Today, while trying to set up a static IP for a production UPS, I mistakenly powered off the UPS taking down a network switch that's running off of. Normally, to configure an IP on a device, I would normally use a console/serial (here's where the confusion lies for me) cable. I saw a port marked "Serial" and thinking that was the console port when in fact its a port to configure the Powerchute, which is a power down management software from APC that is in most of their UPS devices. The issue lies in that serial port. If anything but a Powerchute serial cable that is plugged into that port marked "Serial" on the UPS, once a unrecognized signal is sent to that serial port, Powerchute will shutdown the entire UPS along with the devices that's plugged into it. Bad. Why? I don't know.
Took me about 10 mins to figure out what had happened and went to power the UPS back on. There is a port labeled "Console" on the back of the UPS but I didn't think too much of it since there was just a little hole next to it. The little hole is actually for the real console cable in the form of a 2.5mm jack. I've never seen a console cable like that until now.
What could APC have done? Well maybe rename the "Serial" port as "Serial for Powerchute" and maybe have some warning if plugging in a non-Powerchute serial will result in UPS shutdown if any unrecognize signal is passed to it.
I digress.
