September 2000

Tripp Lite
Chicago, IL 60609
P: 773-869-1234

Price: $1,499

RATINGS (0-5)
Installation: 4.25
Documentation: 4
Features: 4.75
GUI: 4.25
Overall: A-

In a small way, Tripp Lite does add excitement to their UPS with management software PowerAlert, which tries to catch your attention with some charts and icons. Their Unison SU 1000/2200 RT UPS comes in a snazzy 2U black chassis -- that must also count for something in the "excitement" department. The practicality of such a chassis is more important though; it can fit onto a rack using much less space than most UPSs, which are usually significantly larger. Therefore, the Unison SU 1000/2200 RT UPS may also save you money.

INSTALLATION
After opening the box for the Unison SU 1000/2200 RT UPS, we immediately noticed the 30 Amp socket. This presented us with our first problem. We did not possess a 30 Amp outlet in our labs. This left us with three options. First, we could rewire the plug so that we could attach a 20 Amp plug to it. Then, we would buy a converter so that this new plug could fit into a normal 15 Amp outlet. Obviously, this would take time, and besides... no one at TMC Labs claims to be an electrician.

Second, we could have brought the UPS to our other office, where there actually is a 30 Amp socket. The difficulties surrounding this option would have lead to a possibly disastrous outcome. To do this, we would need to lug the heavy piece of equipment to our other office. Then, we would need to unplug our company's current UPS while we tested the Unison SU 1000/2200 RT UPS. That means that our Web server, database server, and PDC would be on battery power while we performed the tests. We could just imagine the potential consequences of doing this. No thank you!

Luckily, the third option was returning the Unison SU 1000/2200 RT UPS back to Tripp Lite. They could rewire the 30 Amp plug so that a new plug could fit a 15 Amp normal outlet. In fact, Tripp Lite told us that many of their customers have asked them to do this type of rewiring. We graciously accepted their offer, avoiding any possibilities of headaches, or even worse, explosions in our lab! Once we received the new UPS, all we needed to do was connect our test PCs to the power outlets in the back of the UPS, extend the reconstructed 15 Amp plug to a wall outlet, and link a serial cable to the PC we wanted to use for administrative purposes.

To install the PowerAlert software (version 10.1.95), we had to select the appropriate COM port and pick from a drop-down list the exact Tripp Lite equipment that we were using. However, when we connected the serial cable to our PC, we were warned of a low battery and were told that the UPS would shut down our PC in one minute. It took a few of these shutdowns before we found the appropriate location of the software to shut this function off while the battery was charging.

Once we did this, we received no further low battery warnings, but we still had a problem even after switching PCs. This time the error said, "UPS Communications Lost." We checked the PowerAlert Server Setup and discovered that we had selected the wrong UPS model. We saw "2200," which confused us enough to immediately assume that this was the proper selection. The correct selection was actually further down the list. When we stopped and restarted the PowerAlert service, we did not have any more problems.

Later, we received a beta version of the next PowerAlert software (version 10.2). Because of what we learned while installing the earlier version, we did not have any problems installing this version. The additions of e-mail notification and SNMP functionality in this version did not intrude much on the ease of installing the software. We also noticed that the confusing "2200" model was no longer in the drop-down list of this new version. 

DOCUMENTATION
The Unison owner's manual explains what you need to know about the UPS hardware in English, Spanish, and French. German was added in to the newest PowerAlert software, but the languages were mistakenly listed three times in the Language Selection part of the Server Setup Wizard. The thin booklet includes safety, installation, and basic operation information, which detail the front panel switches, front panel indicator lights, and the rear panel.

The PowerAlert software documentation should be more extensive. It only consists of help files with two sheets that that explain the software installation, however, they do not really explain much, so if there is any problems with the installation, the user could be at a loss. There should be a hard copy manual available. While the help files do not discuss some features at all, the help files are context sensitive when the information is there. Unfortunately, the help files' inequities outweigh the fact that it is context sensitive. However, we have seen some additional documentation in progress, including an SNMP guide. Help seems to be on the way.

FEATURES
The following is a list of the major features of the Unison SU 1000/2200 RT UPS:

• Rack mountable or tower 2U chassis -- thin chassis to save space in your back office.
• True sine wave output -- Filters incoming power to provide zero transfer time.
• Security -- Protects against ultra-fast impulses, transients, harmonic distortion, and lightening.
• Front panel indicators -- Includes power/self-test switch, battery low, on line, overload, fault, and active meter indicators.
• Optional SNMP network management card -- Can monitor and shut down equipment from the UPS Web Agent and can notify the administrator through e-mail of alarms.

