Battery Backup page

Show Battery Backup Page

The Battery Backup page appears when you choose Monitor >> Battery Backup on the menu bar. Use this page to determine whether a backup battery is present, see details about it, and perform a battery test.

Battery Backup Unit. Indicates whether the BBU is present.

Serial Number. Indicates the BBU serial number.

BBU Ready. Indicates if the BBU is able to backup the 3ware RAID controller or not. If the BBU is “Ready”, write cache can be enabled on the 3ware RAID controller. When the status is not “Ready,” write caching is automatically disabled on all units attached to the controller.

BBU Status. Indicates the status of the BBU. Possibly BBU statuses include the following:

OK. The BBU is functioning normally.

Not Present. The BBU was not detected or is disabled. (The BBU can be disabled using CLI.)

No Battery. No battery pack is installed in the BBU.

Testing. A battery capacity test is in process.

Charging. The battery is being charged. Charging of the battery occurs automatically if the battery voltage falls too low. This normally occurs about once a week to top off the charge level; the process does not change the BBU readiness state.

If the battery is ever discharged through a backup cycle or if the system power is off for more than two weeks, the battery status changes to “Charging” the next time the system is powered on. This indicates the BBU is not able to backup the 3ware RAID controller. When the BBU is in the charging state, write caching is disabled automatically on all units attached to the controller.

Fault. The BBU detected a fault. This occurs if the voltage or temperature is outside the acceptable range.

Error. Other BBU error. Please contact LSI Technical Support.

Weak Battery. The battery should be replaced soon. The results of a battery health test or capacity test indicate that the battery is below the warning threshold (48 hours).

Failed Battery. The battery failed a test and must be replaced. A “Failed Battery” status is displayed if the battery failed the health test or the battery capacity is below the error threshold (24 hours). The battery must be replaced.

Battery Voltage. Indicates the voltage status of the battery. The BBU measures and evaluates the battery voltage continuously. If the voltage falls outside the normal range, warning or error level AENs are generated. In the case of a voltage error the BBU status will change to “Fault” and the battery will be disconnected electronically.

Battery Temperature. Indicates the temperature status of the battery. The BBU measures and evaluates the battery pack temperature continuously. If the temperature falls outside the normal range, warning or error level AENs are generated based on the measured temperature. In the case of a temperature error, the BBU status will change to “Fault” and the battery will be disconnected electronically.

Estimated Backup Capacity. Indicates the estimated backup capacity in hours. This is the amount of time that the battery backup unit can protect the data in the 3ware RAID controller's cache memory. This field is set to zero at the start of a new test and is updated after the test completes. A capacity of zero will also show if the BBU is disconnected and then reconnected.

Under optimal conditions, a battery can protect for up to 72 hours. However, with a fresh battery, you may see a higher number in this field. As the battery ages, the backup capacity diminishes.

Last Capacity Test. Indicates the date when the last battery test was completed. To test the battery click the Test Battery Capacity link. For details, see Testing Battery Capacity.

Battery Installation Date. Indicates when the BBU last detected the battery pack was removed and replaced.

Related Topics: Viewing Battery Information; Testing Battery Capacity