# Windows Server 2008 R2 Power management/UPS



## apr911

So Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, has once again removed a "feature" from their OS and replaced it with something better (read nothing at all). I am of course referring to the support for Uninterruptible Power Supply aka Battery backup.

This really sucks and whoever advised microsoft to replace this service (especially on the Server OS) with the "same" battery management used by XP laptops and the like should be shot.

Enough griping I guess. Can you tell I am having a problem due to this phase out? 

I find I can no longer use my serial connected UPS (why did I need to disconnect it during install if it no longer is detected/used?)... no matter, Ill just use its USB connection instead...

Connect it up with USB, Windows recognizes new battery great! All is happy and joyful in the world...

But how do I control the server's behavior when on battery? 

The software provided with the UPS sucks. I only have 2 options. 
1) Set time to run on battery high and hope that computer turns off before battery is depleted otherwise having UPS is largely useless
2) Set time to run on battery low and bring down all my sites and services requiring an intensive amount of time and effort to get back up and running.


So let use the "same" windows battery interface as my laptop... Ill tell it to shutdown at critical battery level... but wait!???

Where the [email protected]#$#[email protected][email protected]#!% is it?

I go to control panel --> power options all I see is Preferred plans "Balanced" and "High Performance" and Additional Plans "Power Saver"

Lets click change plan settings that seems like a winner... All I see under edit plan settings is controls for turning off the display after x minutes (for both battery and ac power) and to put the computer to sleep after x minutes (which Id be better off using the UPS software and doing a full shutdown)...

So how do I effectively utilize my UPS? Ideas? Anyone?

Ive tried running the powercfg utility from the command line but there is so much crap there I dont know what Im looking at let alone what needs to be changed to make the system do what I want when I want the way I want... So much easier with the UPS service... Then I could use my serial cable instead of USB and everything would just work... but I guess that goes against some corporate by-law of Microsoft's... making things that just work

So help me out if you can because Im quite certain Ive already lost my mind to this problem!


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