right corner. A new window will appear called "Add a new element." Here, select "Triggers." Name the first trigger "Power ON" and click "Apply." Then, create a second trigger and name it "Power OFF." Finally, create a third trigger called "Total Power Failure Server Room." Click "Apply" again.
Note:
As always, click the floppy disk icon (top right) to save the settings permanently.
[Configure AC current sensor in IT security system
In the German web interface, under "System Tree," we select the AC voltage sensor with the ID "203003." We can assign individual threshold values to this sensor. Please select a voltage greater than zero as the warning value for "Alarm Level (low)," since voltage may still be present even after a power outage. Now, we assign the name "Didactum Sensor AC Alternating Current" to this voltage sensor and click "Apply."
Creating rules and alarms in case of a power outage
Now, in the "Logical Scheme" menu, we'll create a rule for when a power outage occurs. If there's no AC power at the non-UPS-backed outlet, our AC current sensor must switch to the "Alarm Level (Low)" state. In this case, select "Power Off" trigger to "on" and "Power On" trigger to "off". Then, name the rule "Server Room Power Outage Detection" and click "OK".
Alarm rule in case the maximum bridging time of the UPS system is reached
The previously created trigger No. 3, "Total Power Failure Server Room," must be triggered if there is no AC power at the non-UPS-backed outlet for a period of 30 minutes. We calculated the 30-minute timeframe based on the maximum backup time of our UPS system. We also included a 10-minute buffer. To configure the corresponding battery runtime in the IT security system, we simply use the "Time Limit" field. Then we name the rule "Maximum UPS Battery Runtime Reached."
Create logic for the normal state of the power supply in the server room
Now we create a rule for when the power supply to the computer/server room is normal. Short-term power outages will not be reported, as our UPS system bridges them. We name this rule "Normal Power Supply Server Room" and click "OK". Don't forget to click the "Disc" icon (top right) to permanently save your settings to the non-volatile memory of the Didactum remote monitoring and control unit.
Email and SMS alert in case of a total power outage / blackout
To receive notifications and alarm messages in the event of a blackout in the server room or data center, you can flexibly adjust your rules and logic.