Q. How can I check the status of the batteries? How do I know the status of a refresh operation or when the next refresh will occur?

A. Run a 'refresh -s'.

   T3:/etc:40>refresh -s
                                        
   PCU1                            PCU2
   -----------------------------------------------------------------
    U1                      Recharging                      Pending
    U2                      Recharging                      Pending
                                        
   Current Time            Fri Sep 15 17:09:01 2000
   Start Time              Fri Sep 15 16:52:40 2000
   Next Refresh            Fri Sep 29 16:52:40 2000
   Total time elapsed :    0 hours, 16 minutes, 21 seconds.                                          

   refresh -c  ----> start refresh
   refresh -s  ----> get status
   refresh -i  ----> re-init command file
   refresh -k  ----> kill current refreshing task                                          

Q. What determines how often the battery refreshes?

A. It is based on the BAT_CYC setting in the T3's /etc/schd.conf file. It should be set to 28 (days).

You can also schedule the time for a refresh cycle to start using the following syntax:

BAT_BEG MM-DD-YYYY,hh-mm-ss

See Infodoc 24714 for more details.

Q. What is the battery hold time? What does it mean if my hold time is low?

A. Battery hold time is the length of time it takes to discharge a battery during a refresh cycle. The longer the time, the better the battery. The minimum PCU battery hold time is 6 minutes. (The T3 refers to hold time in seconds, e.g. 6 minutes equates to 360 seconds.) If the battery discharges in less than 6 minutes, the system assumes it has very little "juice" left and marks it as unhealthy by saying it's hold time is low.

Typical times for a healthy battery are 6-20 minutes. If hold time falls below 6, the battery must be replaced by replacing the PCU.

Refer to page B-10 of the T3 Administrator's Guide for further details.
 

Q. How can I tell how old the battery is?

A. Run an 'id read' on the unit and pcu in question. Here is an example:

   T3:/etc:37>id read u1pcu1
   Revision             : 0000
   Manufacture Week     : 00032000
   Battery Install Week : 00032000
   Battery Life Used    :  31 days, 8 hours
   Battery Life Span    : 730 days, 12 hours
   Serial Number        : 010293
   Battery Warranty Date: 20000815151902
   Battery Internal Flag: 0x00000000
   Vendor ID            : TECTROL-CAN
   Model ID             : 300-1454-01(50)                                          

Q. How long does the T3 battery last?

A. From the 'id read' output in the last question, the Battery Life Span is 730 days...or 2 years. After that it must be replaced, by replacing the PCU.

This information and more battery-related material can be found in the Sun StorEdge T3 Disk Tray Installation, Operation, and Service Manual