The following is a list of the major PowerAlert features:

• Remote shutdown client -- Broadcasts a shutdown message to networked PCs and workstations.
• Remote management -- Monitors and logs UPS information for the entire network to one location so that administrators can view the information from their own PC.
• Universality -- Compatible with Windows and most server-based applications, saves active data before shutting down because of an outage, and manages every UPS on the network, regardless of the manufacturer.
• Graphing -- Includes graphs of battery capacity, frequency, voltage, and load percentage.
• SNMP trap generation and e-mail notification -- Only available with PowerAlert 10.2.
• PowerAlert Enterprise (available with PowerAlert 10.2 for Windows NT/2000 only) -- Allows users to manage all UPSs from a single screen and auto-discover all PowerAlert servers on a network without necessarily using additional monitoring software, such as HP OpenView.

OPERATIONAL TESTING
When we saw that the correct indicator lights on the UPS were green, we tested it by unplugging the power cord. We immediately heard beeps, which became louder and quicker as our PCs were almost ready to be gracefully shut down. When they did shut down, we reconnected the power cord, and the beeps stopped. We then booted the PCs back up. Thanks to the UPS, our lab-orchestrated power failure did not affect any of the PCs.

Since our lab is located in an area where others can hear the beeps, we wanted to turn off the alarm so that we would not disturb people while we tested the UPS. If there is over two minutes of battery time before shut down, we can shut off the alarm. We adjusted the shut down settings, unplugged the cord, pressed the "on/test" switch, and immediately released it as the directions instructed. This did not work, much to the chagrin of other editors working nearby. We later discovered that this alarm silence is actually a documentation error and could not be executed. This error is corrected in newer documentation. When we held that switch for a second or two, the alarm turned off when we released the switch during a final long beep, so what we actually did was use the UPS as a stand-alone power source.

We took a look at both versions of PowerAlert software. The beta 10.2 version of PowerAlert was very similar to version 10.1.95, especially on the client software side. The additions in 10.2 were mostly on the administrative end due to the new e-mail, SNMP, and paging functionality. Unfortunately, we could not completely test this functionality because the software was not yet finished. The beta 10.2 version that we had still had a bug or two and did not include the PowerAlert Enterprise portion of the software. The gold version, however, which should be out by the time you read this review, should be ready for users. However, we obtained a general feel for the software's management and graphing capabilities. These features are straightforward, making the software a useful management tool.

We also looked at the SNMP card, which we easily installed into the back end of the UPS, and were able to tell that it was functional -- the green light was active. We then specified an IP address for both the NT Server and the SNMP card. We were able to access the UPS Web Agent by opening our browser and entering the SNMP card's IP address.

The Web settings provide many of the same configuration options as the PowerAlert client software. This includes information about and status of the UPS, control of shutdown, the event manager, and event log functionality. In addition, there are scheduling capabilities, the ability to enable the SNMP, HTTP, and Telnet protocols, the ability to set basic TCP/IP settings, and of course, the use of an SNMPAgent for traps, access control, and the MIB system (there are MIB files required from a Tripp Lite CD-ROM). See Figure 14 for an example of one of the UPS Web Agent screens.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
There really is not too much to discuss when it comes to improvements because they are already working on many of them: supplying a 20 AMP plug that can easily be converted to 15 AMPs if required, incorporating the SNMP and Enterprise portion of the PowerAlert software, and providing better documentation. We have already noticed the improvements in the PowerAlert 10.2 software, which would also benefit from more right click functionality.

We would also like to see better on/test and off switches. As it stands now, they are far "too touchy." By that we mean the person accessing a switch may press it for too long or short a time or press it too hard or soft so that it will not do exactly what the user intends. Also, the outside buttons may not be aligned directly with the switches, causing them not to work properly. A suggestion here would be to extend the inside switches so that the user could directly press them instead of the plastic outside buttons.

As for the SNMP functionality, we would like to see the user have the ability to work with the IP-based UPS Web Agent and the serial-cabled PowerAlert client software simultaneously. As it stands now, only the UPS Web Agent works when the SNMP card is in place; PowerAlert is disabled if you use the SNMP card.

CONCLUSION
Tripp Lite has come up with a UPS that covers all of the basics and adds many extra features. To reiterate, the Unison SU 1000/2200 RT UPS offers a thin 2U chassis that would fit easily in a rack, has true sine wave output, has respectable management software, will provide an optional SNMP card, and will be offering PowerAlert Enterprise. These features truely set this UPS apart from many of Tripp Lite's competitors. 

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